HOMILY FOR 28TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY FOR 28TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: ‘PEACE TO THIS HOUSEHOLD.’
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
After this, the Lord appointed seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
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The Entrance Antiphon for today’s Mass is from the Prophet Isaiah: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings of peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation” (Is 52:7).
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Luke, one of those who brings glad tidings to mankind. We thank God for giving us St. Luke who, moved by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the Gospel as well as the history of early Christianity in the Acts of the Apostles. Hence, although he was not one of the twelve apostles, he is considered by the Church as an apostle because of his valuable apostolic ministry as companion of Saint Paul and as an evangelist.
St. Luke’s Gospel was written for the pagan converts to Christianity, and being a medical doctor by profession, his main concern was to show that God became man to heal us of our sins and grant us total salvation – body and soul.
Saint Luke is an inspiration to us in following the instruction of Jesus before His ascension into heaven: “Go out to all the world and proclaim the good news of salvation to all people.” As followers of Jesus, we are not only to follow Him, but we also have to proclaim His message to the world.
The Gospel today is about the sending of the seventy-two disciples. The instructions given by Jesus to them will serve as guiding principles for us. First, they are sent in pairs. Christian life is not an individual affair; it is a community affair. We will not be saved individually but as a community. Selfishness has no room in Christian life.
Second, they are not to bring anything which is not truly necessary. This is a witness to a life of simplicity and total trust in the Lord. Everything in this world is transitory, and they are to be used to help us in our journey to eternal life. That is why in this life we are to live simply, always relying on the providence and mercy of God. In that way, we become more reliable witnesses of the Gospel we proclaim.
And third, they are to proclaim the message of peace and salvation. A Christian should always be a bearer of peace, reconciliation, and love. That is what we are and what we should always be.
Following these instructions will already be our way of proclaiming the Lord’s message, not much in words and preaching, but in a more effective way, that is, by our lives. We are not called to write another Gospel, but we are called to live the Gospel, and in so doing, we are writing the Gospel with our lives.
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