Homily 3rd Sunday of Lent Year B - Ten commandments and good intentions

 Homily (Sermon) - Ten commandments and good intentions

Revised and updated version of the homily I gave in 2015.

The Readings for Sunday 3rd March 2024 or Third Sunday of Lent Year B:

Exodus 20:1-17

Psalm 18

Corinthians 1:22-25

John 2:13-25

[These readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks.]

Did you know that the Ten Commandments can be found in the Jewish Torah, the Muslim Quran and the Christian Bible. Over half of the worlds population believe that the Ten Commandments are divine instructions for us, helping us to lead good lives that move us closer to God.

God gave us these rules to help us, to guide us, to bring us step by step closer to Him.

The rules are simple, and on the face of it seem easy to keep. But they are also easy to bend, easy to forget once in a while, easy to ignore for the greater good, easy to lose sight of when filled with good intentions. Like in today’s gospel. The money changes and market stall owners started out doing something good. Money used in the temple was holy, so was only used in the temple. They offered a service to change your money to temple money. The animal sacrifices needed to be bought, so people sold them close to the temple. Over time the profit became more important than sacred. Good intentions forgotten; ten commandments ignored. 

You and I are like the money changers. I doubt there is one person here today, that could honestly say they have always kept the Ten Commandments. That’s sad, and wonderful!  Because we are not able to keep the ten commandments, Jesus comes to help us, to intercede for us, He sacrifices Himself for us, He dies in our place and gives us back to God.  We know Jesus, because we don’t keep Gods Law.

This however doesn’t mean we can just ignore the commandments. No, each time we break them we are driving a nail into the wrists and ankles of Christ. We are adding to the pain and suffering Christ goes through for us.

So let’s take a look at Gods Ten Commandments:

1. You shall have no other gods: This seems easy in today’s world where we are not temped by Bale or Molech. But how often is our faith diluted and diverted by money, power, lust or greed. Maybe today's tempting faiths are shopping centres, advertising, credit cards, chocolate, alcohol and pornography. Ask yourself what you put your faith and hope in most of the time.

2. Don’t use my name as a swear word: The most common and acceptable swear word in my office is also the name of my God. Jesus Christ should be shouted out in joy and worship not when you hit your thumb with a hammer or when someone pulls out in front of you at a junction. How often do you use God’s name to swear instead of to worship?

3. Sunday is a Holy Day: What comes first on Sundays, work, sport, shopping or God? You need time to rest, a day a week to stop. A day to spend time with God. How do you choose to make Sunday special?

4. Love your mum and dad: As a child or adult it’s often easy to get upset with our parents. We should do as they say when we are young and look after them as they grow old. What was the last wonderful thing you did for your parents? The church also teaches that this commandment includes respecting all in authority police, politicians and bishops. How do you respect authority? 

5. Don’t kill: This means respect life. Use your life well and help others live their lives well. Don’t allow people to be hurt by thing you do or don’t do. There is so much we don’t do, there are so many people dying or hurting in this world. Could you do one more thing that would help some live better?

6. Don’t sleep around: The church’s teaching and society’s norms are quite different here. God tells us to love one person, marry them and be faithful to them. Have you found that one person? Are you being faithful to them? Even if you haven’t met them yet, are you being faithful to them?

7. Don’t steal: We don’t like it when strong or clever people take what is ours. We shouldn’t take what belongs to others. Do you buy fair trade? Do you use the office photocopier or take the odd pen and pad of paper home from work? Do you copy music? Do you use someone else Netflix account? Think what you may have taken and how you could give it back.

8. Don’t lie or mislead: Telling little white lies, being economical with the truth and deliberately misleading others is so easy to do. We are told to respect truth, how can you become more truthful?

9. Don’t lust after people: Do you look at others as sexual objects or God children? Expanding on the 6th commandment God tells us that just thinking about sleeping around is bad. What books do you read, what TV and films do you watch? What do you look up on the internet?

10. Don’t get jealous of what others have: Your neighbour may have the best car, TV, watch, house or donkey you have ever seen. Be pleased for them, don’t envy them. Modern advertising teaches us to want many things, but how easy do you find it to enjoy what you already have?

So this lent why don’t we take a look through the commandments, think about our lives and what we can do better.  Then this Easter, as we celebrate the sacrifice Christ made for us, make a change in our lives worthy of that sacrifice, worthy if the gift Christ died to give to us.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily Pentecost - Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life

Homily (Sermon) – Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

The Readings for Pentecost:
Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 103
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Sequence
John 20:19-23

[ All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]

Today we celebrate Pentecost the giving of the Holy Spirit, as power as tongues of fire, as gentle as Christ’s breath. A gift for the disciples and every Christian who has followed in their footstep, A gift to everyone here. As with any gift you have to decide what to do with it. You have received this gift from God. Have you put it to good use or have you left it unused at the back of the proverbial wardrobe.

When I was in formation for the deaconate, we spent a weekend away in Salisbury studying Canon Law. That weekend I remember Gail, my wife, wasn’t able to come with me and I was feeling a little lonely. The subject though necessary wasn’t inspiring me and all the questions about whether I was really called to the deaconate were running round my head.

On Saturday night we met in the chapel, a beautiful room on the top floor of the building we were staying in. David who was in his last year of formation was leading prayers that evening, he greeted us with the following words, “I thought you would like to know that as we gather together on this Pentecost evening, we are gathering in an upstairs room, and there are 12 men and their wives.”

It was a simple moment but a profound one for me. That was one of the moment’s in my life when I physically experienced the touch of the Holy Spirit. My questions and my prayers about my calling received an answer. “Yes, you are called, follow me.”

At Pentecost Christ gave the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit, you have that same gift, I have that same gift. Our difficultly is often working out what we are called to do with it. Pope Francis wants us to be a people of the risen Christ, filled with love and joy. A people ready to embrace and care for the world. A people to take Christ’s message to the world. You are called to do just that.

We can learn a lot from the Jewish traditions that, that the first Easter and Pentecost, were part of. The saving act of Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter was at the time of Passover, the celebration of God saving the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Christ completed that act by saving everyone from sin and death.

There are 7 weeks, 50 days, between Easter and Pentecost. There are seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, the Jewish festival of weeks. During this time the Jewish people studied the Law of Moses, the Law given to them by God to guide them and protect them. At the end of the seven weeks they celebrated Shavuot, the celebration of God giving them the Law on Mount Sinai. We celebrate Easter for 50 days, we live and study with the risen Christ, we prepare for our sending into the world as the disciples were sent on the Pentecost morning.

One tradition of Shavuot is that men would gather together to study the law all night without sleep. It was also a festival of pilgrimage when people would journey to Jerusalem. You can start to see the background of the Pentecost readings we know so well. As the disciples gathered together after all that had happen, years of travelling, preaching and miracles with Jesus, His death, His resurrection, His ascension. They reflected on his teaching, the Law, their calling, what they were going to do next. In the midst of this Christ appeared and gave them the Holy Spirit. The gift given to every Christian. The gift that enables us to work for Christ, to work as Christ in today’s world.

They poured onto the streets and started their work immediately. All who heard them heard them understood them. That’s a message for us today, we have to speak in a way that will be understood. One of my favourite quotes is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel everyday and when necessary use words.” Being understood isn’t really about language. If you want to teach those close to you about love, then love them. If you want to teach about joy, then be joyful. If you want to teach about charity then give, if you want to teach about peace then be a peacemaker, if you want to teach about Christ then be Christ, be a Christian.

I ask you today, not to pray for the Holy Spirit to come, because He is always with you, but to pray for the strength to go out into the world with the Holy Spirit. God is calling you, Christ is sending you, the Holy Spirit is with you. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily 32nd Sunday Ordinary Time Year B – Giving

Homily (Sermon) - Giving

The Readings for Sunday 11th November 2012  or Thirty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B:
1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm 145:6-10
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
[These readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks.]

Today our scripture talks about giving, and not just giving but giving till it hurts. Sacrificial giving, giving that is a sacrifice.

In the old testament reading a widow, living in the middle of a famine, with a son to feed gives Elijah a scone of bread made from her last handful of flour. That must have taken most of the flour make, at least half of everything she had.

In our gospel reading we hear the well known story of the widows’ mite. The widow, quietly and almost ashamedly, drops to small coins into the temple treasury. The coins she dropped in were worth the smallest of value. But even though the value of the coins is small, it was all she had. It was her only chance of a meal that she gave.

If you think back a few weeks, can you see the contrast between these two poor widows and the rich man who approached Jesus and asked what he must do for eternal life.  Christ told him to give everything away, and he couldn't do it. The two widows, we hear about today however, can and do. They freely give all they have, and open their lives up to the mercy of God.

Christ, when he sees what the widow in the temple has done, has to tell his disciples. The example is to wonderful not to be passed on. Christ compares her to the people giving lots, those who can afford to give, those who give what they have spare.

I am left wondering what happened to that widow, I am sure that at the end of her life she met Christ in heaven. With a great grin on his face He looked at her and said, “I watched you on the day in the temple, when gave your last two coins, I was so proud of you.” But I also wonder what her life was like after taking that step, that step of trust, of faith, the step to give everything to God. To hold on to nothing and put your life in His hands. We all have this opportunity but so few of us take it.

This weeks teaching is challenging. This week we are given examples of people who gave, who gave not the spare and surplus in their life, but gave what the needed, what they relied upon. What do you currently give? I don’t mean what do you drop in the collection plate, I mean everything, what do you give of you time, your possessions, your wealth, your love, your knowledge, you experience. What do you give?

I know you are giving an hour or two today in worship. You are here to love, worship our Lord and to meet Him in the holy Eucharist. What else do you do? What else do you give? Think about it? Today’s scripture should do two things, it should challenge you to give more and it should make you reflect on what you do give.

In some way your giving should hurt, it should inconvenience you, it should be difficult. It should be something that if Christ was watching, and I promise you He is, that he would be proud of.

There is also today another example of giving for us to remember. Today is Armistice, the 100th Armistice, the day we remember those who gave their lives in war for us, for their friends and families. The men and women we remember today, gave everything. They gave their life. Their is nothing more that can be given in this life, than this life itself. We are so lucky today, here in this country, to live in a world that can barely imaging the horror of the war. We can see news reports and watch war films and study history, but few of us know war.  I certainly don’t, and I am grateful that I don’t, I am grateful to those who gave everything.

You are challenged to give, to give of yourself, your time, your possessions, your wealth, your love, your knowledge, your experience, your life. Your God asks you this, and as an example He has already given His life, just for you. When you meet Him in heaven as I know you will, what gift will he be referencing to when He tell you, “I saw you give, I was so proud.”

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

St Thomas and Doubt

This homily is from 6 years ago.Just working out what I am going to say this Sunday.
God Bless,
J

Homily – 2012 Year B – 2nd Sunday Easter

First Act4-32-35

Psalm Psalm 117
New 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel John 20:19-31

I am sure you don't want a half hour homily from me today, but with so much to talk about just from today's Gospel reading I could easily talk for 30 minutes or considerably longer. You will, I am sure, be pleased to know that this will be a normal length homily because I am not going to talk about Jesus breathing the holy spirit into the disciples, I am not going to talk about the institution of confession and the forgiveness of sins. I am not going to talk about Jesus sending out the disciples to continue His work, as He himself had been sent. I am not going to talk about why these were probably the original last words of John's Gospel, and that chapter 21 was added later. If you want to know about those things ask me after Mass, or drop me an email.

Who I want to talk to you about today is a hero and role model of mine, “doubting” Thomas. St. Thomas is remembered for his lack of faith, for doubting the resurrection. In some way you are left feeling that Thomas wasn't as strong as the other disciples, that his faith was weak. But while I think we can learn something from Thomas' mistakes his doubt was not a mistake but something we all have and was one of Thomas' strengths.

Thomas was a brave and faithful servant. He was the disciple that believed if Jesus went to Jerusalem he would be killed, but he went with him anyway. John tells us just before they headed to Jerusalem that Thomas said “Let us go too, and die with him.”John 11:16 Thomas expected to die with Jesus, when he didn't he must have been left lost and confused. I see something quite human in Thomas, a strong man able to do things himself, able to make up his own mind on matters, not often needing or even knowing how to accept help from others. Also, from the fact that he wasn't in the room with the other disciples, we might guess that Thomas preferred to be alone to work through his grief and confusion. This I think was Thomas' only mistake, he left the fellowship of the church just when he needed it, and as a result he missed something very special. He missed Christ's first visit.

By missing that visit, Thomas has to take the word of his friends as proof of the resurrection, and he struggles to do this. It is this struggle we hear of today, and it's this struggle we all go through from time to time. Thomas lets us know it's all right to ask questions, to think about our faith, and when we doubt to challenge.

It is difficult to have faith in today's world. It's a busy complex world where information conflicts and experts disagree. We see so much of the world on a thousand TV channels and a billion internet sites but we witness so little of it first hand, it's difficult to know what to believe. Atheism is establishing itself as a religion, strong belief in the absence of God, no room for doubt, no room for questions about the unknown. To survive in today's world we have to question and challenge, it's good to doubt the facts, it's good to ask questions so we can make our own minds up.

Even here in this church, how strong is your faith, what do you really believe. In a few moments when we all say the creed together will you be confidently affirming your faith, strong in the knowledge that you understand and wholeheartedly believe ever word you say. Or will you be concentrating on getting the knew words right, just reading what is on the card in front of you?

The church, Our Church, is a great teacher, a great communicator. We, as that church, are called to spread the good news, the Easter joy of resurrection. Are you ready to do that, is your faith strong enough? Or do you have doubts? Doubts are OK if you take Thomas as your example, your guide, your mentor.

Follow his example, if you don't understand, if you can't believe something just because someone says so, then ask questions. But also look to what happened when Thomas got his answers. When he believed his first words were “My Lord and my God”. With that strength of belief Thomas served Christ for the rest of his days, non-scriptural texts of the time trace Thomas' mission to India and the building of Christ’s kingdom there among both kings and poor alike.

I started by telling you what I could have talked about but didn't and encouraging you to ask me if you wanted to know more. Now taking Thomas as your example I challenge you to explore your faith, challenge your doubts, and ask questions and most of all find answers.

Don’t' let your doubts separate you from Christ, be prepared to place your hand into his wounds, be brave, be prepared to believe.

Homily – 2018 (2015 & 2012) Year B – 6th Sunday Ordinary Time

This morning was quite emotional as I added to the end of this homily the experiences on the Soup Run last night. It's the first time I have seen people cry at the homily.

Audio now added, the whole thing is about 10 mins long, the last 2 minutes are not typed up below but added spur of the moment. The image of a lepar being beaten of with a strick just resonated so much with the man I met on the soup run the previous night I had to add it.
God Bless, J on 12th Feb 2012

Sunday 12 Feb 2018 - Homily on 6th Sunday Ordinary Time Year B

Readings

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
Psalm 31: 1-2, 5, 11
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Mark 1:40-45

[All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]

Leviticus is a fascinating book, it can also be tedious and dull. Today we get to hear a little of both. If you followed today's reading in the missal or looked in detail at the bulletin you will find that there are 42 verses skipped in our old testament reading. These verses go into considerable detail on identifying skin diseases, burns, spots and even baldness. The next few verses go on to describe in similar detail how to identify mould and rot in clothing and fabric. It's a great insight for us to the way the Jewish people looked after themselves.

Contagious diseases could have a horrible effect on a people living closely together. They didn't have our level of medical care and quarantine was there only way of controlling the situation.

Closely woven into the thinking of the people of 2-6 thousand years ago was the connection between illness and sin. It wasn't directly stated that if you were ill you were being punished by God for your sins, in fact the story of Job tell us that they are not connected, but people often thought they were.

When you add the loneliness of quarantine to the spiritual loneliness of being punished by God you can imagine how bad it was for someone developing leprosy and being sent to live apart from their friends and family. Also add to that the pain and debilitating effect of leprosy and you have a situation that no person should ever have to endure.

It is a man in this situation we meet at the start of the gospel reading. He however is not keeping his distance and is not covering his mouth and shouting “Unclean! Unclean!” The normal reaction would be for the person he approached to beat him away with a stick. The leap of faith he is taking is extreme, you can only imagine the level of news and rumour that had reached him about Jesus, that inspired him to such faith.

Next we see an exchange of faith and love that almost brings tears to my eyes. The man steps forward, kneels and says “If you want to you can heal me.” Jesus touches him saying “Of course I want to!” At which point he is healed.

Can you imagine being there and seeing that exchange. If it happened today how long before the world knew about it via twitter. The Six O’Clock news would be showing mobile phone videos of the leprosy melting away. A million people would know within the hour, a billion within the day.

How did Jesus expect the message not to spread. Yet he hoped it wouldn't, he didn't come to become famous, He came to spend time with us, He came to teach us, He came ultimately to save us. The fame in many ways got in his way, towns and villages became so choked with people he couldn't even enter them. He was forced into countryside where people had to come to him.

Today's picture of Christ shows us a gentle man. A caring and loving man. Someone who has time for everyone, who loves everyone. Who loves the leper and outcast just as much as everyone else. Paul takes this picture of Christ as his model. Paul sees Christ as a man who puts others first, who spent his life putting peoples needs before his needs. Paul is convinced this is the way to live and he is teaching by example.

Paul was writing to the Church in Corinth but his letter to that church is as relevant to us today as it was to the Christians 2000 years ago in Corinth. It is easy for us to get upset with other people because of the way they think or act. When we get upset we can get sharp with them, or ignore them. Either way how can we spread the gospel if we push people away from us.

During his early ministry Christ wanted to get close to people, families and communities. He wanted to teach them not only by preaching but by example. The fame surrounding him hampered this and he asked people not to tell of the miracles he performed. That changed on the cross, his mission accomplished, he needed everyone in every time, to know Him, to understand Him and to learn of His message. That's why Christ sent Paul, and that's why Paul sent the Corinthians, and that's why you are sent today.

I have never met anyone with leprosy, but I meet lonely people and sick people all the time. Some I can give practical help to like the homeless we meet on the soup run. Some people I spend time with just listening to them. Some people just simply become friends. I seldom lead with direct Christian teaching, although sometimes when I think it's appropriate I do. Mostly I try and be helpful, I try to care, I try to give them some time. I know I don't always get it right, I can get angry and frustrated with people and I can drive them away. Sometime I am to wrapped up in myself and I don't even notice them or their needs.

I wish I was like Paul, with the faith to say follow my example. I am not, but I do try to follow Paul's example and Christ's example. And that is my challenge to you this week, try to use Paul and Christ as your model. Try not to be offensive to anyone, try to be helpful to everyone. Try put put others, not yourself, first. If they see Christ in you, they can meet him personally, and once they open up to Christ and ask if he wants to help them, you know he is going to step forward with open arms saying “Of course I want to!”

Homily 19th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A - Three years on

Homily (sermon)
Three years on

The Readings for the Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 - Psalm 84 - Romans 9:1-5 – Matthew 14:22-33

[All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]

Three years ago when we last heard these readings I was preaching along with the other deacons. I looked this week at my homily from back then and it was all about listening for Gods call and acting on it, you’ll get a very similar homily today as well, but I am going to start today with where I finished back then:

“We are called to be a people of hope, a people of action, a people of God, a people who are called by God to serve. In three years’ time when you next hear these readings what will God have asked you to do and what will you being doing with God.”

Now those are good questions. Take a second now and think about the last three years. What did God ask you to do and what have you and God been doing. I have asked myself the same questions believe me I know it’s not easy to respond to or even hear the call of God. The call can get lost in all the noise and activity of our daily lives. Then if we do hear His call, will we have the courage to respond, the courage as Peter did, to step out of the boat.

While I can think of a thousand challenges for you for the next three years. You could read here at church, teach at our children’s liturgy, arrange flowers, clean, prepare for Mass, welcome, sing, lead bible study, join one of the committees and arrange social events or our liturgy, you could lobby parliament or large corporates for justice, you could invite your neighbours to church events, you could feed the homeless and support the poor, help stop slavery, you could do so many things. But it’s not about me telling you what to do, it’s about God telling you. What you should do first, is listen to God. He actually knows what he wants you to do, so my only recommendation is that you try and find out what that is and give it a go.

Elijah, spent a night alone in a cave waiting for God.  In the morning Elijah listened not to the mighty wind, not to the earthquake, not to the fire, but to the gentle breeze. If you are too hear God in our big and noisy world you need to find quiet, you need to find time alone, you need to listen to the voice no louder than the breeze. The strange thing is once you start to listen that voice, the still and quiet voice has the power to be heard above the loudest of storms.

Take for example Peter and the disciples on the boat in the storm. They were able to hear His voice in the storm, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” Peter in response to our Lords call, stepped from the boat and walked upon the water.

Could you do that? Would you do that?

I have no idea what our Lord will ask of you, I don’t know if it will be easy or hard, I don’t know if you have the skills and abilities to do it, but I do know, I do believe, I do have absolute faith that if God asks you to do something, with his help you will be able to do it.

Peter soon got scared by the winds and started to slip below the water, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that started to happen to you when you start to do something new for the Lord. Few if any of us would feel we had the faith to step out on a lake and walk across it. And none of us could achieve even the smallest thing for God, if God wasn’t involved.

I want you to listen to God. Pray to Him and ask Him what He is asking you to do. Listen, listen and keep listening. He might not tell you immediately, you might not hear Him immediately.

Once you start to hear, don’t panic. Once you start to think I should be doing something about this or that, I should be helping here or there. That’s when you start to pray for the strength, for the faith, for the gifts to do what’s being asked. That’s when you start to talk to your friends, the people in the pews next to you, Fr Frank and Fr Jim, even me. God may be telling us the same thing or just to help you. Once you start and things start going wrong cry out for help and I promise you, Jesus will reach down and pull you up, just as he pulled Peter from the lake.

We are called to be a people of hope, a people of action, a people of God, a people who are called by God to serve. In three years’ time when you next hear these readings what will God have asked you to do and what will you being doing with God.

Link to the similar homily from three years ago:
http://www.deaconjohn.co.uk/2014/08/homily-19th-sunday-ordinary-time-year.html

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily 15th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A - Be the seed that grows

Homily (Sermon)

Be the seed that grows.



The Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:
Isaiah 55:10-11
Psalm 64
Romans 8:18-23
Matthew 13:1-23

[All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]

Let me ask you some questions. You don’t have to put your hands up or shout out answers. Just ask yourself the question and think about your answer, and if you would like the answer to be different.

Are you the seed that falls at the edge of the path and is carried away? Do you find it difficult to understand the Christian message?

Are you the seed that falls on rocky ground?
Do you love what you hear in Church but forget it during the week?

Are you the seed that falls among thorns?
Do you place the worries and desires of the world above your faith?

Are you the seed that falls on rich soil?
Do you work for the church for your faith and help those around you?

If I am honest I can answer yes to all those questions at some time in my life. And that is where this beautiful parable breaks down. Seeds don’t move themselves once they are planted, but you can.

Did you notice or think about what Christ said in between the parable and the explanation. It was an inspiring and troubling line, “Anyone who has will be given more; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Jesus is talking about faith, your faith! You have to work at your faith, work at being Christian, work at being a member of this family. Let me say right now how proud I am of all of you in this parish, the work you do. How privileged I feel to be able to live my ministry among you. This is a vibrant and growing parish, an active church that is an example for parishes in communion throughout our diocese and country.

But I also want to challenge you to do more, to learn more, to put yourself in a place to be given more by God.

As we grow as a community we should do more for this church and for the wider community it is part of. As we do more God will show us the needs of the community and ask us to minister to them. We need to be involved we need to be looking for things to do. We need to be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and risk disappointment, criticism, embarrassment and pain.

As you might guess I work with the leaders of many of our church groups, both here and across our communion of parishes. I have seen shy and scared people volunteer for roles they were scared to take on. I have seen them grow, like little saplings to mighty oaks.

A man who had never spoken in public volunteered to give a lecture to new Christian’s at the RCIA meeting. A lady with no leadership experience volunteered to be on the committee of the CWL. A young man terrified of reading aloud in front of other people because he couldn’t read well and wouldn’t make sense, gave in and agreed to read at Easter.

The first man now leads regularly in the RCIA and teaches with an authority and knowledge that inspires those attending the group. The lady went on to hold multiple positions and even campaigned for the roles of nation president. The young man found that with practice he could read and he is now standing here giving this homily.

I don’t know where my journey will end, God is still giving me more to do, and I am still terrified about the next thing I will be asked to do. I understand that you have many demands on your time. I understand that you may be scared about doing something you have never done before. I understand being comfortable and not wanting to change. But while I understand all those things I still believe you can do more, I still believe you should do more, and I know, I know with absolute certainty that by doing more you will be given the gifts to grow and thrive. God will support you and help you grow.

I challenge and implore you, to be the seed that moves to rich soil. Be the seed that grows, be the seed that produces a crop a hundredfold. If you do, no when you do, you will be amazed at what you can do and the joy that comes from serving God.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily - Corpus Christi - Year C

Reading
Old GEN 4:18-20
Psalm 109
New 1 Cor 11:23-26
Gospel Lk 9:11-17

There are some Sundays, when the readings we are treated to are just so rich and so packed it's difficult to know where to start. And today, Corpus Christi is just such a day. We have just heard in Luke's Gospel about the feeding of the 5000. A miracle so important it is the only miracle performed by Jesus that is told in all four Gospels. From the old testament we heard in both the reading and the Psalm about Malchizedek, and from the New Testament in Paul's letter we heard about the last supper and the institution of the Eucharist. In fact as Paul's letter to the Corinthians is one of the earliest written, and was written well before the Gospels, so we have in today's reading the earliest quotation of Jesus in the bible “This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me”. And I think this line, which we hear in every mass during the consecration is where we should start.

We all know the meaning of the word memorial or memory. If you looked it up in a dictionary it would say something like “The power of retaining and recalling past experience”. We can all remember things, particularly special things, your first school, your first kiss, your wedding day, your ordination day. And something as special as the first Eucharist must be remembered, but memory or memorial is not what Paul wrote, it's how it has been translated for us into English. What Paul wrote is even more special than memory, and I am going to have to try and teach you a little Greek to explain. Paul used the word “Anamnesis” it's a Greek word first used by Plato.  If you look it up in a dictionary or on the web you get pages of explanation and a lot of ancient Greek, which is not easy to understand. So before we get to the Greek we are going to start with something a little simpler, Lewis Caroll and Alice through the Looking Glass. Where there is a conversation between Alice and the White Queen, in which we get a excellent example of Anamnesis.

Let me read it to you:

`I don't understand you,' said Alice. `It's dreadfully confusing!'
`That's the effect of living backwards,' the Queen said kindly: `it always makes one a little giddy at first --'
`Living backwards!' Alice repeated in great astonishment. `I never heard of such a thing!'
`-- but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both ways.'
`I'm sure mine only works one way,' Alice remarked. `I can't remember things before they happen.'
`It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,' the Queen remarked.

Anamnesis, is a bit like the Queens memory, it works both ways.

Coming back to Ancient Greek & Plato, the definition is something like this: There are thing you know, that you have always known, that are true and have been and will be true for all eternity, the problem is you can't remember them. A good teacher can help you remember these eternal truths. And this remembering an eternal truth that you didn't think you knew is anamnesis.

So when we hear the words “Do this as a memorial of me” we might do well to think “Do this, to know me now, in the past and the future, for all eternity.”

So in a few minutes time as we witness bread and wine becoming the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are not watching a re-enactment of the last supper with Fr. Frank pretending to be Jesus. We are actually there. Fr. Frank, in Persona Christi, is actually Jesus and we all stand with the disciples at the last supper ready to receive our Lords body and blood. We are also at the foot of the cross, watching His sacrifice, as He gives Himself for us all. And we are with him, in heaven, at the end of time when he welcomes us to his banquet. All these things are known, are experienced, are remembered from across time, because they are eternal truths.

If we think about this moment of anamnesis, the last supper and Jesus' death upon the cross, we see Jesus in two roles. First as the priest at the last supper taking the bread and wine and giving thanks for them, and also as the priest during his passion, as he offers his life for us. It isn't taken from him but offered as a once and for all sacrifice for us.
We also see Jesus in both events as the sacrifice, in the place of the passover lamb,  His life offered to God the father for our sins. On the cross we see His life offered up and in the last supper, our Eucharist, we see it offered to us.

This twin role of Priest and sacrifice can be difficult for us to understand, but it was almost impossible for the early Christian theologians to understand. The problem was Jesus was from the line of David, and therefore from the line of Kings, so He could be accepted easily as King of the Jews. But he wasn't from the line of Aaron, the tribe of Levi, and therefore was not a priest. If he wasn't a priest how could he offer sacrifice to God. And this is why Malchizedek is important today. Malchizedek lived at the time of Abraham, before the Isaac, before Jacob, before the founding of the twelve tribes and before God through Moses gave the priestly duties to Aaron and the tribe of Levi. Malchizedek as we heard today, was both King of Salem, the original name for Jerusalem and a Priest of God Most High. So as today's Psalm tells us Jesus was “a priest for ever, a priest like Malchizedek of old”, and therefore able to offer His sacrifice for us.

Finally, I would like to turn to the gospel, and you can relax a little, no more Greek and no more deep theology. Just a simple message Jesus taught the disciples and one we have the privilege of learning from today.

Jesus has just spent the afternoon with a huge crowd of people, healing and teaching them. As the disciples realised it was going to start getting dark, they also realised the people were going to start getting hungry. They didn't believe they had enough food to help, so they asked Jesus to send the crowd away, if we are being a little harsh here, they were hoping the problem could be given to someone else. Then Jesus shows them, that no matter how small what they have to offer is, when offered to the service of God, it can be used to solve huge problems. Five rolls and two small fish are used to feed 5000 people. We all have gifts, and even if we think they are small and of little value, if we offer these gifts to God, what would he do with them. The thing is to find out we first have to offer them.

I did say at the start, that our readings today were particularly packed and rich. I hope they will add some richness to your experience of they Eucharist and some challenge to your Christian life. In a few minutes, we will stand in the presence of our Lord, His body and blood, offered for us. When we leave mass tonight we take that gift, the source of our Christian strength with us. What are we going to use it for this next week, what gifts are we going to offer and what will God do with them.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily - Easter Vigil - He is not here He has risen

Homily (Sermon)

The Easter Triduum - The Easter Vigil

“He is not here; He has risen."




Homily – 2013 – Easter Vigil Year C

The Readings for Friday 30th March 2013 The East Vigil

Genesis 1:1 – 2:2
Psalm 103
Genesis 22:1-18
Psalm 15
Exodus 14:15 – 15:1
Psalm Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18, Resp v1
Isaiah 54:5-14
Psalm 29
Isaiah 55:1-11
Psalm Isaiah 12:2-6 Resp v3
Baruch 3:915, 32-4:4
Psalm 18
Ezekiel 36:16-28
Psalm 41:3, 5   42:3, 4 Resp 41:2
Romans 6:3-11
Luke 24:1-12
[These readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few week.]

Over the past three days we have journeyed with Christ. We ate with him at the last supper, we watched as he gave us the priesthood, washing our feet as an example of service.

We eat His body and drank His blood, as He gave us himself to us, as the source and summit of our Christian lives, the Eucharist.

We stood with Mary and John at the foot of the Cross. We watched as our high priest, our king, found the only perfect thing to sacrifice, himself, for our sin. We watched him die.

We arrive now at the tomb, an empty tomb. We hear the words, “He is not here; He has risen.” Christ lives, Christ has defeated death, Christ's gift to us is life, eternal life, eternal life with him.

Alleluia.

Alleluia. I have missed that word over the last 40 days of lent. We have been saving up our Alleluia's so we can use lots of them tonight and over the next 50 days of Easter. Alleluia, it’s a Hebrew word and it means ‘Praise God’. It's a joyous word and it only sounds right if you smile while singing it.

Tonight is a joyous time. Tonight is the high point of our liturgical year. Tonight we gathered outside, the family of God, drawn to the fire, a light in the darkness, keeping vigil for the light of Christ. Now inside the church, we welcome the light of Christ back into our world, into our church, into our lives.

We filled this space with our salvation history, told through scripture. We heard how God spoke the world into existence, the word of God, Christ Jesus, through whom all things were created, right there at the start of everything.

Isaiah calls all who are thirsty to seek the Lord, who is rich in forgiving. He reveals God’s promise to bring a leader to all the nations, a witness to all the peoples, a new and everlasting covenant. The promise of the Christ, the promise fulfilled in Jesus, His life, His Death and His resurrection.

God revealed to us through Ezekiel another promise, that he would wash us clean, as each of us has been through the cleansing waters of baptism. With this washing, God promised us a new heart, a heart of flesh, a loving and feeling heart. A heart that is dead to sin, a heart that is alive for God in Christ Jesus.

We know now that we have been saved, like the people of Israel being lead out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. We know our Lord and God travels with us as He travelled with Israel in that pillar of fire. The light of Christ burns in our pillar of fire, our Pascal candle, its flame divided as we entered the church, you each held the light of Christ in your hands, now let it burn in yours hearts.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily 1st Sunday of Lent Year C - The Spirit of the Liturgy

Homily (Sermon) - The Spirit of the Liturgy

The Readings for Sunday 16th February 2013 or First Sunday of Lent Year C:

Old Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm Psalm 90
New Romans 10:8-13
Gospel Luke 4:1-13
[These readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks.]

We have heard this morning from Moses, a very early statement of faith, similar to our creed, and some instructions about offering gifts to God. It’s important to know that the traditions we follow today are routed in thousands of years of worship by both the Christian community and the Jewish community. It’s also important to think once in a while why we do the things we do.

Over the past few weeks Emma and I have been teaching the First Communion Children about our church and faith. The challenging thing about teaching these wonderful children is that you can’t just tell them to do something, because they always ask you why. At some point as we grow up we stop asking why. We get embarrassed about not knowing answers we think we should know or should be able to remember. So this morning I want to answer a few questions you may or may not want to ask.

Lent has a different feel than the rest of the year, as God gave our world different season so we have different liturgical seasons. Changes to allow us to focus our minds on different aspects of our Christian life. Lent is a purple time, a penitential time, a time to reflect on the way we live. A time when we are called to increase our prayer, our charitable giving and a time to fast. We wear and use purple, a rich but serious colour that can help to focus our minds on the Lentern preparation for Easter.

We also don’t sing the Gloria or Alleluia in Lent. This helps us prepare for the highest point of our year, Easter. The wonderful hymn of praise, the Gloria, and the cry of Praise to God, Alleluia, are saved up over Lent to return at Easter in an outpouring of praise, light and joy. As new life returns to the world in spring so our exultations return at Easter, but to do so we need to understand worship without them for a while in Lent.

In the final week of Lent we cover or remove the images and statues. Our churches and liturgies are so rich, so visual, we for a short to remove them to focus of saving act of Christ’s death on the cross. They too will return for the at the Easter vigil. We most profoundly experience the contrast over the Easter Triduum, one liturgy in three parts, the quiet reflective Maundy Thursday, the sorrowful and sparse Good Friday, and the joyful extravagance of the Easter Vigil.

The Mass we take part in is not a performance by the priests, deacons and ministers. It’s an act of worship by the whole Church, we are all called by Christ to come and take a full and active part in the Mass. We are both spiritual creatures and physical creatures. We share in the divinity of Christ as he shared in our humanity. As such we all sing, stand, knee, bow, pray and move together. We join our hearts to Christ, we move our actions towards Him, we play before our Father in Heaven.

A favourite theologian of mine, Romano Guardini, wrote a small book called ‘The Spirit of the Liturgy’ in which he compares the liturgy to children playing in front of their father. We are Children of God, we come together as children of God, we come to the Mass to play and imagine taking part in the heavenly banquet with Christ. We are playing at being in heaven.

Do you remember, as a child, playing Cowboys and Indians or Princesses and Pirates. I used to run around the fields with a handmade bow pretending to be Robin Hood. It’s that leap of imagination that we can often lose as we grow up, it’s this imagination that we should try and kindle as we come to Church. We are embracing our Father and Saviour in the Mass. The tradition of our Church teaches us Christ is present at our Mass. He is present in the Eucharist, He is present in the Priest as he consecrates the Eucharist, He is present in the words of the Scripture as they are proclaimed, and he is present in each of us as we come to worship. Christ is right now standing among us, have a look round you and see if you can see him.

Our Mass is full of movement, we start by standing and processing in, then we genuflect to the Tabernacle, to our Lord Jesus who is present there. From that moment the focus switches to the alter, as we approach or move past it we bow. We bow because it is upon that alter that we will see a miracle, the miracle of the Eucharist, the miracle of Christ becoming present before us and for us.

We bow at other time to in our mass. We should all bow during the Creed, when we say the words “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” We bow in honour of the moment Christ same to us, became one of us, that moment of incarnation.

We bow again just before receiving communion. We bow before our Lord just before the most intimate part of the liturgy, the part where we take our Lord into ourselves, the source of our Christian strength, the summit of our Christian worship.

This Lent, I ask you to embrace the penitential season. Think about what you do, what you see, what you say. Invest a little imagination in your Sunday Worship. Ask questions, as our first communion children are doing. Let your faith grow and be tested in the wilderness of Lent. Journey through that wilderness and know that what you are heading towards is the joy of meeting Christ at Easter.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily - 6th Sunday Easter - Year B - Love

Homily (Sermon)

Sixth Sunday in Easter Year B - 2015
"What I command you is to love one another.”




Readings
First  Act 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm Psalm 97
New  1 John 4:7-10
Gospel John 15:9-17

[These readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few week.]

I Love You.

Those were the words I finished my homily with three years ago when I last preached on these readings. So I thought I would start with them this time and tell you what happened after I gave that homily, after I told everyone in the church I loved them. They looked up, they seemed to look at me rather than the vested deacon. Some of them smiled, some of them mouthed the words I Love You, one or two actually said them. Some of the couples in the congregation turned to each other and kissed or said something.

After Mass as I greeted people as they left the church many more told me they loved me, several gave me a hug. We are a community built on Love, Love of each other, Love of God and Loved by God.

Most of the time we find it difficult to show our love, to tell those sitting around us right now that we love them. It’s probably three years since I told Fr Jim and Fr Frank that I love them. If you didn’t hear me preach three years ago you may never have heard me say it. I am after all British and we brits do our best not to show our emotions.

But that is not today's Gospel message, today message is beautiful and simple, todays message is Love. Jesus tells us that:

His Father loves Him,
He loves us and will continue to love us, His friends,
and we should follow His example and love everyone.

Before Christ came the very best of us called ourselves servants or salves. Moses called himself a servant of God, Joshua called himself a servant of God, King David called himself a servant of God. This was a high honour and these men were some of the greatest in our spiritual history.

Jesus changed this relationship, because of love, no longer should we be His living tools, his servants, used to do His work. We should be His friends, compelled through love and friendship to help him with his business.

In the Roman world at the time of Christ there was a title of Friend of the Emperor. A friend of the emperor had unrestricted access to the emperor, they could approach whenever they pleased and ask whatever they liked. They weren't the generals or leaders of the time, they were much closer to the emperor than that.

We have been called friends of God, allowed to approach Him whenever we like, with whatever request we care to bring before him. Through love we have been raised to friends, and it must be through love that we approach our God.

We are called, commanded and compelled to love each other. What a wonderful task that is. It's not always an easy task but it is wonderful. What would our world be like if everyone truly loved everyone?

This is the world we have been hearing about all through Easter, it's the world the apostles were building after Jesus left them. It's the story told in Acts, it's the story of the church, it's our story too, and it will be our children's and their children's until Christ comes again.

Jesus came to us, told us his plans, showed us how to live, and how to die. Showed us love is the only way. Then he commanded us as his friend to do his work. Not as servants just doing as we are told, but as friends, thinking and acting with love, bringing His kingdom of heaven to earth. Think about the worlds of our Lord's Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.” By our love for each other that is what we are called to achieve.

Over the last few months a lot of our Children have been preparing to receive their first communion. They have been learning about Gods love, about forgiveness, about taking Christ into themselves, about living a Christian life. Well I have a challenge for those children today, I want you to remember what Jesus told us to do in today's gospel, He told us to love one another, so I want you to tell someone that you love them.

Today's message is beautiful and simple. “What I command you is to love one another.”

My friends, with that as our command, I am going to finish as I started, and I encourage all of you to do them same and tell someone, tell everyone.

My friends, I Love You!

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Love

Readings
First Act 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm Psalm 97
New 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel John 15:9-17

If you prefer to list to the homily click here for the audio post.

Homily – 2012 Year B – 6th Sunday Easter

Today's message is beautiful and simple.

Jesus tell us that:

His Father loves Him,
He loves us and will continue to love us, His friends,
and we should follow His example and love everyone.

Before Christ came the very best of us called ourselves servants or salves. Moses called himself a servant of God, Joshua called himself a servant of God, King David called himself a servant of God. This was a high honour and these men were some of the greatest in our spiritual history.

Jesus changed this relationship, because of love, no longer should we be His living tools, his servants, used to do His work. We should be His friends, compelled through love and friendship to help him with his business.

In the Roman world at the time of Christ there was a title of Friend of the Emperor. A friend of the emperor had unrestricted access to the emperor, they could approach whenever they pleased and ask whatever they liked. They weren't the generals or leaders of the time, they were much closer to the emperor than that.

We have been called friends of God, allowed to approach Him whenever we like, with whatever request we care to bring before him. Through love we have been raised to friends, and it must be through love that we approach our God.

We are called, commanded and compelled to love each other. What a wonderful task that is. It's not always an easy task but it is wonderful.

What would our world be like if everyone truly loved everyone?

This is the world we have been hearing about all through Easter, it's the world the apostles were building after Jesus left them. It's the story told in Acts, it's the story of the church, it's our story too, and it will be our children's and their children's until Christ comes again.

Jesus came to us, told us his plans, showed us how to live, and how to die. Showed us love is the only way. Then he commanded us as his friend to do his work. Not as servants just doing as we are told, but as friends, thinking and acting with love, bringing His kingdom of heaven to earth. Think about the worlds of our Lord's Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.” By our love for each other that is what we are called to achieve.

Over the last few months a lot of our Children have been preparing to receive their first communion. They have been learning about Gods love, about forgiveness, about taking Christ into themselves, about living a Christian life. Well I have a challenge for those children today, I want you to remember what Jesus told us to do in today's gospel, He told us to love one another, so I want you to tell someone that you love them.

Today's message is beautiful and simple.

“What I command you is to love one another.”

My friends, with that as our command, there is one thing I must tell you,

I Love You!

Homily – 2014 2011 Year B – Advent 3rd Sunday

Homily – (Originally 2011 but valid for 2014) Year B – Advent 3^rd Sunday

Readings
Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11
Luke 1:46-50, 53-54 Rsp Is 61:10

Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Gaudete (Gow-Day-Tay) my friends, Gaudete. Christ is coming, Rejoice.

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the middle of Advent. We take our penitential purple and add a little white for Christ and we get pink. So today we light a pink or rose candle. Today we have the option to wear pink vestments. Today is a day to lighten the penitential mood just a little. Today is a day to stop and think what the coming of Christ means to us, and when we really get that meaning, it's a day to rejoice. That's what Gaudete means, it's Latin for rejoice.

Our reading today are full of joy, exultation and rejoicing.

“My soul rejoices in the Lord”

“I Exult for Joy in the Lord”

“Be Happy at all times.”

“God has called you, he will not fail you”

So today our challenge is to live, to exult, to rejoice, to be truly happy. When you leave today go and do something wonderful. Visit friends, go for a walk, play your favourite music, watch your favourite film, come to the carol service this afternoon, do something you love, and as you do reflect on the joy you feel. Every joy comes from God, so know that the joy you feel is the Spirit flowing through you, and offer that joy to God in love and prayer.

Tomorrow we return to the purple of Advent, a time of preparation. A time to make ourselves ready for the coming of Christ. With all the worldly concerns of Christmas, the shopping, the parties, the trips to family or friends, it's all to easy to forget we are preparing our souls to be ready for Christ. John the Baptist knew he was preparing, and he knew who he was preparing for. It would be wise for us in our preparations to reflect on John's words and actions.

John was different. He lived a humble and meagre life in the desert. He challenged the people of his day, he baptised Jews. No one baptised Jews, Jews were already Gods people, it was only gentiles that needed baptising when they became Jews.

But John's preached that the people needed to repent, to make themselves ready, for the coming of the light. John created such a phenomenon, that the authorities began to question who he was or who the people might think he was.

In the answers to the questions they asked him, he made it clear, he was there only to prepare. To help people prepare. To let them know the lives they were leading fell short of the expectations, of the one who was coming.

Our lives also fall short. We have two weeks to head out into John's wilderness and prepare. Have you been to confession this advent? Have you been to a penitential mass yet? Have you altered your reading this Advent? Have you eaten or drunk a little less? What have you done to prepare?

John, one of the greatest servants of God, gives us an image today of who we are waiting for, who we are preparing to meet. In John's own words, he was not fit to undo the sandal-strap of the one who was coming after him. This seems an odd phrase to us now, but it was a phrase steeped in the culture of the time. A disciple would expect to do anything for his master, to act as his servant in all thing, except undoing his sandals, a task so low that it was only fit for slaves. John's statement today, tell us that he felt, he wasn't even fit to be a slave of the one to come after him. If John wasn't fit to be even a slave of Christ, then what about us.

Well we know the next part of the story, we know that as a result of Christ's gift, Christ's sacrifice for us on the Cross, we are redeemed, we are called to Christ's family as sisters and brothers.

Are you ready to stand here on Christmas day and great your Lord, to welcome the light into the world, to share the divine joy he brings, to offer yourself, to him, to accept the gift he offers you. Are you ready? Have you prepared? You have two weeks my friends.

Joy is coming. Light is dawning. Christmas is almost here. Christ is almost here. Think about that, when the meaning sinks in rejoice, Gaudete (Gow-Day-Tay). Live a little in the pink today, look at everything through rose colour glasses. Tomorrow take a walk with John, find forgiveness for what you have got wrong. Let us all make sure we are ready for Christmas, ready for Chris.

Homily 19th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A - Courage! It is I!

Homily (sermon)
Courage! It is I!

The Readings for the Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 - Psalm 84 - Romans 9:1-5 – Matthew 14:22-33

[All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]


It is not easy to respond to or even hear the call of God. The call can get lost in all the noise and activity of our daily lives. Then if we do hear His call, will we have the courage to respond, the courage as Peter did, to step out of the boat.

As I said a few weeks ago I am proud of this community, I am proud of the changes I have seen over the last 3 years, I am proud of what you do and how you do it. I think you are an example in this diocese and in this country. You have embraced the challenges presented by parishes in communion and are thriving and growing. I love being here, I love serving here, I love being part of this parish. You should all be proud of what you have achieved these last few years.

Now as I look out at the faces I know and love I am excited to see what you will be called to do, and what, with Christ’s help you will do next.

I can think of a thousand challenges for you. You could read here at church, teach at our children’s liturgy, arrange flowers, clean, prepare for Mass, welcome, sing, lead bible study, join one of the committees and arrange social events or our liturgy, you could lobby parliament or large corporates for justice, you could invite your neighbours to church events, you could feed the homeless and support to poor, you could raise money and pay off the debts of this church, you could do so many things but what you should do first, is listen to God. He actually knows what he wants you to do, and I recommend you try and find out what that is and give it a go.

Elijah, spent a night alone in a cave waiting for God.  In the morning Elijah listened not to the mighty wind, not to the earthquake, not to the fire, but to the gentle breeze. If you are too hear God in our big and noisy world you need to find quiet, you need to find time alone, you need to listen to the voice no louder than the breeze. The strange thing is once you start to listen that voice, the still and quiet voice has the power to be heard above the loudest of storms.

Take for example Peter and the disciples on the boat in the storm. They were able to hear His voice in the storm, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” Peter in response to our Lords call, stepped from the boat and walked upon the water.

Could you do that? Would you do that?

I have no idea what our Lord will ask of you, I don’t know if it will be easy or hard, I don’t know if you have the skills and abilities to do it, but I do know, I do believe, I do have absolute faith that if God asks you to do something, with his help you will be able to do it.

Peter soon got scared by the winds and started to slip below the water, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that started to happen to you when you start to do something new for the Lord. Few if any of us have the faith to move mountains by asking them to move. Few if any of us would feel we had the faith to step out on a lake and walk across it. And none of us could achieve even the smallest thing for God, if God wasn’t involved.

I want you to listen to God. Pray to Him and ask Him what He is asking you to do. Listen, listen and keep listening. He might not tell you immediately, you might not hear Him immediately. God shouted at me for 30 years before I heard the first whisper.

Once you start to hear, don’t panic. Once you start to think I should be doing something about this or that, I should be helping here or there. That’s when you start to pray for the strength, for the faith, for the gifts to do what’s being asked. That’s when you start to talk to your friends, the people in the pews next to you, Fr Frank and Fr Jim, even me. God may be telling us the same thing or just to help you. Once you start and things start going wrong cry out for help and I promise you, Jesus will reach down and pull you up, just as he puller Peter from the lake.

We are called to be a people of hope, a people of action, a people of God, a people who are called by God to serve. In three years’ time when you next hear these readings what will God have asked you to do and what will you being doing with God.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily 16th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A - End of Times

Homily (Sermon) - End of Times

I don't always get to preach but I always get to listen to a homily, often more than one. This week I was chatting to a good friend about the homily she was preparing and was really interested in what she was preparing. She is a great preacher and has kindly agreed to let me publish her work here. I am particularly grateful as this weeks gospel follows on directly from last weeks, and I think this homily is a good lesson for us all and follows on well from my homily from last week. So here is Christine Butler's wonderful homily on this Sunday's Gospel. If you have any comment's please let me know and I'll make sure they get get back to Chris.
Thanks Chris.

The Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A:
Matthew 13:24-43
[All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks. Remember to scroll down for the readings of the day.]

Many of us are not happy about talking or thinking about judgement and end times, it seems to have gone out of fashion, a bit too uncomfortable maybe, but today's reading asks us to do just that and it is not something we should shy away from debating and discussing.  This is the second parable Jesus told using a pastoral theme – because Jesus knew his audience, many of them would have been workers in the field and would totally understand the example – but maybe not so much the meaning.

Unlike the last parable of the sower there are 2 sowings in this parable, the good wheat sown during the day by the good sower and the bad weed which is sown under the cover of darkness when all were asleep, by his enemy. Both grew up together and were not distinguishable from each other.  It is likely that the weed was Darnell, weeds that at first looked just like wheat and were impossible to separate until the ears of the wheat appeared – just as we cannot always tell good from evil until the fruit is seen.  Darnell is poisonous and leads to symptoms of drunkenness and possibly death if ingested, but it is not a disaster, it won’t ruin the whole crop, there is hope.

Jesus says the weeds will be collected and ultimately be destroyed before the good grain is harvested.  The weed will be burned, evil will be defeated and removed. Only then will the good fruit be harvested and stored.

We do live in an imperfect world and we can’t prevent that, we can’t rid the world of evil, indeed we cannot always see which is evil.  If we watch the news how many of us can understand the crisis in Israel and Palestine, people try and blame one side or the other and declare that they are evil, but the conflict is so deeply rooted how can we decide who is the protagonist and who the defender, who is wheat and who the weeds.

If we look closer to home who can claim our church is perfect, it is not the shining example we would wish to be, nowhere is, but Jesus is making it clear it is not up to us to judge, whether that is world issues or things happening in our local church.  But we can live as faithfully as possible and produce good fruit, Jesus promises there will be a harvest, evil must pay the price for it actions.  

So this parable is not comfortable but it is an important reminder to continue to produce good fruit, Jesus promises hope for the future, the harvest is secure.  WE can trust the Jesus is good, our king and continue to follow him but we shouldn't try and tame him as Mr beaver says in the Lion the witch and the wardrobe when Lucy asks isn't Aslan safe.

 “Safe?” said Mr Beaver; Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn't safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

We can trust that Jesus is good, the king, our role is to follow him, produce good fruit and continue to trust.

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Homily Index

Homily 4th Sunday of Easter Year A - In the Lord's own house shall I dwell

Homily (Sermon) – In the Lord's own house shall I dwell

The Readings for forth Sunday of Easter year A:
Acts 2:14,36-41
Psalm 22
1 Peter 2:20-25
John 10:1-10

[ All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks.]

I think we have lost our ability to fully recognise all of the love and caring in our readings today. We hear a lot about sheep in the bible but very few of us keep sheep anymore. The people these stories were originally told too were farmers or friends of farmers. They knew about animals; they knew about sheep and how they behaved. They knew the value of a sheep, the wool, the milk and the meat. They cared for their sheep because without wool, milk and meat their families would be cold and hungry. They knew that most of the time sheep can’t look after themselves, the threats from wolves and other predators were too great.

To look after sheep you need to keep them safe at night, you need to take them to food and water if you want good wool and milk. If you look after your sheep they will trust you, follow you, knowing that the next meal or the next sheltered night will be provided. But sheep are also fickle; they wander off, go astray and get lost. They get distracted by much of the world around them and what doesn't distract scares and panics them. Looking after sheep is a full time job particularly for a shepherd 2000 years ago.

You my sisters and brothers are loved and valued sheep, as am I. You live in a world that distracts you and scares you. You are happy to wander off and get distracted. You are often worried or even scared by the world around you and may often feel alone and confused.  Ours is a world still filled with predators, ours is a world where we very much need to run to our shepherd.

You are asked today to listen, to listen for the voice of your shepherd. You are asked today to follow the voice you know. You are invited today to enter the kingdom of God, you are shown the door, His name is Jesus.

Today’s readings are not meant to be complex theology. They are presented as a simple picture. You are loved, you will be kept safe, you are welcome. God’s house has been built for you.

So why do we sometimes find it so difficult to walk through the door?

I think the reason is that like sheep we are too distracted by the world we live in. Work, family, hobbies and sometimes even Church get in the way of walking up to and through that door.

We miss that wonderful voice in all the noise of the world. You don’t need quiet to hear Jesus’ voice shouting “Follow me, here I am, come this way”, but you do need to be listening.

Just yesterday afternoon I heard that voice. I heard it singing and laughing and joking. I heard it shouting the good news. I heard it at Ashfield Prison in Pucklechurch. The prisoners there were putting on the show Godspell and Gail and I were lucky enough to be invited. We received such a warm welcome along with several dozen other visitors, we watched such a great show and through it you could hear, if you were listening the voice of God saying “through me you are saved, through me is home, through me is joy.” It seems strange to say that I really felt at home in a prison but with Jesus there how could it not be home?

Are you looking for peace, for quiet, for love, for joy, for safety, for rest, for company, for inspiration? Then you need to start by listening. He is everywhere; I assure you, He is calling your name right now. Soon enough you will hear that wonderful voice calling you, soon enough you will see the gate, soon enough you’ll pass through that gateway, pass through Jesus Christ Himself and enter His home.

Today’s Psalm is the perfect listening prayer, the perfect image of our true home. I don’t know where you will next hear His voice, His call, but I hope it’s soon, maybe it now. Pickup today’s psalm, psalm 22, read it again, picture your true home and listen. I promise you, He is calling your name, He is calling you home.

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon
Homily Index

Homily Palm Sunday Year A - Preparing for Easter

Homily (Sermon) – Preparing for Easter

The Readings for Palm Sunday year A:
Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 21
Philippians 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66
[ All these readings can be found at www.universalis.com for the next few weeks.]


Our Lenten time of preparation is almost over. How has your Lent been? Are you prepared? Are you ready?

We have been preparing for Easter, but what does that really mean?

Can you tell me what you have been preparing for, what you are ready for? Can you tell me what you are going to do next Sunday and beyond?

If you are struggling with any of those questions then you are not alone. I don’t yet feel prepared. I am not entirely sure what will be different next Sunday. Luckily we still have a week to ponder these questions and a lot can happen in a week. A lot happend to Jesus in a week.

Today is Palm Sunday. Today Jesus entered Jerusalem to the jubilant cries of the Israelite people. They carpeted His way with palm leaves, welcoming their King; they called to Him to save them. The more educated of them would have recognised His entrance into Jerusalem as the same way the Maccabee’s were greeted when they reclaimed and purified the temple after it desecration.

He rode upon a donkey; this was not as we might assume a humble act, but it was a declaration of intent. Kings would ride a horse to war but a donkey if they were coming in peace. Jesus came to declare peace, to purify and reclaim world, He came as the King, worshiped and adored by tens of thousands as he entered the city and only six day later he was killed as a common thief and not one of his friends lifted a finger to help.

We are entering into the most holy time of the year, Holy Week. We are invited to travel with Christ. Today we see him enter the city of Jerusalem. Thursday we will sit down to the Passover meal with Him. Friday we will stand at the foot of His cross. We will watch Him die. Saturday we will morn. As the sun sets on Saturday evening we will gather together to watch for the return of His light, then we will rejoice for He is Risen. This journey is emotional; it’s a time to grow closer to your God who died for you. It’s the final steps of your preparation.

Pope Francis challenges us an Easter people, a people of the risen Christ. We have to prepare in Lent to be that Easter people. We spend time in prayer, we spend time giving charitably, we spend time fasting, we spend time preparing, preparing for Easter. Not for one Easter Mass, not for one day, not for 50 days, No! We spend time preparing to be the people of Christ, the people of the risen Christ, the people of light and hope and love. We have been saved; rejoice. We have been saved; Worship and thank Him. We have been saved; go out into the world and save others.

Don’t get stuck in Lent. Don’t get stuck in guilt. Don’t get stuck!

Start thinking now, what you will do as an Easter person.

How will you celebrate, live, teach, serve, love? How will you respond to the challenge of your Pope? How will you respond to the call of your God? Try and do something new, it doesn’t have to be big, just new and Easter filled.

We will be celebrating the Stations of the Resurrection during Eastertide this year at Our Lady of Lourdes. In the same way that the Stations of the Cross let us journey with Christ to his death, so the Stations of the Resurrection let us journey with the risen Christ from his resurrection.

Fill yourself this Easter with joy. Fill yourself with light. Fill yourself with Love. Fill yourself with Life. Fill yourself till you overflow. Christ won all those things for you that first Easter weekend.

Our Lenten time of preparation is almost over. I am beginning to think I am ready to be an Easter person. How ready are you?

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About the Author - Deacon John Scanlon

Homily Index