11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today Jesus looks at the crowds and describes them as sheep without shepherds.

In other words the Priests of the time – the scribes and the Pharisees were not teaching the faithful properly. They were not leading them to God. They were not speaking the truth.

The chief Shepherd in our diocese is Bishop Declan. He was here a few weeks ago because he came to confirm our 17 young adults.

You will notice he holds a crosier or staff which looks like a shepherds crook. This reminds us that he holds the role of being the shepherd of our diocese and the one who speaks truth and leads us all to God.

Jesus, of course, is the messianic shepherd who leads us to God the Father.

The twelve apostles were not just the friends of Jesus but they also shared in his authority. They were commissioned to perform the same tasks and miracles as him. To proclaim the truth, shepherd the people and to harvest souls for God.

Whenever we hear the lists of the names of the apostles Peter is always first. Peter was of course the first Pope of the church. On this rock the church was formed and the gates of hell will never prevail against it.

Judas is the last to be named because he was the one who betrayed Jesus and was eventually replaced with another disciple so that there was always twelve. And why twelve? Because this emulated the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel from the Old Testament.

This reminds us that Jesus is not only the Messiah and the ultimate king of Israel but has come to constitute a new tribe of Israel with new tribal leaders.

The twelve apostles do not have a blood lineage with the twelve tribes of Israel as one would perhaps expect. Instead they have a relationship with the person with Jesus Christ and so become the new tribal leaders through the blood of Christ instead. They are grafted on.

So this reminds us that our Catholic and Apostolic Church is not simply a holy institution but in fact a New Israel founded on new tribal leaders chosen by God.

And these new shepherds are sent out by Jesus to preach the good news. What exactly is this good news?

Ultimately the news is that God exists. He loves us and has a plan for us if we can cooperate with him. That means loving him, trusting him and following his ways and not ours.

Sin has obscured our vision of all this which is why we have this reluctance in our hearts to follow him as we would rather follow the World and its ways instead.

But as we know that world does not and will not ever satisfy our hearts. How do we know this?

Well part of the reason is the very fact that you are sitting here tonight when you could be doing a thousand more enjoyable things! Unless you are being made to be here by your Mother – which is a good thing and you will appreciate it in years to come!

Now we hear that there is a specific order to the mission that the apostles are being sent out to embark upon. He says do not turn your steps to pagan towns.

Maybe he was thinking of Glastonbury – and do not enter any Samaritan town. In other parts of scripture we hear the words go to the Jews before the Greeks.

This is because he wants them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The ones for whom Jesus came initially who were being misguided by the temple priests. Go to the descendants of Jacob first to restore the twelve tribes of Israel. To restore the Church.

Israel is the first born son. Israel is the kingdom of priests that would lead the nations of the world to follow and worship God.

So the twelve apostles are to restore the twelve foundational tribes of Israel fist before then bringing the message to all nations.

Jesus sends his message through the apostles to reach all the ends of the earth. He sends us too.

What message will you give to those you encounter on your journey through life?