20th Sunday Homily For All People

The word “Catholic” comes from a Greek word that means “for all people”; universal for all people.  What do we have to offer that is for all people?

Israel had and still has a mission: to make known to all the world who God is. Isaiah will especially speak of this universalism, this mission to make known God to all the nations.  Jesus Christ, a child of Israel and the Son of God, fulfilled this mission. He renewed this mission in Israel and he himself acted upon it.   He wanted to offer to the world, to all people a better way to live, so as to experience the reality of the love of the Father. We see this play out in our Gospel. A Gentile who wanted a life for her own daughter. A mother who knew that Jesus had done the same for others and wanted it for her own family. And Jesus seeing this desire, gives it to her.

Christians continued this mission. They went out to the known world, to all peoples to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Clearly It worked. Gentiles came to believe in the message of God’s love for all, regardless of their identity.  Gentiles came to experience the freedom that God’s love brings, not the slavery to identity through the state, through the Empire, through the passing things of life.  Gentiles came to experience the power of living for one another; not living for one’s own self.


This Good News went to different communities, of different languages and cultures; and each spoke to the people in their own ways. Paul and Peter throughout the Mediterranean; Thomas down to India, Philip and others into Africa. They walked and lived, and accompanied the people; they shared their experience of Jesus.

All people need to know they are loved, no matter what.  All people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.  All people deserve a safe place to grow and prosper.  All people deserve to help one another succeed.  This is the Good News.


To Be a Catholic is to experience God and then share that with all others, in many diverse ways.  To be Catholic is to experience God’s forgiveness at a deep level, and then share that forgiveness by forgiving all others.
To Be Catholic is to experience the Joy of God’s great generosity, and then to go and share that generosity with all others.
To be Catholic is to experience the gratitude, the thankfulness of life, and then go and share that gratitude with all.

It is to walk with our young persons as they struggle to make sense of this world.  It is to walk with young adults as they make they transition into a different life beyond the fun of the twenties, into the reality of Thirties and beyond.  It is to walk with newly weds and new parents.  With those who are sick and ill.  With those who begin to slow down with the years.  With those who come to the end of this life.  We really are for all people and to help all people know they are loved, and never alone.

Catholic...living the mission.




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