We proclaim Christ to the whole world

On Sunday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a scripture passage from the first book of Samuel (28:3-25) entitled "saul consults the witch of Endor". Our treasure is from a homily by Pope Paul VI. Pope Paul VI (1897–1978), born Giovanni Battista Montini, was Pope from 1963 to 1978. He succeeded Pope John XXIII during the historic Second Vatican Council and guided the Church through one of the most significant periods of renewal in its history. He brought the Council to its successful conclusion in 1965 and devoted the rest of his pontificate to implementing its teachings. In 2018, he was canonized a saint. He is perhaps best known for his 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the Church's teaching on the sanctity of human life, the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative meanings of marriage, and the moral objection to artificial contraception. Though controversial, the document has become one of the defining teachings of his pontificate. He also issued important encyclicals such as Ecclesiam Suam, emphasizing dialogue, and Evangelii Nuntiandi, widely regarded as one of the Church's greatest documents on evangelization. Our "treasure" today is from "We Proclaim Christ to the Whole World," a homily by Pope Paul VI, wherein he teaches that the Church's primary mission is to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. Pope Paul VI emphasizes that Christ is not merely a great teacher or moral example, but the incarnate Son of God who, through His death and resurrection, offers salvation to every person. The Gospel is therefore a message of hope that must be shared with all nations and peoples. The main takeaway is that every Christian is called to be an evangelist by both word and example. Pope Paul VI reminds us that we cannot keep the Good News to ourselves; having encountered Christ, we are sent to make Him known through our faith, our witness, and our love. Effective evangelization flows from a personal relationship with Jesus and is made credible by lives that reflect His compassion, truth, and holiness. The mission of the Church is to bring every person into a life-giving encounter with Christ, who alone is "the way, the truth, and the life." Our first reading from 1 Samuel 28:3–25 teaches that when we reject God's guidance and seek answers apart from Him, we place ourselves in grave spiritual danger. Faced with fear and the threat of the Philistine army, Saul sought guidance from a medium at Endor, despite God's clear prohibition against consulting the dead or practicing occult arts. Having repeatedly ignored God's word during his reign, Saul found himself isolated from the Lord and desperately turned to forbidden means for direction. The main takeaway is that true wisdom and guidance come only from God and should be sought through prayer, faith, and obedience—not through superstition, occult practices, or attempts to control the future. Saul's tragic end demonstrates the consequences of persistent disobedience and spiritual pride. The passage calls us to remain faithful to God even in times of fear and uncertainty, trusting that He will guide those who seek Him with humble and obedient hearts.