Parable and Conscience Meditation July 16

Community  July 16

Whenever you go out, walk together, and when you reach your destination, stay together (Rule of Augustine 20).

To go two-by-two is not strange to the Scriptures.  The first to follow Jesus were the two disciples of John and two pairs of fishermen.  In the parables, there were two debtors, two inheriting sons, two sons who were sent, two men at the Temple praying.  There were possessed and blind people in two’s that benefited from Jesus’ healing.  The gathering of at least two people for prayer was efficacious.  Two men were talking with Jesus at the Transfiguration.  There were two ambitious disciples.  At the final hour, people will be surprised in two’s in bed, in the field, at the mill.  Jesus sent his disciples out two by two on mission and there were two disciples looking for the Cenacle.  There were two false witnesses in Jesus’ trial.  Alongside the crucified Jesus, two thieves hung.  There were two angels in human form at the empty tomb, two apostles who ran to it.  There were two disciples on the road to Emmaus and two celestial men at the Ascension.  Two candidates were proposed to succeed Judas.  In the Book of Revelation, two true prophets encouraged the believers while two false prophets tortured them.  In effect, people come together in the truth and in the lie, in bad times and good, in virtue and sin, in work and laziness, in the search for life and death, in glory and dishonor.  Why not this kind of solidarity for doing the business of the Kingdom?

One follows the way better with company.  (Shi)