15th Sunday

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY. 

 I am a very shy person, but I am fine standing before the Altar. And I call this 'my Alter ego'. 

Once a preacher preached against drinking alcohol. He said, "If I had all the wine in the world, I would take it and throw it in the river. If I had all the whisky and brandy in the world, I would take them and throw them in the river and if I had all the vodka in the world, I would take it and throw it in the river". After his sermon, the choir director announced with a big smile, "Our final hymn is, "Shall we all gather at the river". 

The preacher wasn't happy at all with the choir director and the next Sunday, he preached on forgiveness. After his preaching, he asked the people how many are going to forgive others, and everybody raised their hands except the choir director and the preacher looked at her and said, "how come you are not raising your hand?' And the choir director the ninety years old woman said, "Because I outlived all those stupid people". 

Then everybody clapped hands for her and the preacher was so happy with her and said, "Instead of asking me, why don't you choose three hymens for yourself today". The ninety years old woman was so happy and looked at them all and especially men and said, "Him...him and him". 

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,  

Last week end, we met with Christ in His hometown where His authority was rejected by prominent people. And Christ who is compassionate and kind and loving and forgiving still managed to heal the sick and give life to the dead. And in today's gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ who called not the prominent and important people, who called not the rich and influential people but ordinary and everyday people to be His apostles, gave them power and authority. He sends them out to continue His mission of healing and casting out demons.  

As Christ was sending them out on mission, He asked them to take nothing for their journey, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts and not even two tunics. He asked them to take only a shepherd staff and wear sandals and if anyone does not welcome them as they leave, they were asked to shake off the dust on their feet as testimony against them. 

Jesus Christ asked them to take a staff, a shepherd staff to let the people know that they were to guide the people like a shepherd would guide his sheep. 

Christ asked them not to take any bread so that the apostles and others would know that man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Christ is our living bread and He fills our heart, mind, body and soul with life-giving bread. 

Christ asked them not to take any bag so that the apostles and others world know that by gaining the whole world and forfeiting or losing one's soul does not going to profit anything. We belong to heaven and what we own, we owe to God and God alone. 

Christ Jesus asked them not to take money in their belts so that the apostles and others would come to know that we cannot serve both God and money. We should give what belongs to Creaser and to give what belongs to God. What belongs to God? We belong to God and by giving ourselves to God, we gain everything. 

Christ asked them to shake off the dust when people refuse to listen to them, it is not only a reminder against them but also an invitation to know that we are dust and unto dust we shall return so it's important to know, love and serve the Lord our God. 

As they went on mission, they did what Christ our Lord commanded them. 

Once Mother Teresa who started her new religious order, the missionary of Charity, went to a very rich Hindu man and stretched out her hand and said, "Please give me something for the poor". You know what the rich man did, he spat on her palm and St. Mother Teresa did not react at all, instead she smiled at him and said, "This is for me and now give me something for the poor". This changed the rich man completely and he became a great benefactor then.  Our great Mother Teresa started her religious order without bread, without bag and without money and without two tunics but all she had was "Jesus Christ". When we have Christ, everything will be given to us. We can have everything in the world and if we don't have Christ with us, we have nothing and if we don't have anything but Christ then we have everything.  

Conclusion: we are called to preach and be missionaries in our everyday life, so let us take Christ with us and then we too will see great things happening to us and to others . Amen.