Homily for the week of July 11, 2010

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2010

Isaiah 66:10-14c

Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

Galatians 6:14-18

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9

You've probably noticed that before any great job or event the leader gives special instructions to those who are to accomplish the job. Coaches give pep talks to athletes before the game; business managers do the same with their sales personnel; politicians with their campaign workers; and parents to their children when leaving the house.

It is reasonable to think that Jesus would do the same. In today's gospel Jesus gives his pep talk to the other 72 disciples as he sends them out two by two. He gives them two orders: their job is URGENT (it has to be done right away); and they are to rely on God rather than on material resources.

The job is urgent: "greet no one along the way" There is no time to waste; and the message is just as urgent. "The reign of God is at hand." God is demanding a decision right now: are you for him or against him? You can't have it both ways, Jesus says.

Jesus had already laid the groundwork. He had been preaching that He warns them that: "you are going to be treated like lambs among wolves. But they are to bring no weapons. They are to live and eat with those who invite them.

Just who are these other 72? They were not priests or nuns. They were lay people just like you. They were women and men. From the very beginning Jesus invites and asks persons like yourself to help him. He invites mothers and fathers; married and single; youth and senior citizens; teachers and students; correct officers and carpenters and bankers and store clerks and farmers; nurses and hospice workers; altar servers and lectors; those who take care of persons and those who take care of machines; volunteers of parish councils and fire departments and rescue squads and hospice; those who take time to visit and care for the sick and shut ins; those who hunt for lost children; members of the Knights of Columbus and workers unions; moms and dads who pray with their children at bedtime.

And what are they doing? Very simple. All of what I mentioned. In many ways they are sayingGod is near; God cares for you. And they give this message not in a well lighted classroom with an overhead projector hooked up to the latest computer technology, or a beautiful religion textbook, or a pulpit hooked up to a sound system, and Live Earth concerts with Madonna, and Fourth of July fireworks

God's hand reaches out to all of creation, bringing healing upon the terribly wounded human being. It is the wide open arms of Jesus offering to take in anyone regardless of who or what they have done; it is sick people who found out yesterday that they will soon die; the rich person and the poor person; the saints and the sinners; those who believe and those who do not believe. It is all of us who in some way need peace.

At Baptism we inherited our Catholic religion; we were made members of this church; and we were invited to make Jesus the center of how we life. But at that time as babies we were unable to make any decision as to how our life is to be lived. But now that we are older each of us individually can and must make the ongoing conscious decision to live our religion. Our faith must be so visible that we will be known or marked out as ones who try to live as Jesus taught us. And because of this others might be invited to live as we do.

Yes, who are the 72? They are you. You who today like yesterday, went out to announce the good news to those who have only heard bad news. At this Mass, renew again your desire and your faith that you will go out into your world, and by the way you live and the things you do let all persons know that God's kingdom, God's house, is truly near, and that it has room for everybody. It is only in sharing our faith that we will build our faith.

And if in some one way we might have missed the invitation or it got lost, Jesus invites you and me again to be one of those 72. He expects each one of us as disciples to go to every town and place to share his message. All of us are to imitate him; we are to copy his way of life. His call to us here in 2010 is just as urgent, or probably more urgent, as when he lived on earth. So, we first of all must be convinced of our own faith and its practice.

While we pray for workers to go out into the vineyard, we must realized that the vineyard is right here, But regardless of our age we are all under construction, a work in progress. We are often surrounded by orange cones.Those who respond to Jesus’ invitation to go out into the fields never go alone. We all have partners who rally in support of ua, ensuring that all together share in the joy of a successful harvest. Even if there were enough priests or nuns to do this work, all of you need to do it, because it is only in sharing our faith that we will build our faith.