C Cycle – 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 25

Lk. 10L1-12,17-20

As a church, we have been doing exactly what the liturgy is helping us do and that is remember.   Today we enter what the church designates as “ordinary time.”  I have always found that the designation of the next three to four months of liturgies is misleading. There is nothing ordinary about our gathering to give thanks.  God is present to us, in the word and in the sacrament.

However, it is true most parishes slow down during these summer months leading up to and into September. Spiritual programs are suspended as is the music ministry choirs.  Sports activities dominate as do parish picnics, summer concerts on the lawn and faith formation becomes a personal activity or one organized by individual small groups.  We are past all the glorious liturgies of Christmas, Easer and Pentecost. We are past the feasts of Epiphany, the baptism of Jesus, Mary the mother of God, it is ordinary time.

But today’s gospel reminds us how unordinary we are.  Just because things slow down in our parishes it is not a time for us to become lethargic.  It is a more important for us to sow the seeds of the gospel.  To recognize how easily it is for the “wolves” to seek us out and draw us away from a routine of prayer, service and neglect our need for the support of the community of believers.  The words Jesus spoke to the disciples instructing them to cure the sick and proclaim the kingdom were not just intended for them. 

They are recorded as God’s word to us and as such should be received by us and responded to by us.  Our problem is we just have not embraced our call to discipleship.  We do not believe we are educated enough, holy enough, or like Moses unable to speak well enough.  We would much prefer to spend our time in ordinary time rather than in kingdom time.  Ordinary time is predictable, especially as ordinary believers as we move into ordinary time within the church calendar. In ordinary time we do not have to sing, enroll in anything, donate to any appeal or even to dress in our Sunday best.

That is not why the church moves us into ordinary time.  Because this time in the church calendar is focused on the formation and growth of the early church.  It is a look back at those whose belief in Christ motivated them to share how Christ is the answer to all the ills of society.  Because of their boldness the church grew in numbers, vibrancy, and its impact on how they worshipped.

We see the freedom from a rigid faith to one guided by an understanding of who God created them to become.  Ordinary men and women responded to the freedom won for all of us by Christ.  They were responding to what God did and understood how they were to look beyond their human weaknesses and failings.  Only to discover how God see us as holy, men and women worthy of being called His own. 

We are reminded no matter how insignificant we believe we are, each of us has a story to tell.  It may not have unfolded yet, because we have not yet embraced Christ.  We have failed to allow ourselves to have an encounter with Christ as Thomas did. Or as powerful as Saul of Tarsus did. We may not have heard Christ’s invitation to follow Him as Peter did; or have a Mary moment.  Perhaps we missed those moments because we were too wrapped up in the mechanics of worship instead of in the act of worship.  If you reject our need for those kinds of experiences as unrealistic, then you need a prodigal son moment.  A woman at the well moment or you have missed the gospel message to allow Christ to open your eyes and hearts to His reason for coming to earth.

That is the message which will unfold during the next weeks and months.  We will realize how easy it is for us to avoid the challenge to surrender and our wills to God. To enter the moment and allow ourselves to be embraced, kissed, clothed, and given the power to become ministers of God’s mercy.  We will discover we can proclaim the good news, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, help the lame to walk and the deaf to hear.   We will discover we are called to discipleship who can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit to help individuals shed the shackles of sin and brokenness and discover their identity as heirs – living in the Kingdom of God. 

God desires us to allow His promise to change us from ordinary to extra ordinary by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.  Changed by the Word of God spoken to us. Changed by the Eucharist as we invite Christ to enter us and give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to respond.