Vigils: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

THEY SET OUT TO PREACH REPENTANCE
From a commentary by Theophylact of Ohrid 1
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Besides teaching himself the Lord also sent out the Twelve in pairs. The
reason for sending them in pairs was so that they would go more readily, for
they might not have been willing to set out all alone and, on the other hand, if
he had sent more than two together, there would not have been enough apostles
to cover all the villages. So he sent them two by two: two are better than one, as
Ecclesiastes says.

He commanded them to take nothing with them, neither bag, nor money,
nor bread, so as to teach them to despise riches, and to make people ashamed
when they saw them preaching poverty by their own lack of possessions. For
who would not blush for shame, strip himself of his possessions, and embrace
a life of poverty when he saw an apostle carrying neither bag, nor even bread
which is so essential?

The Lord instructed them to stay in the same house so as not to give the
appearance of restlessness, as though they moved from one family to another in
order to satisfy their stomachs. On the other hand, he told them to shake the
dust off their feet when people refuse to receive them, to show that they had
made a long journey for their sakes and they owed them nothing; they had
received nothing from them, not even their dust, which they shook off as a
testimony against them – a testimony of reproach. Be sure of this, I tell you:
Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better on the Day of Judgment than those who
will not receive you. The Sodomites were punished in this world, so they will be
punished less severely in the next. What is more, no apostles were sent to them.
For those who refused to receive the apostles, greater sufferings are in store.

So they set out to preach repentance. They cast out many demons, and
anointed many sick people with oil and cured them. The fact that the apostles
anointed the sick with oil is mentioned only by Mark, but the practice is also
referred to in his general letter by James, the brother of the Lord, who says: Are
there any sick people among you? Let them send for the elders of the Church
and let these pray over them, anointing them with oil. Oil is beneficial for the
relief of suffering, and it also produces light and makes for cheerfulness. It
symbolizes the mercy of God and the grace of the Spirit, through which we are
freed from suffering and receive light, gladness, and spiritual joy.

1
Journey with the Fathers – Year B – New City Press – 1993 – pg 98-99.