Sunday, August 20th, 2023 – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7, Psalm 67”O God, let all the nations praise you!”, Romans 11:13-15, 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28

                                       A MISSIONARY HEART
      Today’s liturgy questions the comfortable position of Christians who think that it’s enough to just be good without trying to be better, Christians who do not lift a finger to make the world a better place. Being missionaries is part of the essence of our calling, just like the simple friars who evangelized the new world five centuries ago, or the missionary youth and families of our own time who go from door to door reaching out to those whose faith has faded. Christ died to ransom each and every person. At the end of the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus reminds us that salvation is for all people: “It is the Father’s will that not one of these little ones be lost.”
                                                  Sisters and Brothers
1. To whom shall we be missionaries? To those who are farthest away. “The farthest away” are the nonbelievers, the inconstant Christians, and the indifferent. They are all who live in a state of existential disgust. Deep down they are waiting for someone to tell them about the Lord and bring them closer to Him. All men, whether they know it or not, are seeking God, and even as they stumble onward, they hope to find Him.
A Christian’s attitude must be one of openly looking for God in these brethren who are far from God, and of accompanying  them on the path of salvation. To discover the face of Christ en every human being, regardless of their situation, their past, or their state of life.

2. Our missionary outreach to our distanced brethren must be marked by open and respectful dialogue, carried out with gradually, with intelligence and patience. We must not be rigid. Faith is proposed, not imposed. We must be open to all men, without any discrimination based on race, culture, or religion. Nevertheless, this does not mean we turn our missionary zeal into “indifferent syncretism”. This would lead us to accept all sorts of things against the faith and deny or diminish the values of salvation that Jesus Christ brought to us.

3. Not all of us have the chance to travel to far-off lands, cultures, or religions, but yes, we can still live out our missionary calling in the most familiar circumstances. We can be missionaries in our family, our work, our social life, and any place where we can promote what unites us and fight against division and alienation.

This attitude of communion becomes visible when we are able to see the positive in others, when we embrace them and value them as a gift from God in our life. It means knowing how to give our brothers and sisters space and help them carry their burdens. It means rejecting the selfish temptations that constantly beset us, engendering competition, mistrust, and envy.

Sisters and Brothers: May the Word of God commit us to be better Christians in our daily life by being open with sympathy and trust to all our brothers and sisters, believers and non-believers, leaving aside any kind of aggressive attitude. The world needs coherent and attractive witnesses of Christian life: The Lord tells us, “Do this and you will live.” Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests