1st June 2008
From time to time we are privileged to see or meet people whose faith is a joy to behold. Some time back I was watching an award ceremony when Dr Michael Meehan was awarded the International Person of the year award for his work in the Rift Valley of Kenya where he lives and ministers in one of the largest terminal care programmes in East Africa. His work is truly fantastic. He was asked by the interviewer what gave him the courage and strength to do what he did and he answered very simply and unashamedly, prayer and his belief in God. That took everybody so much by surprise, because after all that is all very passé in a modern democracy like our own. It got me thinking, everything I profess to be true means very little unless I actually go and make a difference to people's lives as he has done.
In the gospel reading today Jesus says more or less the same thing that can be summed up very simply, faith without good works is dead. In other words we can say all the prayers we like, we can come to mass every Sunday of our lives, but if we confine our worship of God to that we are hardly living as Christ would want us to live. I don't fear the Judgment of God because of what I have done in life; I fear it because of all I have failed to do. We look around the world today, in fact even our own country and we see greedy materialism. We see such a huge gulf between the rich and the poor. People this weekend will go and shop as if the shops will never open again, and then half of the goods they buy will be thrown out unused, Yet all the while people are dying, babies are suffering because of the arrogance of the First World who power things onto Mars looking for life and yet the world cannot seem to feed it's own. When we give money to charity do we give all we can, or only enough to salve our consciences. We must keep before our eyes and our hearts the words of Jesus, in so far as you neglected to do it to the least of mine, you neglected to do it to me. I have no easy answers, however I do appeal to you to take the words of Christ to heart before it is too late. If I die this very minute am I happy with what contribution I have made in the world? We are guilty of a very a grave sin, our refusal to recognise Christ in the poor and the suffering.
Western Civilization in my opinion is in free fall because it has put riches and pleasure above the worship of God. People like Michael Meehan are modern day prophets who are trying to warn us as the prophets of old warned the people of their own time. Michael has written a couple of books which I would highly recommend to anyone. The titles are 'All Will be well', All Shall be well, and surprised by Joy'. Please do read them if you get a chance and allow the words to change you.
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Homilies Archive
2009 HOMILIES
25th December 2008
Christmas
21st December 2008
14th December 2008
8th December 2008
Immaculate Conception
7th December 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
30th November 2008
1st Sunday of Advent
23rd November 2008
Christ the King
16th November 2008
2nd November 2008
All Souls
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All Saints
26th October 2008
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Assumption
10th August 2008
3rd August 2008
20th July 2008
13th July 2008
29th June 2008
22nd June 2008
1st June 2008
23rd March 2008
Easter Sunday
22nd March 2008
Easter Vigil
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