Fourteenth Ordinary

Luke 10: 10 – 11

Jesus continued, “When you enter a town and are not received, go out into the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we’re giving it back’. Did you have any idea that God’s kingdom was right on your doorstep?”

Growing up, my sisters and I never received an allowance from Mum or Dad. At 12 years old we started working in the family grocery store on Friday evenings and Saturdays. We missed not being able to hang out with our friends. But that was more than offset by the little brown envelope that contained the few dollars we earned – most of which made its way to our savings account at the local bank. But still … some money in hand that we could spend any way we wanted to, just like the butchers, stock boys, cashiers, truck drivers, and other employees in the store. I felt part of a big family, all of us working together to compete and beat the bigger national stores with their rewards programs.

More than 40 years later, I still run into people who fondly remember our store as children. Staff often would appear at our house for holiday dinners and barbecues, which somehow always seemed to include pasta. They became part of our family.

In my youth, I didn’t always appreciate the gift of work like I do now. Let’s celebrate all the work that has been done and still needs to be done in our country and world to bring us together as family and heal us. That’s what it means to be truly free. And scripture today reminds us that we must do the work of the Lord together. That’s what it means to be a universal church, freely open to all.