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Today's Homily In Our Local Church
Topic Started: Sunday, 23. March 2008, 18:00 (252 Views)
Rose of York
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We have on this forum, homilies given by His Holiness the Pope and other great preachers.

How about commenting on good homilies we have heard in our own parishes? Today I heard a very good one. Later today I will give a report.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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Our new parish priest has a deep love and knowledge of scripture.

What hit me like a bolt from the blue today was his comment that Peter, who denied Christ three times, and was not with the man he loved as he lay dying on the cross, suddenly appeared outdoors proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. Our priest said "If Peter had not been convinced Jesus was alive, would he have done that? Think about it."

I would love to hear about other parish homilies.
Keep the Faith!

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KatyA

I've just read Deacon Greg Kandra's homily for his parish in LA and thought it worth sharing. Here is part of it.

Deacon Greg Kandra
 
t also showed, vividly, what happens if you follow the crowd - people looking for something sensational.

Very often, the first instinct of a crowd is to get it wrong.
It's true today. And it was true 2,000 years ago.
The crowds, after all, are the ones who called out for Christ's crucifixion. In today's gospel, as that moment draws near, Jesus wonders what they think of him. "Who do the crowds say that I am?," Jesus asks. And every answer is not only incredible, but incredibly wrong. John the Baptist. Elijah. An ancient prophet risen from the dead.
Which prompts Jesus to ask the real question - the question that matters to the disciples gathered in that solitary place to pray...and the one that matters to the disciples gathered here, praying in this church.
"Who do you say that I am?"
And Peter answers.
"The Christ of God."

In a great irony, Peter...the man who will later deny knowing Jesus...knows exactly who he is.
But what about us?
Jesus asks us the same question.
"Who do you say that I am?"
A few years ago, ABC News tried to answer that question, and did some investigation into the "historical Jesus." After picking apart what we do and do not know about Christ's life, death and resurrection, Peter Jennings concluded: something happened. It defies logic why scores of people in first century Judea would give their lives - suffer and bleed and die - for someone who was only a legend. Something transformed a ragtag group of observant Jews - fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes and otherwise unremarkable sinners - into Christians, and martyrs.
Something made them do what Jesus said they would have to do: "Take up your cross daily and follow me."

Of course, we know that "something" was the resurrection: seeing and experiencing the risen Christ. Knowing his redeeming power. Grasping at last what it truly means "to love one another as I loved you." That personal encounter changed everything.
After that, they couldn't help but gaze at him, in wonder and in awe, and agree with Peter: "You are the Christ of God."
Can we say as much? Our experiences aren't all that different.
The apostles had witnessed miracles. Every Sunday, we witness the miracle of the Eucharist, and relive and remember Christ's great sacrifice.
They had heard for themselves God's word. We hear it here, week after week, from this pulpit.
Jesus had walked the roads with them, talked with them, touched them, healed them.
Jesus still walks with us. He still speaks to us - if we listen. His hand still reaches out to us -- in friendship, and consolation, and healing.
The apostles had shared meals with him, broken bread with him. We will do that, too, just moments from now. More than merely a meal, we will share in Christ himself.
The beautiful fact is this: the Jesus who had prayed and preached with them is with us, here and now. He remains a part of us.
As they did 2,000 years ago, "the crowds" will get things wrong. They usually do. A world that chases celebrities and gossip will not see the Son of God for what he truly is.
But the most powerful and penetrating reality of Jesus Christ isn't out there, in an anonymous crowd. It's closer than we think. It is here in the Eucharist, something we can touch and taste. It is in God's grace. In His mercy. And it is in His unending love, which gave us His only son.

What others think and believe is irrelevant compared to all that.

Jesus asks: "Who do you say that I am?"

How can we help but answer, with certainty, with gratitude, and with wonder: "You are the Christ of God."

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/deaconsbench/2010/06/homily-for-june-20-2010-12th-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html#ixzz0rJuaPCmI
The Deacon's Bench
KatyA
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Deacon Robert
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We often hear ourselves say, "I just can't believe all that." Or we hear others ask, "How can you believe that?"

All of us wish there was something we could do about our doubts, especial¬ly when it comes to our faith.

Well, an increase of faith is the issue of to day's selection from Luke's Gospel. "Increase our faith," the apostles tell the Lord.

But the response Jesus gives is not expected. He tells them that they don't need an increase. The little bit they have - no matter how minute - is suf¬ficient to do the impossible.

Now, we realize that faith is im¬material and cannot be measured. Yet, Jesus, using a measuring metaphor, declares that the tiniest amount, which defies measurement, is sufficient.

For example, if we had 1/16th of a teaspoon of faith we'd be able to say to a maple tree: "Be uprooted and transplanted into the lake," and the im¬possible would obey us.

What is this minute faith we are talking about? Exactly what is faith?

Is it a type of magic, which we use to control God? Can we back God into a comer and force Him to give us what we want?

Maybe faith is a consumer item, which comes canned or packaged on our grocery shelves with a UPC sign on the side for quick and easy check out.

Another characterization of faith pictures God as a Coke machine into which we drop 50 cents of faith, press the selection button and wait for our choice to roll out.

No, these cannot be good defini¬tions of faith, can they?

Faith is a gift offered by God to people. Faith is a human response to God's initiative in the context of a relationship with God. God makes the first move. Then, we make a personal response to God's personal initiative.

We cooperate with God. Faith is doing God's will. Faith is God acting in us despite us.

This is the faith echoed by the prophet Habbakuk. It is a security similar to that of a child with his or her parents. The security of faith is found in God alone, when one is surrounded by violence, misery, destruction, or strife:

This faith gives us a vision of cooperation with God. We interiorly know that God will fulfill His promises, just as we trust a friend to keep a promise. We will not be disappointed. So, in faith we wait for God; we wait for the vision.

People with faith are capable of doing what is asked of them, according to Luke, no matter how impossible the deed may seem.

This doesn't imply that minute faith is without limits. Faith does have limits. Its limits are found in the story of the master's servant with two jobs; he was responsible for running the garden and the kitchen.

The faithful servant does what God wants. There is no room for moral supe¬riority, personal elevation, or self¬-aggrandizement. We are useless ser¬vants. We do no more than our duty.

God's gracious initiative should spark a response of faith, which makes God's will achievable. However, no achievement can go beyond what is expected; the servant did only what his master expected. God gives us all we need to do what He asks of us, and no more.

Knowing this about faith, there is no reason to ask for an increase of faith. If God offers and we respond, the re¬quest for more faith is useless.

The Lukan setting for this discus¬sion of faith is missing in today's selec¬tion. Jesus introduces this discussion by reminding us to use our Christian in¬fluence responsibly.

We are not to cause others to stumble. Also, we are to offer limitless forgiveness to those who repent.

God relates to sinners with forgive¬ness. Since we are forgiven sinners to whom God has shown and continues to show mercy, in faith we respond with mercy and forgiveness toward those who sin against us.

Indeed, this is what we pray every time we say the Lord's Prayer: ". . . For¬give us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. . . ."


A Christian exercises a responsible use of his or her influence and offers limitless forgiveness, according to Luke. God gives us enough faith so we can respond and forgive, as God wills. We don't need an increase of faith.

Do we have enough faith to live this way? Luke says yes. We don't need to ask for more faith. All we have to do is to use what we have.

Our minute faith is sufficient to cooperate with God. After all, "We are useless servants." We are to do no more than our duty.
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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Rose of York
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Deacon Robert thank you very much for posting a homily. I hope you can help me with something.

I still remember, when I was in the junior school, aged about 8, a nun giving religious instruction, told us we must be grateful for our faith because it was a gift from God. Fair enough, that is correct but she told us we must value our faith because God has given it to us, but not to everybody. I sat there thinking "God would not be so mean." The wisdom of a child!

Is faith given to all people, or only to some? Surely God is not selective with such a precious gift?
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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Deacon Robert wrote:

"For example, if we had 1/16th of a teaspoon of faith we'd be able to say to a maple tree: "Be uprooted and transplanted into the lake," and the im¬possible would obey us."

Does this mean we could work wonders - with the help of God of course? If so where have we all been all this time? We surely could have eased the world's and individual peoples ills?

Please don't misunderstand me I'm not wishing to be cynical or doubting I'm only asking, because it seems to me, after reading that sentence, we have been very slow on the uptake. Naturally I'm not suggesting we use such Faith to dig-up the weeds in the garden (but then why not?) but for more serious motives.
Derekap
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Alpac

:tc: I pray for rain to water the crops while someone else prays for fine weather for their BBQ. (What if the tree you move is left in the path of someone elses light?)
At the risk of distracting, is a good Homily one which explores and educates us in the scriptural origins of the passage or the one which brings the words of Jesus Alive? Its just that sometimes I get very bored when we have a priest who gives a scripture lesson.

Edited by Alpac, Monday, 4. October 2010, 12:04.
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Deacon Robert
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I thiught this homily was good when I first resd it, my opinion has not changed in the last 20 years. It is still good. I came upon it while researching for my own this weekend.

Rose

Scripture tells us that we each recieve certain gifts but not all or many recieve every gift. It may be that all have been given the gift of faith, but some reject it or are unable to respond to it. It also may be that some do not recieve the gift of faith yet recieve other of the gifts in a greater amount.

Derekap

"For example, if we had 1/16th of a teaspoon of faith we'd be able to say to a maple tree: "Be uprooted and transplanted into the lake," and the im¬possible would obey us."

This is a paraphase of Luke 17: 6. The words are attributed to our Lord, Considering that "all his words are true". I believe it and we are very slow on the uptake.

Alpac

A good homily can be instructional or topical and still bring the words of Jesus alive. The trick, if you can call that, is to know who you are preaching to. We have 5 Masses in English each week. Each group has a different dynamic we learn, by feedback from the people what is needed for each group.
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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Derekap
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Since my entry at midday today, I have thought that when we pray for the benefit of those in need in less developed countries (and even elsewhere) miracles may happen of which we have no realisation. If miracles happened frequently in our presence at our command we would obviously get very swollen-headed and most likely overlook Who was really responsible.
Derekap
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Paduan
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Surely then, if we overlooked the source of the miracles, we would develop faith more in ourselves rather than God, and the miracles would cease. Is this actually a lesson in humility?
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
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