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!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Homily Prep for Ascension May 12
-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 5:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday
WOW! Father, You put so eloquently into words, that which the Spirit was teaching, showing me just before I heard your reflection this morning. After morning Mass,in all His glorious splendor showing me His glory through the submission; the letting go in His Spirit. The timing . . . incredible. (His very Spirit manifested in your words to me, through you). Great inspiration Father; making for a great, great homily. Thank you
Along with your thoughts Father and my thoughts above and you homily prep from last week; regarding the deepening of God within, I would like to say that with all this; as with all things, a spirit of discernment must accompany both “ideas”. What I mean is that for many years I was constantly living “high” in the Spirit, constantly letting go of everything that came my way; never letting anything deepen or obtain a commitment from deep within my heart. I am speaking in particular about your comment regarding “making our world smaller” in regards to “holding on” to something, or someone. Yet is was precisely this in which our Lord was “using”, "creating" in my world, to show me He wanted me to hold on; to deepen, by sending to me a dear friend who helped me to see that sometime He desires us to “hold on” to something, or someone whom He puts into our lives for Him . . . It is a sublime, fine line, discerning balance between letting go and holding on for Him. I would love to hear your inspired thoughts on the sublime difference.
BURN BABY, BURN!!! Remember Disco Inferno from Saturday Night Fever by the Trammps?!! Anyway… you've defined well & accurately identified something we ALL know and experience and can relate to ... "burning of the heart when we cling to that which has passed by us.” BURN BABY, BURN!!!
LOVE the list of vast examples you give, BURN BABY, BURN!!! Without the examples you gave, I would not have even recognized or been able to realize in these years past of how many things I have clung to, that I was not letting go of.
Why does letting go have to be such a process, such a big deal...wait, does it have to be? Is it more a decision than process? You can let go of that rope anytime, right?
I am struck with the idea of an "Ascension spirituality" and, as JoyF mentions above, the examples you give help us to enter into the meaning of that. Our lives are FILLED with having to let go. We can indeed shape our spiritual way of thinking to include this understanding of” farewelling”, because things as simple as each passing day include a call to “release”. We cannot hold on to time or experiences that happen within those times, but we can learn how to drink of them in a holy and full way - allowing ourselves to be changed by them if they bring us closer to God. And then we must let them go, so that we can grow even more - else we will suffer from our small-minded vision of what is meant to be.
Something I like about this "Ascension spirituality" is that it speaks both of letting go and entering into greater fulfillment. It is hard for us to imagine the “fulfillment” part. I thought it was perfect when you reminded us that we can get in the way, or we can stop God’s work in our lives – His ability to bring things to greater glory – if we are hanging onto, clinging to, how we want things to be. As you say, the temptation and inclination to “hold on” is our pusillanimous minds at work. But that's where faith comes in. We're not meant to figure it out all the time - but we are called to trust, and then take the leap to live it out.
5 comments:
WOW! Father, You put so eloquently into words, that which the Spirit was teaching, showing me just before I heard your reflection this morning. After morning Mass,in all His glorious splendor showing me His glory through the submission; the letting go in His Spirit. The timing . . . incredible. (His very Spirit manifested in your words to me, through you).
Great inspiration Father; making for a great, great homily.
Thank you
Along with your thoughts Father and my thoughts above and you homily prep from last week; regarding the deepening of God within, I would like to say that with all this; as with all things, a spirit of discernment must accompany both “ideas”.
What I mean is that for many years I was constantly living “high” in the Spirit, constantly letting go of everything that came my way; never letting anything deepen or obtain a commitment from deep within my heart. I am speaking in particular about your comment regarding “making our world smaller” in regards to “holding on” to something, or someone. Yet is was precisely this in which our Lord was “using”, "creating" in my world, to show me He wanted me to hold on; to deepen, by sending to me a dear friend who helped me to see that sometime He desires us to “hold on” to something, or someone whom He puts into our lives for Him . . . It is a sublime, fine line, discerning balance between letting go and holding on for Him.
I would love to hear your inspired thoughts on the sublime difference.
BURN BABY, BURN!!! Remember Disco Inferno from Saturday Night Fever by the Trammps?!! Anyway… you've defined well & accurately identified something we ALL know and experience and can relate to ... "burning of the heart when we cling to that which has passed by us.” BURN BABY, BURN!!!
LOVE the list of vast examples you give, BURN BABY, BURN!!! Without the examples you gave, I would not have even recognized or been able to realize in these years past of how many things I have clung to, that I was not letting go of.
Why does letting go have to be such a process, such a big deal...wait, does it have to be? Is it more a decision than process? You can let go of that rope anytime, right?
I am struck with the idea of an "Ascension spirituality" and, as JoyF mentions above, the examples you give help us to enter into the meaning of that. Our lives are FILLED with having to let go. We can indeed shape our spiritual way of thinking to include this understanding of” farewelling”, because things as simple as each passing day include a call to “release”. We cannot hold on to time or experiences that happen within those times, but we can learn how to drink of them in a holy and full way - allowing ourselves to be changed by them if they bring us closer to God. And then we must let them go, so that we can grow even more - else we will suffer from our small-minded vision of what is meant to be.
Something I like about this "Ascension spirituality" is that it speaks both of letting go and entering into greater fulfillment. It is hard for us to imagine the “fulfillment” part. I thought it was perfect when you reminded us that we can get in the way, or we can stop God’s work in our lives – His ability to bring things to greater glory – if we are hanging onto, clinging to, how we want things to be. As you say, the temptation and inclination to “hold on” is our pusillanimous minds at work. But that's where faith comes in. We're not meant to figure it out all the time - but we are called to trust, and then take the leap to live it out.
hi
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