Homily 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time - June 21, 2026

 Today's readings can be found here.

As I prepared my homily for this weekend, I really struggled with the Scriptures.  The first thing that jumped out at me: being an authentic disciple of Jesus comes at a cost.  Jeremiah laments that his friends turned on him.  He has persecutors on every side just waiting to get even with him.  The psalmist laments that zeal for the house of God results in insults, shame, and being cast out.  In the verses from Matthew just before today’s Gospel, Jesus warns the disciples they will be persecuted for their belief in Him.

But as I reflected more deeply on them, the message of our readings became clearer to me.  First and foremost, Jesus tells us, do not be afraid.  It’s easy to feel afraid in today’s world.  Politicians are telling us to be afraid of things all the time.  Of those different from us, of the outsider, of those that disagree with their beliefs.  It can be difficult to be Catholic and speak out against injustice.  To promote the inherent dignity of all people.  There are also the everyday things that make us feel afraid.  Fear of the future, fear of being unable to provide for yourself or your family, fear for a friend or family member going through a difficult time.

Jesus encourages us to be brave in the face of these difficulties.  We’ll all encounter difficult times in our lives.  Being a disciple of Jesus can bring us into conflict with friends and family.  Most people think that to be brave or courageous means you need to be without fear.  As part of my preparation for my homily, I put the readings into ChatGBT to see if it could provide more insight.  Full disclosure, this homily was not written by AI.  For better or worse these are my words!  One of the results was I got is that courage doesn’t come from the absence of fear.  Courage comes from the presence of God.

Jeremiah says that the Lord is with him like a mighty champion.  Jesus tells us that God is present when even something as lowly as a sparrow falls.  And we are worth far more to God than sparrows.  God knows us so intimately that God even knows the number of hairs on our heads.  Earlier in the book of Jeremiah, God tells him “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”  God has known and loved each of us before we were even born.  God has been present with each of us from the very beginning of our lives.

Whenever we are afraid, we need only to ask God to be with us and we will receive the strength and courage to keep going.  Many years ago, I was between jobs and having difficulty finding a new one.  I was worried I wouldn’t find a job in my field and couldn’t support my family.  One Sunday at Mass the stress was too great for me.  I asked God to take the burden from me.  I immediately felt God’s presence and a great sense of peace.  I was no longer afraid.  It still wasn’t easy to find work.  It took almost a year and a half before I began a new career in a field I loved.  But throughout that time I was no longer afraid.  I knew God was with me and guiding me.

What causes you worry and fear right now?  Perhaps you’re concerned about where to go to college or what career to get into.  Perhaps you’re struggling in your career.  Maybe you have a family member with health issues.  Or perhaps you’re just concerned about what’s going on in the world right now.  Ask God to reveal His presence to you now, especially through the Eucharist.  God has known you intimately since before you were born.  In the Eucharist, God is intimately and physically within us.  As we take and eat the Body of Christ, Jesus becomes a part of our body.  Down to a cellular level.  Let this intimacy give you the strength and courage to overcome any fear.  Trust in God’s great love for us.  Do not be afraid.