Homily – Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sharing the Gospel within the domestic church

There’s a fascinating story about St. Francis of Assisi. One day a priest came to him and said, “Francis, I know you are a great preacher. Would you teach me how to preach the gospel?” So Francis agreed. They went off to feed the hungry, to give shelter to the homeless, to take some orphans to a home that would care for them.  At the end of the day Francis and the priest had cared for over 50 people. The priest said, “Francis, this is all wonderful work, but when are you going to teach me how to preach the gospel?” Francis replied, “We’ve been preaching the gospel all day through how we have lived the day.  Preach the gospel always, if necessary use words.”

‘Preach the gospel always, if necessary use words’.  As we read in today’s gospel, Jesus began the evangelization of the world by sending His apostles, two by two and instructed them ‘to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack.’ They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’  It sounds like Jesus asks his disciples to go fishing without nets or fishing rods.

In a way, Jesus seems to be a tough task-master.  Can you imagine nowadays, if any priests were asked to go to a particular mission country and were told, ‘Now, I’m not giving you any airline tickets, no expense money, no suitcase and only the clothes on your back. You won’t be able to stay at a hotel, you’ll have to find and stay at a local house each night.’ That would be very tough.

Can we take the word of the gospel literally today?  Or are we focusing more on the meaning behind the text itself?  If so, what are the meanings behind the gospel?

You and I are called to spread the Good News or preach the gospel. We probably have far more training than these disciples who were sent out by Jesus. We know more things and have experienced a life of faith far longer than this group of simple men.

We don’t have to go to strange places to spread the Good News.  We can begin in our own homes, where we work, shop and play, and, yes, here in church.  Have you ever noticed that our faith is often like our church clothes?  We put it on when we come to church, and take it off when we leave. It’s almost as if there were “faith hangers” at the door of the church, so we could leave our faith on a hook at the church door where it wouldn’t get soiled or dirty in the “real world.”

Yet isn’t the real world where we most need our faith?  Isn’t it there that the problems of making house payments, maintaining the car, buying food, and paying for utilities can be a real difficulty?  How many of us, from time to time, have to decide which bills to pay and which to ‘let go’ until next payday?

Imagine if our faith allowed us to journey through life without food or money, with few possessions, and yet be fully trusting in the Lord to supply our needs. Our faith can, indeed, allow us to do that. And, if we did, what would our example tell those around us?  How would they see Jesus living and active in our lives? I think that the preaching of the disciples did not lead people to Jesus so much as the example of their lives. So too, the example of our lives tells anyone about the gospel in a deep and meaningful way.  We don’t all need to be trained for eight years in the seminary with theology and philosophy degrees.  What we need is to live simple lives that speak to the gospel, to a life filled with the Holy Spirit and lived in faith.

Preaching the Good News is not about doing great things, it’s about doing little things and making them great.

By Fr Trac Nguyen