HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (1)

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II

THEME: Preach as You Go.

BY: Fr. Gerald M. Musa

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY JULY 7 2022

St. Francis tells a story about how he invited a young monk to come along with him to the town and preach. The monk happily joined him and together they walked through the streets of Assisi and arrived at the market. As they walked along the streets, they talked to each other about personal experiences of their spiritual lives. When they were coming back, the monk asked Francis, “Brother, we have not done what we set out to do, which was to preach to the people.” Francis gently responded, “My son, remember one thing: it makes no sense to go and preach if one does not preach while he is going.” The response of Francis reflects the instruction of Jesus to his disciples. He said to them, “Preach as you go” (Matthew 10:7). ‘Preach as you go’ implies that the casual interactions, conversations, and transactions of Christians reflect the love of Jesus. Besides, Jesus gave his disciples other specific instructions about preaching: First, to declare that “The kingdom of heaven is at hand;” Second, to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons;” Third, to adopt simple life without worrying about gold and silver; Fourth, to be generous in giving time and talent because not everyone will be able to pay for the services and sacrifices preachers render. Do our conversations, interactions, and transactions reflect the love of Jesus?

Matthew 10:7-15