HOMILY OF THE 13TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: ANYONE WHO WELCOMES YOU, WELCOMES ME!
BY: Fr. Casmir Nkamuke
2 Kg 4:8-11, 14-16; Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19; Rom. 6:3-4, 8-11; Matt. 10:37-42
Today´s liturgy reminds us of the importance of hospitality and the grace that flows from being hospitable.
In the first reading, the hospitality of the woman of Shunem to Elisha was rewarded with God blessing her with a son.
In his Letter to Romans, St. Paul reminds us of the need to model our lives after Christ who through his passion and resurrection, offers us a share of his divinity and the possibility of our union with God. Such union with God implies a resilient effort to avoid sin and occasions that lead to sin.
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In his mission instruction to his disciples, Jesus reminds us of two important points. First, we should give priority to the spread of Good News. Our thoughts and deeds ought to be inspired by and directed towards the values gospel. Only when we live and act in this way are we worthy of being children of God. Secondly, Christ reminds us of the importance of hospitality. Since we are all created in God´s image and likeness, the hospitality we show to one another is a sign of our disposition to welcome God and care for him.
Beloved in the Lord, Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical that we are all brothers and sisters. With God as our Father and the Church as our mother, we all belong to the one big family guided by the values of the gospel. As members of this unique family, we are bound to take care of each other, especially the vulnerable and those with no one to care for them. As fellow migrants enroute to our dwelling with God, God assures us of his divine reward on our acts of hospitality on his children and his ministers. Such good deeds not only sustain the recipients of such gestures, but they also protect them from exploitation and the urge to yield to sinful lifestyles.
As disciples of God, we pray for the grace to model our thoughts and deeds according to the values of the gospel. May God give us the grace to place him above every other thing in our lives. May he also give us the grace to value and support all who pastor the flock of Christ. May God help us to show hospitality to each other, especially those in most vulnerable conditions. Through such gestures, may God help us to think and act as those worthy of him and ready to welcome him.
Happy Sunday!
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