Father Dan Juelfs
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 14, 2024

“They went off and preached repentance.”

As we listen to our readings today, we find descriptions of God sharing his mission with those who he has called. Amos in the first reading — called to be a prophet. The apostles in the Gospel — called to go out and preach the message that Jesus began preaching. Repentance. Repent and reform your life. God has chosen not to do things on his own, but he invites believers to share in that ministry.

As we saw last week in the readings, the message of God isn’t always very well received. In this case the Jewish leadership did not welcome the message of Amos and asked, or basically told, him to leave. To make his living as a prophet elsewhere. But Amos held on to the fact that God had called him into this task. It wasn’t Amos’ idea. He was very happy to live as a shepherd and dresser of sycamores, but God had called him to something else and he was being faithful to that. 

When Jesus sends out the Twelve, he tells them that they may not be very well received, but when that happens simply shake the dirt from your sandals and go on. Go on to the next place. Continue to preach. And their mission was the same as the mission of Jesus that we saw in the opening lines of Mark’s Gospel — to preach repentance. To call people to look at their relationship with God and change what was needed in their lives to better follow what God’s call was for them. 

If we listen to these words of Scripture we’re reminded that God’s mission is also our mission. We are joined to Christ in Baptism. We are joined completely. Life, death, and resurrection. 

We are called to proclaim that same mission. How we proclaim that mission is certainly going to be different for each one of us and the way in which our lives are developed or the way in which God directs us in our lives. So, each one of us will have a different way of going about it, but for each of us the first call is repentance. To acknowledge those things which can separate us from God and his call. To acknowledge those things that can somehow keep us apart. To look at our lives and make whatever changes are necessary for us to better follow Christ. 

We make those changes in order that we might be an example of our lives, that we may offer an example of our lives to others that they may be aware of what we’re capable of but also what they’re capable of. How their lives can be signs of God’s presence but also how their lives need to have changes. How they need to look at things differently. 

A statement that’s credited to Saint Francis of Assisi, I think in many ways sums this up. He says, “Proclaim the Gospel at all times. Sometimes if you have to, use words.” 

It’s much more how we live, the way we treat one another, and far more important than what we say. That our lives are called to proclaim the Gospel. To proclaim our awareness of God’s life in his presence in us and the life he invites all of us to share in. Whether it’s received, whether that message is received or not, we’re still God’s people. He’s still our God and that’s what he calls us to proclaim. That’s what he calls us to become a part of who we are. To let us know. 

Our call is to simply go on bringing the Gospel in our lives and repenting of what things that need to be changed in order that we can do that more accurately. In order that we can do that more fully. That we celebrate the disciples going out proclaiming repentance. Remind ourselves that we, too, are called to repent and then proclaim that message.