Buen Camino

July 12, 2018

Anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago (a 500 mile walking pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain) has heard the phrase “Buen Camino” hundreds of times. It is how the pilgrims and everyone along “The Way” greets one another, sends one another off, and wishes each other to be. Translation: Good Road, Good Path, Good Way, and on a deeper spiritual level it points the pilgrim to their truest and most sacred reason for walking The Way, to become perfect or the best version of themselves. Therefore, in Biblical language, since Hebrew does not really have superlatives like “best” it would be said Buen Buen Buen Camino or Good Good Good Path. Using a word three times gives it the highest or most excellent meaning (i.e. “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!), and that is what Jesus sends His apostles out with in today’s gospel.

The message is straight forward and a review from yesterday, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” How will your audience know what the Kingdom of Heaven is like? You’ll simply cure the sick, raise the dead, and drive out demons…no big deal! This ministry, you will do for free, no payment collected and no payment offered. In fact, take no money, gold or silver with you at all. Don’t bring any luggage, extra clothing, or even a walking stick. Rely on the kindness of others and on God. Your miraculous deeds will earn your keep. When you come into a town, look for those that welcome pilgrims and accept their hospitality with gratitude. Bring peace into every place you enter and if your peace is not accepted, simply take the peace with you as you go from there. Peace cannot be forced, only breathed onto through kindness, mercy, generosity, and love. As you share the message, some will hear and receive it, and some will not. For those that do not, don’t be discouraged as they are not ready. Simply shake the dust from your sandals to symbolize that you have planted the seeds and you now leave the fertilization of those seeds to your Good Good Good Father. Your mission was to bring peace and the condition of their receiving peace or not has little to do with you, but rather with the state of their own souls. Your mission is to bring peace. Your mission is to bring peace. Your mission is to bring peace. 

Jesus sends His beloved interns out, as pilgrims with nothing weighing them down, a message of hope, and a practical lesson in total trust in God. It reminds me of the passage in Ephesians when Paul gives us the components of spiritual armor: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

As we walk “The Way” today, let us clothe ourselves in truth, righteousness, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and faith so that we can give and receive the gospel of peace to everyone we meet. This is our mission as pilgrims on the journey. Let our loads be light and our hearts be open. May we always seek to be the best version of ourselves and may we remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Have a Buen Buen Buen Camino day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 HOS 11:1-4, 8E-9

Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him, 
out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them,
the farther they went from me,
Sacrificing to the Baals
and burning incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer.

My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again;
For I am God and not man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you.

Responsorial Psalm PS 80:2AC AND 3B, 15-16

R. (4b) Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken.
From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power.
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see:
Take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted,
the son of man whom you yourself made strong. 
R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.

Alleluia MK 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 10:7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
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.”