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, December 5, 2013
December 8 homily prep
-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 Sat eve and 9:30am Sunday
"What ought we to DO?"
"
4 comments:
Sue
said...
It does resonate with me and those I know--same confession, sitting in the same pew, going thru the motions. Its easier. Complacency is the right word. We continue as we have, day after day, unless we are challenged somehow. And your message is a challenge. We may not know where/how to begin, so I like that you've included suggestions for us to act upon.
More than ever! Thank you Father! Your homily is full of encouragement to leave the same ol' and leap into a more enthusiastic embrace of the Kingdom of God. Your words have a special unction this week- more than ever.
"Same old, same old." That line in the Matador’s homily last week and hearing it again in this reflection makes me think about the movie Groundhog Day. In the movie, Bill Murray is trapped and wakes up to every day being the same in Punxsutawney, PA - and he is a miserable, arrogant, self-centered man. At first he becomes even more miserable as he finds himself trapped in the time loop. As a result, he repeatedly attempts to take his own life - only to wake up again the next day in the same bed with the same events taking place around him. BUT - and this is where it connects with the Matador's teaching - he learns that by changing his behavior, by doing something new, new possibilities open in the day. AND he eventually learns (with repeated opportunities to "try again") that what brings him the purest joy is when he changes his behavior in a way that helps another. It’s only then that he becomes a happier person and discovers his true self.
I think the movie gives an example of the teaching in this homily reflection – that it is when we occupy ourselves with the welfare of others – with “being more like the Kingdom of God” (love that line) – that we live out the Joy of the Gospel and see that God is with us. The encouragement to “not become discouraged over your failures of the past” was very helpful to me – because I can become stuck in that discouragement. This teaching to shake myself free of that and to believe in God’s grace at work daily in my life reminds me to open my eyes and to see God always at work in new ways.
I think change is always good. We get stuck in the comforts of the same things and sometimes we don't like or fear the newness of change. Sometimes we have to go out of our comfort and face new challenges. I have been stuck with the same prayer life, but today I tried to do centering prayer again and it was very different and I am going to continue with it.
4 comments:
It does resonate with me and those I know--same confession, sitting in the same pew, going thru the motions. Its easier. Complacency is the right word. We continue as we have, day after day, unless we are challenged somehow. And your message is a challenge. We may not know where/how to begin, so I like that you've included suggestions for us to act upon.
More than ever! Thank you Father!
Your homily is full of encouragement to leave the same ol' and leap into a more enthusiastic embrace of the Kingdom of God. Your words have a special unction this week- more than ever.
"Same old, same old." That line in the Matador’s homily last week and hearing it again in this reflection makes me think about the movie Groundhog Day. In the movie, Bill Murray is trapped and wakes up to every day being the same in Punxsutawney, PA - and he is a miserable, arrogant, self-centered man. At first he becomes even more miserable as he finds himself trapped in the time loop. As a result, he repeatedly attempts to take his own life - only to wake up again the next day in the same bed with the same events taking place around him. BUT - and this is where it connects with the Matador's teaching - he learns that by changing his behavior, by doing something new, new possibilities open in the day. AND he eventually learns (with repeated opportunities to "try again") that what brings him the purest joy is when he changes his behavior in a way that helps another. It’s only then that he becomes a happier person and discovers his true self.
I think the movie gives an example of the teaching in this homily reflection – that it is when we occupy ourselves with the welfare of others – with “being more like the Kingdom of God” (love that line) – that we live out the Joy of the Gospel and see that God is with us. The encouragement to “not become discouraged over your failures of the past” was very helpful to me – because I can become stuck in that discouragement. This teaching to shake myself free of that and to believe in God’s grace at work daily in my life reminds me to open my eyes and to see God always at work in new ways.
I think change is always good. We get stuck in the comforts of the same things and sometimes we don't like or fear the newness of change.
Sometimes we have to go out of our comfort and face new challenges.
I have been stuck with the same prayer life, but today I tried to do centering prayer again and it was very different and I am going to continue with it.
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