HOMILY – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Rejection

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What a blessing to preach on the weekend our Catholic Church remembers St. Kateri Tekakwitha. This weekend’s message is about how we deal with rejection. St. Kateri provides us an excellent model. More on that in a moment.

First, there’s something interesting in today’s readings: Mark‘s is the only Gospel that talks about anointing with oil to heal the sick – as a priest would do in the Sacrament of Holy Anointing.

In today’s Church, there are things that only a priest can do. Not the rest of us. More on the “all of us” part in a minute.

Some may ask, what is a Catholic deacon and what does he do?

There are three things a deacon cannot do that only a priest can do:

-          Consecrate bread and wine into the body and blood of 

Christ.

-          Give absolution in confession.

-          Anoint the sick (because absolution comes with it).

Deacons can baptize, do weddings, do Christian services to bury the dead, bring final Viaticum (Bread for the Journey) to the dying, and are able to bless religious items and people. Deacons sacramentalize service for the Church.

The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonia: or servant.

Deacons have a three-fold ministry as Servant of Charity, Servant of the Word (or Gospel) and Servant of Liturgy.

The Seattle Archdiocese puts it this way, “A permanent deacon is ordained for life, a cleric committed to bridging relationships between the church and the most marginalized.” 

I share this to clear up any confusion about what a deacon is and how deacons in the Church are different than priests.

But, my sisters and brothers, this week’s message is about all of us. And what we are all called to do as disciples of Christ.

Each of us is responsible for sharing Christ’s message with the world. This is not the sole possession of a priest or a deacon. But everyone.

This weekend’s readings give a clear picture of the importance of everyday laypeople in being prophets in today’s world.

The source of this power comes from our baptism.

When we are baptized, we are anointed Priest, Prophet, and King. Every one of us.

This is an enormous responsibility.

But is being a prophet something we carry out in our daily lives? Or do we think that’s someone else’s job?

Fr. Joseph posed this question in his homily last weekend.

The first reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos brings the message into clearer focus.

Amos was a simple man. As he said, I am not a prophet or son of a prophet, but a simple shepherd and a dresser of Sycamore trees. In other words, he was an ordinary layperson.

But Amos experienced Yahweh’s call, God’s call, to leave the land of Judah in the south to prophesy in the land of Israel in the north.

Somehow the people there had lost God’s message about justice in the world, especially their responsibility to not abuse, but take care of the poor and marginalized.

Amos’ message was sharp, speaking out against taxes and tributes required three times a year from the poor to prop up a cultic leader, an increased disparity between the wealthy and the poor, and proclaiming justice for all, not just the rich and powerful. This message put him in the crosshairs of the King.

Amos was walking in the same place where Jesus began his ministry, sharing a similar message. And his reception was icy.

The head priest Amaziah even tells him he should get out of town immediately before he gets killed, accusing him of treason.

The story of Amos happened nearly 800 years before Christ.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is telling the Apostles he’s sending out in Nazareth that they will face the same rejection from political and religious leaders.

He’s preparing them for future leadership in the Church by showing these laypeople what will happen when they start preaching the Gospel, start healing the sick, start driving out demons. Many will reject their mission and their message.

And so it is for all of us since we, too, are called to preach the Gospel in our daily lives.

No doubt we’ve encountered this rejection of our faith -- in our families, in our communities, in today’s secular culture.

But there is a deeper message in what Christ is saying today. And that message resonates with the message of Amos. Charity and justice must be at the center of our evangelization efforts.

Those of us entrusted with sharing Christ’s message must always show love of God and love of neighbor through their acts of Christian charity and by promoting justice.

So how do we do that in today’s world?

By proclaiming justice. By our words of compassion and mercy (never judgment) that are driving tenets of our faith. By our acts of charity to those living on the margins of society. By our caring for each other in the Church and that includes welcoming the stranger in our midst.

They will know we are Christians by our love. Remember the words to that old hymn?

This weekend the Apostles are given a great training exercise for how to be Church in the world.

And what gives us the power to evangelize Christ like this? Our baptism.

This is the message from St. Paul to the people of Ephesus.

Paul is writing this letter while sitting in a prison cell in Rome. The end is near. And instead of wallowing in fear and self-pity, St. Paul is “overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude …(as) he contemplates God’s love for (human)kind. In this ‘Magnificat’ (one unbroken sentence in the original) he is not content merely to praise God’s bounty; he qualifies the Word with rich.^[1]”

Structurally, Paul organizes his thoughts around the work of the Holy Trinity (CCC 257–58). The Father chooses us (Eph 1:4), the Son redeems us (1:7), and the Holy Spirit seals us (1:13). Paul is celebrating blessings traditionally given to us in baptism.

We are rich because of the Gospel we preach, a richness empowered by our baptism.

St. Paul is sending a message of hope to a people being rejected for their Christian beliefs.

He is sending us the same message today, we all who are called to proclaim Christ by our words and actions.

Not to proselytize (or convert). But to evangelize by who we are and what we say and do to our neighbors, our friends, our communities, even our enemies.

We cannot just hear the word of God. We must share this great gift with others despite its possible rejection.

St. Kateri Tekekwitha understood this. She was the daughter of a Mohawk chief and a captive Christian-converted Algonguin mother, both of whom perished in an outbreak of what the tribe called “the purples” (smallpox). The disease that left St. Kateri disfigured and sensitive to bright light for the remainder of her days.

She was a little girl when she lost her parents and was taken in by her uncle, the new Mohawk chief.

Despite being a child of privilege, St. Kateri accepted the humble message of Jesus taught by her mother. And proclaimed Jesus for the rest of her days in simple ways, by showing love in serving the needs of her community. By accepting the hostility and rejection directed at her by tribal members who were troubled by her strange Christian ways and by always showing love in the face of this rejection.

This evangelization led many of her people to follow the path of Jesus.

And so it is with us.

When we share this rich message with others in simple ways, when we accept the slights from those who ridicule our beliefs and show love even when rejected, we, too, are doing Christ’s work in building up the Kingdom. And we become prophets.

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^[1] D. J. Leahy, “The Epistle to the Ephesians,” in A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Bernard Orchard and Edmund F. Sutcliffe (Toronto; New York; Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson, 1953), 1121.

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(Spanish Version)

El mensaje de este fin de semana trata sobre cómo lidiamos con el rechazo. Esto es algo que todos enfrentamos en la Iglesia y en el mundo. Más sobre esto en un momento.

Cada uno de nosotros es responsable de compartir el mensaje de Cristo con el mundo. Cada uno de nosotros.

Las lecturas de este fin de semana nos dan una idea clara de la importancia de los laicos en ser profetas en el mundo de hoy.

La fuente de este poder proviene de nuestro bautismo.

Cuando somos bautizados, somos ungidos como sacerdotes, profetas y reyes. Cada uno de nosotros.

Esta es una responsabilidad enorme.

¿Pero ser profeta es algo que llevamos a cabo en nuestra vida diaria? ¿O pensamos que es el trabajo de alguien más?

La primera lectura del Libro del Profeta Amós aclara el mensaje.

Amós era un hombre simple. Como él dijo, no soy profeta ni hijo de profeta, sino un simple pastor y cultivador de sicómoros. En otras palabras, era un laico ordinario.

Pero Amós experimentó la llamada de Yahvé, la llamada de Dios, para dejar la tierra de Judá en el sur y profetizar en la tierra de Israel en el norte.

De alguna manera, la gente allí había perdido el mensaje de Dios sobre la justicia en el mundo, especialmente su responsabilidad de no abusar, sino de cuidar a los pobres y marginados.

El mensaje de Amós era fuerte, denunciando los impuestos y tributos requeridos tres veces al año de los pobres para sostener a un líder culto, la creciente disparidad entre ricos y pobres, y proclamando justicia para todos, no solo para los ricos y poderosos.

Este mensaje perturbó al Rey y a los líderes religiosos.

Amós caminaba en el mismo lugar donde Jesús comenzó su ministerio, compartiendo un mensaje similar. Su recepción no fue bienvenida.

El sumo sacerdote Amasías incluso le dice que debería salir de Betel inmediatamente antes de que lo maten, acusándolo de traición.

La historia de Amós ocurrió casi 800 años antes de Cristo.

           En el Evangelio de Marcos, Jesús les dice a los Apóstoles que está enviando en Nazaret que enfrentarán el mismo rechazo de los líderes políticos y religiosos.

Él los está preparando para futuros líderes en la Iglesia, mostrando a estos laicos lo que sucederá cuando comiencen a predicar el Evangelio, a sanar a los enfermos, a expulsar demonios. Muchos rechazarán su misión y su mensaje.

Y así es para todos nosotros, ya que también estamos llamados a predicar el Evangelio en nuestra vida diaria.

Sin duda, hemos enfrentado este rechazo a nuestra fe -- en nuestras familias, en nuestras comunidades, en la cultura secular de hoy.

Pero hay un mensaje más profundo en lo que Cristo está diciendo hoy. Y ese mensaje resuena con el mensaje de Amós. La caridad y la justicia deben estar en el centro de nuestros esfuerzos de evangelización.

Aquellos de nosotros encargados de compartir el mensaje de Cristo debemos siempre mostrar amor a Dios y al prójimo a través de nuestras acciones de caridad cristiana y promoviendo la justicia.

          Entonces, ¿cómo lo hacemos en el mundo de hoy?

Proclamando la justicia. Con nuestras palabras de compasión y misericordia (nunca de juicio) que son los principios rectores de nuestra fe. Con nuestras acciones de caridad hacia aquellos que viven en los márgenes de la sociedad. Cuidándonos unos a otros en la Iglesia y eso incluye dar la bienvenida al extranjero en medio de nosotros.

Este fin de semana, los Apóstoles reciben un gran ejercicio de entrenamiento sobre cómo ser Iglesia en el mundo.

¿Y qué nos da el poder para evangelizar a Cristo de esta manera? Nuestro bautismo.

Este es el mensaje de San Pablo a la gente de Éfeso.

           Pablo está escribiendo esta carta mientras está en una celda de prisión en Roma. El final está cerca. Y en lugar de hundirse en el miedo y la autocompasión, San Pablo está "abrumado por sentimientos de gratitud ...(mientras) contempla el amor de Dios por la humanidad. En este 'Magníficat' (una sola oración continua en el original) no se contenta con solo alabar la abundancia de Dios; califica la Palabra con rica."

Estructuralmente, Pablo organiza sus pensamientos en torno al trabajo de la Santísima Trinidad (CCC 257–58). El Padre nos elige (Ef 1:4), el Hijo nos redime (1:7), y el Espíritu Santo nos sella (1:13). Pablo está celebrando las bendiciones tradicionalmente dadas en el bautismo.

Somos ricos por el Evangelio que predicamos, una riqueza fortalecida por nuestro bautismo.

San Pablo está enviando un mensaje de esperanza a un pueblo rechazado por sus creencias cristianas.

Él nos envía el mismo mensaje hoy, a todos nosotros que estamos llamados a proclamar a Cristo con nuestras palabras y acciones.

No para hacer proselitismo (o convertir). Sino para evangelizar por lo que somos y lo que decimos y hacemos a nuestros vecinos, amigos, comunidades, incluso a nuestros enemigos.

No podemos simplemente escuchar la palabra de Dios. Debemos compartir este gran don con los demás a pesar de su posible rechazo.

Cuando compartimos este mensaje rico con otros de manera sencilla, cuando aceptamos los desprecios de aquellos que ridiculizan nuestras creencias y mostramos amor incluso cuando somos rechazados, también estamos haciendo el trabajo de Cristo en la construcción del Reino. Y nos convertimos en profetas.