Looking back this week

The homily this weekend was a tough one. Moral homilies are rare today and they are always difficult to preach, and I suspect, to hear. In fact I wish I didn't have to preach them at all, but I know they must be preached when the Gospel and/or Liturgy of the Word takes me there in prayer. Many parishioners pointed out that, painful as they may be for some people to hear, some things need to be said. It's so hard to voice Christ and His Church's moral teaching in a culture that simply doesn't recognize sin as problem. For many Jesus is just a nice guy, not a teacher. It's hard to be a disciple (a student) of Christ anymore; we all want to teach Him and the Church instead! It was a Lenten penance for me to preach this last homily. Thank you for your prayer.

Homily - 5th Sun. Lent (C)

I'm up to preach this coming weekend. At this point, I am leaning toward doing an Ignatian "representation of place," meaning that I will ask us to put ourselves "into" the scene. Then I'd like to make some application to our real lives today - sin, shame, sexuality, Jesus' compassion, Holy Week, etc.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to read them. Contact me at deaconhynes@gmail.com.

Deacon Bill+