FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
11 JULY 2021
In
last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is rejected by his hometown, because he is too
ordinary for them. Instead of
withdrawing, he imitates the persistence of the Prophet Amos. Amos ignores the order of the priest of
Bethel, Amaziah, and continues to challenge the northern kingdom of Israel in
their ignoring the poor and vulnerable.
Jesus doubles down after his rejection and sends the Twelve to preach
repentance as the first step to being part of the Kingdom of God.
His
instructions are clear. Having given
them authority over unclean spirits, he sends them out in groups of two. Their message is urgent, and they are to take
nothing for the journey except a walking stick.
They do not need food, or a sack, or money, because they are to depend
on the hospitality of those who receive them.
They should wear sandals, because the wearing of sandals is a metaphor
for discipleship. They do not need a
second tunic, because a second tunic is a sign of wealth. Like Amos, they are not working for payment,
but giving their message free of charge.
If they are rejected, they need to shake the dust from their feet and
move on, without taking that rejection personally. Jesus himself gave that example when rejected
in Nazareth.
A few years
ago, I joined a group of cyclists on a pilgrimage from Canterbury in England to
Rome. After a very difficult climb up
the Alps into Italy, we thought we had it made.
But when we got to Lucca, thieves had stolen three of our bikes. We took our supply van to Florence and bought
replacement bikes. On Sunday, the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we rode into Saint Peter’s Square in Rome as
Pope Francis was celebrating Mass. After
receiving his blessing and praying the Angelus with him, we went to the
convent, where my sister had parked the van.
There we discovered that thieves had broken into the van and had stolen
everything. We were completely
devastated and defeated. We had to walk
to the closest H & M Store to buy one set of clothes to last through the
end of the week. We bought sandals at a
local pharmacy.
But on the next day, we experienced
the hospitality Jesus describes in the Gospel. The sacristan at Saint Peter’s
trusted my story and allowed us to celebrate Mass in one of the chapels, even
though I was dressed in ill-fitting H&M trousers and a pastel shirt. After spending
the entire day at the American Embassy getting replacement passports, a
gracious American guide took us through the Vatican Museum and Sistine
Chapel. Friends of Paolo Carozza hosted
us in a wonderful meal that evening. As
we spent the final few days in Rome without any belongings, we were able to
shake off the dust of anger and resentment from our feet. We came to realize that thieves could not
steal what was most valuable – our companionship with one another. We now speak of that stripping away of possessions
as a gift which opened our eyes to what was most important – the Lord’s
presence in those 1,200 miles and the bonds that held us together.
We are just emerging from this
pandemic, which has robbed us of so much.
Many have suffered from the virus itself. Family members have had to grieve the loss of
their loved ones. All of us have been
isolated and lost the freedoms that we took for granted. We have endured the divisions and arguments
about wearing masks, social distancing, and the directives of the County Health
Department. However, we are emerging as
the community of the Church. It has been
a gift to welcome parishioners back to Mass in person and to see the joy and
excitement of coming together again. The
Lord speaks to us in his Word and assures us that he has given us authority
over the unclean spirits of our day. He
feeds us with the Eucharist to proclaim with our lives that the Kingdom of God
is in our midst. Heeding his call to
repent from sin ourselves, we invite others to do the same.
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