Great homilies to improve the faith and understanding of Christians
We all seek to be strong in our lives. Weaknesses are shunned at work and in our personal lives. But these weaknesses can make us humble to God. So, if we are attentive, we can draw closer to Him. The example of a powerful army general is used to demonstrate how good things can come from humility.
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The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man should be a challenging one for any of us who have a comfortable life. Do we eat too much? How much money do we spend on vanity products or other selfish conceits? Are we doing enough for the poor – really? We need to let this story bug us. Just like the grit in an oyster from which a pearl is formed, it could produce something beautiful in us.
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If you are a crabby miserable person, you are missing the whole point. Jesus has come to give us joy.
During this great sermon, Bishop Barron describes 3 fundamental spiritual truths. The very nature and being of God. God’s love comes first, and we must respond to his love.
And the upshot of all these is that Jesus tells us, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.”
The flag of the Holy Spirit is joy. Let that joy be in you.
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Isn’t it the case that many people want to see something with their own eyes in order to believe it. Why didn’t Jesus reveal himself after his resurrection to Pontius Pilate or to the Jewish leaders in the Sanhedrin. Perhaps it is because he wanted people who were willing to be a witness. The reality is that most people can see something amazing and just as easily go back to a life of apathy. Do you understand what it is to be a proper witness?
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How did you choose your career? For most people it’s a product of luck and circumstance. We have an opportunity early in our working lives and that becomes something we build into a career. This presentation by Bishop Barron is something I wish I had seen earlier in life. Instead I was guided in career choices by things like the Myers-Briggs assessment. We need to change our perspective on career discussions. The egotism in career advice should be alarming. Instead of what can I accomplish? Instead of what will make me most happy? We should be asking in what way can I be most loving! In what way can I be most generous! The fruit of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5 is the most compelling career advice I have ever heard. And I say this after spending several decades in Human Resources.
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How many of us have struggled with self-love as we grew up? We craft personas to try to be cool. We hide our secret identities so as to be liked. In fact, a lot of people walk around with a secret identity that they hate. Everything changes, however, if we remember where we came from and what we are. Fr Mike discusses the implications of being made in God’s image. Do you know God’s secret identity?
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Our Faith is very much a gift from God. In many respects, Faith is like learning a musical instrument. The gift of an instrument is one thing. But your ability to play is based on going for lessons. It is based on regular practice. And if the instrument is in need of repairs, then we have to actively seek these out. It takes effort.
Jesus says you must strive for heaven. This does not entail a life of comfort. Nor should we expect heaven if our life is full of distractions and abstractions. We need to be seeking a relationship with God. We need to be agonizing for heaven.
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