For St. Francis, the gospel was everything, and the only thing to follow. Young Francis was inspired and caught up with the gospel. He was drawn to it; but at the same time confused. Once after hearing the gospel in a church, he went to the sacristy and asked the old priest, ‘Is the gospel an ideal form of living or is it a mandate for living?’ The priest was caught between the gap between his life and the gospel; but later with honesty and courage the priest said, the gospel is a mandate for living. If it is an ideal form of living, a lot of compromise will take place. If it is a mandate for living there is no escape. Matthew 10: 6-16 gives us a mandate as to how to go around the world preaching. These are the guidelines for discipleship. Here the lifestyle of the disciples is defined.
He sent them two by two. In Jewish tradition, if something has to be established as true, another has to second what you are saying; so it was sensible to send them two by two. Further, we need brothers and companions to accompany us in our life and ministry, to help us, correct us, and to hold us when we fall.
Go first to the lost sheep of Israel. Take our immediate space and fraternity seriously. The last, lost, and least in our immediate circle is the workplace or canvas we must begin with.
Wherever you go preach the gospel. The will of God has to become the rule of the day. How do we trace the will of God? Firstly listen to your inner voice, in silence and prayer. It is possible that this voice becomes very subjective and even deceptive. Secondly, consult the gospel; listen to the measurement of the gospels. Jesus was a carpenter, so his measurements are precise. There is often a question of whether I should expose a brother or cover up a brother who has failed. If you are made known about a secret, cover him up, do not expose him; anyone telling you a personal thing is like an act of confession. There was a murder of a priest in a monastery in a remote village. Hearing the loud cries, the watchman alerted another priest in the monastery. He rushed and found the priest who was attacked almost to the point of death. There was nothing much that could be done. He rushed to the chapel, gave him the last sacrament, and held him close to his heart for a few minutes and he died in his arms. When the police came they found that the victim was with this priest for a few minutes at the end. The police questioned the priest; did he not tell you who attacked him? No, replied the priest. The police further questioned, asking, did you not enquire what happened? Then the priest said, I am a priest and not a detective. Accept eventualities. What happens is the will of God. If you surrender to his will, what happens is his will. King David was accused and shouted at by a man. His guard could not take it anymore; he went forward to attack him. King David stopped him, saying if God has asked him to say it, who are you to stop him? Wherever you go tell the beauty of living in the Kingdom of God.
A disciple’s work happens in the context of accepting the will of God. It is the divine tune and rhythm; one must tune one’s strings, and instrument to the master’s tune and rhythm. Being a disciple is to have divine measurements; for music, we need beats with measurement, dance is a movement with measurement, in art and photography we have the golden rules of composition, which too is measurement. Jesus as a carpenter, measurement was important to him.
Heal the Sick: Once we understand that it is a wounded and pathological world, we will also change our perspectives on them. Something like alcoholism was considered misbehavior, now we know it's an illness and needs treatment.
Raise the dead: Death in the New Testament is anything apart from physical death. Physical death is salvation, life precedes our physical death; and then why bring them back to earth. New Testament death stories are the death of self-esteem, the death of self-confidence and courage, death of dignity, death of will to live, etc.
Go to people with skin diseases: They were the untouchables of that time. They could be lepers or other skin diseases. People are kept in different layers of society. In Kerala, the earlier Christian takes pride in parading it. They call themselves ‘puradana Christians’ (Traditional Christians). The word, Puradana Christianity is an obscenity. Poikayil Appachan was a Christian preacher. Seeing how caste-ridden and divisive the Kerala church is, he left the church. One day after the Sunday mass as people were coming out the church, Appachan burned the Bible right in front of the Church. He changed the name to ‘Kumara Gurudevan’. His reaction to the caste discrimination was that he openly taught that ‘there is no saviour for us, but us.’
Jesus challenged them to delete every barrier, from a fisher village go to the ends of the earth; go to the lepers, untouchables. Whenever a leper came on Jesus' way, they kept pleading, ‘Say a word and I will be healed’. It was not out of reverence. They were not supposed to come closer than a few feet to anyone, so say a word from far away; in other words don't, take offence at us, we will stand far. They never have had the memory of a touch in their whole life. It is interesting to note that he touched and healed every one of them. In the Middle Eastern context touching someone is to give them a tight hug, and they weep in Jesus' embrace. Untouchability is an attitude, therefore it is a sin. He just went among the least, lost, and last. Christianity was an asylum for the outcastes. Centuries later, St. Francis kissed a leper. Centuries later in India, Dalits drew water from the common well; and entered temples to pray.
Drive out demons: Jesus has not spoken about the devil a lot. He has said, the Devil is the father of lies. Exorcism is helping people come out of their lies. In the age of post-truth, lies have been presented like truth, in the words of George Orwell, in Animal Farm, ‘at last, they could not say pigs from people.’ In the case of Metro trains in our cities, we are mesmerised by the progress called metro rail, but we do not see the tragedy called, metro pillars, around which sleep the homeless and displaced poor. We have to correct lies.
The scripture says that from Mary Magdalene, who loved Jesus, seven demons were taken out. It only means Jesus corrected their many lies, or Jesus corrected the many lies she believed in. Such lies are also rampant in individuals, systems, and organisations. Superiors punish subordinates by saying, it is a fraternal correction or it is for their good; which actually is to save themselves from their discomfort. Some lies are so stubborn and have been there for centuries, that people are not able to break out of this unclean spirit. At times, the collective consciousness needs to be broken.
Sense of Gratitude: in the Indian context, one of the marks of being enlightened is one begins to be a beggar. Siddharth, meaning someone who had perfected all four Arthas, began begging after his enlightenment. His only possession became a chorakkai thondu (outer layer of a vegetable cut like a bowl, often for begging). One day his son Rahul came to see him. Buddha gifted him a chorakkai thondu, he looked forward to Rahul’s enlightenment one day.
There was a beggar in Kollam town in Kerala. One day he had to go to a doctor and on the hospital corridor he was found reading an English newspaper. Seeing a beggar reading an English Newspaper, he became a talking point; in the 1960s and 70s anyone reading and handling English in India would be a talking point. And here is a beggar doing it. They asked about his whereabouts. He admitted himself to be Mr. Peter Reddy, former professor of English at St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He had read St. Francis of Assisi, and had been enlightened; from then on just went around begging.
Enlightenment is beginning to live with a sense of gratitude; no asserting, not entitled; all is a gift from above. Every single time he took bread to eat, Jesus was filled with gratitude to the brim. In the Old Testament, people lived by the sweat of their brow. The disciples don't claim it with audacity like in the Old Testament; they and their ministries don't live by their own sweat but by somebody else’s sweat. People give out of compassion, out of generosity, and also as repentance for their sins. St. Francis seems to have said, ‘we are eating the sins of the world.’ Thirteen young men (one a carpenter, some fishermen, some others doing other jobs) in predominantly poor coastal villages did not go to work for three years, that poor coastal community kept them alive and active. They provided for their needs. That is a miracle.
Remember with gratitude that you are a fig tree planted in a vineyard. When measuring the proportions, how trivial are the negatives and shortcomings that we have experienced in comparison to the good things that we have received and receiving.
Be a generous giver: we are given, therefore give generously. Generosity and gentleman have the same root word. Our vow of poverty is shown in our availability. It is a big relief to have coworkers or brothers with us who are available.
Jesus was generous to the point of giving himself; finally, he said, take my body (he gave it up at his own will, nobody took it away from him). Later he was only left with his mother. There was an emotional attachment, and finally, he said, take my mother too. Poverty is our treasure. Minimalism is a way of life.
Jesus had a peaceful death. The gospel presents death as a thief, and therefore, for those who have possessions, death is a painful departure. Giving is the preparation for a happy death. Simeon prayed, ‘Let you servant depart in peace.’ As an answer, the servant of the servant dies on the cross peacefully as the final act of giving.
Go penniless: gold, silver, and copper were the denominations of coins of the time. It is good to remember, that Peter, the first pope, had no gold, no silver, no copper, but Jesus Christ. He only had Jesus with him, and with that precious possession he works his first miracle.
Don’t take a staff: they were a nomadic tribe, they always had a staff with them to walk comfortably on every terrain, to chase a wild breast, to cross a river, or to pluck a fruit; it was a multipurpose tool. Staff stands for our calculations; extra shoe, extra tunic, all these are part of our calculations. Live in the providence of God. Many disciples were mainly seamen. They knew that if they were returning back from the sea safely everyday there must be someone bigger than their calculations. Submit to the watchfulness of the Lord.
The autobiography of Carol Armstrong, Spiral Staircase, projects that any amount of calculation would not be enough on a spiral staircase; one never can see or calculate what is waiting on the next spiral. It is like driving on winding roads in a ghat section; we never can calculate to know what is coming, or how fast others are approaching us.
A girl wanted to go alone for a travel. Though her father opposed it, she was adamant. Finally, he agreed; and while she was going to board the train, her father gave her a closed envelope, saying, in case you feel frightened, open this envelope. She began her journey; during the day she loved the scenes and company etc. As the night began she began to feel frightened. She remembered the envelope, took it and opened it; on a small piece of paper it was written, ‘I am in the next cabin.’ Though most often not seen, God is there around.
Do not carry shoes: take off your shoes; go barefoot is the call. But we find even Jesus wearing sandals. The exegesis of it is that Moses was brought up in the palace so he had sandals and shoes. But the Jewish community was a slave community; he had to take off the shoes to match the people he was serving. Here too it could mean that we go barefoot to match the economic conditions of the people we serve. In order to go back to his community Moses had to take off his shoes. We are privileged as religious and priests but do not take advantage of the home people.
Taking off the shoes practically would mean, firstly, going slowly: no need to hurry, meet people, and attend to people. Secondly, walk gently. Do not be assertive and pick up vocal arguments. Thirdly, walk reverently. Have a deep respect for the earth and land. St. John Paul kissed every land he visited; it was a practice that he had even as a young priest.
Find a person to live with: wherever you go, especially in strange places, find a person who would understand your message, People can lead you astray. Move around with people who can inflame you, and ignite you. On the way to Emmaus, the disciples felt the fire in their hearts. People of the same frequency and dream must come together to work. There must be a hunger for truth, goodness, peace, and God. We must ask for hunger and not bread. It is hunger that takes you to places, to books, to people, etc.
Don't leave the town: be stable; don't leave people halfway. Imagine a marriage happening between a 22-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man. They hold one another’s hand in front of the altar. They still years left to live. In that long life, one may find much more beautiful people, more understanding people, more educated people, etc. but you shall never leave that hand for another hand. Hold the other’s hand in warmth; even when one of the hands grows cold in death. The disciples too place their hands in Jesus' hand; their hands to be in his warm hand; even when their hands grow cold in death. A vow becomes meaningful only when we are able to carry it till the end. Time makes a promise turn into a vow.
In the parallel passage in Luke 10, it is said not to greet anyone on the road. Don’t get into surface behaviour. Silence makes a deep man. In our monasteries we have grand silence, actually, silence is grand/great. When Solomon was building the temple no sound was heard.
Greet people: wherever you go bless people. Trace the goodness of people, appreciate people, and help them to carry on. Francis was a man of blessings. He once blessed a child, who was ill, saying, Bonaventura, the child was healed gradually. His mother named him Bonaventure. Later he joined the friars and became St. Bonaventure.
There is a little town in Italy, where even today for the feast of St. Francis, all the villages wear 13th-century Italian dress because they want to keep up the memory of Francis who had visited them once and had greeted each one, Pax et bonum’. Franciscans have a tradition of blessing. You shall be a blessing (Genesis 12: 2). As we go, encourage, support, uphold, handhold, and enable people to go forward. You become a blessing.
If they don't receive, shake off the dust: when a village does not receive you shake off the very dust that you had gathered: Filter off your negative memories; leave them, don't take them with you.
Notes taken during my annual retreat, preached by Bobby Jose Kattikad, Capuchin.
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