15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) (Mk 6,7-13) Can you imagine what would happen to a child if his mother did not teach him how to eat; if she just put the dish of food on the table and left? What is he going to do if he does not like the food? We could ask this same question with regard to other things, like doing homework and cleaning the bedroom, for example.  Would any of us say, "Don't worry.  He will learn how to do these things by himself?"

Of course it is possible that the child can learn these things by himself, but no doubt it would definitely take him more time, energy, and work to learn how to do them.  It is a pleasure to meet a well educated child, one that is young yet knows how to behave properly. In this case, it is easy to see the beautiful job the mother and father have done in raising their child.

Something similar happens with our faith-it has to be taught. Somebody has to tell us how to pray, what is wrong with our spiritual life and how we can act according to God’s will. I mean, faith has to be preached and announced. Do you know why the catholic priest is called father? Because like a father, he has to teach, correct, and congratulate. Like a father, the priest has to teach what is wrong and what is right, what is and what is not according to God’s word. Like a father, the priest has to feed his children, but in this case with a spiritual food and drink. The Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister is that, an extraordinary Minister, because the ordinary Minister is the priest. Now, because there are fewer priests, the church needs the help of other members of the church. This is good, of course, but we can forget what a priest is and what his mission is.

Moreover, faith is power. Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits… The Twelve drove out many demons,and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. This last part reminds me about the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. In every Mass God’s power is present. When the priest lays his hands over the gifts he says: Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy. God’s power makes this miracle possible. When the priest blesses, he does it with God’s power.

By meditating on all of these things we can realize that faith is not about an experience that is merely personal so that the individual does not need anybody. We have to live our faith in community. “Jesus… send them out two by two”. We live our faith like a family. And a family has members, in this case, many members. I remember what a friend of mine who is not catholic once he told me: You, the Catholics, are so cold. You go to your churches like going to the theater. You know almost nobody. This can be true. I say this because of my experience as a priest. Sometimes when I approach the congregants, they are uneasy and uncomfortable talking to me. It makes me wonder whether I am really that ugly. In Peru, most of the people are catholic, but a priest is seen on the streets like a Martian.

Amos said, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel."  Amos was not a special person. He was another sheep in the flock. Like the prophet, the priest is a person who belongs to the community, too. I am one of you all. I have only been a priest for ten years. For most of my life, I was sitting where you are now.

But what was all of this for?  Saint Paul gives the answer: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens… In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions. The Church, all of us gathered in God’s name, have been called in many ways to know, love and follow a personal God, a God who has a name, a God who became man and has redeemed us, a God who blesses us abundantly.

Today the Lord Jesus is reminding us of our mission to talk about Him. Like he said to the Prophet Amos, God tells us: Go, prophesy to my people Israel. There is no excuse. We cannot say, "I am not prophet or I am not from a prophet's family.

A long time ago I met a girl. She was about 20 years old. She was Catholic and tried to be a good Catholic. Since she was rich, she used to take many taxis. Sometimes she spent the whole day with the same taxi driver. It was easier than taking many different taxis during the same day. That girl talked to the taxi drivers about God, about the Mass and confession. Some of them did not practice their faith and missed mass very often. She tried to persuade them to come back to the church. When she did not get through to them, she tried something else. She asked them for their permission to pray for them inside the taxi and laid her hands over them. I remember that she told me: The Lord Jesus gave authority over unclean spirits, so that is also for me. For that reason I prayed with all my faith.

What happened? I asked her.

She replied: He cried and accepted the invitation to confess his sins.

Then she asked me: do you know how many taxi drivers I have taken to priests to confess?

No, how many? I asked her

Eight. She said.

 A Christian is a man to whom God has entrusted other men. I began this homily asking whether you could imagine what would happen to a child if his mother did not teach him to eat. Now I ask you this: Can you imagine what would happen to others around us if everyone did his duty like a Christian, like Amos or Saint Paul?

Thanksgiving

Lord Jesus, I believe in you, and I believe that I must follow your will in all that I do.

I hope in you, and I place my hope in what you have planned for me today.

Teach me not to place my hope in created things, but only in your will.

Lord, I love you, and I desire to love your will with greater fervor.

Open my heart to respond to your will with generosity and joy.

Lord Jesus, you’ve given me a mission to spread your Gospel among my family members, friends and coworkers — everyone I encounter.