Tag Archives: preaching

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Posted on by
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver MA.

Jeremiah 20: 10-13
Romans 5: 12-15
Matthew 10: 26-33

“Jesus said to the Twelve: ‘Fear no one.’”


Today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew is part of Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve Apostles, as he is about to send them off on a preaching tour throughout the Galilee. I can picture the look on the Apostles faces as they prepare for this journey. As much as they want to do this, they were also hesitant, because of what they may encounter. They could guess what the reactions of the Pharisees would be. And then there was also the Roman occupiers; who have governed the province with an iron fist. They would maintain peace at any cost, even if meant cracking open some heads. So the Apostles would not be blamed if they were all feeling a little apprehensive. Jesus keeps telling them that they will not be alone, that the Father would be watching over them; so he tells them to shout out the Good News; that salvation was at hand. Shout it out in the village squares. Shout it out in vineyards and throughout the fields. Shout it out!


And Jesus’ message holds very true for us in our present times. And there is such a great need for people in our communities to hear this Good News. There is a great need for people out there to experience the Good News of Jesus Christ being lived, here and now!


And that is challenge that is before all of us. And to meet that challenge requires continuing conversion on our part. To realize and to accept the fact that with all our own faults and failures, God does loves us, cares for us. And if that is true, we, in turn, must love others. Loving those we call friends, and loving those we may have a hard time accepting as friends; bringing them all together as brothers and sisters in Christ.


So as Jesus is always reaching out to us with love; so we also must reach out to those we encounter daily, relative, friend or stranger. And we let them know, by word and deed, that there are people out there who care for them.


“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10: 26-33)

Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua

Posted on by
Saint Anthony of Padua with the Christ Child

Among the list of Franciscan saints, the most popular among them, after Saint Francis of Assisi, is Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). But, were it not for a chance encounter, things might have been different.

He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, with the name of Fernando Martins de Bulhoes. The family was well off, and arranged for him to be educated in a local cathedral school. He would eventually join an Augustinian community near Lisbon. He would be ordained a priest and was giving the responsibility of welcoming visitors and guests to the monastery. It was then, that one could say, that the Holy Spirit then took over. Near the monastery was a small community of newly arrived Franciscan friars. They had established a small hermitage, and Fernando had frequent contact with them. He found their evangelical way of life attractive.

The Franciscans had sent a group of their brothers to North African country of Morocco, to evangelize. This group would suffer beheading at the hands of the Moroccan rulers. Their remains were returned to Portugal, and were buried at the Augustinian monastery. Fernando was inspired by their courage and their faith. He asked for, and received permission from the Augustinians to transfer over to the Franciscan order. He took the name Anthony, after an early Saint, Anthony the Great.

He joined another group of Franciscan friars being sent to Morocco, but he became seriously ill upon arrival. He was sent home back to Portugal. But stormy weather drove his ship further into the Mediterranean, winding up in Sicily. He went to the last great gathering of Franciscan friars with Saint Francis present. At the conclusion of it, he was sent to a small community of lay brothers, in Italy. There, the story goes, the community was celebrating the ordination of a friar, but the guest speaker had not arrived. Anthony was asked to preached. It was then the depth of his learning was revealed, as was also his skill as a speaker. And the rest, as they say, is history.

He would be sent out on preaching tours, up and down throughout Italy. It was said the thousands of people gathered to hear him speak. They came away inspired to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ more intensely. Francis himself, gave Anthony the work of teaching theology to the friars, and how to preach.

He became ill in his thirties, and died on June 13, 1231, in Padua.

He was canonized as Saint in 1232. He proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Prius XII, in 1946.

From a Franciscan Perspective: “Preach it man!”

Posted on by

Lawrence of Brindisi“Preaching, therefore, is a duty that is apostolic, angelic, Christian, divine.  The word of God, is replete with manifold blessings, since it is, so to speak, a treasure of all goods.  It is the source of faith, hope, charity, all virtues, all gifts of the Holy Spirit, all beatitudes of the Gospel, all good works, all the rewards of life, all the praise: Welcome the word that has taken root in you, with its power to save you.”

(From a sermon by Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, OFM CAP)

July 21st is the Feast day of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, a Franciscan Capuchin priest, born in Italy in the year 1559.  A scholar, he was famous for his mastery of many languages.  Because of this, he was sent into various European countries, on preaching missions.  He became known as an effective and forceful preacher.

As an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church, one of my ministries is to proclaim the Gospel during the celebration of the Eucharist; and occasionally to preach on that reading from the Gospel.  The above quote from Saint Lawrence strikes a chord within me; because the act of preaching can have an effect not only on the congregation hearing the homily, but also on the preacher himself.  I prepare a week before I am scheduled to preach, prayerfully going over the Scripture readings for that Sunday.  I try to open my mind and my heart to what the Word, Jesus Christ, wishes to reveal to me.  I reflect on how the Gospel speaks not only to myself, but how it will speak to those sitting in front of me.  What is that they need to hear; what words of comfort they need to experience.  There have been times that I will delete a whole written page, because I have been inspired to take a different tack.

To preach is far different than any other type of public speaking.  I stand behind the pulpit, with my written text; as I look over the people before me, I whisper a little prayer.  Then, more often than not, the Holy Spirit takes over, guiding me, inspiring me; the words on the paper, takes on a life of their own.  When I am done, I know that for me, it was a holy, sacred moment.

I have come to realize that there are many ways one can preach the Good News.  It is why I am attracted to blogging; it is another way to share my experience of God’s love.  And it is becoming a means of hearing about others experiences.  And finally, the other means we all have to preach the Gospel, by the way each one of us strive to live in our daily lives; with our families, in our workplaces, in the stores, and on the streets.