Wednesday, July 9, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 41:55-57.42:5-7a.17-24a; Matthew 10:1-7)

A recent newspaper report linked improvement of memory with a healthier diet and exercise.  This news will surprise few people.  But it may help one appreciate today’s gospel connecting unclean spirits to disease.

 “Unclean spirits” create the sinful tendencies of eating “junk food” and avoiding exertion.  They justify unhealthy practices with the lies that they won’t hurt one or that one deserves more slack. People inspired by the Holy Spirit will reject such distortions of reality.  They will take care of themselves physically and encourage others to do the same

Our bodies are just as much part of who we are as our souls.  We should take care of them by rejecting the voices inside urging us to eat more and to eschew exercise.  We should also thank God for whatever health we physical strength at God’s disposal.

 

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 10:1-3.7-8.12; Matthew 10:1-7)

Matthew begins his gospel with a list of names tracing the lineage of Jesus.  He starts with Abraham who received God’s promise to create a people more numerous than the stars of the sky.  He ends with Jesus, who brings that promise to fulfilment.  Matthew mentions a few women like Rahab and Ruth, non-Israelites who exhibit extraordinary faith and courage.  The genealogy indicates God’s hand guiding the process despite the people’s shortcomings. 

In today’s gospel Matthew provides another list of names.  In one sense, these twelve men provide a counterweight to those of the previous list.  As the Old Testament figures lead up to Jesus, the apostles will carry Jesus’ name to the world.  In another sense, however, they are similar to Jesus’ ancestors.  They are a diverse lot.  Many of them, like Matthew, the tax-collector, seem unlikely candidates to carry out Jesus’ mission.  Once again there is a sense of God’s directing the whole affair.

We should see ourselves as part of still another list of people connected to Jesus.  We have similarities to the people already mentioned.  As the first group comprised Jesus’ ancestors, we are his spiritual descendants.  Like the apostles, we are called by Jesus to bring others into his Church.  We can do so by caring for one another and by professing Jesus’ name to those whom we meet.  

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot

(Hosea 10:1-3.7-8.12; Matthew 10:1-7)

St. Benedict founded monasteries.  He also was responsible for the “Rule of St. Benedict,” a description of the ideal monastic life.  It might seem, then, that St. Benedict would be honored as a man who promoted retreat.  His name, however, is associated with the evangelization of Europe.  His legacy is similar to that of the apostles whom Jesus sends out to preach in today’s gospel. 

Evangelization is a multi-faceted project.  It is more than telling people about Jesus.  Evangelization includes shaping a culture responsive to the gospel.  For this to be done evangelizers must build churches and found schools.  They have to influence government to allow the people to practice their faith.  And they need to inculcate a sense of Christ being part of the people’s lives all day, every day.  Benedictine monks have been carrying out these practices for fifteen centuries.

Many wonder if Christian evangelization has not come to an end.  In this time of globalization societies are becoming more and more pluralistic.  Moreover, young people in many western countries are abandoning their Christian heritage.  Christian customs and traditions have lost a central place in much of Europe and North America.   Yet Christian culture cannot be lost.  It has Christ himself as its cornerstone.  Furthermore, its supreme value of self-sacrificing love is the deepest desire of the human heart.  We need other Benedicts to retrace the way.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 41:55-57.42:5-7a.17-24a; Matthew 10:1-7)

Matthew begins his gospel with a list of names tracing the lineage of Jesus.  He starts with Abraham, the receptor of God’s promise to create a chosen people, and ends with Jesus, whom Christians believe culminates that promise’s fulfilment.  Matthew mentions a few women – like Rahab and Ruth -- whose extraordinary circumstances indicate God’s hand guiding the process despite the people’s shortcomings. 

In today’s gospel Matthew provides another list of names.  In one sense, these twelve men provide a counterweight to those of the previous list.  As the Old Testament figures lead up to Jesus, the apostles will carry Jesus’ name to the world.  In another sense, however, they are similar to Jesus’ ancestors.  Many of them seem unlikely group to carry out the work of growing an institution.  Once again we have a sense of God’s direction.

We should see ourselves as part of still another list of people connected to Jesus with similarities to the ones already mentioned.  As the first group comprised Jesus’ ancestors, we are his spiritual descendants.  And like the apostles we are called by Jesus to bring growth to his Church by caring for one another and by professing Jesus’ name wherever we go.  

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 10:1-3.7-8.12; Matthew 10:1-7)

Although the issue sounds odd to many, some theologians have speculated that Jesus did not really intend to found a church. Rather, they say, the Church grew out of the discernment of Jesus’ disciples after the resurrection. Yet evidence such as today’s gospel indicates that Jesus had an institution in mind as he named a definite number of disciples to preach in his stead.

Twelve, of course, represents the tribes of Israel. By naming twelve apostles and sending them strictly to the Jewish territories, Jesus demonstrates his intention of establishing a new Israel. At the end of the gospel, he will direct the same men, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, to the whole world to augment the numbers of his renewed community of faith.

From the beginning Jesus also intends that his Church be more than an assembly of like-minded people. As the list of disciples signals, he deliberately chooses men of different ideologies and ways of life. There are fishermen and at least one businessman. One, the tax collector, is considered a Roman lackey while another, Simon the Cananean, is a zealous opponent of Roman dominion. The diversity is yet another sign of Jesus’ founding genius. The wide range of adherents not only brings different gifts to attract the masses but also gives testimony to his grace as all follow his teachings of forbearance and love.

Homilette for Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Genesis 41:55-57.42:5-7a.17-24a; Matthew 10:1-7)

Matthew begins his gospel with a list of names tracing the lineage of Jesus. He starts with Abraham, the exemplar of faith, and ends with Jesus, the savior of the world. He mentions only a few women in the line because they lived in extraordinary circumstances – like Rahab and Ruth, both foreigners who become heroines as well as ancestors of Jesus. Reading the lineage, we get the idea that God is directing the process that will eventuate in the birth of His son.

In today’s gospel Matthew provides another list of names. In a way these men compose a counter to those of the previous list. As the Old Testament figures lead up to Jesus, they will carry Jesus’ name to the world as his apostles. In another sense, however, they are similar to the Jesus’ ancestors. They seem to be an extraordinarily unlikely group to carry out the work of growing an institution. Once again we have a sense of God directing the process.

We should see ourselves as part of still another list of people connected to Jesus with similarities to the ones already mentioned. As the first group comprised Jesus’ ancestors, we are his spiritual descendants. And like the apostles we are called by Jesus to give growth to the Church by caring for one another and by professing Jesus’ name wherever we go.

Homilette for Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Matthew 10:1-7)

Matthew begins his gospel with a list of names tracing the lineage of Jesus. He starts with Abraham, the exemplar of faith, and ends with Jesus, the savior of the world. He mentions several women who gave birth to ancestors of Jesus in anomalous circumstances – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah,” and Mary. We get the idea that God is directing the process that will eventuate in the birth of His son.

In today’s gospel Matthew provides another list of names. These people, in a way, compose a counter to those of the previous list. As the Old Testament figures lead up to Jesus, they will carry Jesus forth to the world as his apostles. In another sense, however, they are similar to the Jesus’ ancestors. They appear as an anomalous group, not very promising to carry out the work of growing an institution. Although they are all Jewish men, they come from a diversity of backgrounds. Once again we have the sense of God directing the process.

We should see ourselves as part of another list of people connected with the two just mentioned. We are spiritual descendants of the ancestors of Jesus receiving through him the faith of Abraham. We are also called by Jesus, like the apostles, to give growth to the Church. Our testimony of both word and example proclaims Jesus as savior and Lord. We may not come from the most promising of backgrounds or may be products of anomalous circumstances but still God guides us to accomplish His purpose.