First Reading
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B – 2009 Amos 7:12-15

Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

Second Reading
Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

Gospel Cycle Cycle B
Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” 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.

To be a prophet is not always a nice role in life! Today we hear the Prophet Amos telling others that he is not a prophet nor does he belong to a company of prophets. We can understand the being a prophet had become a job in his time, and perhaps a well-paying job. People were willing to sign up to this kind of work of being a prophet.

Amos wants us to know that he is called by God to prophesy. He has not chosen to be a prophet. Instead, God has placed this terrible duty on him and he would rather not do it. There are always at least three element in being a prophet: this inner call which must be from God and not just some kind of emotional or mental problem, ultimate acceptance by those who hear and can realize that the prophet speaks the truth from God and then finally the confirmation of history that what was prophesied was true.

The Gospel teaching today comes from the same type of prophetic teaching. The basic lesson is that if people don’t want to hear what you have to say from God, then move on to those who are interested. How different this is from so many modern day prophets who become aggressive in telling others that they must listen!

So much of what is taught today in our Catholic Church is surely prophetic in the sense of proclaiming the truth, of proclaiming God’s word in Scripture, of proclaiming how God has worked in Scripture and in His Church. Proclaiming these truths is less and less accepted by civil society. Even those who claim to be members of the Church do not want to hear clear teachings proclaimed.

Many great Catholic teachers have been silenced in history and had the humility to accept such silencing because they believed that God’s truth was stronger than any silence and would ultimately prevail. Today there is almost a belief that the one who shouts the loudest has the truth or the one who is most popular has the truth.

We have many conflicting voices in our modern world, many of them claiming to show that God wants us to walk in entirely new directions. We Catholics have always accepted and believed in a teaching authority within the Church. That teaching authority today is a prophetic voice in the midst of chaos and confusion. Because that teaching authority is so clear, the forces of modern society are working with great efforts to destroy any acceptance of teaching authority within our Catholic Church.

Perhaps for all of us, the basic lesson of today’s readings is that in Christ Jesus we also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, have believed in Him. Once we have faith in the Lord Jesus, we begin to work at a different level of listening. We must listen first to revealed Scripture, not to the demands of the modern age. We must listen to the Church and not let the scandals and sins of people in the Church pull us away from the truth proclaimed in the Church. We must listen to the authentic teachers in the Church: the Pope and the Bishops and the lay people in union with them.

Not all who claim to be prophets are the prophets of God. Not all who come preaching modern words should be accepted into our homes. Let us listen with discerning minds and hearts. Let us walk with our Lord and with His Church, knowing that in Jesus and His Church are the words of everlasting life.