Homily for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday 18th June 2023

Homily for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday 18th June 2023

I have collected a library of books which I constantly dip into as my thoughts gather. I pulled out books on ‘How to lead’, ‘Group Dynamics for Teams’ and to my surprise Plato’s ‘Republic’.

Peter Edwards, editor to ‘Lost for Words?’ connects today’s Gospel giving us a list of names of the twelve apostles, to which only a few we may remember.

The story of the Republic has the philosopher, Socrates, and a moneymaker, Cephalus in conversation. Socrates asks his companion how he made his money, from inheritance or through his own efforts? Cephalus tells of the fortune his grandfather made, that his father squandered but that he himself replenished to a suitable level to be able to leave no more than he had inherited to his sons. Socrates ask why he was not interested in money? Socrates was curious because he recognised that self-made people tend to be focused only on what they made and are boring to talk to. Cephalus was not like this, and he explained that when you perceive death drawing near fear takes hold as you wonder if you have been unjust to other. The fear of being sent to Hades haunted him.

The conversation turned towards justice, and how everyone should bring good to others and not harm. As the two philosophised, their ideas expanded out on how to create a just society, the central theme being that this could not be achieved on one’s own. It required a body of people working together to meet the needs of all. Socrates and Cephalus, in Plato’s story, recognised that each person had their own gifts, areas of expertise that could help others, but in turn requires the services of others to meet their needs.

The experience I have gained over the years has been in filmmaking and I have taught the subject. There are many parts to constructing a film: generating ideas, turning them into script, storyboarding, budgeting, scheduling, acting, cinematography, sound recording, editing and distribution and much more. For an individual to undertake all the work necessary would take too much time and leave the person exhausted. So, it is important to find other you can work with to build up a team, which not only takes away much of the pressure but allows everyone to enjoy the process.

When my wife and I had renovations done to our home, we discussed our needs with a building contractor, who worked out a budget based on the designs we wanted, then organised a range of master trades people to come in and do their work in a specified order. Talking to many they often only saw their bit but not the whole picture, so we invited them back to have a look and they were pleased to see how their work fitted in to the finished renovations.

Daniel Levi, in his book ‘Group Dynamics for Teams’ talks about how teams develop in stages and often are not very productive in the early parts of a project. It usually took a day or so for a film crew to fall into sync with one another, then things speed up as everyone is on the same wavelength.

Jo Owen’s book ‘How to Lead’ suggests several ways to lead others. Some include motivation, by caring for others, rewarding effort, giving purpose, and building community. Leaders set direction and delegate to others recognising the skills they bring and trusting their ability, empowering the team without delegating the leader’s responsibility. If things go wrong, the leader is to blame.

Today’s Gospel highlights how Jesus seeing the people like a flock without a shepherd, in other words leaderless, need his team, the disciples to go out and meet their needs. He gave the disciples authority over unclean spirits, so they had the power to cast out demons and to cure all illnesses. Jesus had gathered his disciples over the preceding two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, giving them instruction to the point where his words had a deep impression because of the way he taught with authority. Then he cured a leper, the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and many others, so that the disciples could see what he had said put into practice. He calmed a storm, cast the Legion of demons into a herd of pigs, cure a paralytic, the woman with a haemorrhage, two blind men, and a man struct dumb. The disciples were given authority to go, ready to carry out their mission.

Throughout our lives, Our Lord has given us all a range of experiences which help to develop our character. We all live, and work is different communities, helping to make other people’s lives better. We may have been dealt blows and been harmed unfairly, but this is what shapes who we are. Our Lord calls us today to be his witnesses, not to judge but to show kindness and help where we can. On our own we a limited and we can become overwhelmed but together we can do much. The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few. How is the Lord calling you?

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