In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out the Apostles and tells them, “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.” They will be dependent on Divine Providence for their needs on this mission.
That is a difficult thing for us to even think about doing. We are so accustomed to providing for our own needs and wants.
The American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, famously represented our motivations in life as based on a hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy is represented as a pyramid with five levels: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (or self-fulfillment). His theory is that human beings are motivated to achieve a higher-level need only once the lower level needs have been met. Spirituality and spiritual fulfillment would be part of that top level of self-actualization in the pyramid.
His theory has been criticized because we do not always pursue needs in such a strictly hierarchical manner. However, our own experience can see some truth in Maslow’s theory. If we seriously lack food or water or some other physiological need, that is likely to keep us from focusing on higher level needs until that basic need is met.
Jesus’ orders to the Apostles run completely contrary to that experience. He tells the Apostles not to carry basic supplies on this journey…not even means to purchase basic needs. He wants the Apostles not to focus on their physiological needs. He wants them to learn to be completely dependent on God….to abandon themselves to Divine Providence.
There was, in fact, a famous spiritual work published in the 19th century by just that title: “Abandonment to Divine Providence.” After beginning with the example of the Blessed Mother at the Annunciation, the author tells us:
“The designs of God, the good pleasure of God, the will of God, the operation of God and the gift of His grace are all one and the same thing in the spiritual life. It is God working in the soul to make it like unto Himself. Perfection is neither more nor less than the faithful co-operation of the soul with this work of God…”
And then later, he sums this idea up in a simple statement: “There is no solid peace except in submission to the divine action.”
No matter our state in life, God wants us to recognize our dependence on him and to abandon ourselves to him. Yes, we must cooperate with grace in actively living out our life. But, at the same time, we must recognize our complete dependence on God.
Am I able to abandon myself to God’s will in my life? What is holding me back from doing so completely?