My brother lives at the beach, and he was out walking the dog late one afternoon when he spotted an unusual fellow walking along the beach. He was wearing a kind of Franciscan habit, sandals and was carrying a walking stick and a big Bible. My brother engaged him in conversation. It seems the man was taking this gospel passage literally.

And He called the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.

I think the fellow’s name was Andrew. He explained to my brother that he used to be a Wall Street stock broker and that he had converted to the Catholic faith, given away all his wealth and set out on the road wearing just his habit, with a staff and sandals and a Bible. He’d been on the road for five years and had had many adventures. Read more.