HOMILY FOR THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Fr Billy Swan

Dear friends. In a recent poll taken in the US, the question was asked whether or not people in a given Christian congregation, saw it as their responsibility to bring in new members into that faith community. From the Catholic parishes polled, only 5% answered yes, one of the lowest of all the Christian denominations. That means that 95% of the community did not see the future make up of that parish as having anything to do with them. It got me thinking about what the figure would be if we conducted a similar poll here in Ireland or here in Wexford. But the question remains – do we see our faith as something private and independent of whether others come to faith, connect to the sacraments, pray and are involved in our community? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then today’s Gospel will unsettle us. Good.

When Jesus gathered his first disciples and friends, he made it clear that his calling of them was not just for them but for those to whom he would send them. His message wasn’t just one of consolation and comfort for them alone. After a time of knowing them and organising them, Jesus sent them on mission to the highways and by-ways to offer people the gift of peace and to prepare them for his own visit that would come later. Notice how the disciples were when they returned – they were full of joy! The adventure of mission energised them and gave them a sense of purpose. Sharing their joy increased their joy.

What is the Lord asking of us as the Church in the light of this important passage of Scripture? First, that the figure of only 5% who see it as their responsibility to bring someone else to faith, MUST rise.  If it only stays at 5% then the Church will reduce by 95% in the years to come or else will die. We must evangelise. But how? Here is a basic way, based on today’s Gospel.

The first way we go on mission is to encounter people at the human level, forming bonds of trust and building relationships, offering them the gift of peace as Jesus asks us to. This is not a ‘hail fellow well met’ spirituality but is always with the explicit and fervent desire of bringing them to faith or back to their faith. The best way of convincing them or wooing them is to share with them the gift of peace – not our peace but the peace of Jesus that we bring to them. This type of interpersonal evangelisation communicates a deep respect for those we encounter as we share the Gospel with warmth, tenderness and most of all with love. Inter-personal evangelisation is how I relate to you at the level of being human which is the first way we experience each other. Therefore, if I am giving this homily on evangelisation and then later I fail to engage with you, and come across as sad, cold or aloof, then my behaviour contradicts my message. That is why Pope Francis talked about the simple and basic virtues of human relationships as essential elements of what he called ‘pre-evangelisation’ – saying ‘please, ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ and being joyful witnesses to the faith that gives life. Evangelisers love people, drawn close to them and care for them. It is the power of charity and mercy that can melt the hardest of hearts, inviting them to believe again.

And what happens us when we do this? Like the disciples in the Gospels, we are filled with joy!!  Going out beyond ourselves in Jesus’ name to connect with others certainly takes us out from our comfort zones. Yet, it leads us to a new place in which we are even more joyful because of the joy we have shared.

Friends, I believe that we as the Irish Church need to be clearer about our mission, our aims and more attentive to our inner spirit. We need to become more intentional about how we attract and form disciples of Christ, sustain them in that commitment and train them to become ‘spirit-filled evangelisers’. For in the words of the late Pope Benedict XVI: “There is nothing more beautiful than to know him and speak to others of our friendship with him” (24th April 2005).

Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough. We want others to enjoy his friendship too for his friendship is beautiful.