Today I preached at 3 masses and did not really use any text. I usually like to writ them out and publish them but I do believe that bringing a complete text into the ambo is problematic. As I was trained to do in formation, I use notes more so than a complete text.
In any event I almost always reproduce the homily here on my blog. For several reasons I will not do that today instead I will highlight my homily and my approach to this Sunday's readings.
All week long I was moved to mention our current situation across America. Things are hot; too much hate resulting in racism and violence. Of course we see this upfront and personal with the current 24/7 news media that often seeks to cover the most controversial. You could say the news is very interested these days in being the news.
With the context of Charlottesville in mind, I noticed the theme in all the readings, and responsorial psalm, that spoke of unity in God's divine plan. The readings all drove home the theme of "for all". Isaiah prophesied that God's house will be a house of prayer for all peoples. St. Paul tells us that God might have mercy upon all. We prayed our responsorial psalm: let all the nations praise you. Then the great lesson in mercy from our Gospel as we hear the discourse between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. There has always been great tension between the Jews and those from Cana; they really did not like each other and we see Jesus ignore the woman and then explain that helping her would be taking food from the children of Israel and throwing it to the dogs. Ouch! But the woman has great faith and needs a healing for her daughter. She amazes Jesus with her response about dogs eating the scraps. And Jesus saw her as a woman of faith and not a Canaanite and the daughter is healed. In this discourse we see the moment that Jesus' mission is shown to the Gentiles. We know today that Jesus comes to save everyone.
I reflected that all the racism, bigotry, vile hatred we have witnessed this past week, and in our past, is sinful. And to claim to love God and not our brother is a lie. We can't be forgiven unless we forgive, we must never give in to hate. We must all go deep in prayer, fasting and witness, by our service, to personally eradicate hate.
Finally, I asked everyone who heard my homily today to pick that one person in their life that they are not reconciled with, perhaps someone that annoys them or even someone who have expressed hatred to. For that person, pray for them, present them to God and forgive them from your heart.
I now only hope that someone heard my words today, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and after great prayer, and will be able to seek a heart free from all hate and to lift their enemy in prayer.
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