Went to the 5pm Mass and heard the SAME canned Father's Day homily for the third year straight. 2 different priests, same exact story read aloud. Nothing to do with the readings, just a trite modern-day parable about a son who tells his dad he wants a sports car when he graduates from college, dad gives him a bible, son gets mad at dad, they don't speak for decades, dad dies, son goes through dad's personal effects, finds bible, bookmarked to Matthew underlining a passage about passing stuff on to children, then key for sports car kid wanted all those years ago falls out of Bible, "paid in full."
My dear Nigerian priest friend (imported due to the shortage in the DOR) once told me that as part of his orientation back in 2001, he was strongly encouraged to download these canned homilies from some website and use them each week. He was duly shocked and appalled, and never has done so. His homilies are instructive, meaningful, moving, and would blow you away. He's 1:45 away from us or I'd be there every week.
Again, I really REALLY need to move!
random thoughts on the Eve of All Saints
1 week ago
9 comments:
Interesting--I've heard that story also--but it was in an e-mail someone sent me--a good story, but like watching the same commercial on TV over and over, it gets old fast. Deacon Bob gave our homily today--it was very good, he talked about the importance of our "spiritual" fathers in our lives. Wish you could have been there.
Kit,
We had a Jesuit missionary that went RAMBLING ON FOR 25 MINUTES. As one listener said, "I kept waiting for him to land the plane and he kept pulling back on the stick." I WISH it would have been a canned sermon on fathers.
Our priest spoke about the Gospel. Weird.
He also mentioned the importance of fatherhood, but it wasn't the centerpiece of the homily.
Tara - I'd LOVE to be there in person to see Fr. Erik, et al, in action...doubt there's any "re-runs" or dull moments!
Digi - OY! Good thing my 10 year old wasn't there!
Jane - wish I could've been in Angeltown for Mass!
I went across town to visit the new parish of the priest who brought me into the Church (had some chocolate for him as a Father's Day gift; spiritual fathers and all that). His homily was incredible. Largely on Father's Day, fatherhood (both biological and spiritual), etc, and tied in nicely to the Gospel.
Much as I love our new priest, I really miss that guy!
[Thinks, thinks, thinks.]
Nope. Can't find the moral in that story.
Help?
My homily on Fr's day was about St. Joseph
(The story about the kid who got the car, of course. Not about the post itself!)
;)
Terrible canned sermon from the Pastor this week. Mass started almost on time, shortly after 5:15 -- we didn't hit the Creed until SIX o'clock. I kid you not. Boring as hell.
The previous week was no better on the content, but shorter. TOTALLY unintelligible. Visiting missionary priest from India. Usually visiting missionaries are interesting. Not this guy. Snooze. Unintelligible and an accent as annoying as all get out.
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