Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time C
July 4, 2010

Reading I: Isaiah 66:10-14c
Responsorial Psalm: 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
Reading II: Galatians 6:14-18
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9

Presumably, like you, I have many T-shirts.  Each has some identifying lettering. Various sports teams, schools, clubs, fund-raising events in which I have either participate, or support their goals.   *hold up “Four on the Fourth” [Friendship Ark],  “Midnight Madness” [because I am a friend of Captain Midnight], Habitour [Habitat for Humanity], “Priest Pilots”,  STP and, of course, ISU  & UNI shirts*

These shirts are a way of advertising an identity. I support the goals of this organization, I am proud to be a member.   I am a somebody, because I am a fan of this team, school or state. The human struggle, the spiritual war within us, underneath those shirts, is about “Who owns me? To whom do I belong?”

The Gospel relates the great works of the early disciples, because they knew the answers to these questions. Their powerful deeds came flowing from their confidence in whose hands they had found themselves. They wore their inner-selves on their sleeves and allowed their identity to play out through their arms, hands, and total persons.

Jesus warned them not to take along extra t-shirts announcing that they belonged to somebody or something else. They were not to depend or lean on anything for assistance except their being his ambassadors.

As Jerusalem and Israel belonged to God, by God’s covenantal choice, renewed again and again, so these early followers grew to free themselves from false names and claims.

Today we  remember that our birth as a nation was brought about by a revolution from an unwanted identity as a British colony. Our founding fathers wanted freedom from and freedom for.

Independence Day is our national holiday of identity, whether we live that identity as a free and freeing nation is not always clear.  But those who revolted knew who they did NOT want to be.  We still struggle with our identity every time we discuss foreign policy or immigration reform. 

Each time we gather at the Eucharist we are revolting against our being dominated, or controlled, or identified by anything except by our baptism.  Symbolically we still wear our Baptismal garment; for as Paul told us we boast of the cross of Christ.  We belong to Him, and Him alone.  At each liturgy, the Presider vests in a garment that reminds us all of our Baptismal garment. 

We are so tempted to belong to other gods, other forces within ourselves and outside. Our personal revolution continues each day and God’s ways are not always as attractive as those of other gods of this world.

 May we live our lives in the world such that, others will always know to whom we belong! 

 “Let all the earth cry out with joy to the Lord.”
Psalm 66

 

 

 

 

For this homily, Rev. Everett Hemann relied heavily on the inspiration of

Larry Gillick, S. J., of Creighton University's Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality

 

 

RevEv@SaintPatrickcf.org

 

Comments and critique are appreciated