Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Discipleship And Mission: Lessons From The Seventy-Two

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Jesus had twelve intimate followers whom we call Apostles, “apostellein” in Greek, meaning “to send.” He chose them at the beginning of his public ministry. But in today’s  Gospel (Luke 10:1-12,17-20), Luke says, “…the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.” What is the first spiritual lesson here? We are a missionary Church. Who is a missionary in the Christian context? It is a person sent out by the Church, either in a foreign land or to a new culture, to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples for him. Christianity is not a quiet religion. Yes, there are times when silence and quietude in prayer are important. However, the basic goal of Christianity is mission. The good news of Jesus Christ is not for keeping. It is not like a piece of art you purchased to enjoy or to decorate your house. Upon receiving it, you are obligated to share it with someone else. If you are baptized and confirmed, you are essentially speaking, a missionary. You are disciples of the Lord. You are like one of these seventy-two. By the way, you don’t have to cross an ocean. You don’t have to go to a foreign land to be a missionary. Imagine waking up in the morning and asking yourself the question: How will I bring the Gospel to someone today? It does not have to be through eloquent preaching or a high theological debate; it can be as simple as an act of love and kindness. It can be being patient with your children, your spouse, or someone in your workplace. Sometimes it can be being vigilant and alert for when a theological gate is open, and then ceasing the moment to tell someone about Jesus Christ.

Now, if you notice, Jesus does not send them out as individuals; rather, in pairs. When I was in the formation house, Redemptorists in Nigeria never sent any seminarian alone to a diocese for Apostolic work. It was always in pairs. In this faith journey, you need someone with whom you can talk and share experiences. I believe everyone listening to me now has friends. But which of those friends are people you discuss your spiritual and religious life with? If your religious approach is corrected in love, do you listen? We don’t know it all; as such, we need fellow travellers in the Kingdom who can listen to us and give us feedback. You need someone you can pray with and share a meal with, laugh and cry with. Life is a journey. Don’t travel alone. There’s nothing like a lone disciple. A lone disciple could easily become a lone wolf. In our tradition, we have men and women like Benedict, Francis, Dominic, Alphonsus, Ignatius, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who started their missionary work alone. But immediately invited others to join them. Make friends with people who believe in what you believe and who are interested in walking the spiritual path with you. 

Before sending the seventy-two disciples, Jesus says to them, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” Catholics love their priests and nuns. We need priests and nuns today more than ever. But as your children are discerning what they will become in the future, do you mention to them the idea of becoming a priest or a nun? Are you only thinking about your children becoming doctors, nurses, engineers, IT professionals, etc? Are you only thinking about your children becoming great in the fields of the world? When I was discerning mine, a cousin of mine who is a medical doctor strongly encouraged me to study medicine and become a medical doctor. He said to me, “If you become a medical doctor, you are going to be so rich.” He is right! But I remember saying to him, “What about spiritual doctors?” In addition, Jesus says, “Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” I believe many of you are men and women of prayer. But when was the last time you prayed for vocation to the priesthood and religious life? When was the last time you prayed for priests and religious, asking the Lord to sustain them in their vocation? Remember this: nothing great ever happens apart from prayer. Prayer is the key and the master key. Yes, we need planning, strategic planning, and execution. But if it is initiated, sustained, and backed up by prayer, success is likely going to be the result. So, whatever you are planning to do in your family and in the church, back it up with prayer. 

Furthermore, Jesus instructs them: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.” What does that mean? Don’t be bogged down by material things. Why? Because of the urgency of the mission. We are created beings; as such, we are often tempted and drawn to created and material things. When we see someone driving an expensive car, there is a tendency to admire them and want to be like them. But I tell you, there is more admiration for a saintly man or woman who lives humbly and poorly. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, after his death, what people talked about the most was his humility and simplicity. People spoke eloquently about a custom-built Lamborghini donated to him in 2017. Upon receiving it, he blessed it and asked that it be sold. The proceeds were donated to various charitable causes. As for greetings, it is good to greet, but sometimes greetings can open up conversations that could distract you. Left to me, I wouldn’t want to see anybody before Mass, because a simple greeting opens up a conversation that I am not interested in. Whenever I have Mass, all my attention is focused on it. And it annoys me when someone comes in with a request, “Father, please this, and please that.” 

What else does the Lord say to his disciples? “Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.” He wants his disciples not to be bogged down by material things. However, there is an obligation on the part of believers to support those who do the work of the Church, like the office manager, music directors, priests, the Director of Religious Education, janitors, and those who are caring for the poor in a formal way. Whenever you conduct any church business with these people, remember to give them stipends. During offertory collection, give something you believe with all your heart is fair and just. Consider giving the same amount of money that you spend when you go out to eat in a restaurant. Don’t just throw in a dollar and think you have done enough. When you invite a priest to do something for you, like blessing your house or car, give him something. Don’t just say, “Thank you, Father, for coming,” and then do nothing else. The basic justice demands that we be generous to those who do the explicit work of the Church. 

What message does Jesus give to his disciples? “…Say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.” When Jesus first appeared on the hills of Galilee, the first words out of his lips were, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” The kingdom of God! What does it mean? Jesus himself! He is the Kingdom of God. He is the coming together of divinity and humanity. Therefore, the world that he ushers in is the kingdom of God. What does it look like? Saint Augustine speaks about two cities: the City of God and the City of Man. The City of God is characterized by love of God and neighbor, peace, forgiveness, and nonviolence. The City of Man is defined by self-love, selfishness, sin, injustice, violence, cruelty, scapegoating, even to the point of disregarding God. But Jesus, in his own person, is the reign of God, the Kingdom of God. So, the central mission of the Church is to proclaim him. We announce him. We offer him to the world. Proclaim him at home. Proclaim him to your children. Yes, we, the members of the Church, are not perfect, but Jesus is perfect. We don’t always get it right. But Jesus is faithful! We are oftentimes beset by the temptation to one thing or another because of the effects of Original Sin. But Jesus is the sinless One. He is trustworthy. He is reliable. This is the reason why we go to him and seek him.