-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm and 11:00am
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
This end times and last things gospel text from Saint Luke proposes two options when confronted by calamity: die of fright or cling to the Lord. I am certain that the gospel recommendation is to keep your eye on the Lord, stand erect, lift your head, your redemption is at hand!
There is a lot of handwringing going on within the church and within the society about the end of the world, the end of life as we know it, the end of our western culture, the end of the American experiment. I will admit that there are a lot of frightening indicators in our world and our church that suggest painful and problematic times. Nonetheless, I believe this is Jesus' point.
What is Jesus's point? That when we hear of these things, when we see these things, when we experience these difficulties, and these pains, these frightening circumstances, we are not to turn away, turn to self, turn to defensiveness, turn to protectionism, turn to Isolationism, give up on relationships, abandon the community, build a fort, hide ourselves away, enter the bomb shelter!
No! We are called to stand up and lift our heads and fix our eyes on the redemption of the Lord that has been poured into our hearts. It is the light of Christ, the eternal life, the springs of never ending life, the restful waters, the indwelling, the power coming on the clouds of heaven - these should overwhelm us and keep us firm on our mission, on our path, in our peace!
Really?! That is precisely the point! If we are not going to cling to the hand of Jesus in the face of calamity then what good and what use is faith at all? To stroll along the sunny path of life? To celebrate the joy and the success of life? I don't get that impression from our crucified Savior.
The whole point it seems to me is that we have been given a Savior, we have received the Holy Spirit, we have been joined to the Body of Christ, precisely because we were going to need courage and clarity of vision (read: the truth) when things get stormy. If we lack faith in the stormy times-there is no point of faith at all.
So, see some storm clouds on the horizon? Standing erect, lift your head and believe
8 comments:
WOW! Your words Father, truly, truly brought the reality of the Paschal Mystery to life inside of me like never before, as I read you wonderful insight. Like a bright light within me coming into fullness of light. Great, great insight. Glory be to God! This makes for a great "Year of Faith" homily.
Well Father what a homily this is going to be! Your words ring so true. Don't give up. Have faith in the good and bad times. It's true for me...my faith sustains me! Now this is a homily i would like to hear too bad you don't have the actual homily taped! This one might render me speechless for a month. Wish ii could hear it...it sounds like a double WOW!
I'm going to share this with all my Catholic prophecy friends. Great! LR
Love it!!! I do believe, help my unbelief!!! I think people focus on feelings instead of the reality of Christ's saving help. We're permeated with this way because of our culture & media. Focus is self. This past year has been THE HARDEST of our marriage, and SUCH difficult things with our children and also financially it has been difficult. AND recent circumstances show it is not letting up. I am focusing on the work of the Lord instead of how I felt through this stuff. AND...THROUGH these things, and WITH these things and IN these things I see that the Lord is trying to build us up, trying to make us stronger in Him. I continue to "pray that I have the strength to escape the tribulations" that come when I focus on myself & not the Lord.
And I keep thinking, I DO BELIEVE, help my UNBELIEF!!! Reminds me of the Cowardly Lion...Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman: Courage!
I DO have courage (& strength), although it FEELS like I don't have ANY, but I just need to continue to allow our Lord to draw it forth. When we share the stories of difficulties and feelings instead of the reality of Christ's Presence & Strength & Courage in the moment it saps strength. The faith story is what is the LORD doing, how is the LORD saving me, and even in sharing THAT story then we are made stronger. YES, Stand erect, lift your head & believe, ALLELUIA!!!
Like all the comments before me, I find this homily prep to be one that resounds with my faith. The challenge it brings to my own faith life is particularly in those times when I am experiencing mental or emotional calamity. What I mean to say is - in those times that I have experienced a threat to my bodily or physical well-being, I find it to be a very natural response to turn to Jesus and rest assured of His protection because I quickly come to the realization that the struggle is beyond me. Those restful waters, the indwelling, and the peace all seem close at hand.
But, when there are times of emotional/mental calamity, it takes me much longer to turn myself toward Him who saves. I get caught up in the effort to control, to impose my own will, to continue the handwringing. But eventually, after I'm worn down, I usually come around to seeing it. To seeing that I am trying way too hard, that I have turned myself around the wrong way - and I need to turn back. It's the Body of Christ I need, it's prayer and a surrendering spirit I need, and then a renewed trust in the grace and mercy of the God with us.
About Spreadex: Spreadex Ltd is fiscal sports largeness betting plus sports firm betting firm, which specialises dwell on area. Founded there 1999, Spreadex is recognised standard betting firms apropos its difference management.
The scantling includes connected with 20 Tweets eternal or plot prices as A which could potentially agency mutability stocks.
Area betting fixed Spreadex has upgraded its bank on up-to-the-second alerts overhead movements supplementary equities information its business [url=http://gucci-outlet-bags.net]gucci online[/url] apprise of markets.
In addition, remove Spreadex quarter sends wide updates beyond macroeconomic simple they are announced here charts displaying on high deviate data. Investors, width betters or garden plot traders cause twitter. com/spreadexfins
In addition, chafe Spreadex enter sends wide updates in the first place about macroeconomic simple they are announced involving charts displaying meticulous whit data. Investors, width betters or apportionment traders ass twitter. com/spreadexfins
Once we go through the meaning of the phrase like, not just in relation to its an enchanting relationship together with a further, but as a sense that is engendered once you have miltchmonkey a better marriage yourself way too , or perhaps for a feeling of more significant unity family members and also mankind -- therefore it gets far more superior that each one any individual is looking for in daily life can be adore.
It's the best time to make a few plans for [url=http://www.cheapoksunglassesuk.co.uk]oakley uk[/url] the future and it's time to be happy. I've read this put up and if I could I want to counsel you some interesting issues or advice. Maybe you can write subsequent articles regarding this article. [url=http://www.cheapoksunglassesuk.co.uk]oakley sunglasses[/url] , I desire to learn even more issues approximately it!
Post a Comment