Daily Word: Luke 9:1-6 – Authority, Poverty, and the Mission | Wednesday, Sept 23 (St. Pio)

Luke 9:1-6 (Memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina – Year A)

“He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1-2)

Jesus has been traveling through Galilee, teaching, healing, casting out demons, and gathering disciples. Now the moment has come to extend His mission. He does not do the work alone. He summons the Twelve — the same men He called from their boats and their tax booths — and He hands over to them what belongs to Him: power and authority.

This is the birth of the apostolate. It is the moment when discipleship becomes mission. And it reveals three things that have defined the Church for two thousand years: authority, poverty, and witness.

The Summoning: Synkaleō and Apostellō (v. 1-2)

The Greek verb Luke uses is synkaleō — to call together, to summon into one place. Jesus does not send them out from a distance. He gathers them first. There is no mission without intimacy. There is no sending without summoning.

Then Luke says He apostellō them — to send with a commission, to dispatch with authority. This is the verb behind the word apostolos — apostle. An apostle is not a volunteer; he is a sent one. His authority does not come from himself but from the One who sent him.

This is the pattern of the Church. Every Christian is called, gathered, and sent. Baptism is not merely a personal blessing; it is an apostolic commission. You have been summoned by Christ and sent into the world. The question is not whether you are called — but whether you are going.

The Two Gifts: Exousia and Dynamis (v. 1)

Jesus gives them two things, and Luke uses two distinct words:

The Greek word for “power” is dynamis — force, capacity, the ability to effect change. It is the raw energy of the Spirit. It is the power that raised Christ from the dead.

The Greek word for “authority” is exousia — the right to act, the legitimate freedom to command. It is not merely the ability to do something; it is the permission and jurisdiction to do it.

Authority without power is empty. Power without authority is chaos. Jesus gives both. The disciples have the capacity to heal and the right to command the demons. And this authority extends over all demons — the Greek says pantōn, all, every one, without exception. No principality is beyond the reach of Christ's delegated authority.

And what is this power for? Luke says it is “to cure diseases” — the Greek verb is therapeuō, to heal, to serve, to care for. It is the same verb Matthew uses to describe Jesus' own ministry. The Church does not merely preach; she heals. She does not merely teach; she serves.

The Command: Kēryssō and Euangelizō (v. 2)

The mission has two dimensions, and Luke names them with two verbs:

Kēryssō — to proclaim, to herald, to announce as a public crier. It is the language of the herald who stands in the square and declares the message of the king. It is bold, public, unapologetic. The Kingdom of God is not a private opinion; it is a royal announcement.

Euangelizō — to announce good news, to bring the Gospel. It is the same verb Jesus uses for His own mission (Luke 4:18). The message is not a burden; it is glad tidings. It is the news that the King has come, that the captive is freed, that the sick is healed, that the sinner is forgiven.

So the mission is: proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick. Word and deed. Truth and mercy. Doctrine and compassion. The Church has never been permitted to separate them.

The Radical Poverty: Mēden and Pēra (v. 3)

Then Jesus gives instructions that must have shocked the Twelve:

“Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.”

The Greek word is mēden — nothing, not one thing. Not a staff for protection. Not a pēra — a beggar's bag, the traveler's knapsack. Not bread. Not money. Not even a second tunic.

This is not merely a practical instruction for a short journey. It is a theological statement. The missionary carries nothing because he carries Christ. His security is not in his provisions but in Providence. His credibility is not in his resources but in his dependence.

When a disciple arrives with nothing, the people see that the message itself is the treasure. When a disciple arrives with power, wealth, and a strategic plan, the people may wonder if the power is the point. Jesus strips away every distraction. The Kingdom is proclaimed by men who visibly depend on the Kingdom.

The House and the Dust: Meno and Apotinassō (v. 4-5)

Jesus tells them: “Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.”

The Greek verb is menō — to remain, to abide, to dwell. This is the same verb John uses when Jesus says, “Remain in me, and I in you” (John 15:4). The missionary does not move from house to house seeking better accommodations. He dwells. He receives what is offered. He honors the hospitality given.

Then the hard word: “As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”

The Greek verb is apotinassō — to shake off, to brush away, to remove by shaking. And the Greek word for “testimony” is martyrion — the root of our word martyr. It does not yet mean death; it means evidence, witness, proof. The shaking of the dust is not a gesture of contempt. It is a witness. It says: “We have done what we were sent to do. The refusal is yours.”

The missionary is not responsible for the response. He is responsible for the faithfulness. He proclaims, he heals, he moves on — and he does not carry resentment with him. He shakes it off.

The Obedience: Exerchomai (v. 6)

Luke concludes with one brief line: “They departed and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.”

The Greek verb is exerchomai — to go out, to come forth, to depart. They did not discuss. They did not debate. They did not ask for a better plan. They went. And the text says they did exactly what they were sent to do — euangelizomenoi kai therapeuontes, proclaiming and healing, present participles describing continuous action.

This is the obedience of faith. Not a perfect strategy, but a prompt response. Not full comprehension, but complete trust.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: The Friar Who Took Nothing

Today the Church honors Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968) — Padre Pio — one of the most beloved saints of the modern era. And it is impossible to read today's Gospel without seeing him in it.

Born Francesco Forgione in the small village of Pietrelcina, he entered the Capuchin Franciscans as a young man and was ordained in 1910. In 1918, while praying before a crucifix, he received the stigmata — the visible wounds of Christ in his hands, feet, and side. They remained with him for fifty years, until his death.

He carried an extraordinary authority over the demonic. There are numerous documented accounts of his confrontations with evil, of his reading of souls in the confessional, of his knowledge of sins people had not yet confessed. He spent up to sixteen hours a day in the confessional, and long lines formed before dawn. He was, in the words of many, a man who could see into the human heart.

But here is the key: he carried nothing.

He was a poor friar. He owned nothing. He refused honors, refused money for himself, refused to be photographed for profit. He wore the same patched habit. He lived in a small cell. When he built the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza — the House for the Relief of Suffering, opened in San Giovanni Rotondo in 1956 — it was one of the most advanced hospitals in Europe. And he insisted: “The hospital is the work of God. I am only the instrument.”

His famous counsel was: “Pray, hope, and don't worry.” Ora, spera, e non ti preoccupare. And: “Prayer is the best weapon we have. It is a key that opens the heart of God.”

And like the Twelve, he shook off the dust. He was investigated, restricted, calumniated, and silenced by authorities within the Church. His mystical experiences were questioned. He was forbidden from celebrating Mass publicly for a time. And through it all, he never retaliated. He never wrote a defense. He never spoke against his accusers. He obeyed. He stayed in his cell. He heard confessions. He celebrated Mass. He remained.

He died on September 23, 1968 — the very day the Church now celebrates his memory. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002.

The Connection: Authority, Poverty, Witness

Padre Pio is the Gospel of Luke 9 made visible.

• He received exousia and dynamis. The authority over demons, the power to heal, the capacity to see souls — not from himself, but from Christ.

• He took nothing for the journey. No wealth, no reputation, no security, no second tunic. A poor friar who depended entirely on Providence.

• He proclaimed and healed. Word and deed, inseparable. The confessional and the hospital. The altar and the sickbed.

• He shook the dust. He was slandered for decades and did not defend himself. He let the witness stand on its own.

• He remained. Meno. He stayed in San Giovanni Rotondo for fifty years. He did not chase platforms. He did not seek better houses. He abided.

What This Means for Your Wednesday

Today, the Gospel sends you.

• Have you been summoned? Before you are sent, you are called. Do you spend time with Jesus before you work for Jesus? Synkaleō comes before apostellō.

• Do you know your authority? You have been given exousia and dynamis — not your own, but His. Do you use it? Do you command the darkness in your own life, in your family, in your home? Or do you live as if the demons had the upper hand?

• What are you carrying? The missionary takes mēden — nothing. What are you carrying that you should not? A grudge? A need for recognition? A plan you have not surrendered? A fear you have not named?

• Are you able to shake off the dust? When you are rejected, do you carry the resentment with you? Or do you brush it off, leave the outcome to God, and keep walking?

• Do you abide? Like Padre Pio, do you remain where God has placed you — faithful in the hidden place — even when you are not understood?

A Short Prayer

Lord Jesus, You summoned the Twelve, gave them authority, and sent them out with nothing but Your word. Do the same with me. Give me Your exousia and Your dynamis — not my own strength, but Yours. Strip from me everything that gets in the way of the Gospel: my need for security, my craving for approval, my refusal to let go. Teach me to proclaim and to heal, to speak the truth and to serve the broken. Teach me to shake off the dust of rejection and not carry it into the next town. And give me the grace to remain — to abide in You, as You abide in me.

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, poor friar and faithful priest, you who carried nothing and bore the wounds of Christ, pray for us. Teach us your counsel: pray, hope, and do not worry. Help us to hear confessions of faith with our lives. And obtain for us, from the Heart of Christ, the authority to face the darkness without fear. Amen.

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