In the first apostolic mission, the Lord expressly indicated to them: do not carry a bag, nor a saddlebag.... They understood in that first apostolic departure that it was Jesus who gave the efficacy: the healings, the conversions, the miracles were not due to their human qualities, but to the divine power of their Master.
Before the last trip to Jerusalem, Jesus complements the teaching of the first apostolic mission. And he asks them: When I sent you without bag or baggage or shoes, did you lack anything? Nothing, they answered him. Then he said to them: Now, however, whoever has a purse, let him carry it, and likewise a bag; and whoever has none, let him sell his tunic and buy asword13. Since the supernatural means come first in every apostolate, the Lord wants us to use all the human possibilities within our reach. Grace does not supplant nature, and we cannot ask for extraordinary help from the Lord when, through ordinary means, God has placed in our hands the instruments we need. A person "who does not strive to do his part, expecting everything from divine help, would tempt God "14 and the grace of God would cease to act.
Hence the importance of cultivating the human virtues, which support the supernatural virtues and are a necessary means in the effort to bring others closer to God. How can we present the Christian life in an attractive way if we are not cheerful, hard-working, sincere, good friends...
"There are some who, when they speak of God or of the apostolate, it seems as if they feel the need to defend themselves. Perhaps because they have not discovered the value of human virtues and, on the other hand, they are spiritually deformed and cowardly "15.
In carrying out the apostolate, we must also use material means, which are good because God made them for the service of man: " All things are yours," St. Paul tells us: " the world, life, death, the present, the future "16 . And, at the same time, we will keep in mind that we are pursuing an effect that surpasses, by an infinite distance, the capacity of these means: to bring people to Christ, to convert them and to start a new life.
For this reason, we will not wait until we have all the means (perhaps we will never have them), nor will we stop doing certain works, or starting new ones. "We begin as we can "17. 17 And the Lord will bless us, especially when He sees our faith, our trust in Him, and our interest and effort to have everything we need available. God, if He wished, could do without these means, but He counts, nevertheless, on our willingness to put them at His service.
"Have you seen? -With Him, you have been able to do it! What are you astonished at?
"-Convince yourself: you have nothing to marvel at. Trusting in God - truly trusting - things are easy. And, moreover, one always surpasses the limits of the imagined "18.
Hablar con Dios