My first Homily
Today I delivered my first homily (wasn't quite a sermon- this was the Tuesday noon Eucharist, after all).
I asked yesterday if I could do it since my boss was celebrating the Eucharist, and he let me, although he told me that I had to "tell the people it's OK to grieve" since we were celebrating All Souls' Day a week early.
Not sure exactly how well I did. Some people said it was good, some said it gave them something to think about, others said it was 'interesting.' My boss said it was 'brave.' Sweet Jesus, what does that really mean?
I didn't take a ton of notes beforehand (I also left them in the chapel), so I can't share too much with you. I do have the basic structure of it, thou .
Teh Homily:
The reading from Isaiah tells us of the heavenly banquet on God's holy mountain. It is a joyous occasion, a joyous feast. That is our hope and salvation through Christ.
However, we live in a time where the banquet is not quite ready. The feast at the altar is not ready, and God's feast is not ready. While we are waiting, we live in the midst of pain and suffering. We mourn the loss of those we love, we struggle with the faith, and we feel a lot of pain.
Our pain and suffering, our doubts and anger do not mean we doubt the faith or the Christian hope; it means we're human. This humanity is what Christ adopted in the Incarnation; all of it is brought up into God. God died on the cross; God wants to be with us in our pain. It does not diminish it or deny our pain. We must be allowed to feel our pain, to know that we're human and to know that God is with us in our pain.
"And when the banquet is ready, we can appear with our tear-stained cheeks, knowing God will wipe them away. Then we can rejoice with God."
I asked yesterday if I could do it since my boss was celebrating the Eucharist, and he let me, although he told me that I had to "tell the people it's OK to grieve" since we were celebrating All Souls' Day a week early.
Not sure exactly how well I did. Some people said it was good, some said it gave them something to think about, others said it was 'interesting.' My boss said it was 'brave.' Sweet Jesus, what does that really mean?
I didn't take a ton of notes beforehand (I also left them in the chapel), so I can't share too much with you. I do have the basic structure of it, thou .
Teh Homily:
The reading from Isaiah tells us of the heavenly banquet on God's holy mountain. It is a joyous occasion, a joyous feast. That is our hope and salvation through Christ.
However, we live in a time where the banquet is not quite ready. The feast at the altar is not ready, and God's feast is not ready. While we are waiting, we live in the midst of pain and suffering. We mourn the loss of those we love, we struggle with the faith, and we feel a lot of pain.
Our pain and suffering, our doubts and anger do not mean we doubt the faith or the Christian hope; it means we're human. This humanity is what Christ adopted in the Incarnation; all of it is brought up into God. God died on the cross; God wants to be with us in our pain. It does not diminish it or deny our pain. We must be allowed to feel our pain, to know that we're human and to know that God is with us in our pain.
"And when the banquet is ready, we can appear with our tear-stained cheeks, knowing God will wipe them away. Then we can rejoice with God."