B
BLB_Oregon
Guest
I will tell you what I hear:
Not only are the Scriptures for the current Sunday treated, but they are tied in to last week’s, and next week’s, and the entire march of the liturgical year. They are related to the passages that occur before what was actually read, and after. They are related to the great themes of scripture. And yet this is done without forgetting that none of us have a pen and pencil. (He does heckle us that if he refers to a specific passage, most of us have to go scurrying back to our just-shelved missals to see what he’s referring to.)
I hear language and structure appropriate to an oral presentation, rather than something more suited to a formal written presentation. We are talked to, not talked at. I hear something I can turn around and relate to someone who wasn’t there. There are jokes and stories and such, but not stuck on as bribes to get us to listen. They are put in to help the message stick, and they do.
I always hear these themes used as a springboard to issue an invitation and a challenge to alter the way we live our lives, to bring ourselves more and more into the life of Jesus.
I hear a pastoral tone. We exhorted and exhorted to return to the life pointed to by the Word: the tepid to become hot, the hot to pursue greater perfection, yet with an almost complete lack of scolding… easy to please, impossible to satisfy. And I hear examples of how the homilist himself fails in what he is asking us to attempt. When he sits down, I am left thinking, “I could tell him anything I’ve ever done. I can trust him with what I really am.”
I hear a longing for us to appreciate the sacraments, most particularly what is happening at every step during the Mass and what we are missing if we do not come to confession.
I do not hear “You! You had better cut out the funny stuff and get with the program, or you are going to burn, burn, burn!” What I hear is, “Ask yourself: are you satisfying yourself with the slop meant for pigs? Are you forgetting that there is feasting and dancing awaiting your return? Do you remember there is an ocean of love waiting for you that you did not, cannot earn? Oh, and pass it on to the one next to you, the one who’s been driving you nuts all week. Have you forgotten that Jesus is waiting to be met in the needs of your brothers and sisters? Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with yourselves. Now is the acceptable time! Run the race so as to win!” I tell you, you don’t go to my parish and come away thinking that being Catholic is just about staying out of Hell.
What I hear is the Good News. But I will tell you what. I have heard far less gifted homilists, even perfunctory ones, all give me something to reflect on. One used to wander around and get off the subject and you name it. I used to describe him as being like an old lady who gives you this rustic sort of chicken pot pie thing to eat, and you start eating and “Hey, this has truffles in it! This is good!”
I feel for you who don’t have what we have but…dig for the truffles. They are there, in almost every homily I have ever heard. They are there in the liberal ones, they are there in the conservative ones, the song and dance ones, the droning ones. You are at home at Mass, not in exile, touching Heaven for those moments. If you listen with an open heart, God will speak to you through nearly anyone… He really will.
Not only are the Scriptures for the current Sunday treated, but they are tied in to last week’s, and next week’s, and the entire march of the liturgical year. They are related to the passages that occur before what was actually read, and after. They are related to the great themes of scripture. And yet this is done without forgetting that none of us have a pen and pencil. (He does heckle us that if he refers to a specific passage, most of us have to go scurrying back to our just-shelved missals to see what he’s referring to.)
I hear language and structure appropriate to an oral presentation, rather than something more suited to a formal written presentation. We are talked to, not talked at. I hear something I can turn around and relate to someone who wasn’t there. There are jokes and stories and such, but not stuck on as bribes to get us to listen. They are put in to help the message stick, and they do.
I always hear these themes used as a springboard to issue an invitation and a challenge to alter the way we live our lives, to bring ourselves more and more into the life of Jesus.
I hear a pastoral tone. We exhorted and exhorted to return to the life pointed to by the Word: the tepid to become hot, the hot to pursue greater perfection, yet with an almost complete lack of scolding… easy to please, impossible to satisfy. And I hear examples of how the homilist himself fails in what he is asking us to attempt. When he sits down, I am left thinking, “I could tell him anything I’ve ever done. I can trust him with what I really am.”
I hear a longing for us to appreciate the sacraments, most particularly what is happening at every step during the Mass and what we are missing if we do not come to confession.
I do not hear “You! You had better cut out the funny stuff and get with the program, or you are going to burn, burn, burn!” What I hear is, “Ask yourself: are you satisfying yourself with the slop meant for pigs? Are you forgetting that there is feasting and dancing awaiting your return? Do you remember there is an ocean of love waiting for you that you did not, cannot earn? Oh, and pass it on to the one next to you, the one who’s been driving you nuts all week. Have you forgotten that Jesus is waiting to be met in the needs of your brothers and sisters? Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with yourselves. Now is the acceptable time! Run the race so as to win!” I tell you, you don’t go to my parish and come away thinking that being Catholic is just about staying out of Hell.
What I hear is the Good News. But I will tell you what. I have heard far less gifted homilists, even perfunctory ones, all give me something to reflect on. One used to wander around and get off the subject and you name it. I used to describe him as being like an old lady who gives you this rustic sort of chicken pot pie thing to eat, and you start eating and “Hey, this has truffles in it! This is good!”
I feel for you who don’t have what we have but…dig for the truffles. They are there, in almost every homily I have ever heard. They are there in the liberal ones, they are there in the conservative ones, the song and dance ones, the droning ones. You are at home at Mass, not in exile, touching Heaven for those moments. If you listen with an open heart, God will speak to you through nearly anyone… He really will.
