Twelve Sunday in Ordinary Time. June 25, 2017 [Mathew 10:26-33]

“What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops (Mat 10:27).”

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel all time. When necessary, use words.” He correctly points out that preaching is not only the job of the priests in the pulpit, or lay preachers in the prayer meetings. Preaching the Gospel is the mission of all of us.  The preaching can happen in the family, as we show our children the meaning of true love, fidelity and respect. Preaching can take place in our workplaces as we uphold honesty, hard work, and dedication. Preaching may manifest in our daily life as we do justice, service to the needy, and kindness to our neighbors.

However, to preach Jesus Christ is not always smooth sailing. I myself have been in the ministry of preaching for some years, and at times, I have to face tough moments. When, I preach with a content and style that are outside of the box, some good and honest people come and rightly question the orthodoxy of my preaching. Yet, when I preach with predicted insight and usual delivery, young people will come and tell me it is boring. There are times that nobody’s listening to my preaching or reading my reflection. Sometimes, I feel tired, frustrated and bored. The same feelings may also befell us as we do our preaching in the family, workplace, the parish, or the society. It is frustrating when we are honest, but the rest are not. It is tiring when we know that we are the only one working hard. It is hurting to be backstabbed after all our service to others.

Yet, our life as a preacher is a lot better and safer than my brothers and sisters in other places. Our Dominican sisters of St. Catharine of Siena in Iraq chose to stay despite the ongoing war and turmoil that hit the country, and serve the refugees without any discrimination. In 2003, when US-led coalition invaded Iraq, they kept running the hospital in Baghdad amidst heavy fighting and looting in the capital. In 2014, when IS took the city of Mosul, the sisters were walking together with the refugees, and at forefront in helping and managing several refuge centers. For some others to preach Christ means violence and death. Last May, Fr. Miguel Angel Machorro was in critical condition after he was stabbed in the neck just right after saying the mass in Mexico City’s Cathedral. Fr. Teresito Suganob who was working among the Muslims in Marawi City, Philippines, was abducted when the group of extremists occupied the city. Nobody knows yet what happened to him.

What makes them preach the Gospel despite constant dangers to their lives? I believe that it is because they love the Lord dearly. This love, as Roman poet Virgil wrote, conquers all. Their love drives out the fear of death, empowers them in trials, and encourages them in face of frustrations and failures. In the words of St. Paul, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword… No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us (Rom 8:35-37).”  True preaching, then is fuelled by true love of God and not seeking after our own glory. Without this love, we will back out when our preaching seems to fail, or we will feel proud when our ministry meets success. Do we have this love for Jesus? Are our preaching motivated by this love? Are we allowed to be overwhelmed by God’s love for us?

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP