Fr. Bob’s Homily – Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

I want you to set aside all the familiar mental and emotional images we have of Jesus. Forget the doctrines, titles, and labels about Him. Just imagine a first-century Jew living under Roman occupation, blending in with the crowd. 

Jesus would have been hard to distinguish from any other Palestinian Jew of His time. He was simply a nomadic rabbi, surrounded by a mix of friendly and hostile faces. He spoke words so radical that some thought Him mad, while others, though intrigued, wondered if His way of life was even possible. “Are you serious?” was a question He likely faced hundreds of times.

Jesus began preaching a radically different way of life—one that would demand great sacrifice. It was a time of deep poverty, inequality, and widespread oppression. Perhaps, it’s not so different from today.

After Jesus finished preaching, I imagine the crowd’s response was silence—silence born of disbelief. Some people probably stood there with their mouths open, wondering: “Is it even possible to live like that? Can anyone really live the spiritual life that Jesus is describing?”

If we truly wish to follow Jesus, to be His disciples, we must look at our own lives. Not by the standards of doctrinal beliefs. Not by the creeds we recite. But by the radical call of today’s Gospel: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, give to everyone who asks, lend without expecting repayment, be compassionate, do not condemn, forgive, and love beyond your circle of family and friends.

This is an outrageous agenda. Who can really follow all of this? It might seem like a fantasy, except for one thing: the One who taught us these things actually lived them. He showed us what this love looks like when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

I think this Gospel should be an alternative creed. The creed we recite each Sunday at Mass is a beautiful statement of belief, but it costs us nothing. This Gospel creed, however, demands everything. It’s uncomfortable, difficult, and we sometimes might wish it would go away. 

But deep down, if we truly love God, if we truly want to be saints, if we call ourselves Christians, we have to embrace this challenge and struggle with it.

Perhaps you can’t give away everything you have to follow Christ. That’s a daunting thought. Many of us work hard and sacrifice much, so how could we possibly give it all away? 

But maybe that’s not the point. Start by giving your best to someone else, perhaps a stranger. A simple smile at the grocery store or letting a car merge in traffic could be the beginning.

When Jesus first spoke these words, many found them too demanding and walked away. But I believe a minority stayed. Why? Because they understood that compassion is the essence of being Christian. 

Remember what He told us: “Whatever you do to the least of My brothers and sisters, you do to Me.”