We see Jesus sending out His apostles to reveal their trust in their calling by not trusting material advantage and supports.  They are to go out and bless this world with God's grace alone as their support.

These two readings have a drawing near and going there theme.  Jesus calls us close in the Eucharist and in our own private prayer, but eventually, as he did with these early apostles, He sends us out as well.  This is not banishment, abandonment or uncaring.

Mission is an important aspect of intimacy with Jesus.  The word "mass" and "mission" actually come from the same Latin word, "Misus", which is a part of the verb which means to send.

God has come close to all of us so that we need not be frighten by what God thinks about us.  We are God's people and we have been called to sit at God's table and feast at the ancient banquet.  This feasting leads us to the second thing about which we need not to be frightened.  We are encouraged to go fearlessly into our worlds to protest that we know who we are and what we are about.  We are God's people and we wish, by our words and actions, to reveal what God thinks of our brothers and sisters as well.

Today we are invited, as every day, to draw close to the God Who has drawn near to us and then go out to draw near to God's people.  By how we reveal our trust in God's drawing near to us, we will lead others to let God draw near to them.