Homily
for July 16, 2006
Liturgical Year B - Cycle II
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Joshua Nyoni
Topic:
Calling and Healing
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Reading
1
Am 7:12-15
Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, “Off with you, visionary, flee
to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never
again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal
temple.” Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged
to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy
to my people Israel.”
Reading II
Eph 1: 3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose
us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without
blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself
through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the
praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In
him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all
wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in
accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the
fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on
earth.
In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the
One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped
in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first
installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession,
to the praise of his glory.
Gospel
Mk 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and
gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take
nothing for the journey but a walking stick— no food, no sack, no money
in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second
tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until
you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave
there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So
they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many
demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the first reading today, we have heard how the prophet Amos
was
called by God to leave his work of herding cattle, sheep, and goats,
and to become God’s prophet, the mouthpiece. Similarly, the first
apostles of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, you remember, that they
left their fishing boats and nets, others left their shops, their money
and all of that. They left all of that so that they could be available,
they could avail themselves to God, to proclaiming the Kingdom.
In Amos and even in the apostles I would say, we see three
things
happening in their lives. First, we see God inviting
them, God extending that invitation, God calling them. From their part,
what happens? They give a response. We see their response. They say,
“Yes,” and they leave their work and all that they have and they avail
themselves to God. Lastly, when that has happened, what happens? God
Himself sends them on a mission. He sends them out to prophesy, just as
we heard in Amos today. He was sent to prophesy to the Israelites. Now,
even today I would say, God continues to call us. He waits for our
response. When we have made that response, He sends us out to speak for
Him, to stand for Him, even when things are against us. This is what it
means to be a Christian. Sometimes I know, we as Christians are very
good, you see. Sometimes we compromise ourselves…. You understand what
I
mean? Yes, we are together on this, I know.
St. Paul, in the Letter to the Ephesians, he picks up the
same thing.
He says that all of us have been called since before the world began.
He says, “We have been chosen and called.” Chosen and called to do
what? Chosen and called, he puts it this way, “to be holy.” Now,
holiness is something that each one of us, as a follower of Christ, is
supposed to pursue. It is never something that is for a certain group
of people. No, it is for each one of us. We are all called to be holy.
Some people think, “Well, that is for the priest.” No, it is for all of
us! That invitation to be holy is for each one of us. We are chosen and
called to be holy, chosen and called to be without spot, and to live in
the love and in the presence of Jesus.
We are chosen and called, and then later we are sent. Sent
where, first
of all? I want you to reflect on that. First, we are sent. We are
supposed to be apostles to ourselves. This is the first mission. We are
called to bring the light of the Gospel into the darkness of our hidden
selves, those places where we are alone, where no one knows except
ourselves. Now, think about this. I think in each one of us there is a
space where no one enters, but only ourselves. It is that space where
we should let Jesus enter. Jesus must penetrate that space. I think you
know what I am talking about. It is that space where you should let
Jesus enter. Have you allowed Him, is my question. Or, are you still
“waya-wayaring.” It is you, you are wanting. Have you allowed Jesus to
penetrate that place? When you allow Him, He will enlighten you. You
will be cleansed from all that. You know what it is. You know better,
yes? I know what is mine, and you know what is yours. Yes.
In today’s Gospel, we have heard of the sending out, the
mission of the
Twelve. They were sent in pairs. They were sent to do what Jesus did,
to preach repentance, to announce the good news, to cast out the evil
spirits, to cure the sick and anoint them with oil. The disciples were
empowered to be other Christs, to bring into reality the presence of
Jesus in time and space. In a way, continuing His work.
The Letter of James instructs the early Christian community
in this
way. He says, “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the
presbyters of the church and they should pray for him and anoint him
with oil in the Name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will serve
the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed
any sins, he will be forgiven.” This healing ministry to which the
apostles were sent is all about what we call today, the Sacrament of
the Anointing of the Sick.
What Jesus began in Gospel times, He empowered His disciples
and He
continues to heal us today. Now, today He does this in a different way.
During the time of the Gospel, He touched and healed people. Now, how
does He do it? St. Therese of Avila says this, “Jesus has no physical
hand to heal and touch, but He has you and me to do that.”
I will put it, in the person of the priest. Jesus continues
His healing
power when we celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick. When that happens,
we see that God touches us; we experience a kind of healing. That
healing is in three ways. We experience physical healing, which may be
full or partial. We experience mental healing, and that in itself
results in a kind of peace of mind. Thirdly, we experience what I will
call spiritual healing. The soul feels that, as it were, that move
toward God, having felt God’s forgiveness, God’s love. We feel those
three things: physical, mental, and spiritual. The Sacrament of the
Sick, it is not about the dying or for those that are about to die, as
it was once called Extreme Unction – a time when you are really at the
point of death, then we can help you. No, it is not about that.
As I talk about that, I am reminded of what happened to me
one time,
when I was a seminarian. It is this. We were in one village, doing
pastoral work, and then we were asked by someone to go and pray for
someone who was sick. We went there and we prayed for that person. We
did what we could do. We offered our prayers and petitions, and that
was all. Then we went back to the seminary. Now, the following day, we
got the sad news that the person had died. Do you know what went around
that village? It was this. They said, “When Catholics pray for you, you
die!” I didn’t know what to say, but that is what went around.
The Sacrament of the Sick is not about the dying, not about
those who
are about to die. It is a Sacrament of companionship. I will put it
this way. It is God, being beside us, in serious illness, when we
prepare for surgery, when we are in serious pain. It is letting God be
beside us, accompanying us. That is what the Sacrament of the Sick is
all about.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this, and I quote,
“Illness and
suffering has always been among the gravest problems confronted in
human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his
limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse
death.”
Those
who know this will agree with what the Catechism is saying. It makes us
glimpse at what is over there. It continues,
“Illness can
lead to anguish, self absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt
against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern
in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which
is. Very often, illness provokes a search for God and a return to Him.”
The Sacrament of the Sick is all about God’s love, concern,
and care
for us. Through it, God does touch us. He touches our bodies, He
touches our minds, He touches even our soul. Therefore, I would say,
let us not be afraid to approach that Sacrament because it is a
Sacrament of Healing. God will always be accompanying us.