In the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen Today's gospel beautifully reflects our Lord Jesus' desire that we share in His apostolic mission. That's the mission of proclaiming the gospel, of that mission of proclaiming God's mercy and call to share in His divine life and holiness through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We see the authority that Jesus gave to the apostles. He gave them authority, and it shows them, He gave them power and authority over demons and to cure diseases, giving them a share in His divine power. He sent them to proclaim the gospel of God. This is something extremely important to understand. He sent them to proclaim the gospel of God, and this is the continued mission of the Church, to proclaim the gospel of God and in the mission of each of us as baptized Christians, that we are called and being sent out to proclaim the good news, the good news of Jesus Christ.
This is important to understand because there are those in the world that wish to stifle the voice of Christ, that wish to criticize the Church in this apostolic mission of proclaiming the gospel. We must never let such voices deter us because that command comes directly from the Son of God, Jesus Christ. For this, the faith has spread through all the corners of the world, and it is to continue to spread because of that divine commission from Jesus Himself, that we are to proclaim the gospel boldly, with courage, without fear, that it is God's desire that all may come to share in the gift of divine life received from His Son, Jesus Christ, that call to redemption, to conversion, and to share in God's divine life.
Our Lord in this also gives some instructions to them, wanting them to, in not taking things for the journey, walking stick, food, money, that they are to be dependent upon Him, that He is the one they are to be dependent upon, being detached from the world and the things of this world, but to cling to Christ and to trust in Christ, that He's calling them ultimately to trust Him, that He will provide for them, that He will provide for their needs. He's calling them to trust Him and to trust Him and to walk with faith, knowing that He will provide for them, wanting them to be dependent upon Him for all things.
Today we honor, traditionally, Wednesdays, our day in which our special devotion and honor are given to St. Joseph, this wonderful saint whom God chose to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the spouse of Mary, and also our Blessed Mother, and also through the protector of Jesus and Mary, to protect, the foster father of the Son of God.  It's a wonderful meditation, just to meditate on the litany of St. Joseph, and I won't go through all the beautiful titles of St. Joseph, but some of them are just inspiring for us, and that's why this litany is so beautiful to recite, as we ask St. Joseph to help us to imitate his virtues, his virtues, such as he's the guardian of virgins, a servant of Christ, minister of salvation, he's most just, most chaste, most prudent, most brave, most obedient, most loyal, and one that I really think is a beautiful reflection is mirror of patience. He is the mirror of patience, lover of poverty, model for workers, glory of family life, guardian of virtues, guardian of virgins, cornerstone of families, meaning that families really need to have St. Joseph as the cornerstone of their family, that he assist and protect them. Support in difficulties, comfort of the sorrowing, hope of the sick, patron of exiles, patron of the afflicted, patron of the poor, patron of the dying, terror of demons, protector of Holy Church.  So this litany is a wonderful reflection on the virtues of St. Joseph and his dedication in serving God and doing, carrying out God's will, and that we can turn to him as our foster father, asking him to help us to imitate his virtues and to carry out the will that God has given for each of us to fulfill with our life, that we may imitate St. Joseph in carrying out God's will with dedication, with faith, with trust, and with courage.
May St. Joseph pray for us today that we, as we reflect upon the gospel message, to proclaim the kingdom of God, that we may give witness daily in our love and faith of Jesus Christ and carry out God's plan for us in our life.  In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.