· 15th Sunday Ordinary (B), July 16, 2006
· Theme: We Are Called to Preach the Good News

· Job hunting is an exercise that we all understand:
· We look over offerings with a pencil in hand, marking possibilities, and matching job requirements with our experience and talents.
· If we get an interview with the boss, we present ourselves as the candidate who best meets the qualifications for the job.
· Today’s readings tell us that the way that God chooses disciples and prophets is completely different.
· Amos protests his call.
· Jesus tells his disciples:
· You have not chosen me; I have chosen you.
· Proclaim the Good News

· In the first reading today, why is Amos protesting so vehemently?
· At first Amos asked God to spare the people, and God did.
· But the people haven’t changed and the prophet has been denouncing Israel for idolatry, injustice and all manner of sins.
· Amos sees judgment coming for Israel, and this time he does not intercede with God for them.
· He prophesies the destruction of the sanctuary, the fall of the royal house and the enslavement of the people.

· The message of Amos is hardly one that would win points with the people, the priestly establishment or the royal household.
· Today’s passage opens with Amaziah’s telling Amos to go back to his homeland, Judah (the southern kingdom).
· He wants him out of Israel (the northern kingdom).
· Amos first protests, “I was no prophet…I was a shepherd….”
· But that was the past; despite his humble background, he is now a prophet.
· How did this change in him take place?
· Amos knows quite clearly, “The Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go prophesy to my people Israel.’”
· A person might have humble origins and no training for the task; but the choice of being a prophet is not his or hers.
· God makes the choice and then, if the person accepts, God empowers them: “Go prophesy….”

· Sometimes, it is hard to know who are the legitimate prophetic voices called by God and who are the “self-called” in our church and world these days.
· What is striking about Amos, and is a clue to us, is his reluctance to claim anything for himself.
· He is very conscious that God has plucked him from his regular life and routine and given him a painful message to communicate.

· Sometimes God can work through the establishment and religious institutions, for example when:
· Bishops speak out for peace or for the homeless or immigrants;
· Organizations lobby for a living wage for the poor;
· Parishioner organizes an outreach program to the forgotten housebound;
· The pope reaches out a hand of friendship to Protestants, Jews, Orthodox and Muslims;

· However, often God works through unlikely individuals.
· Amos describes himself as a “dresser of sycamores.”
· How plain and ordinary is that!
· It should not surprise us that God speaks to us sometimes in informal and less institutional ways.
· We can testify that we have heard God’s Prophetic Word from the everyday folks of our lives:
· A grandmother, while stirring a pot of soup, says something to a granddaughter that she remembers for many years;
· An uncle, who helps a neighbor repair a damaged roof, speaks an important message to a nephew about caring and helping people in times of need;
· A teacher reprimands an erring student and helps change the direction of a life;
· The janitor in an office building who doesn’t desert his wife who is battling cancer and, when he leaves work, goes home to cook and take care of the kids.
· I am sure that each of us could name hundreds of ordinary prophets who have been God’s instruments in our lives.
· We need to be grateful for them.

· Prophecy isn’t about predicting the future.
· A prophet who speaks to church, nation or individuals gets us to hear God addressing our present situation and what we should do about it.
· Forget the prophet’s origins, appearance or present status, instead, we need an attentive ear and responsive heart to God’s Word for us today—whatever and from whomever is the source.

· The gospel echoes a message similar to the Amos reading.
· Last week we heard about the rejection of Jesus by his own townsfolk.
· Now he is sending his disciples to do what he has been doing;
· To drive out evil spirits,
· To heal the sick and
· To call people back to God.
· Well, if even his own family and friends rejected Jesus when he did these things, what can his disciples expect?
· The same thing Jesus got–rejection and persecution by some, but welcome by others.

· Like Amos and the Disciples, we have been called from our everyday lives to speak God’s Word.
· Wherever we are sent, across the world or to the water cooler at work, we are being sent to perform healing acts on God’s behalf.
· We may not actually pour oil on wounds, but kind, forgiving and gracious words can go far in healing damaged bodies and spirits.

· What about driving out “evil spirits?”
· We are not talking about another Hollywood version of “The Exhorsist.”
· But don’t parents who sit down and have honest talks with their kids drive out the evil spirits of racism, materialism and aggressive competition?
· Don’t AA and NA groups that meet drive out the demons of alcoholism and drug addiction with the help of their “Higher Power?”
· Don’t our School Teachers and CCD Catechists drive out the demons of ignorance and defeatism from our students?
· Don’t people who run shelters for battered families drive out demons of domestic violence and isolation?
· Don’t we need clear thinking leaders in our world that can drive out the demons that bring nations to the brink of war and civil strife – The Middle East, Mexico, North Korea, etc.
· The idea is clear:
· Do not take the command of Jesus to drive out evil spirits too lightly.
· Demons take all shapes and forms, and we need the power of the Lord and the courage of our faith to drive them out.
(Cf. Preachers Exchange – Fr. John Siciliano, O.P.)

· When Jesus chose his disciples,
· He did not check credentials or legal status
· They we fishermen, tax collectors and sinners
· He called them, gave them his direction and love, and sent them out to preach the Good News.

· The same applies to us,
· Christ chooses us, and
· Sends us out in his name.
· Are we willing to open ourselves to the possibilities and challenges of this call?
· Scary
· With God’s Spirit, all things are possible.

· Amen

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