Homily Homework

A number of folks have asked me to post the six Stepping Stone Suggestions from my Sunday homily.  Below, you'll find the text of that part of my homily.  

And for those who didn't hear my homily or who would like to refresh their memory, here's a video of my preaching it.

From my homily, September 26, 2021:

I’ll give you a half-dozen suggestions for how, this week, 

    you can work on becoming a stepping stone...

These are simple things

   but maybe not all that easy to do.

 

1) When someone this week

      shares a problem with you,

      or mentions a sick relative or friend,

      or a loved one who has died

      - or even if someone you know

            just seems sad or down, say:

   “Tell you what:

      I’m going to say a prayer for you tonight.”

   (And you can’t just think it -

      you have to say it -out loud!)

 

2) When someone this week

      shares some good news with you, 

            as you share in their joy, say,

      “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

(And you can’t just think it -

      you have to say it -out loud!)

 

3) Sometime this week,

         tell someone you know

   how you’ve been trying to figure out

      if you’re a stumbling block or a stepping stone

   - and tell them what got you thinking about that.

   See where the conversation goes.

 

4) Should you be in a discussion this week   

      about refugees and asylum seekers,

   ask the question,

      “What do you think Jesus would do at the border?

         Would he be a road blocker or a stepping stone?”

   See where THAT conversation goes.

 

5) Invite someone who doesn’t worship on the weekend

      to come to church

         or to watch the live stream with you next Sunday.

      And if they decline,

         tell them you’ll pray for them when you’re at mass.

      And afterwards - tell them you did!

 

6) Ask someone else to pray for YOU!

      And if the person says, “Oh, I don’t really pray…”

Say:

   “Well, just keep me in your heart, then.

      -- I’m sure God will be looking there…”

 

Six simple stepping stones...

   each one a sure way to begin to take the rough edges

         off the stumbling blocks we can sometimes be.

 

And in each case, all you need to do

   is ask a question,

         promise a prayer,

            offer an invitation.

The thing with stepping-stones is this:

   you lay them down and you walk away.

You may never know who will find them,

   who will walk on them, who will follow them

   to Jesus - and to life forever with  God.

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!