16 Sunday C - Mary and Martha - Homilies

Thomas O’Loughlin
Introduction to the Celebration 

Welcome! Today we recall a small incident in the life of Jesus. Going along a road he came to a village and was welcomed into a house. There one sister, having to get the meal, complained that the other just sat and listened to Jesus; and Jesus says that this second sister, named Mary, ‘has chosen the better part and it is not to be taken from her’. This Mary is a model of discipleship for us. We are frequently busy with many things, but are we spending time listening to the voice of the Lord, are we reflecting on his wisdom, are we meditating on his goodness and wonder as we see it around us in the creation, are we recalling his gift of life, are we rejoicing in the presence of the Word made flesh? 

Neighbour? - Scared couple won't let in rape victim

"Where is my neighbor" continues to haunt us due to excessive fear from past experiences and reports - TK
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Nearly naked rape victim left outside as frightened homeowners call 911

 By Michael Martinez and Marlena Baldacci

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A nearly naked woman in Florida flees a rapist's car just before midnight
• She bangs on homeowner's door, screaming for help
• The homeowner refuses to let the woman inside and instead calls 911
• Police find suspect, say citizens "unfortunately" now fear criminal set-ups

Good Samaritan - Today's Situation & Reactions

First a Prayer:

Lord, who is my neighbor?

-1 was hungry and you helped me buy rice, while trying for a long term solution to my emptiness.
-1 was a stranger in a city where everybody was suspicious of me, and you trusted me, and put me at ease.
-1 was unemployed, without clothes, food and money or security; you tried to help me find a job and rebuild my life.
-I was sick and unable to get into a hospital or see a doctor; you tried to find a hospital bed for me and a compassionate doctor who was more concerned about my health than the money I did not have.
-I was in trouble with the law for my mistakes, and you tried to defend me while encouraging me, to change my ways; as no lawyer came forward, I lost and went to prison for a time, during which you came to visit me without judging me.
-I had a motorcycle accident and profusely bleeding, you called the ambulance and the police while everyone was afraid to get involved.
-I was considered "low caste" by other folks and you tried to give me some status, face and pride in myself.
-In all these difficulties, you never really succeeded. You just tried and that enabled me to plod on for the moment.
-You stood by me and tried. That was all I needed to be myself in a place where I just existed.
-You did these simple, compassionate things until the day when all systems, institutions and hearts were changed into a new history.

Thank you for being my neighbor!
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Man on a Harley and God and Woman - Just for a laugh

A man on his Harley was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, God said, 'because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.'

The biker pulled over and said, 'Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.'

Church and the Touching Example of "Preaching"

His name is Tim. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes.
This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.
He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright.
He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.
They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.
One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair.

15 Sunday C - Good Samaritan - Homilies

Thomas O’Loughlin,
Introduction to the Celebration

We live in the age of the sound bite: a snappy phrase that covers over a complex situation; and rarely in matters of faith is such a sound-bite possible. Yet today at our gathering to join the Lord at his table we are asked to recall one of the most famous sound bites of all time. A lawyer stands up to ask Jesus a question:

‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And as the good teacher Jesus does not just feed him the answer but draws it out from him: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ It sounds simple. But keeping both dimensions, loving God and loving neighbour is difficult; and an even bigger challenge is making sure that for us neighbour is more than the people we like, and so excludes all forms of sectarianism, racism, other barriers humans tend to set up between us and ‘them’.

Become a Lake

The old Master instructed the unhappy young lady to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does it taste?” the Master asked. “Very bad” Said the lady.
The Master then asked the young lady to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young lady’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?” “Good!” remarked the apprentice. “Do you taste the salt?” asked the Master. “No,” said the young lady.