This homily is based on Luke 16:1-13.
Our Lord was notorious for his parables. His stories were powerful because they were vivid, but to the original audience, they must have been also quite provocative. Just last Sunday, we heard three parables, one after the other, stories that are really more controversial than we give them credit for today.
This homily was delivered at Sacred Heart Parish in Cebu.
I was standing in line at a coffee shop the other day with a friend of mine, and I noticed that after paying for our coffee at the counter, my friend immediately dropped all the change he received into the tip box without bothering to count the coins.
This homily delivered at St. Agnes Church is based on Luke 10:25-37.
The Lord Jesus has a way of breaking stereotypes.
For instance, “Samaritan” used to be a bad word. Most of the Jews at the time must have uttered it with derision. It’s quite understandable given a long-standing rift between the Jews and the Samaritans even before the Babylonian exile. Each group considered their version the one, true religion and looked down upon the other, to say the least.
To get an idea of the kind of enmity between them, think of the Serbs and the Muslims in modern Bosnia, or the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Or maybe better still, closer to home, between the viewers of MSNBC and FOX News.
This homily delivered at St. Agnes Church is based on Luke 10:1-12; 17-20.
In today’s Gospel, the Lord sends his disciples out to the world “like sheep among wolves.”
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like a sheep among wolves–especially when I go online! Try starting your day by reading your Newsfeed and getting swamped with the flood of bad news from different parts of the world: every sort of violent crimes, natural disasters, the plight of migrants and their children, not to mention unfit government heads with too much power in their hands.
This homily is based on Luke 9:51-62.
I was reminded of a quote from writer Anne Lamott when I read today’s Gospel reading.
