13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10: 37-42

37 Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: "Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.

38 Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.

39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

40 "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

41 "Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man because he is a holy man will have a holy man's reward.

42 "If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward."

Meditation

According to the liturgical practice of our Church, when a teaching of Jesus is continued over several weeks, each Sunday's reading begins with a reminder of the context. Today's passage therefore begins, "Jesus instructed the twelve as follows". This practice reminds us that in our Catholic tradition we always read the bible "historically" - with the awareness that each book, indeed each passage, was composed in a certain historical context and is also to be read in a historical context.

Applying this principle to today's passage, we read it not as a list of commands (far less of threats) but as a "story" - this is what Jesus said when he sent his disciples into their world. It is a living story so that in our meditation we ask the question, who is the Jesus who said (is saying) these things? to us? to the modern world? The passage also issues a challenge to us as individuals and as communities (as the Church) - this is how Jesus wants us to be present in the world.

The passage is in two sections, very different both in content and in atmosphere,

verses 37 to 39 and

verses 40 to 42.

37 to 39 speak of the demands Jesus makes on people and wishes his followers to make on their contemporaries. We remember with gratitude the people who have made such demands on us, lifting us out of mediocrity and giving us something for which we are willing to risk everything we hold dear. Martin Luther King once said, "People who haven't discovered something they will die for, are not fit to live."

Each verse ends with "is not worthy of me". This reminds us that as followers of Jesus we have the option of watering down his teaching in such a way that it is no longer "worthy" of him.

"Prefer" in 37 is biblical language and we must be careful to interpret it correctly. The bible takes for granted that hurting "father or mother", "son or daughter" causes very deep pain; we must read this verse then as part of the "cross" which Jesus' followers must "take up" (verse 38), and of "losing one's life" (verse 39).

"Follow in my footsteps" in 38 shows that Jesus only imposes on others what he has imposed on himself.

37 and 38 can give the impression of Jesus' followers as a surly lot, suffering from "victim syndrome". 39 corrects such wrong interpretations - the overall effect of the following of Jesus is positive; it calls for self-sacrifice as a way to fuller life.

The verse presents two sharply contrasting possibilities; we stay with each one in turn, getting a feeling for both and letting them play off each other like contrasting colours in a painting.

On the one hand, there is complacency -"I can relax now that I have found what I was looking for". We feel Jesus' sadness at mediocrity where there was immense potential.

On the other hand we feel his exhilaration at people who have taken risks (lost life) and discovered new vitality (found life).

Verses 40 to 42 speak of the presence of Jesus in his community after he has left them. Many leaders want their followers to be always referring back to them; Jesus is different, he send his followers out so selflessly and with so much trust that they feel his presence long after they have gone on our own.

In accord with the original context of the passage, we focus on ourselves sent into the world by Jesus with our different vocations - as parents, teachers, community leaders, Church ministers etc.

Like all caring leaders Jesus is concerned that his missionaries should be "welcomed", a powerful image we need to spend time on. We are"welcomed" when we are invited to feel at home with others while at the same time being allowed to remain true to ourselves - a rare and very precious experience.

In 40 Jesus tells the twelve, "don't be afraid, I am so completely with you that when people welcome you they welcome me". The secret of non-possessiveness is the sense of "being sent" by a higher power; we find it easier to entrust our authority to others when we remember that it is not "ours" but entrusted to us by God.

In 41, we need not make a distinction between "prophet" and holy man"; they are different names for great people sent by God to a community.

The verse brings out that Jesus' "missionaries" (in the widest sense as explained above) and those who welcome them become one. Missionaries are not "givers of objects" (not even "spiritual objects"); they have had a deep experience and invite others to share in it. We remember times when we experience that those who welcomed us shared in our blessedness.

In our preaching we tend to stress that God is "offended" by our sins." The God whom Jesus reveals in verse 42 is not concerned about himself. Like a good parent, teacher or Church minister, his concern is for the "little ones" he has formed and sent into the world.He fusses over them (note "certainly") and rewards generously anyone who looks after them. We think of parents who declare themselves "eternally grateful" to a teacher for befriending their children.

The designation "little ones" is very significant. Jesus does not want his missionaries to be overly concerned at being treated with honour or respect. In his eyes, they are (and must see themselves as) "little ones". As many have noted, the root cause of many of the recent clerical scandals is that we Church leaders have encouraged the culture of elitism, forgetting that we were sent by the Lord as "little ones" grateful for "as much as a cup of cold water".

We think too of the Church's call to be a humble presence (a little one) in non-Western or non-Christian cultures.

Prayer 

"Only those are great whose faith lifts them higher than themselves and who give themselves entirely to this faith." Yves Congar

Lord, we remember with deep gratitude those moments of grace when we had an experience which changed all our values and gave a new direction to our lives.

- we met someone whom we loved more than

anyone else in the world a new leader gave our

community a new vision for itself

- we read a book which changed our lives

a bible passage touched us deeply.

The experience affected us so much that we looked with new eyes at those who up to then were very dear to us, father or mother, son or daughter, we were ready to give up things that up to then were very precious to us. It was the only attitude worthy of this new call we had received.

Looking back on that moment we realise that had we not made the choice, we would have lost ourselves, because we made it we found ourselves.

Lord, your will is that the message of Jesus should bring life to societies torn apart by racial and ethnic hatred. Forgive us that we have watered down the message allowing to be second to father and mother, son and daughter. Followers of Jesus are concerned to protect their ethnic and class identity but are in fact losing it,whereas ifthey lost it for your sake they would find it.

Lord, we pray for the leaders of our country.
Don't let them impose burdens on others which they have not borne themselves.
Teach them that, like Jesus, they must first take up their cross,'
and only then invite others to follow in their footsteps.

Lord, we remember today those who are taking an important new step in their lives:
- getting married or becoming parents;
- taking public office;
- committing themselves to a new form of service.
Give them the courage to risk losing themselves,
for it is only then that they will find their true selves.

Lord, we thank you that in many countries of the world your Church has made an option for the poor,
- preferring them to father and mother son and daughter
- risking everything for the sake of the gospel.

It has lost many of its privileges but has found find life as the Church of Jesus .

When I walk with Jesus, he always leads me to the poorest, the lowliest, and the lost so that I may open my heart to them. Jean Vanieer.

Lord, many leaders today, even in the Church, are concerned only for the important members of the community, for their friends or for those who can help them.
We thank you for Jesus and all like him,
men and women who feel deeply for the little ones in the community,
and are grateful to those who give as much as a cup of cold water to them.

"The more faithfully you listen to the voice within you, the better you will listen to what is sounding outside" Dag Hammarskjold

Lord, we thank you for the holy men and women, the prophets, you send into our lives.How true it is that when we welcome them we share in their greatness.

Lord, we thank you for sending us into the world as parents, teachers, community leaders ministers in your church. Don't let us be possessive of those you entrust to our care. Help us like Jesus, to have a sense that you sent us, so that when we have done all we have to do, we can let ourselves live in those we have formed, trusting that whoever welcomes them welcomes us and in welcoming us welcomes you who sent us.

Lord, forgive us that the leaders of your Church have come to others with a sense of superiority. We thank you for the times that life teaches them that you have sent them as little ones who are grateful for as much as a cup of cold water to slake their thirst.