CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME ( Homily for wednesday of the 14th week in the ordinary time

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 14TH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME

THEME: CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

Matthew 10:1-7

Good morning dearest brothers and sisters in Christ. A profound reflection on the Gospel reading of this morning underscores the call and mission of the 12 apostles of Christ Jesus. In choosing men who would continue his work here on earth after his departure, Jesus chose 12 ordinary men, who are acknowledged as the 12 apostles. None of these 12 apostles had any academic background; no social status or profile to be reckoned with. They were chosen from ordinary and common people. Their respective bad qualities and weaknesses notwithstanding, he chose them and nurtured them, instructing them on the ways of God. When the time came, he did not hesitate to confide in them the formidable task of evangelizing the whole world beginning with the lost sheep of the tribe of Israel.

The mission of the 12 apostles to the utmost bounds of the world began firstly from within. Jesus tells them: “Do not turn your steps to pagan territory and do not turn to any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go proclaim that the kingdom of God is near at hand” (Mt 10: 6-7). Without any prejudice against the Gentile communities, Jesus prioritized the Household of Israel simply because Charity begins at home. This does not mean that the salvation of God is only limited to the Jewish territories. In Deuteronomy 7:6, Scripture attests to this: “For you, Israel are a people Holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God had chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession”. In Psalm 135:4 it says “  the Lord had chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession”. Other references are Amos 3:1-2, Isaiah 44:21, Ezekiel 37:21-25, Jeremiah 46:27-28, Romans 11:1-2 etc. The apostles were entirely Jews; of the twelve only Judas seems to have been from Judea. The others were from Galilee. Friends in Christ, naturally a person's first and foremost responsibility is to serve the needs of his/her family and then others.  Consequently, the 12 apostles were sent out to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, to offer them the invitation to salvation: those (sinners) who have strayed from the path of righteousness and are no longer within the flock of God. They need to hear the message of salvation and be redeemed. 

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, this is similar to Jesus' admonition to us, that if anyone says, I love God, but hates his brothers or sisters, he is a liar. For whoever does not love his brother who he sees cannot claim to love God whom we do not see” (1 John 4:20). The 12 apostles will not claim to evangelize to the Gentile communities far away from them when they haven't proclaimed the Good news of the kingdom of God to their immediate Jewish communities. Charity indeed begins at home but does not end at home.

Beloved in Christ, by the virtue of our baptism we have also been called and sent out to proclaim the Good news of God's kingdom. Let us begins with our immediate neighbourhood, communities and state. By so doing like the apostles we move from within to the utmost bounds of the world. 

May God bless every one of our resolutions in Jesus' name. Amen

Fr Remi osj