Reflection for June 11, Thursday; Memorial of Saint Barnabas, apostle and martyr: Matthew 10:7-13

Gospel: Matthew 10:7-13

(Jesus said to the twelve disciples) As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. 

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Reflection:

The story is told about a woman who can’t seem to dispose the old things in her house. According to her she will not dispose anything because each one has a sentimental value. After two years her house was already full of clutter and dirt brought about by the many unnecessary things that she owned. Don’t we also love to own unnecessary things that only complicate and add clutter to our life?

Simple life equals simple problems, complicated life equals complicated problems. Do we live simple lives?

Jesus is an advocate of simple living no doubt about it. This is proven in our gospel today when He told the twelve apostles as they were to be commissioned: “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.” (Matthew 10:9-10)

The best way to live our life is to live it simply. And as we go ahead with our simple living we would also notice that there’s less pressure and stress on us there are also less human created problems. 

Yet not all of us are aware that many of the problems that we face now are created by our complicated lifestyles. The life that we have right now is our personal choice if we are living a problematic life it is certainly brought about by our complicated lifestyle.

Let us be like Jesus who lived the simple and uncomplicated life. – Marino J. Dasmarinas