Homily for Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus is candid about the kind of welcome we may receive when we share our faith. The response may be hostile, and that may even come from those to whom we are the closest. However, Jesus tells us that we will not be alone in facing this kind of rejection; The Holy Spirit will be present to give us guidance and support.

Contemporary society is perhaps less hostile to the faith than when Jesus commissioned the first disciples. Yet, Gospel values are often rejected in today's culture. Some people interpret those values as a threat, especially to human freedom. 

Today, as in the time of the first disciples, we are in need of the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the LORD and His mission. The Holy Spirit is our source of inspiration, guiding us in our faith and strengthening our resolve. The Church's dependence on the Holy Spirit is unwavering, and His inspiration is as accessible to us now as It was in the earliest days of the Church.