Homily – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A Fr Jerry Browne
On 1 December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She later explained that she was not fearless; she was simply tired of giving in to injustice. Her quiet act of courage sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. Courage is choosing to do what is right despite fear.
That is the kind of courage Jesus speaks about in today’s Gospel (Matthew 10:26-33). Three times He tells His disciples, “Do not be afraid.”
Those words are not empty encouragement. Jesus knows exactly what lies ahead. He is sending His disciples into a world that will misunderstand them, ridicule them and, in many cases, persecute them. Following Christ will not necessarily be an easy path. There will be moments when doing the right thing costs us friendships, popularity, opportunities or comfort. Jesus doesn’t pretend otherwise. Instead, He tells his disciples that fear must never have the final word.
The prophet Jeremiah (20:10-13) understood that struggle well. He speaks with remarkable honesty. He hears whispers against him. His enemies watch for him to stumble. Even his closest companions wait for him to fail. Yet, in the very same breath, he proclaims his confidence that the Lord stands beside him like a mighty champion.
That is the remarkable thing about faith. It doesn’t remove fear. It transforms it. Jeremiah is still afraid, but his trust in God is greater than his fear.
Most of us will never be asked to stand before kings or face imprisonment for our faith. Yet every day we are faced with opportunities to witness to Christ.
It takes courage to defend someone whose reputation is being destroyed by gossip. It takes courage to speak the truth when dishonesty would be easier. It takes courage to forgive someone who has wounded us deeply. It takes courage to admit our mistakes, to remain faithful in our marriage, to wear our faith openly, to pray before a meal in public, or simply to refuse to laugh when others mock another person.
These moments may seem small, but they are precisely where Christian witness begins.
St Paul reminds us in today’s second reading (Romans 5:12-15) that while sin entered the world through one person, God’s grace has overflowed to countless people through Christ. Evil may seem powerful, but grace is always stronger. Fear may spread quickly, but courage rooted in Christ spreads even further.
One person’s faithfulness often gives another person permission to be faithful too.
Could that be why Jesus reminds His disciples that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. If God notices the smallest bird, how much more does He watch over each of us? We are not asked to witness alone. We are accompanied by a Father who knows every hair on our heads and never abandons His children.
Fear will always whisper, “Keep quiet. Don’t stand out. Don’t make a difference.” Christ says, “Do not be afraid.” At the end of the day, the greatest tragedy is not that Christians sometimes fail. It is that fear can persuade us never to try.
This week, ask yourself: Where is fear holding me back from living the Gospel? Is there a conversation I need to have? A wrong I need to challenge? A kindness I need to show? A public witness of faith I have been avoiding?
The world is rarely changed by loud voices alone. More often it is changed by ordinary disciples who quietly choose courage over fear, trusting that God walks beside them every step of the way.
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Please consider praying a decade of the rosary on a daily basis for the evangelising Mission of the Church and the Pope’s intentions.
The pope’s prayer intention for June is ‘For the values of sports’.
Let us pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.
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Blessed Pauline Jaricot, Pray for us. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
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