Sunday, June 28, 2020 is the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Our readings are: 2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16A; Ps. 89; Romans 6:3-4,8-11; Matthew 10:37-42. A copy of today's readings is attached.
From the 2020 Sourcebook (The Almanac for Pastoral Liturgy) 2020: "A central theme of today's readings is accepting death to receive life. What a paradox! In the First Reading, we her the story of the Shunammite woman's son. Because of her great hospitality, the prophet Elisha promised her a son. Today's reading does not include the sequel. The woman later gave birth to a son, but the child died so she went to find Elisha and made him return with her in order to heal her son and bring him mack to life.
In today's second reading, Paul reflects on christian Baptism. He ways it is like going down into death with Christ so tht the baptized can come into new life with him. The Greek word baptizo means 'to dip' or 'submerge.' Paul's hearers would have understood this powerful metaphor of life out of death, because early Christians practiced adult Baptism by immersion.
Paul's audience would have witnessed or experienced for themselves this goig down into the water. Elsewhere, Paul explains that Jesus submitted to death, which came into the world because of sin, so that sin would be conquered once and for all through his Resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-57). Thus, even though they die, sin no longer has power over the baptized. They live the new life of Christ.
Today's Gospel consists of two sets of short sayings attributed to Jesus. The first set centers on the cost of discipleship, while the second focuses on hospitality. The themes are appropriate because this reading is part of what was traditionally called the 'mission discourse is 'Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me sake will find it.'
Are you willing to live the paradox?"
So, as our theme song proclaims: "All welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place!"