All for the Lord and the Lord for All-HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 20th August 2023 YEAR A
All for the Lord and the Lord for All-HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 20th August 2023 YEAR A Isaiah 56:1.6-7; Ps.67; Rom.11:13-15.29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 _Jesus was preaching the Gospel…and healing every infirmity among the people_ (Matt.4:23) All for the Lord and the Lord for All The key to unraveling the beauty of the account of today’s gospel, lies in understanding a conventional thoughtful background. The Israelites saw themselves as God’s own people; God belongs not just to them but to only them. This mentality extended to mean that the non-Israelite communities were pagan cities. As pagan cities, they cannot know God, they cannot have God and they cannot be saved. God became like a natural resources that was discovered only in the land of Israel and was meant for Israel alone (no exportation). It was with this mentality that both Israel and non-Israel communities understood the presence and ministry of Jesus. If Jesus was truly God, he has come to save onl...