GOODNESS AWAKENS GOODNESS: 13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A ON JUNE 28, 2026 (R. 1: 2Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a; Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19; R. 2: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42) FR EMMANUEL INEDU OCHIGBO

Have you ever noticed that some people treat every new relationship like a business transaction? The first question in their mind is not, “How can I help this person?” It is, “What can I get from this person?” If they don’t see an immediate benefit, they lose interest. But the happiest people I know think differently. They help first. They give first. They build relationships first. And somehow, later, those relationships become blessings they never saw coming.

People who treat every relationship like a business transaction know the price of everything but the value of nothing. They sacrifice lifelong relationships for short-term advantage. A business owner overcharges a customer and loses someone who might have remained faithful for a lifetime. A friend tells one hurtful lie to gain one temporary advantage and destroys years of trust. A husband wins one argument and wounds his marriage. A wife keeps score and loses her peace. An employee cuts corners for one promotion and loses a lifetime reputation. People can be so busy counting today’s profit that they forget the value of a long lasting relationship.

In today’s first reading from the Second Book of Kings, we meet a woman who understood something many people never learn. Rather than focus on immediate profit, she invested in a relationship. Picture the scene. It is another hot afternoon in the ancient town of Shunem. The dust rises with every footstep as travelers pass through on their way to Mount Carmel. Among them is the prophet Elisha. There is nothing about him that would impress the average person. His sandals are dusty. His robe has faded from the scorching sun. His face bears the weariness of long journeys. He has no wealth; no visible influence. If anything, he looks like someone who needs help, not someone who can offer it. Most people would have looked at Elisha and kept walking.

But one woman stops. She sees what everyone else misses. She looks beyond the dusty robe and tired feet and recognizes something others miss. She recognizes him as “a holy man of God.” She invites him to dinner. Then another dinner. Then she turns to her husband and says, “Let us build a small room for him upstairs. Put a bed there. A table. A chair. A lamp. So whenever he passes this way, he will have a place to stay.” She does not ask him to pray for her. She is simply good… for goodness’ sake. Unknown to her, the man she is welcoming into her home is carrying the answer to the deepest sorrow of her life: She has no son.

Perhaps there was a time she prayed every day for a child. But now? She has stopped asking. She has accepted that some doors are closed forever. She has learned to live with her disappointment. But while she has forgotten her dream, God has not. And so, one day, Elisha turns to his servant Gehazi and asks, “What can we do for her?” He answers, “She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.” Elisha then prophesies to her that she will be carrying her baby son in a year’s time. Notice that she never brought up her need. Good people often become so busy thinking about others that they forget themselves. Yet goodness has a way of attracting goodness. Before she asks for anything, God is already arranging the answer.

The woman of Shunem teaches us to stop treating people as opportunities and start treating them as divine gifts. And that is exactly where today’s Gospel passage takes us. Jesus says, “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” Jesus is saying that God’s Kingdom is not built only by those who preach. It is also built by those who make preaching possible. Not everyone is called to stand behind a pulpit. Not everyone is called to celebrate the sacraments. Not everyone is called to become a missionary. But everyone is called to become the reason someone else succeeds in God’s work.

Sometimes your greatest contribution to the Kingdom is not what you do in front of people, but what you quietly make possible behind the scenes. Every act of kindness becomes participation in God’s work. Every encouraging word. Every meal shared. Every person who supports the Church. Every parent who teaches a child to pray. Every friend who refuses to give up on another. Every cup of cold water. Nothing done for Christ is ever wasted.

St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that through Baptism we have died and risen with Christ. That means we no longer live according to the calculations of the world. The world asks, “What do I get?” The baptized Christian asks, “What can I give?” Perhaps the most beautiful detail in today’s first reading is this: while the woman was preparing a room for Elisha, she had no idea she was also preparing the room where her miracle would begin. Sometimes, the person who seems to need your help today is carrying the answer to the prayer you have almost forgotten. So stop asking, “What can I get from people?” Start asking, “How can I become a blessing to people?” Because in the Kingdom of God, the greatest blessings often enter through the doors we open for others.

Homily for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2026