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!

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Jun 21, 2026

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (20:10-13)

Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: "Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!" All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. "Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him." But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure, they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

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!"

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

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (5:12-15)

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, dead, and thus dead came to all men, in as much as all sinned - for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

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

Gospel

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

Jesus said to the twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the rooftops. 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 soul and body in Gehenna. 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. 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."

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

Homily

A man had been visiting a therapist for the cure of his fear of a monster under his bed. On every visit, the therapist would exchange only a few words like, "How are you?", "You are doing great," "That sounds bad, stop doing that," or "Cheer up!" Then he would end the session abruptly saying, "Out time is up, make sure you pay the receptionist on the way out." Despite many visits, the man felt no progress. Very disappointed, he shared his problem with a pastor and never returned to the therapist. Months later, the man and the therapist met quite by chance on the street one day. The therapist recognized him and, slightly offended, asked him why he had not come back to work on his problem. The man said, "Oh! I went to see a pastor, and he cured me in one session. With a bit of surprise, the therapist asked, "What happened? How did he cure you?" The man replied, "He advised me to cut off the legs of the bed and leave no space for the monster. I did as I was told and I am feeling okay now."

In today's gospel, Jesus addresses one of the most powerful and quiet forces we face in life - fear. He urges His followers to banish fear from their hearts so they can boldly proclaim the truth. To understand the text, we need to go back to last week's gospel, Matthew (9:36-10:8).

Looking at the crowds and being overcome with deep compassion because they were distressed, weary, and lost "like sheep without a shepherd" Jesus immediately moved to action. He chose twelve apostles and sent them out to heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, and proclaim the arrival of God's reign. However, he told them to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans and, instead focus entirely on "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," meaning the Jewish people who had been awaiting the Messiah but strayed into spiritual wandering, deception, and false teachings and required a shepherd to guide them back to God. From this gospel we learned that just as Jesus commissioned His disciples, He calls each of us to share the gospel and pass on the hope and grace we have received through Him to others, especially those baptised family members who are spiritually hurting or lost.

In the verses Matthew (10:9-25) between last week's text and today's Gospel, Jesus gave further instructions:

He told them not to carry money or extra provisions, relying entirely instead on God's provision and the hospitality of others.
He told them that their responsibility as His messengers is to simply preach the message, while the responsibility for belief or rejection lies entirely with the listeners.
He warned them that they were being sent out as "sheep among wolves", but they should be "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves" meaning they must be careful and informed, at the same time keep themselves pure, harmless, gentle and peaceful in their proclamation.
He warned them of inevitable, severe persecution, hostility and betrayal even from their own families because of their loyalty to Him. Despite these trials, He urged them to stand firm.
Finally, He assured them of divine protection, the Holy Spirit's guidance, and ultimate vindication because they are identified with Him as their Master.

However, knowing their natural human tendency to give into fear rather than faith, in today's Gospel (10:26-33) Jesus offered words of encouragement and comfort to His apostles. First, Jesus told them not to fear those who would mock, oppose or persecute them for spreading the gospel because, He said, "nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." In other words, no matter how much opposition they would face, in the end the Gospel truth will ultimately prevail. Therefore, he urged them to take all the private, secret teachings He shared with them behind closed doors and declare them publicly and boldly to the world, Matthew (10:26-27).

Secondly, Jesus contrasted two sources of fear. He told the disciples not to fear earthly authorities, rulers, and hostile mobs who can inflict physical harm and even death, but fear God instead. Fearing God does not mean living in terror or panic but rather having an ultimate, reverential awe and respect for His supreme power and sovereignty. Because unlike earthly persecutors, God holds ultimate power over both a person's physical life and eternal destiny of the soul. By saying this, Jesus urged His disciples to prioritize their spiritual allegiance to God above all earthly threats, trusting that their souls are secure in His hands for eternity.

Thirdly, Jesus compared His apostles to sparrows to remind them of God's intimate, watchful care. In Jesus' time, sparrows were abundant and considered practically worthless. They were sold in markets as cheap food for the poor, often two for a coin, even five for two coins, meaning the fifth was essentially thrown in for free, as Luke records in his Gospel, Luke (12:6). Jesus said that not even a lowly, inexpensive bird falls to the ground and dies without God's knowledge and consent. By comparing the disciples to these sparrows, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that God intimately knows every detail of their lives, including the exact number of hairs on their heads. They would never be out of God's sight, and God would be with them even in their deepest struggles and suffering. Because they were worth "more than many sparrows," Jesus wanted His apostles to carry out their mission with confidence rather than fear of what their enemies might do to them.

Finally, Jesus gave a reassuring promise and severe warning to His apostles. He promised that if they boldly and publicly acknowledge and confess Him before others here on earth, He would openly acknowledge them as His own before His Father in heaven. This shows that Jesus acts as a faithful witness and advocate for us in heaven. Conversely, He warned them that if they deny or disown Him before others, He would in turn deny or disown them before God the Father in heaven. This shows that relationship with Jesus is inherently public, reciprocal, and eternal.

What is the message for us?

Throughout scripture, God calls on us not to live in anxiety and fear. Instead, He asks us to replace fear with faith, courage, and trust in His presence, protection, and love. Moreover, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to conquer death and liberate us from the lifelong slavery of fear so that we can live in perfect peace. Therefore, although we Christians are not immune to fear, we should stand out as people who do not fear anyone or anything, particularly to share the message of Christ that brings light, purpose, and eternal hope to those who may feel lost or alone.

Sharing our hope and faith in Christ with our loved ones, especially those who are baptized but have fallen away, is one of the most vital acts of love we can offer. Because they already possess the foundations of faith, we are not to try to convert them but rather guide them to persevere in the faith that they have received in their baptism or help them rediscover the living, personal relationship behind their baptism. While fear of rejection or causing discomfort or losing relationships can easily hold us back, we should not forget that the purpose, happiness, and peace we have found in Christ are too precious to keep to ourselves. Our personal reflections, experience and relationship with God are a message of hope and comfort meant for others who are hurting or wandering in the dark.

God intimately knows every detail of our lives, including our quiet efforts, struggles, and fears we face, nothing escapes His watchful care. He is also fully aware of who the recipients are, what they are predisposed to, and how our message will be received. Therefore, we can boldly and fearlessly proclaim our faith and share the truths and insights that He reveals to us in prayer, scriptures and everyday events without fear of rejection, judgement, or physical harm, trusting that God alone does the saving while we faithfully share His message. But to fulfil this mission faithfully and consistently we must anchor ourselves on three foundational pillars, as Zig Ziglar, a renowned motivational speaker who frequently integrated his Christian faith and biblical principles in his teaching states: Love for God, Love for others, and Love for self. At the same time, let us also keep in mind the beautiful promise and sobering warning from Jesus. If we openly live out our faith and share the grace we experience, Jesus will acknowledge us before our Heavenly Father. But if we reject or deny our association with Him out of fear, shame, or social pressure, He will distance Himself from us at the final heavenly judgment.

Today, let us thank our Heavenly Father for His constant, watchful care over our life and for valuing us more than many sparrows. Let us pray that in times of hardships, trials, and uncertainty, He may send His Holy Spirit to remove all anxiety and fear; that He may grant us the courage to boldly proclaim His truth and to stand firm in our faith, no matter the obstacles; and that He may help us honour Him in our words and actions every day so that we may be acknowledged by His Son on the day of judgment.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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