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.
I love Catholic podcasting. Cardinal Arinze has some great ones (video podcasts, too!) and I’ve got the link on my site if you are interested.
Thanks for the plug.
If you really like my homily this week, I’d be interested to know why. Many weeks, we priests prepare a homily we don’t like very much; this was one of those weeks for me. Sometimes, however, I find the homily I don’t like, is one others do like. So its helpful to know why.
In truth, I had two homilies this weekend. The one I posted was for a neighboring parish—I filled in at the last minute.
At my parish, the retired priest and I made an appeal for folks to work our bingo. Say what you like; but it has to be done from time to time.
If anyone wants to see that homily, you let me know . . .
It’s not so much any particular thing you said. Rather, it’s that the priest himself has a particular outlook that makes even homilies that he believes are mediocre better than ones from priests who think theirs are great.
The priest at my back up parish gave a fantasitc homily. He taught and disciplined at the same time. We’ve been having problems with people chewing gum in the communion line, eating snacks, and leaving the Hosts in the pews.
Father explained that none of this is cool and he explained at length why. It was beautiful. Babies stopped crying, people were sitting up and leanning forward. The church was so still you could’ve heard a mouse walking on cotton while he talked.
I had a funny thing happen at Mass today, of which Dymphna reminded me. . .
I was proclaiming the Gospel, and somewhere, a child was sort of crying—something I’ve learned to ignore.
I came to the place in the Gospel where the Lord said to the unclean spirit: “Be quiet!” and I said it with some force—and I swear, the child instantly stopped crying! I kept going, not smiling . . .