Homily 14th Sunday OT C

As we now continue in Ordinary Time readings, for this 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we can recognize that each of the readings speak about being good disciples from either a head, heart or hands perspective.

In the first reading  from Isaiah and the psalm reading are focused  on how we are to rejoice in the many different ways the Lord’s power has been shown to us and to cry out to God with joy!  This is about our feelings in our hearts.

The second reading from Galatians highlights that we are to boast of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is about our common memory of what and why Jesus did what he did in his earthly life!

The Gospel reading from Luke tells us about how Jesus appointed 72 disciples to go out and proclaim the Good News.  This reading then focuses on the action steps of doing ministry in foreign territories.  

So, disciples who are secure in their faith, knowing that their happiness in serving the Lord is not in their successes, but in their crucifixion or rather to face the challenges of bringing that light of Christ to dark corners of the world.  They should believe that only after having to sweat a lot and to suffer as well, that the Lord assures us of heaven.  

Let me quote Pope Francis, “Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is nothing else that the culmination of the way he lived his entire life.  Moved by his example, we want to enter fully into the fabric of society sharing the lives of all, listening to their concerns, helping them materially and spiritually in their needs, rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep, arm in arms with others, we are committed to building a new world . . . as the result of a personal decision which brings us joy and gives meaning to our lives.”

Let me give you an example of Fr Alfred Boeddeker of the Franciscan community in San Francisco.   In 1949  Fr Alfred was assigned to be pastor at St Boniface Church in San Francisco.  After living there are a few weeks, Fr Alfred noticed there were a few homeless men and women who wandering in the neighborhood.   

Fr Alfred started to talk to these persons, and found out they hadn’t eaten in a few days !.  So Fr Alfred went back to our kitchen and made peanut butter sandwiches to give out to the street people.  Well, you can imagine that it didn’t take very long when the word got out among the homeless people in the area that he was giving out sandwiches.  

So the first response was gratitude from the hungry street people.   

The second response was that the local friar community complained about these strangers who were hanging outside our front door every day, waiting for free food.  The friars told Fr Alfred to please do this ministry somewhere else !  

So the third response was that Fr Alfred  began exploring different ways of distributing the sandwiches away from the friary.  Fr Alfred noticed that the auto repair garage next door had gone out of business and was selling their building.  The asking price for the building was huge and Fr Alfred had not access to this amount of money.  

So the fourth response was that he prayed to St Anthony for help in solving this problem.  Within a short time, donors came forward to give Fr Alfred the needed money to buy the building and convert it in dining hall to feed the homeless and needy people of the neighborhood.  

God’s vision has unfolded over these past 70 years.   St Anthony Foundation now serves over 1,000  lunches every day and offers social services to meet other needs as well as hunger. 

I share this story because the bottom line is that it all began when someone just made some peanut butter sandwiches to feed the poor.    Jesus began with 12 apostles, and that quickly grew to 72 more disciples.  The Lord worked through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit today works through all of us !   

So pay attention to what challenges or opportunities appearing in your daily life !   

Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us in cultivating our faith journey with whatever hardships and challenges that are presented to us in our daily lives that these are opportunities to witness to our faith and not simply as stresses in our lives !

Brothers and Sisters of   our Chinese Catholic Community, that is the Good News for this 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Alleluia Alleluia !

Fr. Fong

(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)

2022年常年期第十四主日講道

我們現在繼續在常年期中,在這第 14 個主日的讀經中,，我們可以認識到，每一個讀經都可以從頭（用思想）、心（用心感受）或手（用行動）的角度談論怎樣成為一個好門徒。

在讀經一依撒意亞先知書和聖詠中，其焦點為教導我們應當常常喜樂,因為上主用許多不同方式和情形下向我們展示了祂的大能，我們該滿心歡喜地向上主呼求！ 這是關於我們內心的感受。

讀經二聖保祿宗徒致迦拉達人書強調我們要誇耀我們主耶穌基督的十字架。 這烙印,也是恩寵,是要我們常惦念著對主耶穌在世上所作的工程及其意義！

路加福音告訴我們耶穌如何任命 72 名門徒出去宣講福音（好消息）。 福音重點是告訴我們要向外做福傳事工行動和準備的重要性。

所以，信仰穩固的門徒們，他們明白侍奉主的喜樂不在於他們的成功，而是在於他們明白他們可肖似耶穌般地被釘在十字架上，或者更確切地說是有機會面對將基督之光帶到世界每個黑暗角落的挑戰。 他們相信，只有在經歷了很多汗水和痛苦之後，上主才能向我們保證天堂的終極。

讓我引用教宗方濟各的話，“耶穌在十字架上的犧牲只不過是他生命的高潮。 我們被祂的榜樣所感動，我們希望充分融入社會的各階層，分享所有人的生活，傾聽他們的關切，在物質和精神上幫助他們滿足他們的需要，與歡喜的人一起歡呼，與哭泣的人一起哭泣，手挽手與他人一起，我們致力於建設一個新世界。 . . 當它作為一個個人的決擇時，它會給我們帶來喜樂並賦予我們的生命意義。”

讓我舉一個舊金山方濟會團體的 Alfred Boeddeker 神父的例子。 1949 年，布神父被任命為舊金山聖博尼法斯教堂的主任司鐸。 在那裡住了幾個星期後，布神父注意到有一些無家可歸的男女在教堂外附近徘徊。

布神父開始和這些人交談，發現他們已幾天沒吃東西了！ 所以布神父回到教堂的廚房，做了花生醬三明治送給街上的人。 你可以想像，沒花很長時間, 他分發三明治的消息在該地區的無家可歸者中像火一般的瞬間傳開。

換來的第一反應是來自飢餓的街頭人仕的感謝。

第二個反應是布神父所屬的修會團體同修們抱怨這些陌生人每天都在教堂的前門外等待免費食物。 修士們告訴並要求布神父請到別的地方做這個事工！

第三個回應是布神父開始思考並探索以不同的方式將三明治從教堂分發出去。 布神父注意到隔壁的汽車維修店已經停業，正在出售他們的建築物。 這座建築物的要價很高，當時布神父無法負擔這筆錢。

第四個回應是他向聖安東尼主保祈禱懇求幫助解決這個問題。 在很短的時間內，大批捐助者給了布神父所需的錢來購買這棟建築物並將其改建為飯堂，以幫助附近無家可歸和有需要的人。

在過去的 70 年裡，天主的願景已經顯現了。 聖安東尼基金會現在每天供應超過1,000 份午餐，並提供各項社會服務以滿足無家可歸和有需要的人的飢餓和其他需求。

我分享這個故事是提醒大家這一切都源於有一個人做了一些花生醬三明治來救濟窮人開始的。 耶穌從 12 個門徒開始，很快就增加多了 72 個門徒。天主通過耶穌去工作，今天祈願聖神通過我們所有人去工作,去作天主悅樂的事！

所要請大家用心注意日常生活中出現的挑戰或機遇！

讓我們繼續祈禱讓聖神繼續引導我們,培養我們的個人信仰旅程，無論我們在日常生活中遇到什麼困難和挑戰，這些都是見證我們信仰的好機會，而不僅僅是我們生活中的壓力 而已！

我們華人天主教團體的兄弟姐妹們， 這就是常年期第 14 個主日的好消息。

阿肋路亞 阿肋路亞！