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, November 22, 2013
Video Homily Prep for Nov 24 - Christ the King
-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 8:00am and 12:30pm on Sunday
Some thoughts: I am reminded of the woman who hires a house cleaner but cleans her house first so as to not be embarrassed by her untidiness. Jesus was born as an infant in a manger with nothing, but was also a king. As far as leading, I think that just by walking alongside, being friendly, we are actually leading without words or preaching. On loss - I have found that while people are consoling you on your loss, in fact you are really consoling them in theirs.
In a challenge or a loss, I tend to "hide" how I'm actually feeling and put on the proverbial "happy face". Most would never even know that things are difficult for me at the time and I tend to go inside of myself. For me, prayer is the refuge I use for consolation; along with one very trusted friend besides Jesus. Obviously that's not showing much leadership through trials! However, on evangelization, actions speak volumes. Being a servant, as Jesus showed us, turning the other cheek when hurt, and inviting people to walk with you can also show leadership.
I rarely show my emotions now when I am faced with challenges or hard times. . It took awhile not to show my feelings, either anger or sadness. All my emotions are expressed to God in prayer. I know people are watching, but not commenting. In the future maybe they will ask what holds me together.
I like the questions you pose. The thought of someone following me around for a year, and wondering where I would lead them, gave me pause. And then - how I am leading in the difficult moments, was another great question.
I just observed a situation among some good people that I think was reflective of an attitude I could envision in myself. It started with a disagreement between the two - and the heat in the argument was rising: neither seemed willing to back down. Both were arguing on principle. But then suddenly one took a "turn". He graciously begged to step aside, reminded the other of their good friendship, and explained he hadn't intended to cause any hardship. To solve the problem, he decided to follow an alternate course that would produce essentially the same end result but would require even more "of him" than his original proposed solution.
So, this gentleman had to "lose" the argument - he had to give in. But somewhere in the middle of the disagreement he remembered Christ. He remembered how he was called to lead as "servant" and to give away more of himself -and to do so with love and grace - not with resentment and "attitude".
I can see myself in that - starting down the path that my ego takes me - but hopefully I wake up somewhere along the way and see the call to die to self. I hope the next time it happens I do so with the love and grace that we see in Christ the King.
Seems to me, that in my "dying" I tend to hold onto Jesus even more closely and the relationship becomes even stronger, deeper, more loving and more vivid within me; thus, becoming more and more made up of Him.
As how this may lead others to Him and to the Kingdom for me is in a beautiful interior way. As we "voluntarily" dye to ourselves in order to give to someone the gift of love from within our hearts, the gift of Jesus; the gift of the Kingdom by interior prayer and contemplation and union of hearts.
5 comments:
Some thoughts: I am reminded of the woman who hires a house cleaner but cleans her house first so as to not be embarrassed by her untidiness. Jesus was born as an infant in a manger with nothing, but was also a king. As far as leading, I think that just by walking alongside, being friendly, we are actually leading without words or preaching. On loss - I have found that while people are consoling you on your loss, in fact you are really consoling them in theirs.
In a challenge or a loss, I tend to "hide" how I'm actually feeling and put on the proverbial "happy face". Most would never even know that things are difficult for me at the time and I tend to go inside of myself.
For me, prayer is the refuge I use for consolation; along with one very trusted friend besides Jesus. Obviously that's not showing much leadership through trials! However, on evangelization, actions speak volumes. Being a servant, as Jesus showed us, turning the other cheek when hurt, and inviting people to walk with you can also show leadership.
I rarely show my emotions now when I am faced with challenges or hard times. .
It took awhile not to show my feelings, either anger or sadness.
All my emotions are expressed to God in prayer.
I know people are watching, but not commenting. In the future maybe they will ask what holds me together.
I like the questions you pose. The thought of someone following me around for a year, and wondering where I would lead them, gave me pause. And then - how I am leading in the difficult moments, was another great question.
I just observed a situation among some good people that I think was reflective of an attitude I could envision in myself. It started with a disagreement between the two - and the heat in the argument was rising: neither seemed willing to back down. Both were arguing on principle. But then suddenly one took a "turn". He graciously begged to step aside, reminded the other of their good friendship, and explained he hadn't intended to cause any hardship. To solve the problem, he decided to follow an alternate course that would produce essentially the same end result but would require even more "of him" than his original proposed solution.
So, this gentleman had to "lose" the argument - he had to give in. But somewhere in the middle of the disagreement he remembered Christ. He remembered how he was called to lead as "servant" and to give away more of himself -and to do so with love and grace - not with resentment and "attitude".
I can see myself in that - starting down the path that my ego takes me - but hopefully I wake up somewhere along the way and see the call to die to self. I hope the next time it happens I do so with the love and grace that we see in Christ the King.
Seems to me, that in my "dying" I tend to hold onto Jesus even more closely and the relationship becomes even stronger, deeper, more loving and more vivid within me; thus, becoming more and more made up of Him.
As how this may lead others to Him and to the Kingdom for me is in a beautiful interior way. As we "voluntarily" dye to ourselves in order to give to someone the gift of love from within our hearts, the gift of Jesus; the gift of the Kingdom by interior prayer and contemplation and union of hearts.
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