+ Perhaps we can take this gospel passage as a reminder to keep our own souls pure and clean of what is worldly and contradictory to the purpose for which it is made. When we ruminate over earthly treasures and trinkets and powerful positions in the inner recesses of our souls we are contaminating the sacred space that, like them temple in Jerusalem, is the dwelling place of God within us, that is meant to be used for giving God glory, praise, thanks and honor at every moment of the day! After physically making his statement of objection by throwing the money changers out of the temple, Jesus states clearly that the dwelling place of God – wherever it might be – is a sacred, holy, house of prayer and communion with God and is not to be desecrated by business practices no matter how well intentioned! Our first reading today, of course, speaks of the joy and excitement of the celebration led by Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers in purifying and rededicating the sanctuary of the temple in Jerusalem after it had been profaned by the enemies of God. May today be a day when, by this Eucharistic celebration, we purify and rededicate the sacred temple of our souls for right and proper worship and communion with God – who deserves our entire attention always and at every moment. May we protect and defend this sacred space and keep the business of the world out of it; and may we invite the Spirit of God and the Holy Angels and Saints and God himself into it – and we will be filled with a joy the knows no bounds – and we will proclaim that joy in all we think, say and do! Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty; you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor are from you – and for you!
To be SILENT, to LISTEN, so to OBEY!
Year of the Priest - June 19, 2009 - June 19, 2010
Original Media Presentations
Original Music - Sheetmusic Available for Purchase at holymeasures.com (use Real Player to Listen)
Original Documents, Treatises, etc. Reflecting an Ongoing Development of Thought and Inspiration...
- "The Tale of White Socks" - A Theological Cat - (print on two sides)
- In Defense of Marriage as God Gave It; and the Welcome Place of Gay Persons in the Catholic Church
- SPIRITUAL WARFARE PRAYERS - An absolute essential Series of Prayers for Every Christian Person
- On Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
- By their Fruit They Shall be Known...
- ON THE FINAL BATTLE
- FOCUS ON [DIVINE] FRIENDSHIP - a short theology of redemption!
- Modern HIPPOCRATIC OATH - FYI
- CONSCIENCE...
- On My Morning Exercises
- Trinity Cross - suitable for framing
- Father, Son, Spirit - suitable for framing
- Hell / Heaven - The Ultimate Decision - suitable for framing
- Morning Prayer for Everyone
- Sunday Homily Series
- ON APPLYING THE GRAND PARADIGM
- ON AN ECCLESIOLOGY OF FRIENDSHIP (print 2 sided)
- ON CHASTE BODIES AND PURE MINDS - FRIENDSHIP (print 2-sided)
- ON LIFE AND OUR REPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND IT (print 2-sided)
- A LARGE BOOK - (scale to "booklet" format to print - or use two-sided printing option)
- The Third Cross - Order of Spouses
- Faith-Reason / Religion-Politics / The Media
- Our Life - Now and Forever
- On Christ Mass
- On God's Name And Our Participation in It
- On the Revival of the Tridentine Mass
- On the Subject of Women Priests
- On the Fullness of Time
- Everyone is Called to Holiness
- On The Beginning of Love
- The Third Cross - Vocation to the Catholic Priesthood
Thirty-second Week In Ordinary Time
If today you hear the voice of God-speaking, harden not your hearts!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Homily – November 20, 2009 – Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time - Friday
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Homily – November 19, 2009 – Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time - Thursday
+ In the gospel passage we see Jesus lamenting over the city of Jerusalem, weeping over it and prophesying its soon to be accomplished destruction – because it failed to recognize what made for peace, it failed to recognize him as the one, supreme peacemaker! It would not be a pleasant site by any means. The barbarians would come and completely destroy the city and its temple and kill many people! But it will not have been because they had not been warned – by the very Lord of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, himself! The first reading today also speaks of a rather barbaric way of doing things, this time in favor of God. Mattathias and his sons refused to follow the King's order and sacrifice to his gods in his pagan shrines; and to show their opposition to the king's desires, their hearts were moved, their just fury was aroused and they killed the one offering sacrifice right on the altar, as well as the king's messenger and they tore down the altar; then they fled that region and went into the desert to live lives of righteousness and religious freedom. Our own day is not the time for religious zeal to cause us to kill people who offer sacrifices to pagan gods of this world, and to tear down their vile temples; rather it is time to demonstrate that we are related by adoption now (by our baptism) to the Prince of Peace himself, and that while called upon to transform the world, we can do so in a peaceable way, influenced by grace, and empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit himself. Thus we will show ourselves as true citizens of the one kingdom that counts: the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom which is to come in its fullness – any day at all! If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts!
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