On second thought, guided by the Spirit

So earlier today I posted my homily and that is pretty much the homily I was guided to prepare all week long.  It actually all came together by Wednesday afternoon.  What you read here on my blog today was about 95% of what I delivered.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, today, when I preached, there was some additional stuff that just seemed like had to be said.

First, when mentioning Ash Wednesday, I recalled the 107 inmates who came to the chapel this week to receive ashes; many of them in tears.  It was a great testimony to their faith and great strength as many will be made fun of or challenged when they returned to their dorms.  This reminded me of my very 1st Ash Wednesday at Rayburn, before I was ordained,  the night I became convinced that I must continue in prison ministry after ordination.  In the infirmary, one inmate, big, bad, but reduced to suffering and struggling in a wheel chair, asked me for ashes.  As he received the ashes, big huge tears flowed and he just keep saying I'm sorry, forgive me, talking past me and straight to God.  It was a profoundly beautiful and spiritual moment.

Then, when speaking of Jesus in the desert, tempted by the evil one himself, I reminded everyone that Satan is real and evil is real.  Just this week, evil visited innocent students and dedicated teachers at that Florida school massacre.  And I added that we should ignore those who criticize others for sending their prayers because no one should doubt the power of prayer, even in such tragedies as we witnessed last week.

Finally, another reminder that our prayer must always benefit not only self, but others.  And the same is true for fasting and even giving alms.

So those are the things I remember that were added to what I wrote, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  You know when I learned the art of preaching, homiletics they call it, I was always encouraged not to write out the homily.  If we were to write anything, it would be important words, phrases or thoughts in one of the several boxes that distinguished what part of the homily it was specific to.  I admit, I write them out, primarily to reproduce here, but I do believe it is better to not read a homily verbatim once in the ambo.  I will also share with you that I choose to preach from the ambo, and not wander around or stand in the front of the church.  I'm more than comfortable in preaching from anywhere but I honor the ambo for what it is, the altar of the Word.  Just like the main altar is an altar in every sense of the word, where the holy sacrifice of the Mass occurs, the ambo is an altar for the proclamation of God's Word, including, if practical, the Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel verse(commonly referred to as the Alleluia verse except in Lent and Advent).  It is where the Gospel is proclaimed and therefore, should be where the readings, especially the Gospel is broken open in the homily.  Hence, that's where I stay.  Heck, even the intentions are offered from the ambo, or should be.

So on second thought, I wanted to share with you everything that transpired in one homily experience; an experience I treasure and always hope is great moment of teaching and spiritual edification!