Homily For Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 14th July, 2024

 

Reading: Amos 7:12-15; Ps. 85; Eph.1: 3-14; Mark 6:7-13

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

THE NATURE AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS

Why do we always rebel against God and each other? What is it that makes us reject God’s instructions? Why do we prefer to obey human beings who are leading us astray over God who is guiding us through the right path? Why do we reject God’s love and embrace human wickedness? For it is obvious that in every generation God always sends messengers to remind us of his love and plan for us.

 

But the rebellious nature of humanity has always kept us away from responding to God's invitation to Life of love, holiness, faithfulness and integrity. This is because humanity has always failed to understand the true ways of God his creator. However, God has not stopped caring and stretching his hands of love towards us.

 

This is exactly what we have in our readings today. In the first reading, we heard how God sent prophet Amos and he went about doing the work of God, by calling people to repentance and faces the consequences of their sins. But Amaziah and King Jeroboam had sinned and also led the people of Israel to sin against God as well. 

 

So Amaziah saw Amos as a rival and a threat to his personality and influence, so he went up to King Jeroboam complaining about Amos and asking him to get out of Israel and return to the land of Judah, and stop prophesying in Bethel because he doesn’t want to hear the truth just like most of our leaders today who does not like to hear the truth.

 

Also, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus sent his twelve disciples, the foundation of the future Church community, to do the same work of evangelization that he has been doing, while making them know the nature and conditions of the mission his about to entrust to them

 

Here, he gave them authority over unclean spirits and instructed them to preach repentance, that radical conversion towards the vision of the Kingdom, they were to anoint the sick and heal them. These three activities cover the whole nature of the human person: spiritual, mental and physical. Healing and wholeness, health and holiness. In this mission, they were instructed to travel lightly, bringing only what they needed. No food or money or even a change of clothes. They will not need these things because they will be taken care of by the people they serve.

 

So in this Gospel, Jesus is preparing his disciples for a task ahead. He lets them experience the nature of their mission, the challenges, obstacles and dangers which await them. He gave them the guiding principles towards the mission and sent them out. As we know, they succeeded because the power of God was working in them. The message entrusted to the disciples by Jesus is to offer peace and announce the coming of God's kingdom. This same message of peace and justice, forgiveness and healing has been entrusted to the Church down the centuries.

 

Little wonder, we are told in our second reading, that God has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he sent forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

 

Now, it is our turn to witness this Gospel. Remember the disciples returned with joy. We also will experience that same joy when we do what the Lord wants because, our joy is rooted in our identifying with Jesus, not in what we do. So the source of our joy should be our status in heaven as beloved sons and daughters of God, and not on our success over the evil forces or the things of this passing world. Thus, the Lord has entrusted to us an awesome responsibility and privilege to carry the message of God’s love, peace and mercy to the world.

 

Dear friends, today no doubt, we are reminded about the nature and guiding principles of our mission,  calling humanity to repent from our sinful and rebellious attitudes in order to embrace the compassionate love and care that God is offering us. As disciples of Christ, we have received a lot from God without payment; we should learn to give without expecting a reward.

 

Therefore, we must offer to others these same gifts which we have received. We are to show love to people, forgive, help the needy and share with one another the gifts God has blessed us with and if our love and care are rejected, we should offer it as a sign on judgment day.  Remember, your kind gestures today can turn someone's life around now or later and by so doing we are extending God’s divine compassion to humanity who are lost in this passing world.

 

LET US PRAY:  Heavenly Father, as we are reminded about the condition and nature of our mission for which you sacrificed a lot to save us from our rebellious and sinful attitudes, open our hearts once again to repent and embrace your compassionate love and care for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all