WE ARE ALL CALLED AND SENT OUT

Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Bible Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12

The Gospel reading of this Sunday has always held a special place in my heart. It brings back vivid memories of my time as a seminarian. Every year, this Gospel passage - where Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples - was read on the very Sunday we were sent out for our six-week apostolic work. Today, as it was in those days, many seminarians across dioceses in Nigeria are beginning their apostolic work. They will go to parishes and mission stations to evangelize. And like the seventy-two in the Gospel, they are not going by their own authority, but in the name of Jesus, sent to proclaim peace and to bear witness. 

But then, today’s message is not just for seminarians. It is for all of us who by the virtue our baptism as Christians are called, sent, and equipped for mission. Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples, not just the Twelve, to show us that mission is the responsibility of the entire Church. He sent them in pairs to every place he himself intended to visit in order to tell us that we are sent where Christ himself desires to be. We are his heralds, not his replacements.

The sending out came with specific instructions. First, “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals…” (Luke 10:4). This is not just about traveling light. It is about total dependence on God. The mission must be rooted in trust, not in resources. It is not about how equipped we are, but how surrendered we are. Second, “Greet no one along the way.” This points to the urgency of the mission. The point here is not rudeness, but focus. Third, “Say, ‘Peace to this house’” (v.5). The mission begins with the gift of peace, reiterating Isaiah’s message of comfort in the first reading and Paul’s blessing in the second reading.

At the end of the missionary work, the disciples returned with joy, saying: “Even the demons are subject to us because of your name!” (v.17). But Jesus redirected their joy: “Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (v.20). The point here is very clear: success in mission is not about visible results or spiritual power. It is about being faithful and belonging to God. As Christians, we must always remember that our greatest reward is not in what we do, but in who we are in Christ. The mission is not about spiritual success, but spiritual fidelity.

In the second reading, Saint Paul offers us a deep insight into the heart of a true missionary: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Gal 6:14). In other words, our identity is not in what we do, but in what Christ has done for us. Paul had every reason to boast: he was learned, zealous, and influential. But he had learned that all of that is nothing compared to knowing Christ and sharing in his sufferings. Paul literally bore the scars of his mission - the lashes, the imprisonments, the beatings. But more than that, he bore the interior mark of a heart shaped by the cross. This teaches us that Christian mission is not glamorous. It will stretch us, test us, and sometimes wound us. But in the process, it will shape us to look more like Jesus.

Lastly, as many seminarians begin their apostolic work today, we pray for them - that their hearts may be formed in love, that their feet may carry peace, and that their lives may reflect Christ. But let us also remember that we are all on apostolic work. Every Christian is called and sent. The harvest is still abundant. The mission field is all around us. God is calling us today to go out with peace, to speak peace into our families, our communities, our workplaces. As we do so, may the Lord of the harvest strengthen us for the journey. May his peace rest upon us. And may we return each day rejoicing - not because of what we have done but because our names are written in heaven.