Bags and Burdens

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Mark
     Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to      send them out two by two
     and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 
     He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
     but a walking stick—
     no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 
     They were, however, to wear sandals
     but not a second tunic. 
     He said to them,
     “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. 
     Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
     leave there and shake the dust off your feet
     in testimony against them.” 
     So they went off and preached repentance. 
     The Twelve drove out many demons,
     and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

     As I pulled up to my house on a blistering Friday afternoon, I looked at the passenger’s seat and sighed in desperation. To my dismay, the seat was full of bags and boxes I brought home from a long week at work. The list of everything I would have to haul into my house was long: a lunch box, a bulky work bag, an additional bag (carrying things that wouldn’t fit in my other bag), my keys, my phone and my water bottle. Although the journey from my car to the door was a grand total of 20 steps away, I just sat there behind my steering wheel, unwilling to budge. 

     As I procrastinated, I began to think about the fact that all of these burdensome bags, except for one, were things I commuted to work with each day. I thought to myself, “There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not flustered by the bags, boxes and bottles I carry. I wish I didn’t have to lug things back and forth to the office. I wish I had nothing to carry…” 

     The idea of not having to carry burdensome items sounds ideal. I wouldn’t have to get overheated or strain myself, nor would I have to acknowledge my weakness. Not having to lift a finger would be a dream come true to the average person. And yet, when Jesus tells His apostles, “to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in their belts,” I think the vast majority of people would agree that living this kind of reality would be anything but a dream.

     Imagine leaving your house with nothing in your hands. Yes, you wouldn’t have the bags and burdens you usually carry to weigh you down, but you also would have no comforts or protection. Having nothing forces one to become totally dependent on the Lord to get him or her where he or she needs to go, be fed and find shelter.

     It’s easy to imagine this and resort back to a life of physical, emotional and spiritual burden. You could tell yourself, “At least these burdens protect my pride…” but at what cost? Hindering your freedom and the ability to radically trust? 

     I think it’s easy to forget that though Jesus was 100% God, He was also 100% man, and because of this He experienced the needs and wants of our humanity in a uniquely intimate way. He understands, on a personal level, our desire to want to grasp for things because it gives us a sense of comfort. In this invitation to quite literally let go of what we’re holding onto, the Lord gives us the opportunity to go on mission unhindered. He gives us permission to no longer be slaves to our possessions and worldly things.

     Take some time to evaluate the bags and burdens you carry on a daily basis. How is the Lord calling you to lighten your load so you can be more free? 


About the Author: Nicole Jones is the Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Red Stick Catholics) at the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Nicole grew up in Baton Rouge and started getting involved with ministry after experiencing a deep conversion of heart at a high school bible study at Our Lady of Mercy parish. During her time as a mass communication student at LSU, Nicole became more involved with Christ the King Catholic Church and Student Center. It was there that she felt the Lord tugging on her heart to dive deeper into ministry and apply for her current position at the Diocese. When Nicole isn’t working, she can be found spending time with her dog, Indy, and baking the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. 
Where is one place you’ve always wanted to travel? There are a lot of places on the bucket list, but Assisi is on the top for sure!


Learn More About Red Stick Catholics


The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week. If you are interested in writing a reflection, please email Nicole at [email protected] .