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.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”
REFLECTION
Let your peace return to you.
“The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. (1 Peter 5:8)
We must be ready to do spiritual battle at a moment’s notice. Our weapons are not bayonets, knives, guns but divine power.
It is not our battle, is it? We are to be dependent on the Holy Spirit, not our resources. Many of the saints have shown us how to be wholly dependent on the Holy Spirit. Today is the memorial of St Benedict, who fed up with the world and a dissolute life, went to live in a desert cave. It was here that he wrote his rules of living.
St Benedict helps us to relate to God in light of our strengths and weaknesses. According to St Benedict, the body and soul are like two sides of a ladder into which God has built various steps. This Ladder of Humility becomes your life, and as your heart is humbled, the Lord will lift you up to heaven. This act of self abandonment, of emptying ourselves in order to make room for His graces, is the short book by Saint Benedict called The Rule.
St Benedict helps us discover God’s power in our lives by climbing the Ladder of Humility. These are the twelve rungs of the ladder: Fear of God, self denial, obedience, perseverance, repentance, serenity, self abasement, prudence, silence, dignity, discretion, reverence.
Be in awe of Jesus, and let Him give you His peace.
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