~~~SisterSea~~~

Shared Homily Starter 1 st   Reading:          Amos 6:1a,4-7 Psalm:                    146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9b-10 2 nd Reading:           1 Timothy 6:11-16 Gospel:                   Luke 16:19-31 Today’s readings invite us to think about indifference and to remind us that our actions and interactions with others are an expression of our spiritual selves.   For example, in the first reading, Amos is talking to the elite, who have acquired their wealth and all its trappings and privileges, through exploitation of their underlings, the peasants and the poor.   Even their temple life has become an ostentatious show of wealth rather than worship.   Amos tells us they “sing idle songs to the sound ...

15 September 2013 – Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Exodus 32.7-11, 13-14 Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1.12-17 Gospel: Luke 15.1-32 When I pondered this week’s readings, a theme began to emerge.   Before I delve into the theme, I’d like you to consider a quote from Thomas Berry.   He said, “[O]ne of the basic difficulties of the modern West is its division into a secular scientific community, which is concerned with creative energies, and a religious community, which is concerned with redemptive energies.   So concerned are we with redemptive healing that once healed, we look only to be more healed.   We seldom get to our functional role within the creative intentions of the universe” (Berry 1988:25). When I considered this and looked at the readings again, I saw that what we need to be is not only co-creators but co-redemptors.   For example, in our first reading, have God’s promises to Noah and to Abraham been committed to forgetfu...

Shared Homily Starter First reading: Jeremiah 38.4-6, 8-10 Second reading: Hebrews 12.1-4 Gospel: Luke 12.49-53 If we look at the first reading in terms of today, we could say that the officials are synonymous with the heads of the military-industrial complex.   They ignore the warning signs and want to silence anyone who speaks out about what should be obvious.   In Jeremiah, we hear them say, “This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers and everyone left in the city, by speaking such words to them. He’s not looking our for the   people, but wishes them harm.”   We hear this echoed today in words such as, “These people don’t care about the economy, or jobs.   They are anti-progress, anti-capitalism, anti-American or anti-Canadian.   In the reading, there is one man in the king’s house, who has seen through the rhetoric and tells the king as much.   Ebed-melech has also noticed the signs, the early warni...