There is a fine line between trusting in Divine Providence and ignoring our responsibilities. Jesus tells us that since God cares for such small things as sparrows and lilies of the field, He will surely take care of us as well. That probably doesn’t mean that we should stop going to work, paying bills, and preparing food for our families. Jesus tells His disciples not to worry about what they should say when they are dragged before the powers of this world, for the Holy Spirit will give them the right words at that moment. However, I assure you it would not be beneficial for me or the good people of the region if I were to cease doing any preparation before giving my homilies.
 
There must be some sort of balance between meeting the responsibilities of our vocation and following Jesus’ call to dramatically witness to the truth and beauty of the Gospel. I believe that the answer, at least in part, lies in how we budget both our time and our energy. I am consistently amazed and overwhelmed over the work that married people must put into balancing their professional, family, and personal lives. There is so much that needs to be done for our families and communities, and if we don’t set aside time to grow closer to God in prayer, then the demands on our time will consume every last ounce of energy we have. If we focus just on maintaining what’s going on in our life, we will never get to the mission aspect of our role as disciples.
 
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples out two by two to preach repentance, drive out demons, and heal the sick. He sends them without much in the way of material assistance, but rather expects them to rely on each other and on the formation they received while they were with Him. This should be an example for each one of us. I imagine that everyone often feels like they aren’t holy enough, or smart enough, or that they don’t know enough about the Faith to go and preach to their family, friends, and communities. But Jesus wants us to make the time to go out into the world, even if we don’t feel completely prepared or are occasionally overwhelmed, and speak the word of God’s love to a world that needs it.
 
As members of Christ’s Mystical Body, may we always find time to grow closer to Our Lord in prayer and the Sacraments so that we can go out to the world and deliver the Good News as followers of Christ.
 
Prayers always,
Fr. McCullough