Sunday 2nd July 2023 - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16/ Psalm 88(89)/ Romans 6:3-4,8-11/ Matthew 10:37-42

We claim to be Christians, we claim to be Catholic Christians. What does that mean to us? Does it have any bearing on how we live our lives in this generally post Christian world? I say post Christian not because there is no faith left but because the European countries we live in used to base their civic way of life on the Christian ethic. This is no longer the case, and many countries now want to either throw off any vestige of Christianity or appear to embrace all religious beliefs even accepting the most bizarre groupings as religions.

Our faith is not simply something that we acknowledge when we tick a box on a survey, a census form or on admission to hospital. It is real and should direct our every moment throughout our life. Our faith should permeate everything we do, say, and think. The readings today show us how to respond to God, those around us, the things we have or control and not least ourselves, avoiding the darkness of error and seeking the bright light of God’s truth.

In the letter to the Roman Church Paul explains the real change that happens to us through our baptism. The symbolic pouring of water signifies the plunging or diving into the death of Christ, so that by joining Jesus in his death we can also live with him through his resurrection. We become dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus. Our lives are transformed by the resurrection of Jesus. This is the monumental meaning of our Christian faith. The death of Jesus becomes our death so that his life becomes our life. In baptism Jesus welcomes us into his death and eternal life.

The first reading and the Gospel are also about welcoming God into our lives and living in and for God with the daunting challenges this brings but also the rewards we are promised through a life for God in Christ. Our choice to respond to our baptism requires serious consideration and commitment. It is not just a tick in the box, it is a life changing, life moulding, vocation that we follow throughout our lives. We take up and share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. This is the significance of the anointing with oil that forms part of the baptism ceremony. We are anointed as King Charles III was anointed at his coronation, the deep religious significance of which was lost on many who watched it. We are not simply consumers of our faith being provided with services from the church, but we are ministers of the church who should be reaching out to the world around us fulfilling our baptismal calling to evangelise.

Hospitality and welcoming are at the heart of Christian faith. Christianity is a unification between the Trinitarian God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as well as all its members. If we show hospitality and welcome to others, we welcome Christ and through him God the Father and Holy Spirit. Christian love fashions human love and spreads God’s love among his people.

The Gospel passage sounds harsh to our way of thinking but the point being made is to get our priorities in order. Our relationship with Jesus and thereby with God is paramount and must be given priority over any other relationship we have, even with our closest family. If our whole life does not hinge on our relationship with God, then all our other relationships will be meaningless. We need to find our true and lasting life with God through Jesus rather than lose it by clinging to an earthly life that will soon end.

We welcome Jesus into our lives and in so doing we welcome God. By welcoming the prophets and holy people of God and sharing even a cup of water with even the little ones of God’s kingdom who are in need we will become disciples not losing our eternal reward. Many people today do many fantastic works of charity but to be rewarded eternally for our efforts we need to act in humility not for our sake but for the sake of Jesus. We do good for others because we are disciples of Jesus not to be acknowledged by the world but to become as Christ is, one with God his Father. By dying with Christ in Baptism we join Jesus in his resurrected life and will not lose the reward of eternal life. We must die to sin and walk in a new life.

God Bless Brendan.