FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
3 JULY 2016
The
prophet Isaiah describes the joy of his people returning home to Jerusalem
after spending 50 years of exile in Babylon.
He gives a beautiful image.
Jerusalem is like a mother, embracing her children and nursing them with
care and love. Through the restored city
of Jerusalem, God will comfort his children and heal their self-inflicted
wounds.
It is with
this type of joy that the 72 disciples return to Jesus to relate the success
they had achieved. He had sent them on a
mission to announce the Kingdom of God. He had told them not to take much stuff
with them, because the Gospel was all they needed. He had told them to accept whatever food and
drink would be offered to them. In
accepting food not prepared in kosher kitchens, they proclaimed the Kingdom to
everyone. Even though they would be
traveling in hostile territory with the constant risk of rejection, they would
have at their disposal the three gifts Jesus had given them, the three P’s:
partner, peace, and power.
His first
gift had been sending them out as partners.
They did not go as isolated individuals.
They went in pairs. They needed
the support of another person in proclaiming the Kingdom. Traveling together also became part of the
message. Despite all the hassles that
come from spending together, they saw the value of living together in community. It reflected the triune nature of God,
inviting others to share the joy of being part of a community of faith.
We who form
this community of faith at Saint Pius know this joy. We know it when we roll up our sleeves and
put on a week long Vacation Bible School, or our annual parish picnic, or any
of the other activities that draw us together.
The joy of living the Gospel is contagious, and people are drawn to
recognize God’s Kingdom present in our midst.
They will more likely seek a deeper union with the Lord when they sense
that joy in our community.
His second
gift is the gift of peace. They had been
instructed to give this greeting as they entered each household. The gift of peace is not some empty greeting,
but the inner gift of being in a right relationship with God. It is the gift
that they had received from Jesus when they left everything to follow him. It is the gift they received by being in the
Lord’s presence.
We have
also been given that same gift of peace.
The gift of peace is not an absence of conflict. Conflict is part of every-day human life, and
it is certainly part of living and working together as a parish. Even when there is conflict, we know the gift
of peace when we have opened ourselves to the self-emptying love of Jesus
Christ. We know that peace when we have
struggled to make the right decision in coming to accept God’s love and will
for us. We give that gift of peace when
we offer hospitality and welcome to all who come to us.
His third
gift is the gift of power. The 72 had
seen the power of the miracles of Jesus as he drove out demons and healed the
sick. They had seen his power when he
forgave sinners and touched lepers. When
they in turn gave that gift to others, they did not take any credit for what
they had done. They knew that they were
being instruments of the one who sent them. Jesus underscores their status by
reminding them that their names are written in heaven.
We too have
received the gift of power. We use that
power when we serve the needs of other people, when we work together with
Habitat for Humanity to build homes, when we prepare casseroles for the
Homeless Shelter, when we tend to the sick or the homebound.
At the end
of every Mass, we are sent forth in peace.
We will be sent today to proclaim God’s Kingdom not so much by what we
say, but by how we behave. We are partners in giving the peace we have received
at this Altar in such a way that the power of our acts of humble service will
make a difference, announcing that the Kingdom of God is truly in our midst.
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