Daily HOMILY for June 24, 2015: Feast of Birth of John the Baptist

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Birth of John the Baptist

The Institute

June 24, 2015

A NEWBORN CHILD +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Birth evokes hopes and dreams for a new child

Ø  Parents marvel at the mystery of life and envision the future of their little one

Ø  Relatives note family resemblances as a ton of photos are taken

Ø  Often an announcement card soon follows

THE BIRTH OF JOHN ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The birth of John the Baptist in Lk cites great joy among Elizabeth’s neighbors when the boy is presented to the Lord in the eighth day

Ø  His chosen name is unique in keep with his destiny and those gathered express fear and awe

Ø  “What, then, will this child be?” they wonder

Ø  John’s beginnings place him in the prophetic line of Is and Jer, who write of having been called from the womb

Ø  Such insight is an awareness that God’s hand is ever in our lives

WHO HE WAS; WHO HE WASN’T ++++++++++++++++

Ø  Someone once noted that the power of John the Baptist was that he knew who he was but, more importantly, who he wasn’t

Ø  He was the forerunner and herald of another

Ø  He said nothing to commend himself to others, other than being a voice in the desert

Ø  In his final witness in Jn, he states that no one can receive anything except what is given from heaven

CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The birth of John the Baptist celebrates the herald of Jesus and invites us to imitate John

Ø  The invitation includes some humble reflection on who we are not

Ø  That we need God; that we need other people we know all to well in our recovering

Ø  Perhaps, at times, to need to follow John and say, “He must increase; I must decrease” as we serve the Lord

Ø  It could well be part of our recovery

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Daily HOMILY for June 23, 2015: Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

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Tuesday 12^th Week OT

The Institute

June 23, 2015

THE RIGHT PATH +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The most important choices in life have consequences

Ø  When we choose one path, we refuse another, maybe several others

Ø  At the time, we can rationalize: “If this is a mistake, I can always turn back later”

Ø  But that rarely happens, as the traveler in Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” knew well

Ø  “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back”

THE DAILY CHOICESE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Every change in course can only begin from the place on which we presently stand

Ø  Moreover, THE dilemma of choice is never a single test

Ø  To use Jesus; words in today’s Gospel, choices are the “narrow gates” along the “constricted road that leads to life”

Ø  And we make those choices daily, sometimes with little thought

Ø  To see a neighbor in need, or not

Ø  To hear his or her suffering, or not

Ø  To take helpful action, or not

Ø  To consciously examine our choices, or not

NARROW GATES +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  If we are inattentive to how “way leads on to way,” we risk becoming morally blind or deaf or paralyzed

Ø  Attentiveness and action, on the other hand, open the narrow gates that make us realize the life for which we were made

CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  As we travel this constricted road, it’s only natural to wish for a map, something to alert us, “Narrow gate here!”

Ø  Fortunately, Jesus has provided us one

Ø  “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”

Ø  And he promises that consistently choosing this road less traveled will ultimately make all the difference

Ø  It’s no wonder it’s called The Golden Rule    

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Daily HOMILY for June 22, 2015: Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

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Monday 12^th Week OT

The Institute

June 22, 2015

GOD’S PEOPLE +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The next 3 weeks bring us readings from the 2^nd part of the Book of Genesis

Ø  They accentuate the blessings promised to Abraham and all humankind

Ø  While the story is basically hopeful, the wrinkles and warts of our race show up vividly

Ø  Jesus pinpoints one of these warts, our excessive willingness to judge others

WE’RE TAUGHT TO JUDGE +++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Our education and our ability to live in the day-to-day world both require that we evaluate matters, test, and decide between this and the

Ø  In other words, that we make judgments

Ø  Employers, public officials, parents, and teachers all must make judgments

Ø  Judging becomes habitual, and to get out of the judging mode becomes difficult at times

Ø  We catch ourselves, when we think of it, judging everything and everyone around us

Ø  We judge hair, opinions, ways of walking & vocab

SUGGESTIONS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  A few suggestions when we find ourselves judging

Ø  1^st When tempted to judge others in matters not our business or when we have insufficient knowledge, turn the judging back on ourselves?

Ø  E.g. “How do I fare in the same matter?”

Ø  Jesus: “Remove wooden beam from your eye 1st; then see clearly 2 remove splinter from brother’s”

Ø  2^nd See not judging another as giving myself a rest

Ø  Why not leave it to God. Take a rest!

Ø  3^rd Remind ourselves that R knowledge of others’ motives, personal problems, limitations, or strengths is too limited to make a valid judgment

Ø  4^th and finally, couldn’t we look at others’ actions and appearance as instances of the wonderful variety in the world?

Ø  Instead of judging, we could see what goes on around us in many cases as some of the amazing diversity of God’s world

CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  4 handy tools drawn from a central teaching of Jesus re God’s People

Ø  How would I fare? / Give it a rest / Limited knowledge / Diversity

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