Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 3rd July 2016
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time
After a tumultuous week in UK politics one could be forgiven for wanting to seek some solace and reassurance in the scriptures, but I'm afraid what we get in Luke's account of the sending of disciples ( Lk 10: 1-20)is yet more uncertainty. Jesus does not give any ready made answers, nor does he seek to comfort those he sends, instead he reminds us all that ministry and mission as disciples will not be plain sailing: 'Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.' The mission is clear; we are to proclaim the God's Kingdom! Some may accept the message but others, it seems, will be openly hostile!
If you opened your front door to a pair of missionaries wanting to tell you about Jesus what would you do? I know that in one sense it's a silly question because we believe in Him, but would you be open to that strange encounter? I doubt I would, but as often happens if there was something compelling maybe I would listen...just a little. There's an old saying from Hebrews; 'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.'(Heb 13:2)
There are many hidden angels in our world, those who live the values of the Kingdom, people who are God's real friends, and they can change us by our encounter with them!
Let's look at ourselves, we are called to be 'angels', messengers for Christ's sake. What we do and say can make an enormous impact on others. What Jesus asks of us is that this impact be for good. We are commissioned in His name to work for the growth of the Kingdom, empowered by the Spirit. Whatever people in the UK may feel about Brexit, those who are Catholic Christians need to remind themselves that true unity can only come about by firstly recognising each other as part of God's family !
The Gospel of Jesus always cuts to the heart of the matter, listen to this: "Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you." Maybe we ought to actually try that a bit more, believe in the Lord's loving mercy at work through each one of us!
Prayer
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen.
Fr Robin Gibbons is an Eastern Rite Chaplain for the Melkite Greek Catholics in Britain