Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Peter H. Davids

Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Priesthood of all believers

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The purpose of salvation is that we become a royal priesthood or priestly nation leading the world into right worship of God. This is done by sacrificing in union with Christ's death and resurrection. This is done on the pattern of the Twelve, sent before they felt ready, sent first to the "lost sheep" of the Church, sent to heal or expel the disorder in the world by God's means, especially right worship and holy living. We are called to be that holy nation now.

Notes

Transcript

Title

Rescued to be Priests

Outline

We often talk about being rescued from, but what about rescued for?

While put in different ways, we often speak of being rescued or saved from hell, slavery to sin, bondage to the devil, or the like. All are negative, indeed all move towards nothingness, and that could lead us standing around and wondering, “What now?” “What am I/are we rescued for?”

All three readings today point to this purpose, our present purpose in life

The “Eagles’ Wings” speech in Exodus puts it succinctly:

“You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” God had rescued the people from bondage in Egypt and made a covenant with them that should result in their being a priestly nation, fulfilling the purpose of Genesis 1- 2 of rightly ordering the earth to be the Temple-garden of God, of guiding the world into right worship, right relationship to the creator. There would be different orders or functions within this priestly nation, but each has their place contributing to the purpose of the whole.

Unfortunately, Israel often forgot its purpose and ended up with vultures descending upon them rather than eagles’ wings under them as they turned to find their purpose in the world, the flesh and the devil, to put it in New Testament terms.

Romans gives us a model for our transformation

We were helpless and to rescue us, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” And therefore, “Once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.” We have life as the cost of Christ’s death and through his resurrection life are moving into life. What we may not see is that this is our model: we in union with Jesus give our lives for others - that is what love is - and in union with his resurrection life we have true life to share with others.

Think of how this is going on in your vocation or how it God might be calling you to this in your vocation

Our Gospel is the sending of the Twelve, the chief priests

They are indeed prophets, priests, and kings as we are in our baptism called to be prophets, priests, and kings, but of course are the first rank, at this time still in training but nevertheless sent out to bring healing to the world.

Now, again, I am not saying that there are no differences between the Twelve and their successors, or between those successors and the presbyterate and other orders in the Church. What I am noting is that all have the same purpose - to bring right order, which means right worship, to the world.

This is done through healing or, using God’s means, driving out the disorder in the world: so he “gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” Now I could expand on this at length, for everyone from Evagrius of Pontus to the present has expanded on this, but whether it is within your family or within a larger sphere we are called to cure, heal, drive out disorder, and order everything to the right worship of God.

Notice that he starts, as does Paul later, with “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Think of those with a Christian heritage who are only tenuously or perhaps no longer at all part of the Church - perhaps they are members of your extended family.

We proclaim, “‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” And we live it before the world.

Notice that this is not a business, but a life: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

[Brothers and] Sisters, we are called to a high calling

This does not mean everyone dropping what they are doing and joining an order or heading to seminary, although I would hope that even in this small a group some will be called as priests, deacons, acolytes, religious and all the rest.

It does mean everyone revisioning in their own sphere of life what it means to live out this priestly calling and everyone having their ears open to God to hear what their next step may be, however they can live the life of the kingdom in this or that particular situation.

If each one makes their sacrifice and follows Jesus’ call it will lead to transformation in the world, first in our own lives and then - perhaps unseen to us - in the lives of others. We will be a cell, so to speak, in the body of a priestly nation.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-18-2023: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Exodus 19:2–6a

2 After they made the journey from Rephidim and entered the wilderness of Sinai, they then pitched camp in the wilderness.

While Israel was encamped there in front of the mountain, 3 Moses went up to the mountain of God. Then the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying: This is what you will say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: 4 You have seen how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession among all peoples, though all the earth is mine. 6 You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-18-2023: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 100:3c

3 Know that the LORD is God,

he made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

PSALM

Psalm 100:1–3, 5

1 A psalm of thanksgiving.

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

2 serve the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful song.

3 Know that the LORD is God,

he made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the flock he shepherds.

5 good indeed is the LORD,

His mercy endures forever,

his faithfulness lasts through every generation.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-18-2023: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Romans 5:6–11

6 For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. 10 Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-18-2023: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Mark 1:15

15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

GOSPEL

Matthew 9:36–10:8

36 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38 so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

CHAPTER 10

1 Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; 4 Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

5 Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-18-2023: Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Exodus 19:2–6a

Response Psalm 100:3c

Psalm Psalm 100:1–3, 5

Second Reading Romans 5:6–11

Gospel Acclamation Mark 1:15

Gospel Matthew 9:36–10:8

GREEN

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