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!

Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Jun 28, 2026

343

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First Reading

A reading from the Second Book of Kings (4:8-11, 14-16a)

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So, she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when comes to us he can stay there." Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?" His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years." Elisha said, "Call her." When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, "This time next year you will be fondling a baby son."

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

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (6:3-4, 8-11)

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

If then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

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

Gospel

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew (10:37-42)

Jesus said to his apostles: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple - amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

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

Homily

One day a man living in a town had a visitor from the countryside claiming that he was known to his parents and that he brought him a duck as a gift. The man warmly welcomed and invited the visitor to stay for a meal. His wife cooked the duck and served the visitor a good meal. Next day another visitor came from the same village claiming that he was the friend of the man who had brought the duck. The man welcomed him and gave him a good meal. The next day another visitor and the following day another visitor came. This happened over several days. The man got tired of his home being used as a free restaurant and came up with an idea to stop such visitors. So, when another visitor came, the man invited him to eat dinner with him. His wife served some soup to the visitor who tasted it and said that the soup tasted like water. The man said, "Of course, it tastes like water for it is the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck!"

Hospitality is a universal human virtue. It is the unspoken language of kindness, respect, generosity, service, and kinship. It is love in action. However, while welcoming and serving our families, friends, and close network is an expression of social exchange and reciprocity, extending warmth and a meal to strangers elevates the hospitality into a radical virtue. When we open our doors, share space and eat together, hospitality becomes an expression of empathy, grace, belonging, and new relationships.

Hospitality is one of the central, recurring themes in the Bible. Biblical hospitality derives its meaning from the Greek word philoxenia literally translated to "the love of strangers". It goes beyond simply giving or serving; it requires a deliberate and active posture of openness, generosity and compassion to welcome outsiders, travellers, outcasts, and the socially marginalized into our homes and into our lives and, serve them without expecting anything in return. This ethic is profoundly rooted in God's own character. God Himself models this hospitality by creating the universe for human beings to inhabit, providing for our needs and inviting us to fellowship even when we are strangers, lost, or alienated from Him. Created in His image, we are called to be extensions of this character in our lives.

Today's first reading from the Second Book of Kings (4:8-11, 14-16a) illustrates a woman who wonderfully displayed this character when she selflessly extended hospitality to a prophet. As the story goes, a prominent and wealthy Shunammite woman routinely invited the prophet Elisha to eat meals at her home as he passed through town. Recognizing Elisha as a "holy man of God" (meaning a person set apart from the ordinary for a special, sacred purpose), she went a step further. She convinced her husband to build a small room on their roof and furnished it with a bed, a table, a chair or stool, and a lamp so the prophet could have a dedicated place to stay whenever he visited. Impressed by her deep care and hospitality, the prophet asked what he could do to repay her kindness, offering to speak to the king or to the army commander. The woman politely declined, saying, "I live among my own people" indicating that she was content, independent, and had a peaceful, secured life, and that she was not in need of political favours or public recognition. Despite her refusal of the offer, the prophet's servant noted that she lacked a son, effectively meaning she had no heir, and her husband was old.

In ancient Israel, a family's land and livelihood were strictly tied to male lineage. Without a son, a widow or childless wife faced threat of destitution. If her husband died, the property would be passed to his distant male relatives, leaving the woman impoverished and socially marginalized. Additionally, barrenness or childlessness was considered a heavy social stigma and a sign of divine disfavour or curse. So, the prophet prayed and promised her a son. The woman conceived and gave birth to a son the following year just as the prophet had promised. It was indeed a great reward for the couple's generosity and hospitality to the prophet and his servant. Some years later, the boy suffered a sudden, fatal illness while out in the fields and died on his mother's lap. The grieving mother laid the body on the guest bed she had built for Elisha and travelled to Mount Carmel to find the prophet, forcing him to return to her home to miraculously bring her son back to life, 2 Kings (4:18-37).

What is the message for us?

Even though the Shunammite couple seemingly had everything, the absence of a child was a heavy emotional burden. God saw their unspoken longing and intervened through the prophet, granting them a son and turning their sorrow into overwhelming joy as a reward for their selfless, generous hospitality. This event reminds us that God intimately knows our hearts, sees our hidden burdens, and honours and repays our quiet acts of service to strangers far beyond our wildest dreams.
Despite the deep, unspoken personal adversity, loneliness and societal shame due to infertility, the couple did not allow their own grief or misfortune to blind them to the needs of others. Instead of turning inward, they generously reached out to support the prophet. In the same way, despite our own hardships, difficulties, tragedies, and misfortunes, we must open our homes, our hearts, and our resources to those doing God's work, trusting that He will provide for us in our own moments of need.
The Prophet Elisha didn't just enjoy their hospitality. He was also equally concerned and sensitive to their needs. Rather than taking their recurring hospitality for granted, he probed to see how he could repay them for their kindness, demonstrating deep sensitivity to the woman's unspoken need for a child, ultimately leading to the promise of a son. Like the prophet, we must proactively observe and meet the needs of those who support and bless us, ensuring that we appreciate them and give back rather than take their kindness and care for granted.
This story and many other biblical stories about rewarding hospitality remind us that no act of kindness, no matter how small, goes unnoticed or unrewarded. In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of the little ones because he is a disciple, he will not lose his reward", Matthew (10:42). The "little ones" refers to Jesus' followers - particularly those who are humble, vulnerable, or of low social status, rather than literal children. Regardless of whether they are physically rich or poor, they share a child-like reliance on God. While unselfish service to anyone in need is highly valued, Jesus assures us that unselfishly helping and supporting those doing God's work carry eternal value.

Whether it is a grand gesture or as simple as offering a cup of water, every act of kindness in His name will not go unrewarded. Therefore, let us support God's messengers - whether local pastors, priests, or missionaries - by sending a quick handwritten note, text, or email to thank them for their spiritual guidance and prayers, by providing a simple meal or small acts of kindness, by offering our time, talents, or financial resources to help meet operational or administrative costs of our parish or local congregation, and by defending and interceding for them in our daily prayers, as they often face physical, emotional and spiritual challenges while serving.
To truly love and serve others in need, especially strangers, we must shift our focus away from self-interest. Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans in today's second reading, Romans (6:3-4, 8-11), describes this transformation as being "dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus." Therefore, let us pray for God's grace to overcome selfish desires and greed, transforming our hearts to be radically generous like the Shunammite couple, as we eagerly await the rewards He has promised. Let us continue to mirror God's generous nature in our daily lives and bring glory to His Holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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