Today’s Gospel, in Mark chapter 6, tells us in detail about the equipment a disciple of Christ must have: “Then he called the Twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. And he commanded them that, besides the staff, they should take nothing for the journey: neither bread, saddlebags, nor money in their purses; but, wearing only sandals, they should not put on two tunics.” The first thing they must rely on is not personal heroism but relationships. That is why he sends them out two by two. It is not a door-to-door sales strategy but a clear indication that without reliable relationships, the gospel does not work and is not credible. In this sense, the Church should primarily be the place of these trustworthy relationships. And the proof of reliability can be seen in the power one has against evil. The thing that fears evil the most is fraternal communion. If you live in fellowship, you have power over unclean spirits. One then understands why the first thing evil does is bring communion into crisis. Without this trustworthiness of relationships, he can rule. Divided, we are vanquished, united, we are victorious. That is why the Church must always have the defense of communion as its first objective. ‘And he commanded them that, besides the staff, they should take nothing for the journey’; going through life without a foothold would be foolish. Each of us cannot just trust our convictions, our reasoning, and our own emotions. Instead, he needs something to provide him with a point of support. For a Christian, the Word of God is not an ornament but the stick to rest one’s life. Instead, we are witnessing the spread of an intimist Christianity all about ‘I think,’ and ‘I feel.’ This kind of approach ultimately leaves us stranded and very often lost. Having an objective point to base life on is a grace, not a limitation.
