Suggestions
about our site? Send us your Comments
|
Homily for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Nov 5, 2006)
Intro: November is
the month to think about those who have died, think about the day of
judgment and getting into heaven; think about our hope of being counted
among the saints.
Story:
Once there were two brothers who were scoundrels – cheating, stealing
and using everyone they could. When Rob died and Ron called the priest
about having a funeral mass in church, the priest reminded him that
neither of them ever came to church and it might be better to not have
Eucharist but a simple service. But to get his way, Ron told the priest
there would be a very large stipend if the priest would agree to go
along. The priest gave in to Ron, probably because Ron was so insistent.
Then Ron said: I have a favor to ask. What is that? I want you to
refer to my brother as a saint. But the whole county knows that your
brother treated people terribly. I
am not sure whether it was the money or the priest had a weird sense of
humor, but he agreed to grant Ron’s request. During the sermon, the
priest pointed at the casket and said: “You know this man was a
scoundrel, but he was a saint compared to his brother.”
How do you become a
saint? How do you get into heaven?
The scribe in today’s gospel honestly wants to know what is the
most important commandment for those who want to be in the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
. Jesus says that it all comes down to one commandment with two parts:
Hear, O
Israel
, you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind &
soul
And you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
When the Scribe
agrees that love of God, neighbor and self is even more important than
doing religious duties, Jesus compliments him: You
are not far from the
Kingdom
of
God
.
|
How do
you become a saint: You must love God with your whole heart,
mind, soul and strength
|
|
·
Wholehearted
love of God means that your heart
will not have room for greed, selfishness and vindictive attitudes
toward your neighbor. |
|
·
A mind
filled the God’s love will constantly be seeking ways to
come closer to God by serving your neighbors. |
|
·
Your soul
will be so filled with God’s Spirit, that you will truly be able
to love yourself in a way that opens you to love other people
even more |
|
·
Those who love with all their strength, will be able to pour out their last
ounce of energy to help their child, parent, neighbor or even
a stranger in need. |
Story:
After Robert Pierce found out that he was dying, he went to visit his
friend Borneo Bob Williams at his mission Station in
Indonesia
. When he saw a girl lying on a mat on the ground, he asked why she was
down there in the mud, rather than on a clean bed. Borneo Bob explained
that this jungle girl was very ill and in great pain and had asked to be
laid by the river. A great
sense of sadness and pity filled his heart as Robert Pierce went over to
kneel beside her to pray. As
he gently rubbed her forehead, she kept crying out: If I could only sleep again. Bob Pierce knew his own share of
pain and sleepless nights, but at that moment he took out his bottle
of pain pills and gave them to Borneo Bob.
Make
sure she gets a good night sleep from now on.
Concl: Robert Pierce would
have to endure his pain and go without sleep himself until his
prescription could be filled again. I think he know something about what
it means to love God with all your heart and all your strength; what it
means to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
|
