TV Mass Homily
The Sunday TV Mass homilies from Bishop Swain.
Have you ever experienced “that sinking feeling”? It is a premonition that something is not right or something bad is about to happen. Peter had that sinking feeling in the midst of a terrible storm, will we survive? Peter and the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water. His reaction was not “now we will be okay. “ Instead he continued to have that sinking feeling, unsure whether he really was seeing Jesus, or was it a ghost? So he tested. “Lord if that is you; command me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” Jesus responded. Surely strengthened by a familiar voice Peter with courage stood, stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water himself. There is a lesson for us: in the midst…
In the Gospel Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain and they grasped a glimpse of the magnificence of Jesus transfigured, a precursor of the glory to come. This occurred as Jesus was on his way to crucifixion, death and resurrection which we remember on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. They occurred after the Transfiguration experience. One scholar notes that the Transfiguration in a way depicts those two events in reverse, the glory of the risen Lord to come is manifested before the persecution the Apostles would face, most of whom died martyr’s death. Both bold messages of hope centered in Jesus Christ God and man. Matthew records that the face of Jesus shown like the sun and his clothes became white as light. Another gospel uses…
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried and suddenly discovered. Out of joy the discoverer sells all he has and buys the field to preserve the treasure. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl long searched for and finally found. Its value is worth giving up everything to preserve it. These two parables are descriptions of conversion experiences for those who become disciples of Christ. For some that is a sudden discovery of the love of Christ. For others it is a journey searching for meaning in life that is found in the love of Christ. In either case it is a surrendering of ourselves to doing God’s will whatever that is and wherever that may lead us. The joy and peace that comes with the discovery…
Most of us when we see a weed have the urge to pull it out. We view weeds as unsightly, as a threat to what is good, as making our lives and our lawns less than perfect. But they exist and despite our preferences. Even in drought times which many are experiencing these days they seem to flourish more than our plantings. When we do pull them out, they grow back. Jesus in the parable of the wheat and the weed, in a very practical description of the environment within which Christian discipleship must exist, tells us that our mustard seed sized faith must live among the secular weeds of this world which is inhospitable even hostile to religion and moral truth. But ultimately he assures us that at harvest…
There is a decidedly agricultural flavor to our readings this week. The first reading from Isaiah, the psalm and the parable of the seed in the Gospel specifically speak about sowing and producing fruit or failure to do so. It seems appropriate on this July day on the prairie where the corn and beans are showing significant growth and personal gardens are beginning to bear fruit and vegetables. It is a wonderful time of year. Sadly though we also note that in some areas lack of moisture has limited that growth and threatened crops and livelihoods. Let us pray for rain and for support for those each year who face the uncertainty of natural forces that raise up but can also wear down. Jesus is with us through the droughts…
Today’s Gospel is one of the most beautiful and comforting passages in the New Testament. “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” “Come to me”, Jesus invites. He has already come to us. Now he invites us to come closer to him. Jesus does not force himself upon us. God the Father gifted us with free will. We can decide for ourselves if we want a relationship with God and how deep it will be. He sent his son to be one with us, encouraging us to use our freedom well. Saint John Paul II reminded us that true freedom is not the freedom to do whatever we want, but the freedom to do what we ought to do, what is…
“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” I enjoy watching birds as long as they do not get too close. We get excited when we see the first robin in early spring or when a cardinal lights its red brilliance on a tree branch. While on a lake in Wisconsin, a blue heron landed not far from where I was. The gangly looking bird was about four feet tall with an arched walk. Not all birds are as interesting. Most runners have experienced attacks by red wing black birds as they protect their territory. Sparrows we hardly notice, but God does. The words…
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ or Corpus Christi when we affirm our belief in the truth that Jesus is present Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. Just as we need nourishment of earthly food to live healthy and full physical lives in community, we need nourishment of heavenly bread to live healthy and full spiritual lives in the community of the Church. Each of us has a longing, an emptiness, a grumbling, and a hunger that can only be filled by God. Christ’s Church offers us varying forms of spiritual nourishment which allow our hearts to rest in Him. Sacred scripture, sacred music and art and the many forms of prayer can nourish us. But Jesus at the Last…
“The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” So St. Paul in the 2nd reading wishes the faithful of the local church in Corinth. That is a declaration of belief in the Holy Trinity. The love of God the Father, the grace and peace of God the Son, and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit define the fullness of what the relationship with one God in three persons can be. How inviting and how needed are these in our days of doubt, wonderment and worry when the burden of sin and the fallout from poor choices in our families, our society and ourselves can weigh us down. There is an old hymn…
“Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth” we sing on this the Solemnity of Pentecost. This feast celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit is often called the birthday of the Church. Our Lord ascended to the Father and instituted the Church to carry on his mission guided by the Holy Spirit until he comes again. The presence of the Holy Spirit permeates all the sacraments. Friday I had the privilege of ordaining six men to the priesthood for our diocese, a great blessing for us all. Those seeking to be ordained must declare before God that they really desire ordination by responding to a series of questions. The very first one is: “do you resolve with the help of the Holy Spirit to discharge…
