Love
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53
Originally delivered on August 20, 1989
In today’s gospel we hear from an angry Jesus who proclaims, “I have come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited!” He then goes on to speak of the divisions that will exist in our society because of Him. Fr. Healy preaches that God is angry because of what we have done with God’s plan for us to love and share with all of God’s children, our brothers and sisters. We are reminded that even Jesus’s crucifixion was legal. That is, we cannot stand behind what is the law as protection from what is God’s law of love that we are called to follow. Even our acts of silence, participation by inaction, or approval by passivity hurt others and we are challenged to examine ourselves and seek God’s ways, even if that means that we will create divisions, as today’s gospel states.
4th Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 5, 1989
Readings: Joshua 5:9, 10-12; Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
In this famous parable of the Prodigal Son, we hear that Fr. Healy depends on this story because of it reminds us of God’s immeasurable and unconditional love, always forgiving, and always accepting us as HIs children. We can reflect on this story and see which son we might be, but we should also remember that God’s love is infinite and He bestows it on each of us. We don’t need to be perfect, but only willing to accept God’s forgiveness, compassion, and love. Jesus laid down His life for us, as the fatted calf, to celebrate our return to the Father.
3rd Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 19, 1995
Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9
In this week’s homily, Fr. Healy talks about the role of the preacher to be a messenger of Jesus’s message. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us not to do the simplistic thing of blaming people for their struggles. We are called to love each and every person. We must stop blaming God and take responsibility for our collective circumstances.
7th Sunday of Ordinary Time
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38
Originally delivered on February 23, 1992
We are called and anointed to make peace, forgive our enemies, and do good to those that would persecute us. In the Gospel today, Jesus says, “To you who hear me…” Are we hearing Him? Indeed, we must hear with our hearts. In the second reading, Paul tells us that we are natural beings before being divine. We are reminded that we are called to bring the Kingdom of God and His love and forgiveness to our sisters and brothers in the here and now. We know that Jesus told us to love our enemies, have we heard it in our hearts? Have we translated that love into deeds? Will we seize this sacred moment and make something of it?
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Originally delivered on September 1, 1991
In this week’s homily, Fr. Healy speaks about the law. In the first reading, Moses tells the Israelites that the law is the law and not meant to be changed. We are challenged then to determine what we should do with the “eye for an eye” and other such laws stated later in Deuteronomy. So, by what means must we look upon the law with great reverence and other parts as outdated? Luckily for us, Jesus gave us the answer: Love the Lord with all we have and our neighbors as ourselves. That is, there is but one law – the law of love. It takes boldness and courage to stand up for what we see as man-made laws that are contrary to Jesus’s law of love and we are called to do so.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69
Originally delivered on August 25, 1991
Fr. Healy starts this homily by explaining how his vocation to the priesthood began. While seduced by the smoke and incense, he explains that God, through Jesus, has seduced him inside so that He permeates Fr. Healy’s every thought and action. We, too, are called to live with Jesus in our hearts each and every day even if it is the way of the cross.
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Kings: 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51
Originally delivered on August 11, 1991
In today’s first reading, we hear about Elijah’s journey to the desert where God wakes him, feeds him, and commands him to keep going. In the Gospel, Jesus says that He is the Bread of Life. We are called to be the bread and nourishment for our sisters and brothers because of our commitment to the person and message of Jesus. Indeed, we are called by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians to “Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.”
6th Sunday of Easter
Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48, John 4:7-10, John 15:9-17
Originally delivered on May 5, 1991
In the first reading, we hear of Peter’s struggles to understand God’s vision for inclusiveness and welcomes non-Jews into the new Church. Then, in the second reading, we are reminded that we don’t need to earn God’s love. God is love and god already loves us as we are. We are asked to try to love one another as God loves us. In the Gospel, Jesus says, “there is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” and “The command I give you is this: that you love one another.” What might we need to give up in order to more fully embrace God’s calling to love one another as He loves us?
5th Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on April 28, 1991
Readings: Acts 9:26-31; John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8
Today we are challenged to get more serious in our following of Jesus. We have to be ready for God to change our circumstances and see the world in a whole new light. Like Paul, we might even switch sides. In the epistle, we are reminded that we are to love one another as Jesus loves. We are called to “love in deed and in truth and not merely talk about it.”
4th Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on April 21, 1991
Readings: Acts 4:8-12; John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18
Today we are reminded is that while we may not know what the hereafter holds, we can be assured that we are God’s children. God is Love and God loves us. In the gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd. Will we follow Him when confronted with the events in our lives? Let us all ask God not that we are right, but rather, like Christ.
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