Keeping our focus on Jesus

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When Jesus sent his Apostles out on their first missionary journey, as we read in today's gospel from Luke 9:1-6, he told them to take nothing with them. He did not want them to be worrying about possessions but to depend totally on God and the preaching of his kingdom. As we continue on our journey through life there are obviously things that we need to make life possible, healthy and dignified. But we like to collect things. When we go shopping we always seem to buy more than we intended when we entered the store. Rest and recreation are also important parts of our life but often I say I will spend 20 minutes on this programme or game and find that two hours later I am still doing it. I find it helpful at night prayer to look back over the day and ask myself what I did with the time. As members of the new family of Jesus are called to hear his word and put it into practice but sometimes I am surprised to see how many hours I spent on my own occupations and didn't give five minutes to Jesus. But wait on, what I was doing was good, visiting the sick, helping others or working to provide for my family so I was really doing what Jesus called me to do. That is true but we must keep our focus on Jesus to make sure that are really doing these good deeds in his name and not for our own satisfaction or for being affirmed or praised by others. As psalm 118 says, ''Guide me, Lord in the way of your commands. ''