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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on September 6, 1992
Readings: Wisdom 9:13-18; Paul to Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
We are reminded of the importance of reviewing the readings each week in preparation for the anticipated Mass. In the first reading, our plight is defined: how will we ever live our lives so that we are doing God’s will? In the second reading, we hear about Paul and his prudence and in the gospel, we hear of Jesus’s desire for us to be both passionate and practical. Fr. Healy talks about the challenge that we each face in pursuing something passionately, but still with the need to be practical and prudent in doing so. What is God’s will versus our will? That is exactly our struggle.
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on August 2, 1992
Readings: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21
In today’s liturgy, we’re given a standard from Jesus by which to live. While it’s easy to focus on sexual sins, Fr. Healy reminds us that greed, at the expense of our brothers and sisters, is perhaps overlooked as part the standard by which we should live. In the gospel itself, Jesus refuses to get involved as arbiter of a man’s dilemma. Rather, he puts it back on us to figure out when he says, “Avoid greed in all its forms. A man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.” In other words, be dead to things and alive to God, passionate for His people without distinction among our brothers and sisters. We are called to include everyone in the family of God. Indeed, we must struggle within ourselves to determine if we are sharing our riches among our brothers and sisters.
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Genesis: 18:22-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13
Originally delivered on July 30, 1989
In this week’s readings, we hear about Sodom and Gomorrah. Through this story, we learn that we can talk to God, despite our sins. In the today’s Gospel, Jesus says tells us how to pray. Indeed, He wants us to forgive, just as He has forgiven us already. That’s the spirit in which we should pray and the spirit in which we should live. But, we must embrace this in our lives and make the message our own.
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on July 2, 1989
Readings: Kings 19: 16-21, Paul to the Galatians 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9: 51-62
In today’s homily, which begins with Fr. Healy singing an anthem, we hear of an oppressed people that risked everything for freedom. In today’s readings, Paul says that “It was for liberty that Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time! My brothers, remember that you have been given freedom that give free rein to the flesh. Out of love, place yourselves at one another’s service.” And furthermore, it says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Fr. Healy passionately states that this law of love, must triumph all other laws enacted by others. Indeed, this law of freedom and love is both liberating and frightening. Through a series of present-day challenges, we are challenged to view those issues through the lens of love and personal conscience. Our freedom hinges on our faith and responsibility to others.
Will you help the poorest of the poor?
Fr. Healy was passionate about the need for change to address the issues in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Today, I’m asking for your support for a particular project in the village of Medor, Haiti. The church where Fr. Healy was pastor, Our Lady Queen of Peace, has a Haiti Committee that began a relationship with a sister parish, St. Joseph’s, in rural Medor, Haiti. The committee, lead by Dr. Sue Carlson (who could be sainted as far as I am concerned) has done some amazing projects including building schools, ensuring safe drinking water, reforestation, agricultural programs, hot school lunches, medical clincs, etc. The list literally goes on and on and is a testament to the relationship and love between the two parishes. You can read more about the OLQP’s Haiti Committee or follow Dr. Sue Carlson’s blog.
Currently, the Committee is working on bringing solar energy to the convent. To see the full presentation on the project click Medor. The solar power will bring electricity and needed lights to the convent so that the sisters, who have been serving this community for nearly 50 years. The light in the convent will allow them to work after hours to do needed paperwork, lesson planning, etc.
If you’ve appreciated this site and the passionate homilies, I urge you to please make a donation of any size. To do so online, follow these steps:
1. go to www.faithdirect.net
2. Click Give Now
3. Enter church code VA271
4. Click “One Time Gift”
5. Click “Haiti – St. Joseph’s Parish, Medor”
6. Enter credit card info
7. Under Optional Informaiton at the bottom of the page, enter “solar project”
8. Click “Continue” at the bottom of the page and proceed through the check out process.
If you’d prefer to write a check, you can make it payable to “Our Lady Queen of Peace Church Haiti Committee” and in the memo line write “Haiti-solar energy.” Mail it to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 2700 19th St. South Arlington, VA 22204.
Thank you, in advance, for any support that you can provide to this solar project.
Sincerely,
Frank Finamore
Site Administrator
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on June 25, 1989
Readings: Zechariah 12:10-11, Paul to the Galatians 3: 26-29; Luke 9: 18-24
Through a marvelous Healy family story we are reminded to recommit ourselves to Christ through service to our community. Indeed, we are reminded in this Sunday’s Gospel that we must take up the cross every day. This means denying ourselves, if necessary, in service to God’s people in need as one family. (Note: Unfortunately this homily was cut off so this is only the first part of it.)
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on June 17, 1989
Readings: Sm 12:7-10, 13, Gal 2:16, 19-21, Lk 7:36—8:3
We are sinners, but God is love. His love is the air we breathe. His forgiveness is the atmosphere in which we exist. That is what we learn from today’s scriptures. In the first reading, David, the king, is a sinner for having stolen another man’s wife. Additionally, he sent the woman’s husband, Uriah, off to battle so that the husband would be sure to be killed. And yet, we hear that the Lord forgave David after he admits his sin. From the Gospel, we hear that God forgives regardless of the greatness of the sin itself. It is through our very weakness that God’s mercy becomes even more obvious. Our task is, as sinners, is to welcome others with forgiveness and then to be agents of compassion and forgiveness of others, rather than their judges. As Paul reminds us, Jesus shows us that our faith in the power of His forgiveness will save us.
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on June 11, 1989
Readings: Kings 17:17-24; Galatians 1:11-19; Luke 7:11-17
A mother leaning over the lifeless body of her child, grieving beyond measure is a powerful image reflected in today’s readings. The challenge is for us to be one with the grieving mother such that our gried leads us to action. We see this grieving mother in so many present day injustices around the world. If we watch carefully, this mother’s grief turns into collective anger in protest to change the structure of society. Today’s liturgy demands that, like Paul, we must take action and raise our voices.
Weekly Homilies 