Homilies
31st Sunday, Ordinary Time, Nov.4, 2018
Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 01 November 2018 10:54
The Essentials
There wa a story in the news about a woman trappd in a car for over a week before being found.
How could she survive? Only one way: by having air and water: the bare essentials for sustaining life.
In today's Gospel we hear a wise man proclaim the essentials of religion to an approving Jesus. "God is one!"...this was an essential Jewish belief which set them apart from their pagan neighbors who worshipped a multitude of deities.
And then Love of God and neighbor.
All else amounts to the trappings of religion: various devotions, reigious costumes, elaborate prayers are just the trimmings!
And so we pray:
O God help us to get down to the essentials.
Love of God,
and love of neigbor.
All else is at the edges.
And so we pray:
Help us to grasp the heart of the matter.
And as we prepare to vote,
grant us the wisdom to select
those who are concerned by the plight of their neigbors,
rather than those who would seprate us from neighbors
by leading us down a path of fear and prejudice.
Amen
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30th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Oct. 28, 2018
Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 25 October 2018 10:03
"Master I want to see!"
29th Sunday, Ordinary, Oct. 21, 2018
Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 18 October 2018 09:30
Even in Arizona, we notice Autumn.
The summer heat has surrendered at last. and we do have some trees and bushes that have put on their splendid fall colors. And just when they are arrayed so splendidly, comes the time for them to let go. Their gold and scarlet leaves fkutter down to the earth. The North wind demands their capitulation.
28th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Oct. 14, 2018
Written by Fr. Fitz Wednesday, 10 October 2018 10:27
...his face fell and he went away sad...
Many TV preachers preach a Gospel of Prosperity. "Accept Jesus as your personal Saviour and expect to be prosperous."
That is not the Gospel we hear today.
Instead, the young man's face fell, "for he had many possessions." He could not accept the invitation from Jesus: "to let go."
His decision was not prudent. Instead of being memorialized and named as wise, he sinks into oblivion, un-named and never honored.
The First Reading praises prudence. It is too bad a word close to prudence is "prude." It in no way relates to "prudence."
The Book of Wisdom proclaims: "I deemed riches nothing as compard to her."
There are key moments in our life when important choices lead to a fork in our road. The young man chose the less wise road and is never heard from again.
He chose riches.
Wisdom says: "I prayed and prudence was given to me."
And so we pray:
O God grant me the gift of prudence,
May her spirit of wisdom come upon me.
As an election looms before me,
help me to discern prudently,
not be ruled by passion nor prejudice.
May I prefer prudence to riches.
Deliver me from demogogs.
Deliver me from mud filled ads..
Help me to value prudence over throne,
more than scepter.Â
Amen
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27 Sunday In Ordinary Time, Oct.7, 2018
Written by Fr. Fitz Wednesday, 03 October 2018 10:36
Childlike or Childish?
Last week we observed the Senate Hearings.
In today's Gospel Jesus says we must become like little children to enter the Kingdom.. So what is the difference between being "child like" and "Childish?"
The hearings supply an answer. Too much of the public spectacle showed childish behavuor. To be child like means being innocent and trusting.
To be childish means being petulent and screaming.
The woman witness seemed to be trusting the process and
 thus childlike.
Senator Lindsay Graham? What do you think, chidlike or childish?
And so we pray:
Jesus meek and humble of heart,
make our hearts
like unto thine.
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amen
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