The Memorial of Saint Agatha
Now the days of David came near that he should die; and he commanded Solomon his son, saying, "I am going the way of all the earth. You be strong therefore, and show yourself a man; and keep the instruction of the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn yourself. Then the Lord may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your children are careful of their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,' he said, ' a man on the throne of Israel.'
David slept with his fathers, and was buried in David's city. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. Solomon sat on David his father's throne; and his kingdom was firmly established.
Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said, "You are blessed, Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all! In your hand is power and might! It is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all!
Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all! In your hand is power and might! It is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all!
He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"
They went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick and healed them.
Saint Agatha was a young Christian woman in third-century Sicily who chose martyrdom rather than compromise her faith and purity. Her courage in the face of persecution reminds us that following Christ sometimes demands everything we have.
What strikes me most about Jesus sending out the twelve is how radically vulnerable he makes them. No extra clothes, no money, no backup plan – just trust in God's providence and the message they carry. This isn't just ancient history; it's a template for how we're called to live as Christians today.
David's final words to Solomon echo this same theme of dependence on God rather than worldly security. He doesn't tell his son to stockpile weapons or gold, but to "keep the instruction of the Lord your God" and walk in his ways. The kingdom's strength comes not from human power but from faithfulness to God's covenant.
We live in a culture obsessed with security – financial safety nets, insurance policies, backup plans for our backup plans. There's wisdom in prudent planning, of course, but these readings challenge us to examine where our ultimate trust lies. When we cling too tightly to our possessions, our reputation, or our comfort, we might miss the very adventures God is inviting us into.
The disciples went out with nothing but returned with stories of healing and transformation. What I find beautiful here is that their poverty became the space where God's power could work most clearly. Sometimes our greatest limitations become the doorways through which grace enters.
Like Saint Agatha, we're called to hold our earthly securities lightly, trusting that God provides what we truly need for the mission he's given us.
Where in your life might God be asking you to travel lighter? What would it look like to depend more on his provision and less on your own resources today?