Posts Tagged With: commandments

There Are Many Laws, But One Truth

Posted on March 8, 2015 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on March 8, 2015 at the 8:00AM and 10:30AM Masses

The current federal laws fill 52 leather-bound volumes, and two new volumes have yet to be printed. There are an estimated five thousand different crimes that can be committed if these laws are broken. That doesn’t even include state or local laws. For example, I cannot own chickens because Richland Township requires you to have at least 2 acres of land to have them. There are so many laws, and yet their numbers are growing all the time. A coworker was pulled over by the police this past week because they had only cleared enough ice and snow from their windshield to make just a very small hole, but they did not receive a ticket because there is no law about requiring you to have clean windows to drive. Thankfully a couple of days ago, a bill requiring people to clear off their vehicles of ice and snow before driving them was put together. There are so many laws to make sure that we do the right thing, and so often we are not doing the right thing.

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If We Are Eating Vegetables, God Is Probably Eating Vegetables

Posted on May 25, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on May 24 and 25 on the 6th Sunday of Easter Cycle A at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

A little girl came up to the priest as he was greeting parishioners after Mass, and said, “This week during religion class we learned that God is bigger than anything. Is that true?” inquired the little girl.  “Yes, that’s true,” answered the priest, happy that the faith formation program seemed to be doing its job. “God is certainly bigger than anything.”  “Well for being so big, he sure is hard to find,” she said. “I’ve looked all over the place and I can’t find him.”  “You don’t have to look for God,” replied the priest. “He is inside of you.”  “I never thought to look there,” she admitted. “But if God is inside of me and God is bigger than anything, then I better get bigger to make more room for him. How can I do that?”  The priest laughed. “You make more room for God by growing spiritually. If you want to grow physically, you eat your vegetables.”  The little girl thought about it for a moment and said, “Well if God is bigger than anything he sure must like eating vegetables!”

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Not Big Brother, But Almighty Father

Posted on February 16, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on February 15 and 16 on the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A at the 4:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

If you have read George Orwell’s futuristic novel 1984, you know that in the story he warns about the dangers of government and technology, or more accurately the dangers of government using technology.  It is considered one of the most depressing novels ever written.  I know firsthand because it was required reading in high school, way back in 1984.  But even if you have not read the novel, you most certainly heard about Big Brother, the all-knowing government entity in the story who monitors the private lives of its citizens with constant audio and video surveillance.  The idea of a Big Brother watching over us as described in the novel seemed far-fetched in 1984, but not today.  Technology has improved to the point that much of our lives are indeed monitored and tracked by cellphones, computers, satellites, and video cameras.  These things certainly make our lives easier, safer, and more productive, but all the information gathered can be used be used against us, just as it is used against the citizens in the novel 1984.  It can make us feel concerned about our privacy.

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