Homily Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Today, we celebrate the Thirteenth Sunday in the ordinary time. And in my homily, l’ll focus on two main points.

1. My First point is about the profile of the true disciple following Jesus

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us two features of the true disciple. The first characteristic is to have unconditional love for him, to love him above everything and to prefer him to everything even our family: “ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” This teaching seems radical and hard to implement at first sight because it’s so challenging. But, it’s not impossible. Saint Thomas Aquinas finds the basis for this challenging teaching in human experience itself, so he tells us why God must be the first to be loved in our lives. He says, “ Sons are naturally subject to their father so that they naturally honor the father (…). And they desire glory for the father more than for themselves. The truth is, what a son receives from a father, he receives more abundantly from God. For He himself teaches us, He feeds us. He keeps us safe for ever. Therefore, God should always be loved more because nothing can fill one’s whole desire but God.” In other words, what Jesus is asking us to do is not denying or hating our parents or children. But he wants us to give him the first choice in love, to make him be the priority of our life, to give God the first place due to him. As they say, “ God is first served. To Him go all honor, all glory and praises for ever.” Furthermore, Saint Augustine doesn’t see any conflict between the two loves of our lives: the love for God and the love for our family. Then, he gives us the good compromise saying, “ Let us answer our mother and our father this in case they complain. Let us tell them:  I will love you in Christ, not instead of Christ. You will be with me in Him, but I will not be with you without Him. Family ties are important but not absolute.” The second characteristic is to take up our cross and follow after Him. He says, “ Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” According to Saint Gregory the Great, “ There are two ways in which we bear the Lord’s cross: either when we afflict our flesh through abstinence, or when, out of compassion for our neighbor, we make their afflictions our own.” In addition, I like the quote of Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis about “following after Jesus”. He said, “ To follow behind Jesus means to be wherever He is, whenever that might be, serving Him in doing whatever He happens to be doing. One who follows Jesus makes that other’s journey his own.”

1. My second point is about the virtue of Hospitality of heart

The common denominator between today’s First Reading and the Gospel is Hospitality. As well as the first Reading gives us a lesson of hospitality to imitate through the attitude of the anonymous generous woman who opened the door of her heart and house to Elisha, the prophet of God, in today’s Gospel Jesus recommends us to welcome or receive any messenger of the Gospel sent to us: “ Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.” In other words, what the Lord Jesus means is that any good action or any good deed we do, any charitable action we do in our life is not forgotten in God’s memory. But every good action we do is written in the great Book of life of our Creator, who will reward a hundredfold everyone who does good. As Saint Thomas Aquinas said, “ If you cooperate toward the good, you receive the reward of that good; if you supply the helps of life, you receive the reward; for otherwise the prophet would not be able to fulfill his office.” In the same way, Fr Cornelius Lapide said, “ To the measure of charity corresponds the measure of celestial glory and blessedness. For the measure in which someone loves God is the measure in which he will enjoy the beatific vision.” So, as you can see, by receiving Elisha, the prophet of God, in her house, and by giving him a shelter and assistance, the woman was rewarded by God who gave her a baby boy unexpected. I can say that Hospitality is Charity in action, and Charity is the concrete expression of Love. The Gospel’s emphasis on hospitality today is presented in the form of a strange equation: “ He who welcomes you, welcomes me.” So today, Jesus is giving you an appointment. He’s coming to meet you in your house, to have lunch or dinner with you. Like he told Zacchaeus, Jesus is telling you: “ My dear friend of Saint Patrick of Placerville, my dear friend of Saint James of Georgetown, today the Son of Man is coming to your house.” Jesus is coming to your house, so the question is: How do you expect him to look like? Will you recognize him? Get ready to recognize him when he comes. Indeed, we may expect that Christ will come to our doors in many disguises and almost at the wrong time. Let us be vigilant then and open the eyes of our hearts to welcome him, to offer him hospitality, to offer him as he says “ a Cup of cold water” to refresh his throat. When coming to your house today, Jesus will have the face of the homeless you disdain. He will have the face of the beggar sitting at the door of your grocery store, at Safeway or Marval. He will have the face of your neighbor in need of help. He will even have the face of the priest of your parish who brings to you the joy of the Gospel. He will have the face of your wife you beat or the face of your husband you mistreat. He will have the face of your children you neglect. Finally, Christ will come to you with multiple faces, mostly the face of the poor and those suffering, his little ones. Today, let us have a generous heart so we can see Christ through our neighbor to welcome in our house, and to whom we offer a cup of cold water. A Cup of cold water may be a little smile even hidden under your face mask. A Cup of cold water may be also a nice postcard with nice words of encouragements; or a surprise phone-call to check on your neighbor and his family, or a word of appreciation. All these signs of attention to others cost little, but how the world today is crying out for cups of cold water. Let us make in our heart and house a little room for God hidden in our neighbor. Let us make a little room for hospitality and love. So the question today is: is there a quiet space in your life where you can turn to welcome the indwelling of Christ in your heart? Virgin Mary is the role model of Christian hospitality. She made a space in her heart to welcome the Word of God just as she made a space in her womb for his Body. She pondered his words in her heart, so that gradually, her whole life was filled with his presence. I will conclude my homily with a wonderful quote of Mother Teresa that says, “ Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
Rev. Fr Pepin W. F. DANDOU
Georgetown, CA June 26, 2020.