ePriest.com: Your Spanish Homily

Readings

Reading I: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Psalm: Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
Reading II: First Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel: Luke 15:1-32 or 15:1-10

Preaching Tip

Learning from Weekday Homilies

In parishioner surveys about what makes for a good homily, an often repeated sentiment is, "If only they would preach on Sundays the way they do on weekdays!"

Bishop Ken Untener reflects on some factors that may go into creating that sentiment:

  • Weekday homilies almost always stay with one thought.
  • In preparing a weekday homily, we think small rather than imagining a large space to fill. This produces a more focused homily.
  • Weekday homilies tend to come right out of the readings.
  • Our faith shows through more easily in weekday homilies. We are more reflective and more personal, probably because the small, familiar weekday Mass group provides a more homey setting.
  • Beginnings and endings are better. We get right into it, without a long beginning, and we more easily end it, without repeating, reviewing.
  • On weekdays, we're not as concerned with "looking good." On Sundays, even more on big feasts or big events, the ego enters in. I want people to be impressed by a good homily, and by trying to make it so, the homily usually becomes less heart-to-heart. The truth is that in weekday homilies, we are less concerned about form. We are less concerned about what people will think of the homily. Our only concern is the thought we want to convey.

Preaching Better, by Bishop Ken Untener, p103

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C                                                         

DIOS TE ESTÁ BUSCANDO, ¡DÉJATE ENCONTRAR!

Hermanas y hermanos:

El amor y la amistad deberían unir a las personas -pensemos en esposos, hermanos, padres e hijos, amigos- pero si se produce una riña entre ellos, todos sufren. En cambio, cuando se reconcilian, ¡Qué alivio! La alegría les ilumina la mirada, dilata los corazones y une las manos. El proceso que hemos descrito viene a ser como el modelo y la experiencia del mal y su remedio, de la culpa y su perdón.

A través de las parábolas de la misericordia, Jesús está diciendo a los pecadores: "No tengáis miedo de volver a Dios". Podríamos sentirnos perdidos como la oveja, y alejados como el hijo, pero Jesús se adelanta y no descansa hasta encontrar lo que se había perdido. Él es el salvador de los pecadores. Ojalá, como dice el salmo, "escuchemos hoy la voz del Señor, y no endurezcamos nuestro corazón".

1. La primera parábola habla de un pastor y su rebaño. El pastor es Cristo y la oveja extraviada es cada uno de nosotros. En la vida, ¡qué fácil es vivir con la sensación de estar perdidos! Tarde o temprano el desencanto, la decepción, pueden invadir nuestro corazón. A veces pensamos que fuera del redil vamos a encontrar la verdadera felicidad, mejor comida, mejor techo, mejores condiciones, y nos olvidamos que sólo en el redil estaremos seguros.

Cristo, el pastor, guarda las noventa y nueve ovejas buenas y va a buscar su oveja perdida. Lo hace a través de sus sacerdotes. El sacerdote se alegra cuando ve que sus ovejas regresan al redil por medio de la confesión sacramental. Acudamos a la confesión. El sacerdote nos va a alimentar con la gracia santificante.

2. En la segunda parábola, una mujer pierde su moneda. Para encontrarla, limpia, barre y busca. Así hace Cristo, cada vez que nos extraviamos. Decía San Agustín: "Nos hiciste Señor para ti, y nuestro corazón está inquieto hasta que descanse en ti". ¡Cuánta alegría hay en el cielo por un solo pecador que se convierte en la tierra! Cristo quiere nuestra conversión.

3. La tercera parábola nos presenta a un padre. Es una experiencia familiar que nos hace revivir su amor, su ternura, su acogida, su cuidado. Pero también conocemos casos en que los hijos abandonan a sus padres, no son amorosos, no son confiados con ellos. El padre de la parábola perdona, sigue esperando al hijo, con las puertas abiertas.

En la actitud del hijo podemos reconocer los pasos de una buena confesión: Al verse pecador, aquel joven extraviado hace un examen de conciencia. Se preocupa, se arrepiente, recapacita y toma la decisión de volver junto a su padre para pedirle perdón. Entonces se pone en camino. A su llegada, el padre lo acoge, lo abraza, lo escucha y lo perdona. Es lo mismo que hace el sacerdote en la confesión, en nombre de Dios. Cuando vayamos a confesarnos, no olvidemos que es Dios mismo el que nos acoge con los brazos abiertos. Es nuestro padre misericordioso que siempre había estado buscándonos; y no se detendrá sino hasta que nos haya encontrado.

English Translation

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C                                                         

GOD IS LOOKING FOR YOU - LET YOURSELF BE FOUND!

Dear sisters and brothers,

Love and friendship should bring people together - we think of spouses, brothers and sisters, parents and children - but when there is a disagreement between them they all suffer. And when they reconcile themselves, what a relief! Joy lights up their face, fills their heart and joins their hands together. This process we just described is the model and experience of evil and its remedy, of errors and forgiveness.

Through his parables of mercy, Jesus is telling sinners, "Don't be afraid of turning back to God." We could feel ourselves lost like the sheep, distant like the prodigal son, but Jesus takes the first step and does not rest until he finds the one that was lost. He is the savior of sinners. In the words of the psalm, "O that today we would hear the Lord's voice, harden not our hearts."

1. The first parable speaks about a shepherd and his flock. The shepherd is Christ and the lost sheep is each one of us. In life it is so easy to feel that we are lost! Sooner or later disappointment or confusion can end up filling our heart. Sometimes we think that outside of the fold we will find true happiness, better food, better lodgings, better living conditions, and we forget that we will only be safe in the fold.

Christ, the shepherd, leaves the ninety-nine good sheep and goes in search of the lost sheep. He does it through his priests. Priests rejoice when they sees their sheep returning to the fold by means of sacramental Confession. Let us go to Confession. Priests will nourish us with sanctifying grace.

2. In the second parable, a woman loses her coin. To find it she cleans, sweeps and looks. This is what Christ does every time we are lost. Saint Augustine used to say, "You made us, Lord, for you, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." How much joy is there in Heaven over just one sinner that converts on this earth! Christ wants our conversion.

3. The third parable tells us about a father. It is a familiar experience that helps us relive his love, his tenderness, his welcome, his care. But we also know of instances when children leave their parents, do not love them, do not trust them. The father in this parable forgives and keeps waiting for the son, with open doors.

In the attitude of the son we can see the steps for making a good Confession. Recognizing himself as a sinner, the wayward young man makes an examination of conscience. He is concerned, repentant, he thinks again and decides to return to his father to ask him for forgiveness. So he sets off on his journey. When he arrives, his father receives him and embraces him, listens to him and forgives him. This is precisely what the priest does in Confession in God's name. When we go confess our sins, let us not forget that it is God himself who welcomes us with open arms. He is our merciful father who has always been looking for us, not stopping until he finds us.