Homily for Thursday, 14th Week of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
14th Week of Ordinary Time

July 11, 2019

Matt 10: 7-15
Nativity, Washington, D.C.

In the rush of travel last week, I forgot to type and post this homily.

Jesus sends out his apostles to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  The passage sounds very much like the one we hear last Sunday from Luke’s Gospel (10:1-12).  But in Matthew’s version Jesus dispatches only the 12.  Matthew also is specific about their mission.  They are to demonstrate the presence of God’s kingdom among them by performing works of mercy and healing.  They are to show that God’s more powerful than Satan by driving out demons.  In short, they’re to imitate Jesus, acting in his stead.

And they are to act quickly.  No loads of luggage; rather, they are to depend on God and the hospitality of the places where they’ll go.  They are to bring divine peace, the peace that comes from hearing and accepting God’s word.  They are to be decisive and insistent:  this is the message of God thru Jesus.  If you accept it, you’ll receive peace and admission to the kingdom of God.  If you reject it, you face condemnation, like Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham.

The Mission of the Apostles (T. Mainardi)

That message is for us too—to hear and accept God’s word, which comes to us in the apostolic preaching:  1st in the written word of the Scriptures, then in the preached word of the Church founded by Christ on the foundation of the apostles (cf. Eph 2:20).

More is asked of us.  Christ sent the apostles to proclaim the kingdom, and he sends us as well.  The Church is missionary.  Every follower of Christ is a missionary.  Announced that God’s kingdom is at hand by the way you live, the way you speak, the way you treat your neighbor, the way you vote, they demands you put before public officials (with them you don’t quote the Gospel but appeal to natural law, what Thomas Jefferson called the laws of nature and of nature’s God).  If opportunity presents, speak of your faith to family and friends, which of course is also missionary.

Bear in mind that saying we’ve often heard, incorrectly attributed to St. Francis:  “Preach always; if necessary, use words.”