HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)

Jul 14, 2024

122263

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos (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 to 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."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14)

(R) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims; the Lord - for He proclaims peace. Near indeed is His salvation to those who fear Him, glory dwelling in our land. (R)

Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of Earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R)

The Lord Himself will give His benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before Him, and prepare the way of His steps. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (1:3-10)

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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (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.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Today's gospel marks a turning point in Jesus' earthly ministry. Up to this point, accompanied by his disciples, Jesus was going about all the villages, towns, synagogues and meeting places throughout the region of Galilee preaching about the kingdom of God, casting out demons, healing the sick, performing miracles, and calling people to repentance. His teachings and miracles quickly made him popular with the people, and large crowds began to follow him wherever he went. However, his claim to be the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy, the anointed one, Christ the Messiah, and the Son of God, offended many people particularly his own people in Nazareth. They could not approve his claim because they knew him as the son of Mary and Joseph. Because of their unbelief, Jesus could not do any miracles among them except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Miracles could only happen where there was faith. The rejection and unbelief of his own people amazed Jesus, but it did not stop him from continuing his God-given mission and moreover, entrusting the same mission to his disciples. That's what we read in today's gospel, Mark (6:7-13).

As he began his ministry, Jesus had chosen twelve men from his many followers and made them his closest disciples and constant companions and later designated them as apostles, Mark (3:13-19). Up until now they had been primarily learners, observers and hearers. They had heard Jesus' preaching, seen his miracles, wonders, and signs, observed his life and interactions with many kinds of people from many different walks of life and, furthermore, witnessed his rejection and dishonour among the people of Nazareth. Therefore, realizing that it was time for the disciples to apply what they had learned, Jesus sent them out as apostles. In other words, they would no longer be mere followers or disciples. They would become emissaries or representatives of Jesus. They would be instrumental in passing on Jesus' teachings to others and bringing them to belief, healing the sick, establishing Christian communities, and demonstrating who God or what the Kingdom of God is really like.

In order to do their mission more effectively Jesus gave them some clear instructions. First and foremost, He advised them to go out in pairs so that they could work unitedly in spreading the truth of the gospel and be credible witness against those who rejected their preaching. Secondly, He imparted to them the power and authority to preach, heal and cast out evil spirits and to deal with all of the challenges ahead, including the enemies of God and His Gospel. Thirdly, he told them to take no extra food, clothes, bag, or money. It shows that the disciples were only going on a relatively short mission. It was a sort of training course. So, Jesus' instruction was meant for them to leave behind the "non-essentials". In doing so, they would be able to travel light and devote themselves wholeheartedly to the primary task of their mission: the preaching of the Gospel. Moreover, they would depend upon God and on the generosity and kindness of the people for their needs. Finally, Jesus prepared them for potential rejection. He said that if the gospel message was rejected, they would have to "shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them." That was a symbolic way of saying, "I have preached the gospel faithfully and carefully as it is in Jesus, now it is up to you as hearers to respond appropriately to that Gospel." In other words, if the disciples face any rejection, they would not have to waste their time and energy in angry disputes with others that would only rob them of their peace and joy of being his apostles. Instead, they must leave those who reject them to God's judgment. The gospel ends saying that just as Jesus had instructed, the disciples went and preached repentance and healed people.

What is the message for us?

Like Jesus' first disciples, we also have learned and keep learning many things about and from Jesus and at the same time strive to apply them in our daily lives. However, the joy of being Christian is not merely in learning about Jesus but also in sharing the same teachings with those who are yet to know and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Sometimes it may be easier to share the gospel with strangers than to share it with our closest friends and family members. Yet let us not be afraid nor hesitant when the Spirit calls us to take a step forward and tell others, regardless of who they are, about Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. Let us start sharing the gospel by bravely calling them to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. And at the same time let us proclaim the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ together, as parents, as friends, and as a community rather than alone so as to make our experience and witness more effective.
Many Catholic Christians have no clue what healing power is, and therefore seldom practice it. We forget that just as he sent his apostles, Jesus sends us into the world to represent Him and His gospel in the world. And to act on his behalf and to get things done on earth he also gives us the power. We believe that this power has been given and placed within us in baptism and confirmation when we are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and all his gifts for spiritual service, particularly to heal sickness, rescue those who are suffering and expel evil forces. The enemies of God know this, but they go about discouraging and preventing us from exercising the power that we do have over them. But it is up to us to release this power. Therefore, when someone close to us is ill, we do not have to always wait for a priest to come and give comfort and prayer. Instead, we ourselves can bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death by using this Christ-given power. But let us exercise it with holiness, fear and faith. We can also lay our hands on the sick during the prayer. In this way, we provide a way to release the actual healing power of God into the recipient and bring supernatural healing and deliverance.
Last but not least, let us honestly recognize and remove the spiritual baggage that is heavy, weighs us down and impedes us from sharing the gospel with others. Yes. We need to leave behind the bags of our shame, our fears, our worries, our pride, and our attachment to things and people so that we can carry out our responsibility of bringing others to faith in Christ. When people disrespect, dishonour, disregard, or reject, it is a serious offense committed by those who have no fear of God or who deny His existence. At those moments we do not have to leave them with anger or hatred or self-righteousness or hurt but rather with a feeling of contentment that we have actively participated in fulfilling Christ's mission on earth.

To a certain extent, we do take care of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who are near and dear to us. But today, our Church encourages us to extend our care to all, both known and unknown people, especially those who live and work at sea. Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are far away from their homes and families and on treacherous waters for weeks or months on end not only to earn a livelihood for their families and contribute to global economy but also to bring to us our necessities so making our life on land more comfortable. It is estimated that more than 90% of world goods are transported on ships and seafarers are responsible for operating and maintaining ships and navigating the seas, thereby enabling safe transportation of goods. Besides, they must protect themselves, their passengers, and the surrounding ocean.

Seafarers may earn slightly higher wages than the people on land. However, because of the unique nature of the shipping industry, they often can't meet many of their needs in the same way as people on land, especially their physical, emotional and religious or spiritual needs. Because of many challenges, such as loneliness, separation from spouses and families, stress, fatigue, lack of shore leave, job security, cultural problems, abuse and exploitation, support for seafarers has become essential. So, our Church through the Apostleship of the Sea, also known as Stella Maris around the world, has been providing port-based support to seafarers, and works in solidarity with the all those whose lives depend on the sea offering them welfare, hospitality and spiritual support since the 1930s. Since 1940s the Apostleship of the Sea with the support of our Catholic community here at St. Peter's Church has been providing practical and spiritual welfare to seafarers calling at ports in Hong Kong.

Today, as the Catholic church and other churches around the world come together to remember, celebrate, and pray for seafarers, fishers, and all people of the sea giving thanks for their lives and work, we pray that we may continue to seek to serve and reach out to seafarers with the love and compassion of Jesus. We ask Our Lady, Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, to pray for seafarers and for us.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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