His Message

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

July 12, 2015

Last Sunday’s Gospel, we may recall, was about Jesus being in His hometown, and the people there at first being amazed at His teaching, then turning and rejecting Him. No matter how great His teaching and His works were, they could not be accepted there, and Father Paul reminded us that prophets, like Ezekiel or Jeremiah, or Amos from today’s first reading, are often rejected and even suffer hardship and persecution for conveying God’s Word to the people. Our Gospel today picks up right where we left off last week, but this time Jesus is sending the Apostles out to spread the Word, in their own way to be prophets, His messengers, teaching the people and performing miracles by Christ’s authority. The Apostles had been spending time with Jesus, listening to Him and experiencing His presence. They were learning a new way of understanding things than what they thought before. And they were tasked with communicating this to others, to people who may not have easily understood what they were saying.

We, too, are called to spread the Word of God, to be prophets in our own way. What does it mean for us to be called? While the Greek verb used is given here as called, it could more accurately be translated as summoned. We may hear it said that we are called often enough that the term has lost some of its power, that it doesn’t make an impression on us; perhaps being summoned gives us a better idea that it is a specific and personal invitation, or even command, from Jesus, asking us to do something for Him. The prophets of the Old Testament were called by the Lord and given supernatural enlightenment in order to tell God’s Word to the people of Israel. Our own knowledge of God’s Word comes from reading the scriptures, including the words of the prophets, and from the wisdom passed down to us through the Church. This is the word, this is the faith, that we are summoned by Jesus, and sent by Him, to bring to others. Just as it was not the prophets’ or the Apostles own word that they were teaching, it is not our own word that we share – it is God’s own Word. It is the Word that does not change, that cannot change, regardless of whether or not it is currently popular.

The Word of God, the faith, is more easily received by people who can see the good example of our lives. Just speaking with someone is usually not enough – they need to encounter the Lord through us, in our actions as well as our words. Showing people what being a Christian means will move them more than our words ever could. We need to invite others into that intimate relationship with Jesus that will lead to their eternal salvation.

This can be difficult these days, especially when many people give no thought to the notion that they are even in need of salvation. Adding to the challenge is that we have come to a point where there is little common fundamental understanding of the religious ideas and experiences that once were held by most of society. It is not necessarily that our message is rejected, but that it may be, to some people, incomprehensible.

This was brought home to me recently in trying to explain certain parts of our faith. I mistakenly presumed that the people I was speaking with were familiar with certain events in the Bible, such as the stories of Cain and Abel and Abraham and Isaac. But they did not remember ever having heard about these things before. It was a real eye-opener, and caused me to realize that, going forward, I would have to be even more careful to discern more about the situation and knowledge of the other persons involved in that type of discussion. Of course, that is what we should always be doing when discussing the faith.

The Apostles probably faced similar challenges. What they were telling the people about Jesus and His message could have been difficult for some to understand and to accept. Yet, they must have been successful, for the Gospel tells us, “They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and cured them.” They would have done that only in places they were welcomed. Their message and their actions overcame whatever objections they may have initially run into.

And, we should remember what Jesus told the Apostles to do if they were not welcomed – as they leave, to shake off the dust on their feet as a testimony against that place. He did not tell them that if they were rejected, they had failed. He also did not say that they should remain in that place and keep trying. So, too, we should understand that despite our best efforts, there are times when, for various reasons, people are not ready to receive the message.

Which bring us to a question we need to ask ourselves – are we ready to receive the message? Our faith is not just another lifestyle choice, or club membership. In our hearts, in our souls, we need to make the effort to listen to, and to accept, the message of God’s Word that is being proclaimed by the prophets in our time, teaching the truth in opposition to the deceptions of our culture. We are called, we are summoned, to hear His voice, follow His Word, and deepen our faith.

In both spreading the Word and listening to it, it’s easier for us to be successful if we are not alone. Jesus sent the Apostles out two by two; He also said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Whether it is a spouse, or a close friend, or a fellow parishioner, having another person to walk with gives us encouragement and makes us stronger.

As Catholics, through our Baptism and Confirmation, we are all called to spread God’s Word, bringing His healing and peace to others. Let us pray for the grace to proclaim Christ’s message with joy and strength, and to accept that message ourselves, deep in our hearts and in our souls.