HOMILY FOR JUNE 24

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Homily for Sunday, June 24 (Nativity of John the Baptist)
Scriptures for today's Mass 

Audio

Allow me a few personal disclaimers before I preach today.

- First, I almost never go to the movies and if I did go to the movies

it wouldn’t be to see anything like the just-released-this-week

Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom

- Second, I don’t have cable, I actually have an antenna,

so I watch very little television

and if I did have cable I’d never watch anything on MTV!

So, I hope you will understand why, until a few days ago,

I had never heard of Chris Pratt and had no idea who he was.

I didn’t know he was a celebrity,

that he was the star of the TV comedy Parks and Recreation,

that he’s reportedly worth more than 30 million dollars,

that he’s been in two Jurassic Park movies (including the new one)

and that last week he received the Generation Award

at the annual MTV Movie and TV Awards ceremony last week.

I never heard of the guy and I bring him to your attention

because of the acceptance speech he gave at the MTV awards show.

In his speech he outlined what he calls his 9 Rules for Living.

Now, four of those rules were just for fun so I’ll skip over them

but the other five were just incredible.

Or rather, they were actually very credible! 

Here are those 5 rules.

And remember, he’s speaking to a young audience

on the stage of a Hollywood awards ceremony.

Chris Pratt’s rules:

1) You have a soul – be careful with it.

2) Doesn’t matter whatever it is.  Earn it.

It feels good and it’s good for your soul.

3) God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you.

Believe that. I do.

4) Learn to pray – it’s easy and it’s so good for your soul.

5) Nobody is perfect.

People are going to tell you you’re perfect

just the way you are

- you’re not!

You are imperfect - and you always will be

but there is a powerful force that designed you that way,

and if you’re willing to accept that, you will have grace,

and grace is a gift.

And like the freedom that we enjoy in this country,

that grace was paid for with someone else’s blood.

Don’t forget that! Don’t take it for granted.

Well, whoever you are, Chris Pratt:

thank you for writing my homily this week!

You know, Chris Pratt doesn’t say anything here that I don’t say,

in one way or another, just about every weekend.

But this is me, in my vestments, in church at 8:00 on Sunday morning.

That was Chris Pratt, on a Hollywood stage at the MTV awards,

before an audience of folks I’d wager don’t often get up in time

for the church on Sunday mornings.

Who knows how many millions of young people have heard,

and will hear Chris Pratt say these things on YouTube, online?

Chris Pratt is a prophet.

He did what prophets do.

He shared with others, with courage and faith, he spoke to others,

what he believed God had put in his heart.

Sometimes we think that prophets are those who foretell the future.

That’s generally not what prophets in the bible did.

Scripture’s prophets speak very little about the future.

Rather, they name God in the present moment

for the sake of those who have forgotten or rejected God.

That’s what Chris Pratt did.

He spoke of God in the present moment in simple declarative sentences.

- You have a soul - be careful with it.

- Be of service - it’s good for your soul.

- God is real, God loves you, God wants the best for you: believe that.

- Pray: it’s good for your soul.

- You’re not perfect, you’re imperfect

and you stand in need of the gift of God’s grace.

Prophets name God in the present moment.

That’s what John the Baptist did.

That’s what Chris Pratt did.

And that’s what you and I are called to do, too.

If Chris Pratt could speak as he did at the MTV awards,

might you and I not speak the same words to family and friends,        

to neighbors and colleagues and classmates?

Short declarative sentences,

spoken with love and care, at just the right time.

Simple words, not sermons, not paragraphs but simple words:

- You have a soul - be careful with it.

- Be of service - it’s good for your soul.

- Pray: it’s good for your soul.

- God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you.

Believe that.  I do.

- You’re not perfect, you’re imperfect just like the rest of us,

and the gift of God’s grace is waiting for you.

How powerful might any of those simple words be

at the end of a conversation with others who have shared

their fears and self-doubt, their worries and concerns,

their burdens and problems.

- You have a soul - be careful with it.

- Be of service - it’s good for your soul.

- Pray: it’s good for your soul.

- God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you.

Believe that.  I do.

- You’re not perfect, you’re imperfect just like the rest of us,

and the gift of God’s grace is waiting for you.

Chris Pratt asked us not to forget that the gift of God’s grace is ours

and that it was paid for with someone else’s blood.

May the Body and Blood of Christ, given for us on the Cross

and shared with us in the Bread and Cup of this table

deepen our faith and give us the courage to be prophets:

to speak and share with others the word of God,

the word already in our hearts,

the word that gathered us here today.

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