Fr Ed Homily 9-11-20

Preachers

St Paul is expressing a thought that I wonder if many priests, pastors, and deacons do not often think about every day. And all of us would be quick to say we are not particularly good at preaching so just like St Paul we certainly do not go around boasting about it. For me, it is the story of the two men walking to Emmaus. Once they recognized Jesus they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” With every homily I give I wonder if anyone’s heart was burning within them, or were they just suffering from heartburn. Was I the reason for the heartburn? And as in the first reading what I give I offer free of charge because I am sure no one would pay for it anyway.

Yet it does not all fall on the shoulders of the priest to do the preaching. With your baptism you were given some priestly duties as well. You are to learn the faith from your parents. Then as your faith matures you are to share that faith with others. And finally, you teach your children the faith.

And don’t you be saying you don’t know the faith well enough to teach. Wrong answer. You know it well enough, right now, with what you know to begin preaching. Do you know that for every homily you have ever heard, the person giving the homily had a homily in mind that he wanted to give? He remembers the homily he did give. And then he thinks of the homily he should have given. We all keep learning. There are things that we knew and understood yesterday that are now different today. You cannot go back in time because you are thinking of what you should have done. Nor can you project yourself in the future because you only know what you know right now. That means live for the moment right now. Share the faith you know and love and understand right now. And if we say something wrong be humble and accept correction. Then get excited and let your heart burn within you to go out share what you now know.

May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen