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Get into the ring! How this works...

This is easy! Each week on Thursday I post my homily idea...my main focus for preaching this coming Sunday. What I am hoping for is a reaction from people in the pews. Does my "focus" connect with your daily life, faith, and experience? Or not? Either affirm the direction I am going in (by giving me an example from your life) or challenge me, ask for clarification! Questions are the best! Reaction rather than reflection is what I'm looking for here. Don't be afraid, get in the ring. Ole!



Friday, December 31, 2010

The Epiphany January 2, 2011

The homilies of Christmas and Holy Family Sunday are in the library. ->
The readings for this Sunday are at USCCB.org->
I am presiding and preaching at the Sat. 4pm Mass and Sun. 12:30pm Mass


Radiation

My Junior High School back in the 70's was an old building and down in the basement level there were a bunch of these yellow warning signs. They had a nuclear symbol on them and they were designating the area as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear attack. I notice in our parish school building that we don't have any such warning signs.

Maybe though we ought to have them on the church building...or better yet over our hearts. We are radiant at what we see. In beholding the message of the manger our hearts are transformed but not just for us. A radiant heart is a light or beacon for all the world to see.

With what does your heart radiate? Like the star of Bethlehem, to whom or what would your heart lead others? Would others notice your Christian heart and seek the source of it's light?

That's our call and our mission: to be radiated by the message of the manger so much so that our hearts might glow. Thus in following that light others might find Jesus the Christ, the Light of the world.

4 comments:

anon 1 said...

I do believe the message the Matador gives this week is the beauty of our baptismal call. There is no pressure to be something we cannot be. We need not be concerned about our abilities (or lack of them) in learning and repeating doctrine, or understanding the complicated texts of some church documents, or even preaching to others to explain the Scriptures (we’ll leave that to the Matador!). Our call seems to be to “simply” win hearts for Jesus by sharing our own. I like the image of being “radiated by the message of the manger so much so that our hearts might glow to the extent that it might lead others to find Jesus.” That message of the manger – that God loves SO DEEPLY that the Father’s love could not be contained but came pouring out and created us, living in us – is a message that in itself can’t be contained! While doctrine and documents are helpful, it makes sense to me that it’s the love in our hearts – pouring out on others – that will attract people to Him, wanting to know more.

Anonymous said...

... stepping into the message; praying (unceasingly) it consume my meager heart - that i may be an instrument to radiate HIS love.

One desires to know all they can about someone they truly love - scripture, documents, doctrine are ways to get to know HIM.

Jim said...

I like this message. We all need to strive to be more "radiant". Leading others to Jesus should be our goal in life.

Anonymous said...

Don't we have times that our own "light" goes out and it is rekindled by a spark from others around?... An act of kindness, a smile of compassion, a couple of sweet words, a phone call....
We will become the beacon of light for others to follow.
Gitana