14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time; 7-7-2019

Is 66:10-14   Ps 66   Gal 6:14-18      Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

Deacon Jim McFadden

 

Brothers and sisters, a quick question: how many of you are missionary disciples? Hmmm, another question: how many of you are baptized. O.K., if you’re baptized, you’re meant to be a missionary disciple. Why?

By virtue of your baptism, you have been initiated into the Body of Christ and the People of God.   As St. Thomas Aquinas said, whoever receives Baptism, is incorporated into Christ; you are an ingredient of the loving organism of the Church, the Body of Christ. And, in so doing, you become a member of the People of God—we’re all in this together. And, together we are People on a journey.

And, what’s the journey about? To be missionary disciples! As we look at today’s Gospel, Jesus is not a Lone Ranger—he is not a lone missionary. To be sure, Jesus was anointed for a Mission, which was to bring salvation to the world and proclaim the Good News. Though Jesus is no longer with us physically, he is really present within his Church and sacramentally, especially the Eucharist. So, it is not as though the Church has a Mission, but the Mission of Christ has a Church. And, who is the Church? YOU!—you are a member of the Body of Christ and you share in Jesus’ mission, which is to proclaim a message of salvation for everyone. This task is not restricted to those who go afar, but, we too, are called to express the good and hopeful word of salvation, which the world so desperately needs to hear.

So, Jesus gathers around himself 12 Apostles. And, in addition he calls another 72, and sends them to the villages, two by two, to proclaim that “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Lk 10:9). Why? Because God has come “near to us” through Jesus; God became one of us; in Jesus God reigns in our very midst! He is present here and now and his merciful love overcomes the dysfunction, injustice, and misery of our world.

People of God, Jesus never intended to act alone. He came to bring the Love of God into the world and he wants to spread this way of living of communion and fellowship in the style of brotherhood. But, he needs help! That’s why he formed a community of disciples, which is a missionary community to proclaim and live the Good News.

But, we need to be on task. The purpose of being a Christian is not to socialize, it’s not to create a religious security blanket to protect us from the world. No, we have been anointed Priest, Prophet, and King to proclaim the Good News into a world that is becoming increasingly problematic and hostile to our Catholic faith.  Jesus minces no words about this! Our Lord says, “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (v. 3) This is very clear and it’s no coincidence that the last Beatitude proclaims, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of God” (Mt 5:10).    Hostility towards Faith is always the precursor to persecution of Christians. It happened during the Roman Empire and its happening today as there have been more martyrs to our Faith in the last century than what preceded. Jesus gives us the heads-up because he knows that his Mission will always be resisted by the work of evil.

For this reason we can’t be attached to our comfort and security systems. We don’t have the option of thinking, “You know, it’s really not convenient for me to be a missionary disciple. I’ve got other priorities—forging a career, raising a family, planning for retirement, etc.   Let someone else do it.” How would Jesus address this excuse-making? He wouldn’t coddle it; indeed, he says “carry neither purse nor bag nor sandals” (cf. v. 4) for the missionary journey.

Well, if I can’t rely on “my purse, bag, or sandal, what can I rely on? As members of Jesus’ mystical Body, we place our reliance solely on the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. That means I abandon every motive of personal advantage—what’s in it for me? If I do this for Jesus, what am I going to get out of it? It means that my career is secondary to my Baptismal commitment. To be sure I need to work in order to live, but I don’t live in order to work. I live to do the will of our heavenly Father and his will is crystal clear: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” (Lk 9:35). That means that my life is no longer about me, but is about Jesus. He is in control of my life, which means I have to let go of the hunger for worldly power. Instead, I humbly make myself an instrument of the salvation carried out by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

People of God, A Christian’s mission is a wonderful, grace-filled calling, which is intended for everyone. As prefaced earlier, if you’re baptized, you’re called to be a missionary disciple. It’s a mission of service in which no one is excluded. It requires a great deal of gratitude and generosity on our part and can only be realized if we keep our gaze on Jesus and invoke his help of mercy and sanctifying grace.

What’s the fruit of being a missionary disciple? When the disciples, sent out by Jesus, they “returned with joy” (v. 17). When we carry out Jesus’ Mission, when we strive to do the Father’s will, our hearts will be filled with joy because we will be intentionally dwelling within God’s very Being—we will be sharing in his divine life. How can that not bring us joy! And, with grateful hearts, why wouldn’t we want to share this Good News with others so that they, too, may experience God’s consolation, his tender mercy, his unconditional love?

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit, once said that “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” This is the key if our Mission is going to be fruitful: to feel God’s consolation and to pass it on to others!   Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to be a witness that Jesus is Risen! Do not be afraid because he is the Lord of consolation, he is the Lord of tenderness. And, Jesus walks with you! Jesus is within you! Jesus is among us! And, his presence must energize us to act to “Comfort, comfort my people” (Is 40:1). And, this is what a missionary disciple does.   We must share a genuine “I-and-Thou” relationship with Jesus, who consoles us and then we go to console others. This is the Mission of the Church. Yes, people need to hear these words, but most of all they need to see you bearing witness, of “walking the talk.”   They need us to bear witness to the mercy and tenderness of the Lord Jesus, which warms the heart, rekindles hope, and attracts people towards what is Good.   What a joy to bring God’s consolation to others! Amen.