Father Koch: The Church today continues the mission of the 12 Apostles
July 5, 2021 at 10:49 p.m.
As Jesus sends his disciples off to engage in their first limited missionary journeys, he gives them careful instruction about what they are to wear, to carry and how they are to accept the hospitality – or the inhospitality – in the villages where they are sent. Having just had their experience in Nazareth, where Jesus was treated with suspicion by his own neighbors, the disciples are at least anticipating that they might encounter mistrust or even contempt.
The instruction of the content of their preaching is clear. Mark states: “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
This is, at the core, the work of the Church today. Announcing the Kingdom of God and carrying that Kingdom throughout the world has been the mission of Jesus and the work of the Apostles, and then of the Church since the time of Pentecost.
While announcing the forgiveness of sins seems to be the first mission of the Church, it may not be the present focus of the Church. We tend to avoid thinking, talking or preaching about sin, and when we do, it is always someone else’s sin that is the focus.
It is perhaps one of the most subtle, yet important, lapses of the post-modern Church, that our sense of sin has gotten skewed in such a way as to overemphasize some sins to the avoidance of others. This imbalance drives much of the current debate within the Church. As we fail to recognize our own sinfulness, hearing a message of repentance for the sake of the Kingdom of God takes on less urgency. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees who resisted the teaching of Jesus, and subsequently rejected and persecuted the Apostles, the Church today finds many Pharisees and Sadducees in her own ranks and among her members.
Prior to being able to seek forgiveness of one’s sins there must be an awareness of the presence of sin as a reality that adversely impacts a person’s life. We need to get in touch with those deeper realities that separate us from God and the community. When we do, we are able, then, to preach and to hear words of healing. It takes an awareness of the demons present in one’s life before one can experience a release from the power and influence of that demon. Most often this does not require the elaborate ritual of exorcism, but rather the genuine sense of remorse and desire to be healed. While demonic possession is a spiritual reality, it is rare. For us to “exorcise our demons” through penance and subsequent acts of prayer, penitence and charity, is a necessity for all of us. For some this also includes participation in 12-step programs or other forms of group or individual therapy.
Similarly, the healing effect of the anointing with oil, present in the Church today through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, is a powerful remedy to our spiritual and physical illnesses. Many of us fail to recognize the healing nature of this Sacrament – spiritually, emotionally and even physically. When we delay in seeking the Sacrament until our loved one is no longer coherent or aware, it deprives them from the full healing effect of the Sacrament. Being able to hear the prayers of the ritual and to both feel and smell the presence of the holy oil has a powerful healing quality. While it is true that many who are not conscious are still aware of what goes on around them, there is a great benefit from being able to consciously participate in the Sacrament, especially when loved ones are present.
Jesus identified his mission, and certainly the mission of the 12 Apostles, with bringing healing to a broken world. It is this work that continues in the Church today through our preaching and the power of the Sacraments. As the Church continues the ministry of the Apostles today, we are challenged to be ever aware of their mission. Each one of us – whether priest, deacon, lay minister or just a faithful Catholic – should see in our lives that healing and merciful presence of Christ, so that we might be ready for the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.
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As Jesus sends his disciples off to engage in their first limited missionary journeys, he gives them careful instruction about what they are to wear, to carry and how they are to accept the hospitality – or the inhospitality – in the villages where they are sent. Having just had their experience in Nazareth, where Jesus was treated with suspicion by his own neighbors, the disciples are at least anticipating that they might encounter mistrust or even contempt.
The instruction of the content of their preaching is clear. Mark states: “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
This is, at the core, the work of the Church today. Announcing the Kingdom of God and carrying that Kingdom throughout the world has been the mission of Jesus and the work of the Apostles, and then of the Church since the time of Pentecost.
While announcing the forgiveness of sins seems to be the first mission of the Church, it may not be the present focus of the Church. We tend to avoid thinking, talking or preaching about sin, and when we do, it is always someone else’s sin that is the focus.
It is perhaps one of the most subtle, yet important, lapses of the post-modern Church, that our sense of sin has gotten skewed in such a way as to overemphasize some sins to the avoidance of others. This imbalance drives much of the current debate within the Church. As we fail to recognize our own sinfulness, hearing a message of repentance for the sake of the Kingdom of God takes on less urgency. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees who resisted the teaching of Jesus, and subsequently rejected and persecuted the Apostles, the Church today finds many Pharisees and Sadducees in her own ranks and among her members.
Prior to being able to seek forgiveness of one’s sins there must be an awareness of the presence of sin as a reality that adversely impacts a person’s life. We need to get in touch with those deeper realities that separate us from God and the community. When we do, we are able, then, to preach and to hear words of healing. It takes an awareness of the demons present in one’s life before one can experience a release from the power and influence of that demon. Most often this does not require the elaborate ritual of exorcism, but rather the genuine sense of remorse and desire to be healed. While demonic possession is a spiritual reality, it is rare. For us to “exorcise our demons” through penance and subsequent acts of prayer, penitence and charity, is a necessity for all of us. For some this also includes participation in 12-step programs or other forms of group or individual therapy.
Similarly, the healing effect of the anointing with oil, present in the Church today through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, is a powerful remedy to our spiritual and physical illnesses. Many of us fail to recognize the healing nature of this Sacrament – spiritually, emotionally and even physically. When we delay in seeking the Sacrament until our loved one is no longer coherent or aware, it deprives them from the full healing effect of the Sacrament. Being able to hear the prayers of the ritual and to both feel and smell the presence of the holy oil has a powerful healing quality. While it is true that many who are not conscious are still aware of what goes on around them, there is a great benefit from being able to consciously participate in the Sacrament, especially when loved ones are present.
Jesus identified his mission, and certainly the mission of the 12 Apostles, with bringing healing to a broken world. It is this work that continues in the Church today through our preaching and the power of the Sacraments. As the Church continues the ministry of the Apostles today, we are challenged to be ever aware of their mission. Each one of us – whether priest, deacon, lay minister or just a faithful Catholic – should see in our lives that healing and merciful presence of Christ, so that we might be ready for the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.