HOMILY FOR THE 14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.

 

Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-7. 16. 20; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12. 17-20. 

“THE JOY OF WITNESSING!” 

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Last week we reflected on the theme “The pains and gains of Discipleship”. We journeyed with what it takes to be a disciple of Jesus, what we stand to gain and what we stand to lose. However, what may seem a loss is but an eternal gain.

·      Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough. We must join the train and become his authentic witnesses, wherever we find ourselves. The Gospel reading tells us categorically that “the harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest” (Lk. 10:2).

·      The Lord wants to send you and me into his harvest. More than ever before, our church and the world need witnesses to stand for God, to share in the joy of witnessing.

·      The 72 who were sent out to proclaim the message of salvation came back sharing the joy of witnessing for Jesus. Notice that they were sent out in twos to show that to proclaim the gospel is not restricted to an individual, it is for the community. The joy of salvation has a communitarian dimension, because it is said that heaven will be boring if we all go to heaven as individuals without our friends, family, and relations. Heaven is best as a community of believers.

·      Testimony of witnessing is always overwhelming and prophet Isaiah in the first reading captures that reward which Jesus talks about those whose names are found in the book of life will enjoy.

·      It is an interesting mission that the Lord has called us into, if we too just like the 72 who experienced the joy of witnessing for Christ, make effort to follow the mission prescription made by Jesus in the gospel reading.

·      It is a mission with urgency. Jesus however, warns us that “you will be like lambs among wolves”. It is difficult to distinguish between lambs and wolves except after a closer look. It calls for caution and attentiveness. We must realize that we are being sent out like lambs among wolves and the difficulty is that both the lamb and the wolf have the same looks, but different attributes and attitudes. While the lamb is loving and harmless, the wolf is destructive and violent. Do not be afraid. ‘God will be your protection.’ (Is 91:1).

·      Carry no haversack or provision (Lk. 10:4): When we are lighter, we travel faster. The authentic message needs to reach the ends of the earth. Unfortunately, many of us have been lost in a bid to carry provisions for the mission. Worry not! God will provide. (Gen 22.14).

·      Salute no one on the way (Lk. 10:4): It is a mission with urgency and we must respond as such. We must not allow pleasantries, friends, or even colleagues to sway us from the mission. Do not be distracted. (1 Cor. 7:35).

·      Pray for peace upon them (Lk. 10:5): we must be missionaries of peace wherever we go. Tt is only when there is true peace that we can make progress. Peace is essential to the success of every missionary endeavour (Jn. 20:21-22). Be a symbol of peace and not terror, violence, or destruction. 

·      Do not move from house to house (Lk. 10:7): every household has its own mission and ministry. Wherever you find yourself, be a missionary there, be steady, and remain focused (Col. 3:2). Stay in a house, wherever you live, whatever house you find yourself in, God has posted you there, ensure they are saved. It is your place of mission. Never enter where you are not welcomed. God does not impose faith on us.

·      Eat whatever is set before you (Lk. 10:8): for physical strength. Food is necessary for the missionary enterprise but must not be the all and all. Many have lost focus because of their quest for food and material gain, we must remember that “man must not live by bread alone” (Matt. 4:4).

·      Heal the sick and announce the coming of the kingdom: every missionary endeavour has both physical and spiritual dimensions; none must be neglected because the world needs both physical and spiritual healing, and the kingdom of God is the goal of the mission. (Matt. 6:10).

·      No one who takes God’s invitation to mission ever goes unrewarded. Notice that when the 72 returned, they had testimonies but testified on the merit of their physical strength until the Lord redirected their focus to the fact that every mission must not be premised on the material gains but on the fact that salvation is guaranteed, souls are saved and the devil is defeated. 

·      That is why the first reading (Isaiah 66:10-14) gives us a picture of the glory that awaits all those who take seriously this invitation to this mission. 

·      The mission in which the Lord calls us to is a mission of joy, a mission of salvation, a mission to call people into eternal life, and like the psalmist, we must “cry out to God all the earth” (Ps. 65:1) we must evangelize with joy.

·      However, when we encounter sorrows, when we encounter oppositions, we must unite it with the cross of Christ, because the second reading (Gal. 1:14-18) encourages us to boast about it because it is a privilege to share in the cross of Christ.

·      Jesus extends the baton to you and me and it is a great honour and privilege, that invitation we must not turn down. However, we must be on guard not to save others and lose out. Hence, we must ensure that as we make effort to see people’s names enter the book of life our names too must be there (Mk 8:36).

·      The 72 called today represents wholeness, it represents completeness and incidentally, their names are not mentioned. Hence, all of us are the new 72 called to mission, and nothing should prevent us from ensuring that we honour God’s invitation to the mission. For “behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock…” (Rev. 3:20). God wants to use us to accomplish great things, would you rather let him? 

·      As we begin a new month especially as today is the first Sunday of the month, we must declare it a month of mission, to become God’s missionaries wherever we find ourselves. And may we be joyful, knowing that our names have been written in the book of life through Christ our Lord. Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!