The Apostles are disciples of Jesus, you and I are disciples of Jesus. I don’t know about you but this first line of the Gospel, where it tells of the ministry for Jesus' disciples of driving out evil spirits and curing the sick perplexes me. I like to think of myself as a disciple but for the most part I don’t think of myself as having authority over unclean spirits or curing every illness, and this can makes me wonder if I am really a disciple or not.

But, if we were to tone down the dramatics and look at the ministry we are called to as disciples, in another of Jesus’ teachings, that of loving God and loving neighbor maybe this giant calling can be cut down to more our size. Both of these acts, loving God and loving neighbor, also fall into the category of actions, ministry on our part, that can help reduce the evil spirits we find among us, such as loneliness, despair, violence and injustice and provide healing for ourselves and others by sharing the hope that Jesus gives to the world.