HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. 09.07.2020.

Readings: Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9; Psalm 80 and Matthew 10:7-15. 

SHOULD CLERICS GO INTO THE LABOUR MARKET? 

 

Christ sending the Apostles on mission, he said, “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You receive without pay, give without pay… take nothing with you, for the labourers deserves his food.” With this mandate of Christ that the Apostles rely so much on the generosity of the people of God for their sustenance. What becomes the fate of clerics in this jet age where religious gatherings are restricted because of the present pandemic?

 

At the early stage of the coronavirus in our nation; many persons expressed commendable acts of charity, inclusively, organizations, institutes and even some churches. Palliatives were distributed for our people to survive, with the mindset that in few weeks everything will return to normal, unknowing to us that by this time we will still be on request of easing lockdown. The hunger and suffering was much and still on among our people that many agitated for their return to work and businesses in other to sustain themselves because they could no longer rely on the improper distribution of the so-called palliatives coming from governments. However, some are still under this lockdown. How do they survive when practically, no palliative get to them anymore? Importantly, how does the religious leaders cope with this in the context of the today’s gospel ‘that the labourers deserves his food’ when churches are closed?

 

In the first place, Christ charged us that, “We receive without pay, give without pay.” He expected us to give ministry unto others without pay. This is the foundational principle for the commands that follow. When he tells us to take nothing for this vocation, he wants us to know that God will meet our needs through the inspired hospitality of others, our parishioners. By this teaching, Christ wants us to rely so much on Divine Providence, of which I can testify within this period of lockdown. Importantly, when Christ said, “The labourers deserves his food”, the labourers are to work with the people in both spiritual and practical work. Even though we expect the people of God to meet up with our needs as we render our services, this should not be under the context of service and payment, so that even when the payment is not there, the service continues, which is the foundation of the principle, “you receive without pay, give without pay.”  

 

The service of clerics or religious leaders communicate to us that we cannot purchase the kingdom of God with money. It is given to us out of the abundance of God’s love to humanity, which the Prophet Hosea buttressed in the first reading. Hosea uses anthropomorphic language to communicates’ God’s tender love to Israel, which underlines the quality of compassion, even to heroic proportions. Let us pay attention to these words: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called him, the more they went from me… they did not know that I healed them. I led them with the cords of compassion, with the band of love, and I became to them as one who raises an infant to his cheeks, and I bent down to them and fed them.” God declares a relationship with Israel as loving parents speak of their relationship with their child, indeed as a mother would cherish the child she bore. This love of God was not reciprocated by the Israelites as expected. In spite of such tender love, Israel turned away from God and went after other gods. Yet, God remained compassionate and merciful when he said, “I am God, I am not man.” Man cannot hold back his anger very long; Man cannot bear with others when he is tired, stressed, or annoyed; Man is often only willing to be reconciled if the offending party will never again do the wrong; Man will not restore an offender without a period of probation and Man will not trust someone who has formerly wronged them. But God did otherwise.

 

Dear friends in Christ, while we contemplates on the unfathomable love of God, let us be reminded and encouraged that it is this love of God that inspires us to render our services to His people of which the world cannot pay us. Let our good works speak for us, that in due time, what we consider lost shall be restored in greater fold through Christ our Lord. Amen! Peace be with you!

 

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ