12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 25, 2017

Dear brothers and sisters,

Peace and all good!

Here is my Homily for this Sunday, 12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  May it help you in increasing your faith and love in the Holy Eucharist and the Word of God!

Fr. Yosi, OFM

Readings:

First Reading – Jeremiah 20:10-13

Psalm 69

Second Reading – Romans 5:12-15

Gospel reading according to Matthew (10:26-33)

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Homily

Jesus, before sending his twelve apostles (in the gospel), and we today as we listened and heard his command from the gospel, he gave instructions to them and to us, on how to become messengers of God’s Word to all people they and we meet.  On how they/we behave and in what attitude they/we have shown in meeting people in all walks of life, even our own family members, friends and neighbors.  In teaching, in preaching and in sharing, they/we must show courage to bring the message to the people’s ears, hearts, soul and body; the totality of their whole being. 

Jesus said to the twelve: “Fear no one” (Mt. 10:26).  Due to fear, we sometimes are paralyzed; fear makes us not to move or think properly and easily. In fear, we cannot proclaim the good news to everyone, because there is something that hinders or blocks in our hearts and throats, as if we cannot talk and we stammer, hesitant to speak out despite we know what we are going to say or proclaim. Fear also is the product of the devil.  There is fear that obstructs us to speak due to unknown or known reasons, especially when we are not used to speak in public or to the strangers.  To bring the message of God’s good news to others there is a need of trust to the one who is sending us – Jesus Christ and to have self-confidence that we can carry out our tasks.  Also, there is an appropriate and opportune time to speak out.  When the right time comes, and when we are inspired by the Holy Spirit, we can say to anyone, “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known” (Mt. 10:26).  All that were thought, all the actions that were planned either hidden or open, all of this will be pronounced to amend the thoughts and actions of many, and to help them changed their lives for the better and lead them back to God. 

Jesus said, “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim in the housetops” (Mt. 10:27).  All that Jesus taught and said, for the good of others, either in secret of the night or that he whispered to our ears, must be exposed and made known to others by bringing out what was concealing and proclaiming them in public and in the open spaces where everybody can hear, not to put to shame anyone but to teach a lesson and to stop whatever plan they have scheming to do.  Naturally, people who have different motives and intentions when they hear this good news will have negative feelings and might retaliate to get even.  Jesus has already known these attitudes of men and women, so he told his apostles: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both the soul and body in Gehenna” (Mt. 10:28) who is none other than our God Himself.  Some men and women may become mad at us when we corrected and bringing in to light what they are concealing against God to harm their brothers and sisters/their neighbors.  They will become angry at us when we tell them that what their evil plans will destroy good and harmonious relationship with God and to one another, and even kill us to silence us so that their evil plans might not be discovered and to make them known.  But Jesus told us not to be afraid in revealing what is right and true of those who kill body but cannot kill the soul.  To whom shall we be afraid of is to the one who can destroy both our soul and body into the everlasting Hell (Gehenna). 

Jesus also giving us guarantee of our safety, if we do what he has commanded us to do, for he said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:29-31).  Like the prophet Jeremiah (in the first reading), when he performed what was commanded him by God, people reacted and plotted to destroy him even his friends, “All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he can be tricked; then we will prevail; and talk our vengeance on him’.” (Jer. 20:10).  Everyone was watching him so that when he commits mistakes or say something that will not happen, they can accuse him of false prophecy.  But, what he prophesied was coming from the true and almighty Lord God, that’s why he cannot committed mistake and all he prophesied came true, for he confirmed, “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.  In their failure they will but to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion” (Jer. 20:11).   All his trust and confidence were in the hands of the Lord God, that the Lord will always protect him from his accusers and enemies of the prophesy.  God the Father is the One who will take good care “ang bahala” of us who perform His commands.  He cannot let his followers abandoned and left behind unattended, for He watches us and sees all what we are doing in His name.  As we perform what Jesus told us to do as his disciples and followers and acknowledging him as our Master and Teacher, our Lord and Savior, he is always ready to support us and help us in times of need and of danger from evil, even in death.  As what he said when he sent his apostles, disciples and followers – we as well: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father” (Mt.10:32-33).    

We can also pray the prayer by Jeremiah the prophet, when we proclaim, announce and share what we have heard from the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart let me witness the vengeance you take on them for to you I have entrusted my cause.  Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked” (Jer. 20:12-13).