On their first apostolic mission, the Lord expressly instructed them: "Carry no purse, no bag..." On that first apostolic journey, they understood that it was Jesus who provided the effectiveness: the healings, the conversions, and the miracles were not due to their human qualities, but to the divine power of their Master.
Before the final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus complemented the teaching of that first mission. He asked them: "When I sent you without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they replied. Then He said to them: "But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag; and let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one."
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### The Balance of Means: Supernatural and Human
While supernatural means come first in any apostolate, the Lord wants us to utilize every human possibility within our reach. **Grace does not supplant nature**, and we cannot ask for extraordinary help from the Lord when God has already placed the necessary instruments in our hands through ordinary channels. A person "who does not strive to do what is in their power, expecting everything from divine aid, would be tempting God," and God's grace would cease to act.
Hence the importance of cultivating **human virtues**, which serve as the support for supernatural ones 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 joyful, hardworking, sincere, and good friends?
> "There are some who, when they speak of God or the apostolate, seem to feel the need to defend themselves. Perhaps because they have not discovered the value of human virtues and, instead, have an excess of spiritual deformation and cowardice."
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### Utilizing Material Resources
In carrying out apostolate, we must also use material means, which are good because God made them for the service of man. As St. Paul tells us: *All things are yours: the world, life, death, the present, the future.* At the same time, we must keep in mind that we seek an effect that infinitely surpasses the capacity of these means: leading men to Christ, so they may be converted and begin a new life.
For this reason, we should not wait until we have every possible resource (we may never have them all), nor should we stop certain works or refrain from starting new ones. **"One begins as one can."** ### Faith and Divine Action
The Lord will bless us, especially upon seeing our faith, our trust in Him, and our effort to have everything necessary available. If He wished, God could do without these means; however, He counts on our willingness to place them at His service.
* "Do you see? With Him, you could! Why are you surprised?"
* "Be convinced: you have nothing to wonder at. Trusting in God—trusting truly!—things turn out easily. And, moreover, the limit of what was imagined is always surpassed."
HCD