Part of the Mission

Armodoxy for Today: Part of the Mission

In the Gospel according to St. Luke Jesus states his mission clearly. He is here to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, liberate captives and the oppressed and recover sight to the blind. (4:17-8)

It is tempting to consider these groups in the category of the other – people outside of ourselves. We may think of the blind as those missing sight receptacles in their eye sockets, when in fact we know many who walk around with eyeballs and yet are blind to the beauty around them. We think of the captives as those who are imprisoned or held in slavery against their will, yet there are those who living in freedom are enslaved to their money and their possessions. When we categorize the hurting and frail as the other, we deny ourselves the opportunity for self-evaluation and thereby self-improvement.

Todos necesitamos sanación, todos anhelamos la verdadera libertad y todos buscamos amor, comprensión y pertenencia plenos en la vida. Jesús dijo: «No son los sanos los que necesitan médico, sino los enfermos. No he venido a llamar a justos, sino a pecadores al arrepentimiento» (Marcos 2).

Let us pray the prayer of St. Nersess Shnorhali, “Lord, who wills that which is good, and are the director of the will, let me not follow the inclinations of my heart, but lead me to live always according to Your good will. Have mercy upon Your Creatures and upon me, a sinner.“