A Reflection on Mark
6:7-13
In today's
Gospel, Jesus does something that seems almost reckless: He sends His disciples
out with absolutely nothing. No food, no money, no extra clothes, just a
walking stick and sandals. Why would He do this? Because Jesus wanted them to
learn the most important lesson of discipleship: that God provides everything
we truly need. When we strip away all our securities and comforts, we discover
that grace fills the empty spaces. The disciples weren't sent out to fail; they
were sent out to succeed in a way the world doesn't understand, through total
dependence on the Father's love and the hospitality of those they served.
This radical trust mirrors what we practice when we pray the Rosary. Each time
we hold those simple beads, we're doing exactly what the disciples did, we're
showing up with almost nothing in our hands, offering just our attention and
our "yes" to God. The Rosary doesn't require theological degrees or
eloquent words. It asks only that we come as we are, repeating blessed
scriptural prayers while meditating on the mysteries of Jesus's life. Just as
the disciples carried only what was essential, the Rosary strips prayer down to
its essence: presence, repetition, and trust that these small offerings matter
infinitely to God.
Notice too that
Jesus sent them out in pairs. Discipleship was never meant to be a solo
journey. We need each other to encourage, to challenge, to witness together.
When we gather to pray the Rosary with others, or when we know others are
praying the same mysteries we are, we're living this truth. We're walking two
by two through the mysteries of faith, supporting one another in our mission to
bring Jesus into a world that desperately needs Him. The power wasn't in what
the disciples carried but in who sent them and who walked beside them.
The disciples
returned rejoicing, amazed at what God had accomplished through their empty
hands. This is our invitation too: to let go of whatever false securities we're
clinging to and trust that Jesus will work through our poverty, our
limitations, and our simple prayers. When we embrace this radical dependence, whether
in service, in prayer, or in daily life, we discover that we're never truly
empty. We carry Jesus Himself, and that's more than enough.
Questions
to Ponder:
• What
"extra tunics" am I carrying, what false securities or unnecessary
comforts am I clinging to that might be preventing me from fully trusting God's
providence?
• How can I
embrace a more stripped-down, essential approach to my spiritual life, similar
to the simplicity of the Rosary?
• Who is walking
alongside me in faith, and am I being a faithful companion to others in their
journey toward Jesus?
• What would it
look like for me to shake the dust off my feet and move forward when my witness
is rejected, rather than becoming discouraged or resentful?
©2026 James Dacey, Jr., OFS