Homily for Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus is the most complete revelation possible of God's tender and merciful love for humankind. Yet, He experienced people rejecting this love, refusing to respond meaningfully.
When He sends out His disciples in today's Gospel, Jesus warns them to expect the same. They are to proclaim the Good News that the kingdom of God is at hand —the reign of God's life-giving love —but they will face those who will not welcome them or listen to what they have to say. This response is not meant to prevent them from fulfilling their mission of proclaiming God's loving presence through what they say and do, just as it did not stop Jesus when He suffered the ultimate rejection on the Cross. He even announced the same Good News as the Risen Lord to those who had turned away from Him and rejected Him.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to demonstrate the loving presence of God, regardless of how others react to us. When we are not welcomed, we should ask ourselves: Are they rejecting the message or the way it is being communicated? Everything we say and do in the name of the Lord should reflect God's tender mercies.