The Missionary Nature of the Family

 Homily: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

My brothers and sisters in Christ, at the outset of this homily on this World Mission Sunday, I’d like to make a statement that might seem incongruent: that is, that the missionary efforts of the Church are deeply tied in with the family. At first, of course we might think that there is little connection between our families, which form the “domestic church”, and missionaries in distant countries. But the Church reminds us that these two realities are deeply connected: for the first mission territory is often the home, and the first missionaries most people encounter are their parents and family members. With this in mind, let’s reflect on the Scripture readings we just heard, so as to allow God’s word to deepen our understanding of the missionary nature of the family.

We’ll start with the Gospel. Today's Gospel invites us to reflect on a fundamental question: To whom do we belong? In the reading, the Pharisees approach Jesus with a question designed to trap Him. "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" If He says “yes”, the Pharisees will accuse him of violations of the religious law. If He says “no”, the Herodians will accuse him of rebellion against Rome. Jesus, however, sees through their trap. He asks them for a coin and says, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?" They answer, "Caesar's." Then Jesus gives one of the most famous responses in all of Scripture: "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."  It’s a clever response that sidesteps their trap and demonstrates just how narrow their thinking is.

Most often people focus on the political implications of those words (that is, as a clever way to balance being governed by a worldly government while also remaining faithful to God). But Jesus is actually saying something much deeper. The coin bears the image of Caesar, so it belongs to Caesar. But that begs the question… “So, what belongs to God?” In this context the obvious answer is, “Whatever bears the image of God.” Okay, so what bears the image of God? You and I do… We all do… Remember the book of Genesis and how it revealed to us that God created mankind in his image and likeness.  Therefore, every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. Since we each bear the image of God in the fullness of our beings, when Jesus says, “repay… to God what belongs to God”, he means that each of us is called to give our whole self over to God.

This is one of the first and most important truths that every Catholic family must teach. Before our children learn what they will do in life, they must know who they are. They are not merely students, athletes, workers, or citizens. No, first and foremost, they are beloved sons and daughters of God who bear his image. Their dignity does not come from success, wealth, popularity, or achievement, but rather, it comes from God, whose image they bear. And if we belong to God, then our lives cannot be lived only for ourselves. Rather, they must be lived for God. That is the message of World Mission Sunday.

Now, when many people hear the word "missionary," they think of priests, sisters, and brothers serving in faraway lands: and this is true. And we rightly honor these heroic missionaries. But mission is not reserved for a few in faraway lands. Rather, every baptized Christian is made to be a missionary disciple; and mission begins wherever God has placed us.

This means that a mother who teaches her children to pray is a missionary; a father who models forgiveness and integrity is a missionary; a grandparent who passes on the faith to a new generation is a missionary; a young person who stands up for Christ among friends is a missionary; and a family that welcomes a neighbor, helps someone in need, or invites someone back to Mass is a missionary and is participating in the mission of the Church. No, my brothers and sisters, the Gospel spreads not only through preaching from pulpits, but also through Christian witness in our homes and communities. ///

Today's first reading gives us another important lesson. Through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks about Cyrus, a Persian king who does not even belong to the people of Israel. Yet God chooses to use him for His saving purposes. It is a remarkable reminder that God's plans are always bigger than our expectations. Sometimes we think God works only through saints with extraordinary gifts. But Scripture tells us that God often works through ordinary people who simply make themselves available: He works through parents struggling to raise faithful children. He works through families carrying the burdens of economic hardship. He works through immigrants seeking a better future. He works through young people searching for their vocation. He works through grandparents whose daily prayers sustain an entire family. All this is to say that no family is too ordinary to become an instrument of God's mission. No, the question is not whether God is calling us. The question is whether we are willing to respond.

But we must respond. And why? Because our world desperately needs the witness of Christian families: it needs families that show unity in a divided age and a faithful Christian family provides that witness. Therefore, it is true to say that a faithful marriage is missionary; patience between spouses is missionary; forgiveness within a family is missionary; and family prayer is missionary. ///

The world also needs families that radiate hope. As you all know, many families today carry significant challenges. There are financial pressures, concerns about safety and security, fears about children drifting from the faith, cultural tensions, and many other burdens. Yet Christian families proclaim something beautiful: that Christ is still present; that Christ is still faithful; and that Christ is still walking with His people in the world. In a word, Christian families proclaim that Christ is our hope. And hope itself becomes a form of evangelization.

Finally, lest we forget in the midst of our reflections on the family, World Mission Sunday reminds us that the Church's mission extends beyond our own needs and concerns. The Gospel, as we know, belongs to the whole world. We are called to support the Church's missionary work through our prayers, sacrifices, and generosity because every person has the right to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. We unite ourselves to those who have responded to the call to bring the good news of salvation to faraway lands when we offer prayers, personal sacrifices, and financial support to the missions. As Pope Leo’s papal motto reminds us, “In the One [Christ], we are one”. Therefore, let us demonstrate our unity with missionaries throughout the world by renewing our offerings to support them.

My brothers and sisters, the coin bears Caesar's image. We bear God's image. Therefore, we belong to God. And because we belong to God, we are sent by God. On this World Mission Sunday, may every family here renew its commitment to be a living witness of the Gospel. May our homes become schools of faith, places of prayer, centers of charity, and communities of missionary discipleship. Through the loving intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas and Star of the New Evangelization, may our families bring Christ to their children, to their neighbors, to our land, and to the ends of the earth.

Given at St. Louis de Montfort Parish: Fishers, IN - October 18th, 2026