HOMILY OF SUNDAY 15TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: THE MESSENGER AND THE MESSAGE
BY: Fr Peter Gabriel Okon
Amos 7:12-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13
We thank God for the grace to be alive and may His word fill us with the joy of His presence today and always Amen.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls to himself the Apostles and sent them out with guidelines that will help preserve the message they are to preach, which is repentance. It is evident that Jesus wanted the disciples to appear as simple as possible for the following reasons;
* So that they will be freed from all worries and encumbrances, trusting in divine Providence and be focused on the proclamation of the Goodnews.
* For rapid response to the URGENCY of spreading the Good news. No delay, no hindrances.
* So that they will be at per with those to whom they have been sent. Pope Francis here admonishes pastors to smell like the sheep. Same admonition, but differently captured to create the needed harmony between the messenger and the message.
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The Apostles have been sent to continue the mission of Christ (Luke 4:18-19), same mission entrusted to the Church, same mission we are called to by the virtue of our baptism – to be witnesses to Christ in the world. Nothing in us, or about us should hinder the message given to us. However, Jesus knew beforehand that not all will receive the message nor the messengers, hence they were to shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against them (Mark 6:12).
A typical case of rejection of the messenger and message of God is seen in the first reading today. Amaziah rejected Amos. Amaziah refused God’s call to repentance through the prophet Amos because of selfish gains. Amaziah rather resorted to hostility, antagonism and conspiracy against Amos, and the message of repentance.
Beloved in Christ, bear in mind that every true prophet or follower of Christ will always be persecuted and sometimes even martyred but the message of God remains ever alive. Being a Christian comes with discomfort, sacrifices and self denial. It is a call to daily carry the cross that leads to life. Amaziah may have rejected Amos, but the message of God remains forever. No matter how long we may run away from it, the call to repentance remains same for all ages.
We can be encouraged by St Paul here, he says “ I am aware that persecutions and imprisonments awaits me, but then I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may complete the mandate I received from Christ Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace” (Act 20:22-24). The prophet Amos suffered this same fate for speaking in God’s name, not minding the dangers involved, the Apostles preached the Good news to the point of martyrdom, many of the saints suffered and were rejected for proclaiming the good news.
Today, the baton has been handed down to us, as St Paul tells us in the second reading that we have been chosen even before the foundations of the world, to be holy and blameless before God in love (Eph. 1:4). The call to holiness of life is our way of bearing witness to Christ, especially in our world today, crying loudly for a moral compass. Holiness is not something to be relegated to the monasteries, to ancient times – spoken of as anachronistic, but can be achieved by simplicity of life wherever we are, this was recommended to the Apostles by Jesus in today’s Gospel.
* Whatever hinders our proclaiming of Christ to the world, hinders our call to holiness of life. Be the message you want to preach to others. Harmony between the messenger and the message is what Jesus demanded from the Apostles, same demands are made of us today. This is the path to the holiness of life we are called to.
May God grant us the grace to be worthy witnesses to the gospel in our time, so as to inherit the riches of His glory Amen.
Wishing you a blessed Sunday.
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