Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily Video

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily Transcript

>>Here’s two great, one-liners. Guy says, “My wife’s cooking is so bad, even the flies are chipping in to get the screen fixed.”

[laughter]

Another great one-liner: police officer stops this guy and the police officer asks the guy, he says, “Where were you between 5 and 6?”

The guys says, “Kindergarten.”

[laughter]

I could keep going, but I’m gonna stop right there.

[laughter]

Today’s gospel is really about blessings and sharing. So I share this story with all of you.

A dad asked his son, whose life was approaching his seventh birthday. Now son was usually very specific about a gift, but the son’s request this time was a bit different.

He said, “Dad, I’d like a ball for my birthday.”

“Great,” said the dad. “What kind of ball?”

“Well, I guess either a football or a soccer ball.”

“Well, which one would you like?”

The boy thought about it and said to his dad, “Well dad, if you have some time to play with me this year I would really like a football so that we could play catch together. But if you’re going to be very, very busy maybe just get me a soccer ball because I can play soccer with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood.”

And dad said, “Here’s what I’ll do. Let me surprise you. How does that sound?”

The little boy said, “That would be great, dad. I love you so very, very much!”

But it was the dad who was totally surprised. Surprised and touched that his young son was not so much interested in the gift, as in the giver. The little boy was more interested not so much in the gift, but in the giver -his dad.

Now we too can be givers and perform wonders in our own time and place by imitating those four divisive eucharistic verbs of Jesus.

Take. Bless. Break. And share.

And Christ calls us to become Eucharist to each other, to love this world back into life. You know, it sounds easy but it’s not.

There was a story of a young salesman who approached a farmer and began to talk excitedly about his new book.

And the young salesman said, “This book will tell you everything about farming, about when to sow, when to reap, time of year to plant. This book will tell you everything you need to know.”

“Young man,” the farmer said, “that’s not the problem. I know everything there is to know in that book. My problem is doing it.”

Lord what do you ask of me and give me the courage to do it.

Readings

First Reading:

Isaiah 55:1-3

Second Reading:

Romans 8:35, 37-39

Gospel:

Matthew 14:13-21

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