Love
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on October 12, 1986
Readings: Kings 5:14-17; Paul to Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19
There is no doubt about it — God can cure all human suffering, but His use of power is limited to opportunities to encourage our faith. The Scripture tells us that for the foreigners, God was willing to heal them, in order to help us to increase our faith and believe more in the Lord. We are called to grow in faith each day. We are reminded that in 1986, the similarities between lepresy and AIDS were so evident. Then, and now, we are called to be loving to all people just as Jesus loved the ten lepers in today’s Gospel. Our God is not merciful, but rather God is Mercy. In His image, we are called to bring love and compassion to all those suffering with human afflictions.
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today we hear the homily on the Prodigal Son. In the first reading, we hear of a vindictive God, ready to send fire down to the sinners. But in the Gospel, we hear from Jesus that God is indeed love and mercy. How many times must we hear this parable to let it sink in? How differently might we see ourselves if we trusted Jesus? If we were set free of our self-doubt and fear, how different we would be to our brothers and sisters. Delivered on the eve of the 1992 election, Fr. Healy speaks of the importance of the parable for that time where some were raised up by putting others down. In light of this parable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, how do we rationalize our actions that hurt others?
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.
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.
5th Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on April 5, 1992
Readings: Isaiah 43: 16-21; Philippians 3: 8-14; John 8:1-11
In this week’s homily, we hear of others’ reactions to Fr. Healy’s penchant for speaking emphatically and his rationale for becoming a lawyer. But more importantly, he discusses the law as it relates to today’s Scripture readings. In the Gospel about the woman about to be stoned for adultery, we are reminded how Jesus showed compassion to her as well as breaking the law when He says, “Let the one among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her.” He shares with us, his thoughts on various legal issues of the day. He compels us to be called by today’s Gospel to remember that we must follow the law of love if we are to imitate Christ.
Epiphany
Originally delivered on January 3, 1988
Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
As we close our liturgical celebration of the Christmas season today, we are reminded to take what we have learned, and like the magi, spread the message to all people. How have we been welcoming to all with God’s love? How, at times, do we keep his message all to ourselves? We are encouraged to reach out to other people with whom we have not yet shared God’s message. As we heard in Matthew’s Gospel, we should “go home by a different route” spreading the news of God’s love. The message is for all – rich and poor, healthy and sick, US born and foreign. Do we ever keep God’s message just to ourselves so that it can benefit our own interests? When this homily was originally delivered in 1988, inequality among people was a crisis on the US political scene. The Kerner Commission brought some answers, but the simple answer – the inability to not share what was given to us all, was an answer seen by many as the cause behind the unrest. Do we ever “lock out” people we want part of our lives, people with whom we need to share our good news? How many of us feel marginalized? As Fr. Healy so eloquently points out, it is good news that Jesus came, but it is just as important that we recognize it as good news to be shared. The real good news from Jesus comes down to love, compassion and identifying with the oppressed. We must be open to embrace all God’s people.
7th Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on May 31, 1992
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 7: 55-60; Revelation 22: 12-14, and John 17: 20-26
God is love. Our loving, parental God sent His Son, Jesus, to all the people of the earth to lead them back to His Father’s house to celebrate together forever. So simple, yet our challenge is to find its meaning for us in our hectic, challenging lives. Stephen understood this message and gives witness of this understanding to others. We, as Christians, are called to be like Stephen, to love one another as our God loves us. Like Stephen, our witness may cost us our lives, but we are called to give witness by showing our passion for people, our brothers and sisters, especially those we might call our enemies.
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