Father Ed Witt, SJ
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, June 18, 2023

A few years ago, on “Saturday Night Live” there was a favorite character of mine. Her name was The Church Lady, and she had a favorite expression. She would say, “Now, isn’t that special?”

Israel is told that they are special. So special a possession that they are dearer to God, more dear, than any other people on earth. If they are willing to keep the commandments and keep the covenant, they would be very special. How special? Well, so special that God raised them up on an eagle wing, flew them out of slavery in Egypt to freedom. So special that made them a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. All are priests. All are called to holiness. So special that Jesus, in the Gospel, limited his original mission only – I hope you caught that – only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. 

But less we feel slighted, you and I are also very special people. How special? Well, so special and loved that while we were helpless, sinful, ungodly — in fact, enemies of God — Christ loved us, gave his life so that we might escape God’s wrath. That’s how special we are. So special that we, too, if we don’t remember this if we are baptized as children, baptized as priests, prophets, and kings. Like Israel, we are all called to holiness in the church. We are all priests capable of acting as priests as Moses was.

Finally, in the Gospel, we get a glimpse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a heart that is compassionate. It is a heart that sees the troubled and abandoned around him. He is compassionate and his compassion moves him to action. Jesus summons us to share in his mission of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom. He gives us power over demons, and illness, and sickness. Now that’s something special.