13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Elisha spent much time travelling to deliver God’s message as his prophet. Today, we hear of the woman who urged him to dine at her house. She knew that Elisha was “a holy man of God.” She was already “a woman of influence.” So, she probably isn’t just trying to look important by having Elisha stay at her house.

In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s rewards, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.“

Jesus did not speak this words until a few centuries after the woman in the first reading passed from this world. So, she never heard Jesus says these words yet she lived them.

She was not called to be a full-time prophet like Elisha but she was called to be a disciple, a person who lives their faith and helps share God’s message. In providing lodging for Elisha, she is supporting his ministry.

What is God calling you to do yourself? How might God be calling you to support the ministry of others?

The hospitality the woman offered to Elisha did not go unnoticed. Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” His servant tells him that she has no son. As a prophet, Elisha tells her that she will have a son within a year. This news would have been received with great joy for having children was seen as a blessing (as it should be).

The woman received a great reward for her hospitality to Elisha. Yet, we are not told that she did it to get a reward. She did it because it was a good thing.

What motivates you to do good?

As children of God, we should do good for its own sake.

I would imagine that most people reading this are baptized. What does your baptism mean to you? For those of us baptized as infants, we do not remember our baptism but that does not mean it didn’t have an impact on us.

As Catholics, we understand that baptism changes us. It is not just symbolic mark of the faith we already have as believers in Jesus. As Paul writes, when we are “baptized into Christ Jesus,” we “were baptized into death.” On the Cross, Jesus died for our sins. In Baptism, our sins are forgiven as we are baptized into his death. We receive the “newness of life” as children of God. We are to die to sin and the things of this world to live for God in Christ Jesus.

Knowing this, we should love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. God wants us to love others but our greatest love should always be for him. As Jesus says, if we love others more than him, we are not worthy of him.

Likewise, Jesus tells us that we must take up our cross and follow after him or we are not worthy of him. I don’t know about you but I would rather not have any crosses to bear. It would be nice if being a priest was as easy as some people think. Yet, I ask God for the grace to accept any cross given to me that can lead to him being glorified by others. Jesus faced persecution. Why should I expect any different? Jesus took up his Cross to save me. Why should I expect any different for me? It is not easy. We have hard decisions to make. I pray that every decision I make is in accord with God’s will.

It is in letting go of our earthly lives that we come to know true life, life with God for eternity.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff