Lessons for the Pulpit

 

I remember years ago when I was working on my Bachelor's Degree and writing my column for "The Catholic Times," I would sometimes ask my husband's opinion on something I'd written because I appreciated his honesty.

Of course, I was in academic mode, and my writing reflected that at times.

On one particular column that I asked his opinion about, he kindly said, "That's good, but I'm not sure anyone will really know what your saying." He suggested I write so that my message was more understandable to the reader who was not a student of religion.

And he was so right. And he has St. Paul to back him up.

In continuing my reading of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 13 & 14, I stepped back from all of the details about prophesying and speaking in tongues. St. Paul had a lot to say about them, but there is something else we can glean from his writing.

Here's how he made his point: 

"If the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?"

 "If you . ..  do not utter intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be talking to the air."

If we step aside from his discussion on speaking in tongues and so forth, this could be a great lesson for our priests and seminarians (all preachers, really.) 

Most of us sitting in the pews are somewhat intelligent :-), and we want to be encouraged to live our lives centered on Jesus. We want to hear how to do that. We want to be reminded to never give up striving for holiness (and sainthood) and trusting God in our struggles.

We want to learn more about the life of Jesus and the beauty of the Trinity, and we want to hear HIS story, especially. 

Sometimes homilies that are story-centered or offer applicable personal, life experiences can be helpful, but the greater message must come through. It is the Word we are hungering for and desperately need.

We should never tire of hearing the gospel message preached, and we hope you, our priests, never tire of preaching it, even though it can be repetitive and challenging at times.

As "hearers of the Word," we must learn to be patient, assuming that you are giving us what God has given you to preach through your prayer. 

But, as I said, balance is key. Just the right amount of academics and the right amount of down-to-earth, practical wisdom from scripture, will give us what we need.

I think St. Paul really got this . . .

"So what is to be done? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind." 

Between praying with the spirit and praying with one's mind, a holy homily is sure to be found. 

God bless you Father for trying so hard to reach many a varied people!

Janet Cassidy

Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

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*Cartoon from "Cartoon Stock"

 

 

 

Little Ole Me

Do you ever feel like "little ole me" doesn't really have anything to contribute when it comes to leading others to faith?

Do you feel like you just don't know enough, or have the right words to get your point across?

These thoughts came to me recently as I was reading through Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. In Chapter 12 he gives his beautiful description of what it means to be part of Christ's body and how every single one of us completes his body.

He says that "the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary."

When we reflect on this chapter, we can see that "God so constructed the body" so that there wouldn't be any division, and that we each should have concern for each other.

"If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy."

And since we are all Christ's body (individually parts of it), Paul says, that means we each have different roles to fill.

So to my first point, never dismiss yourself as being unable to contribute to the building up of the kingdom, but strive to fulfill God's plans for you. For many of us, it might look like we cannot do very much, but we have to remember that in the scope of things, we are absolutely "necessary."

Janet Cassidy

Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

Will you be a stone-thrower? Coldplay and the couple

 

 

I read these words on a blog post:

"Instead of judging, the saints treated sinners like wounded members of their own body. They were grieved, not scandalized. They corrected with patience, not contempt. They understood that love covers a multitude of sins and that to despise one’s neighbor is to cut oneself off from the Body of Christ. ... And now, a little prayer from Ephrem the Syrian for you and me to make our own: 'If I have made fun of my brother’s sins when my own faults are countless … have mercy, my Lord and Creator, on me Thy wretched and unworthy servant.' Amen" (Matt Fradd, Pints with Aquinas)

Naturally, my mind jumped immediately to the scandal all over the news about the couple that were outed on the kiss cam for their adulterous relationship at the Coldplay concert recently.

Lots of people are mocking them now. They are the butt of jokes everywhere. I think the above quote is a good reminder for us about the sinfulness of our response to such a public display of "our brother's sins."

Have we forgotten that each of these people--and especially their families and friends--are paying a very public price for the display of their sin?

Is that something we should judge, just because our own sins have not been set on public display?

Leave them alone and let them figure out where to go from here, as they try to deal with the pain they have caused others in their life and try to figure out life moving forward.

And follow Jesus' admonition: 

"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  John 8:7

Don't be a stone thrower; learn how to love the wounded.

Janet Cassidy

Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy