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 14^th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Christ’s Peace Mission Needs Your Contribution

Readings: Is 66:10-14; Gal 6:14-18; Lk 10:1-12. 17-20

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus selected 72 individuals and sent them on a mission to bestow peace to the households they visit. Previously, in Luke 9:1-6, Jesus had sent out the disciples with the same mission, instructing them to proclaim to all they meet that the Kingdom of God has come. One might wonder why Jesus opted to send a larger number for the same mission. Could it be that the initial group – the disciples – failed in their mission or felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities?

In verse two of today’s gospel reading (Lk 10:2), Jesus provided the rationale for sending additional individuals on the mission. He stated that the harvest was abundant, yet the labourers were few. Therefore, he chose to send more people on this mission, as the twelve he had previously sent would not suffice for the vast undertaking of bringing peace to homes and establishing God’s kingdom on earth.

Now, who were the 72 individuals that Jesus sent out? Clearly, they were not part of the 12 disciples, those who lived with Jesus and accompanied Him on His missions and can be regarded as the inner circle members of His followers, to whom He entrusted the responsibility of leading His Church. So, who were they? The gospel writers did not mention their names or provide any additional information about them. To be chosen for such a mission, these 70 must have been among those who regularly approached Jesus after their daily activities to hear the Good News. Therefore, they can be classified as the lay members of Jesus' followers, as they were not part of the 12 whom Jesus ordained to lead His followers.

While sending out these 72 indicates that Jesus desired more than just the apostles to participate in the mission of spreading God’s word throughout the world and establishing the kingdom of God on earth, it also signifies that Jesus did not want those who frequently came to Him for hearing the Good News to remain passive; instead, He wanted them to actively engage in the mission for which He came. What implications does this have for us?

Dear lay brothers and sisters, the task of establishing the kingdom of God on earth cannot be fulfilled solely by priests and religious. Jesus did not intend for lay people to remain passive within his Church. He did not desire them to be mere listeners of the word of God; instead, he encourages the laity to actively participate, particularly in sharing the good news within their homes, workplaces, and other areas that priests and religious may find difficult to reach. Lay people are those who engage directly with the tangible realities of our world. For instance, they are the individuals working in offices where government policies are formulated and executed; they operate in businesses that influence and govern the economy of society; they oversee the households where young individuals are born and nurtured; and they manage the entertainment and cultural sectors where ideologies are shaped and disseminated, among other roles.

Today, the Church is reminding all lay faithful that it is Christ's desire for them to actively engage in God's mission. Christian lawyers are entrusted with the responsibility of bringing Christ's message into the courts, Christian traders have the duty of sharing the Good News within their shops and businesses, teachers are encouraged to take the Good News to their classrooms, musicians are tasked with incorporating Christ's message into their songs, filmmakers are urged to promote Christ's values through their films, engineers are advised to carry God's message to their work sites and while providing quotations, and public officials and world leaders are called to let the light of Christ guide and shape their decisions, policies, and actions. Furthermore, parents are encouraged to bring the Good News into their homes and transform their families with Christ's values.

This responsibility assigned to the lay people is not meant to be fulfilled through loudspeakers and microphones; instead, it should be achieved by allowing their concrete actions and decisions to bear the mark of Jesus, as St. Paul indicated in the second reading. The concrete actions and decisions of the lay faithful should carry the mark of the cross of Christ, which was signed upon us on our foreheads on the day of our baptism. This mission will be realized if we decide never to glory in anything except in the cross of Christ, as St. Paul proudly proclaimed in the second reading.

When the 72 individuals sent by Christ took the message of peace to their respective communities, they returned with testimonies stating that even demons were subject to their authority. Jesus affirmed that He saw the devil fall like lightning from heaven. This great feat occurs wherever the Good News of peace is embraced; it dismantles the barriers of hatred, envy, chaos, and enmity. The eradication of these vices upon the proclamation and acceptance of the peace message paves the way for prosperity to surge like a river into lives, homes, workplaces, and society, as prophesied by Isaiah in today’s first reading. Conversely, those who shut their minds and doors to the message of peace will meet a fate akin to that of Sodom, as indicated by Jesus in today’s gospel reading.

Therefore, let us march out after today’s Mass to share the message of peace, love, holiness, harmony, and other values of Christ in our families, workplaces, businesses, and other environments, so that the reign of God may dispel the shadows of evil and our prosperity may flow abundantly like a river.

May you have a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima