~~~SisterSea~~~

Shared Homily   First Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Second Reading: 1 Peter 3.15-18 Gospel Reading: John 14.15-21 Today, we're going to do things a little different. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles leaves out several verses, which I think enhance the meaning of the final four verses that were read. So, I'm going to ask one of you to read the first reading again as it is in the lectionary, omitting the highlighted verses. Read it once more, this time including the highlighted verses. Acts 8:5-8, 9-13, 14-17 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralysed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy ...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Acts 2.14, 36-41 Second Reading: 1 Peter 2.20-25 Gospel Reading: J ohn 10.1-10 One of the questions facing Christians today is how to honour our faith and our baptism without becoming elitist and exclusionary. One way is to embrace the cosmic meaning of our baptism, which is to live in the experience of Christ. Bonaventure says God's visage is present in every creature, that is, God is expressed in all things, so that each creature is a symbol and a sacrament of God's presence. “Attentiveness to the other ... means relating to the other ... as icon through which the infinite goodness of God radiates. This is the basis of viewing creation as family in which we relate to all beings as brothers and sisters. ... To live in the experience of Christ is to live in the experience of relatedness, to be a member of the cosmic family, because...