Claim your gifts: Homily for Thursday, June 11, 2026

Claim your gifts. “No gold or silver, no copper for your belts. If you get hungry, you’re on your own. No sack for the journey or a second tunic or sandals or walking stick. Take just what you need.” Their reliance is completely upon God. That’s what Jesus is saying. It’s not so much that we do all of these tremendous things as it is that God does all of these tremendous things through us by means of the gifts that we have been given. Readings for Today.

Claim your gifts

I had an encounter one time with a black woman who really was just a delightful human being, exuding joy and happiness and just somebody that I could tell drew people to her by her wonderful personality. And we had a conversation one time where she was talking about her faith experience. She wasn’t Catholic and I was curious because of the way in which she spoke about belonging to the church to which she belonged. It was wonderful.

You could tell that this was the driving force of her life, this life of faith she lived in the church. But there was one thing, one expression that she used that I thought was particularly wonderful. As we were in the midst of the conversation, and I can’t remember specifically what the gift was, well let’s say it was intercessory prayer. And she said, “The Holy Spirit has given me the gift of intercessory prayer and I claim it.” And I thought that was so wonderful.

If any of you are familiar with the work of Sherry Weddell, one of the things that she talks about is that very thing, identifying the specific gifts we have been given and claiming them for the sake of the mission.

Today we celebrate St. Barnabas, who I suspect was a person not unlike the woman I just described. He was known as the son of encouragement. He and Paul made, I think, an interesting pair. I suspect at times they were like the two characters on The Muppets who sit up in the balconies, Statler and Waldorf, who are old men who argue with each other and laugh and whatever. And I suspect Barnabas and Paul were something like that as well, because they had different personalities, but they claimed their gifts.

They claimed their gifts. Now Jesus in the gospel gives tall order, and I would like to let us know that today the Lord is giving you a new assignment, and the tasks are relatively simple. Don’t worry too much about what he wants you to do. The tasks are simply this. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Day one.

That’s a pretty tall order. It’s really interesting that Jesus really doesn’t mince words when he’s talking about the people he sends out on mission. So in this passage there’s this. In another instance he says, “All will hate you on account of my name.” Hardly the kind of thing you’d do if you were a marketer trying to convince people to buy something or do something or take a course.

How is any of this even possible? How is it the case that Paul and Barnabas, set apart by the Holy Spirit, go out and do such amazing things? How is it that the twelve are going to be able to do these things?

Well, look at what else he says. “No gold or silver, no copper for your belts. If you get hungry, you’re on your own. No sack for the journey or a second tunic or sandals or walking stick. Take just what you need.” Their reliance is completely upon God. That’s what Jesus is saying. It’s not so much that we do all of these tremendous things as it is that God does all of these tremendous things through us by means of the gifts that we have been given.

And so the question I think today, I should make one more point before that, this comes from the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew was something that St. Dominic carried with him everywhere. He really had an affinity for this Gospel, and it’s not difficult or hard to see elements of the Dominican life that he brought forward. Now, what gifts has God given you? And in the name of the Holy Spirit, what gifts do you claim?

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