Today’s homily was really good. I have been critical of this particular priest in the past, nothing too strenuous, just that he didn’t seem to be too ... motivated.
But this week was different. He started from the First Reading, Deut. 18:15-20, specifically this verse: “But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.” He then went on to talk about preachers who are very popular, who get lots of people to come to their churches and raise lots of money and sell lots of books because they don’t preach the whole Gospel. Instead they preach, what he called, the “feel good” Gospel. Sound like any priests in the Boston archdiocese that you know? Say, a few heterodox priests who nevertheless have full pews on Sundays and this is claimed as success? Anyway, going off of the Second Reading, 1 Cor 7:32-35, he said that we’re supposed to be anxious about pleasing God, but the “feel good” Gospel is about keeping us from being anxious about anything.
Then he went on to talk about Sanctity of Life Sunday last week and how many preachers wouldn’t broach the topic of abortion because it might make people feel bad about themselves. He spoke of the right to life of the unborn and of all people and the problems that abortion has caused us. That’s right, two weeks of pro-life homilies. My parish may have its problems but wimpy priests isn’t one of them.
Incidentally, if you want to read some other good homilies for the week, be sure to check out Fr. Martin Fox’s blog and Fr. Philip Powell’s. Fr. Philip also has it as a podcast. I’ve now subscribed to it for automatic download to my iPod.
