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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!



Saturday, April 25, 2015

Easter 4, homily Prep April 26

-Last Sunday's homily is available by email request
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at  5:30 PM on Saturday and 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Sunday

Resurrection Check up: symptoms of death and symptoms of life?

This is a series on the spiritual signs of freedom and life versus the worldly signs of slavery to death/sin.  I began with fear of dying, then individualism, and today autonomy.  I am wondering where in our lives do we submit to others' will?  Where and to whom are we obedient out of love?

As the children of God, we are called fundamentally to submit our will to the will of God.  For most of us mere mortals this is a daunting task. Submission to the will of God is a symptom of freedom and life. Like Jesus we must freely submit out of love, not obey out of fear of punishment.

In our worldly existence we long for independence and autonomy: symptoms of death/sin. Commitment phobia is probably a subset of this symptom. The sacrament of matrimony is the most often chosen path of submission - for those who are married in Christ.  So much of the trend to cohabitation is a symptom of autonomy in relation to others = symptom of death.

The church and our call to holiness insist that we practice submitting to the will of God by our practice of obedience to others for the sake of love.  To whom do you submit? To whom are you obedient?