5 February 2026 – Thursday of the 4th week of Ordinary Time
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12; Mark 6:7-13
H O M I L Y
Jesus' first attempt to teach in his own village, at the beginning of his public life, ended in failure. From that moment on, he took his message to the roads and villages of Galilee and then Judea. From then on, Jesus clearly distanced himself from the official worship and religious authorities of the Jewish people, adopting a lifestyle and style of preaching in line with the prophets of the Old Testament and therefore in line with John the Baptist, whose ascetic tradition he took on by being baptised by him. This is the same lifestyle he recommended to his disciples when he sent them out to the towns and villages of the region.
When we read this text in the context of a monastic assembly, it takes on a very special meaning. At the time of Christ, there was a lively ascetic tradition throughout the Middle East, which was expressed, among other things, in the baptismal practice adopted by John and taken up by Jesus. This tradition was also expressed in the practice of itinerant monks, which had already existed for several centuries in India and elsewhere in the East and the Middle East. The lifestyle of these itinerant monks corresponded to that which Jesus prescribed to his disciples: absolute simplicity, relying on universal solidarity, without a bag to accumulate anything, sharing the good word, etc. It is therefore not surprising that in Palestine and Syria, the first form of Christian monastic life during the early centuries was an itinerant monastic life modelled on that of Jesus and his Apostles.
Just as Jesus had chosen his Apostles in pairs (Mark 1:16-21), he sent them out two by two. This emphasizes the fact that the evangelical mission is not a private matter, but a communal responsibility. Furthermore, it affirms the equality of all in this mission, as neither of the two sent is subordinate to the other. The fact that they were not to carry any food or money, or even a bag to collect what they might receive, is not presented here as a manifestation of poverty or asceticism, but rather as a manifestation of trust in humanity and openness to human solidarity. Moreover, the disciples are not invited to beg, but simply to do good by casting out evil spirits, relying on the kindness and solidarity of those who are willing to receive them. They will not present themselves as ‘authorities’ entitled to a reward or a salary, but simply as witnesses to God's goodness, relying on the goodness of men.
In this account of the mission of the Twelve, as we read it in Mark, there is no mention of specific places where the apostles are sent, nor of any time limit. It is presented as the mission of the Apostles in general. And since they are then in Galilee of the Nations, on the border of the ‘pagan’ world, the mission is by no means limited to the Jewish world.
Jesus came to bring life in abundance, freeing prisoners from their chains, the sick from their infirmities, and the oppressed from their slavery. Any attempt to convey his message that has no political dimension would clearly not be evangelical. Only those who, like Amos and the Twelve, have no possessions to defend other than their mission received from God can afford to speak in this way.
And we celebrate today the memorial of Saint Agatha.
Armand Veilleux