A Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C), 2007
["The sending of the Twelve" by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1282-1339. I tried to find a decent painting of the sending of the seventy-two, but found nothing. Of course the sending of the seventy-two flows from the authority that Jesus gave the Twelve]
In what do you boast? Recently the New York Times had an article that boasted in the “fact” that science had disproved the existence of the soul, and therefore there was no need to believe in God. According to the New York Times, which was reporting on an article that had appeared in the journal Nature, all behavior can be explained by brain physiology, which is basically the same for a human and a dog. Of course this just demonstrates their erroneous, dualistic thinking, that things are either physical or spiritual so if something can be shown to be a physical process then they conclude that the spiritual does not exist.
As Christians we see the error of this type of thinking, for we do not see things in such a narrow “either/or” way. Rather we recognize that the Truth is “both/and” — that God, who is Spirit, loved us so much sent His only-Begotten Son to save us. Jesus is the perfect model of this “both/and” thinking, for He is the Word made Flesh. In the Incarnation, God who is Spirit took on our human, physical flesh.
Boasting in merely human achievements – while minimizing, forgetting or denying God’s grace – is nothing new. In today’s first reading we hear from the final chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The Book of Isaiah covers a period of nearly 250 years of Israel’s history, and the constant theme is a call to the people of Israel to remember the Lord. It seems that the kings of Israel had started to rely too much on their own wisdom and knowledge, and had forgotten that it is the Lord who is the source of nourishment and life. Isaiah pointed out how their pride was a great sin, that their sins had “become red as blood,” but that if they returned to the Lord their sins would be forgiven and they would become the just and righteous People of God they were called to be. In today’s passage from the last chapter of Isaiah we hear God speaking passionately to His children in beautiful imagery, “as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.”
This image of God comforting His children as a mother comforts her child was the favorite of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, better known to us as the Little Flower. In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Theresa of the Child Jesus to be a Doctor of the Church. Why? Because he wanted to recognize not only her extraordinary holiness, but also to emphasize the special relevance of her teaching of humility and boundless confidence in God for our times. Yes, we have made incredible scientific and technological progress in our own times, but we should never think that we can supply our own happiness and stability in life. Despite what the New York Times says, scientific progress has not eliminated our need for God. Only God is all-powerful, and only His friendship and grace can fully satisfy the human heart. The Church has emphasized, in a special way for our culture, the need to foster a childlike simplicity and dependence on God’s goodness. This is the spirituality of the Little Flower – her “little way” — and this is the message of the Prophet Isaiah.
The Church pairs this passage from Isaiah, which we heard today, with today’s Gospel reading that tells of the sending of the seventy-two disciples, because both speak about the kingdom of God. When Isaiah says, “in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort,” he is not speaking about the city of Jerusalem on this earth. Rather, it is a metaphor for the heavenly kingdom. Our destiny is heaven, which is our true home. That Truth is the message that Jesus tells the seventy-two to proclaim, “The kingdom of God is at hand for you.” Notice that sends Jesus them out in pairs, not alone, “to every town and place HE intended to visit.” Like St. John the Baptist, they are to “prepare the way” for the coming of the Lord, for Jesus Himself will come to all who accept the message of the kingdom of God.
Do you recall that I asked you, in what do you boast? St. Paul in today’s second reading gives us his answer, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” That’s right, we are all called to boast in the Lord Jesus! Jesus has not limited the preaching of the Gospel to just the ministerial priesthood that He established (namely the Apostles). No, the seventy-two disciples that He sent out on mission in today’s Gospel, represent all His followers. During the Baptism Rite the priest or deacon touches the ears and mouth of the child and says, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” ALL the baptized share in the responsibility of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. Pope John Paul II said, “For the disciple of Christ the duty to evangelize is an obligation of love” (Ecclesia in America, #1). Let me emphasize this point, to evangelize – that is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ – is an OBLIGATION of love. In other words, it is NOT loving to not witness our Faith in Jesus to others. While this witnessing must certainly be done in words and deeds, we must keep in mind that it is BOTH – words and deeds. Just doing acts of social justice without making it clear by our words that it is our love of Jesus Christ that impels us, is not sufficient. Further in his letter to the Church in America, Pope John Paul II says, “In accepting this mission, everyone should keep in mind that the vital core of the new evangelization must be a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ, that is, the preaching of his name, his teaching, his life, his promises and the kingdom which he has gained for us by his Paschal Mystery” (Ecclesia in America, #66).
We call this “giving our personal witness.” We give our personal witness to the goodness of God by declaring to those around us what God has done for us. This is how we introduce people to the Risen Christ. Remember what we learned from the sending of the seventy-two; first we are not alone, we have the support of the Christian community, the mystical Body of Christ, and secondly, we are just making the introductions. Jesus will come to visit those who hear our witness with an accepting heart. He will offer His friendship to them, and enter into a personal relationship with them, sharing with them His mercy and grace.
So I encourage you to boast – boast in the Lord!
