Homily Twenty-Seventh Thursday of Ordinary Time (Galatians 3:1-5) “Wise Up”
Homily Twenty-Seventh Thursday of Ordinary Time (Galatians 3:1-5) “Wise Up”
Paul seems pretty upset with Galatians in the epistle we read today. He calls them stupid or worse. What evokes such a temper tantrum? It seems that the Galatians were ready to accept whatever Christian doctrine was preached to them. They were not reflective enough to ask questions like whose message is most faithful to the gospel or which preachers had known Jesus personally. The Galatians were easily led astray.
It seems like they were ready to believe anyone who was the new preacher in town. Many of us can be like that. The “expert” on any subject is the person from out of town or they are the person we are not too familiar with.
We see that today in the Christian religion. The whole idea of denominations, for instance, has fallen out of favor. We have non-denominational churches. These churches are not bound by tradition or even by recognizable Theology. It is hard to determine what authoritative teaching is.
Catholics believe that what is taught in our church should be what was passed down to us from the Apostles. That does not mean that our teaching is static or rigid. We need to be able to present what Christ taught in new and different ways. We want Jesus teaching to be presented with enthusiasm.
But we believe that there are certain truths that cannot be compromised. The Galatians were not asking what those truths were. We need to be smarter than that or we might come to believe in a Jesus who never was.
Reflection Questions:
- How do I choose what church to belong to? Is it based on whether that church believes what I believer or what is my decision based on what Jesus taught?
- Have I ever heard a preacher proclaim a message that sounded like it was not what Jesus preached? How did I react?
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend, after we bless our stained-glass windows at Mass, there will be an opportunity to walk through the church and view the windows. This will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday. Also, there will be a chance to buy Sacred Heart memorabilia like mugs and tote bags. The Religious Ed program will also be having a basket raffle. Proceeds will go to offset the restoration of the Good Shepherd window in church.
Please remember to fast and pray tomorrow for our country and for our world. We need to do penance for all that is sinful in our society. I encourage everyone to continue to fast on Fridays.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark