{"id":1697,"date":"2015-10-11T12:53:42","date_gmt":"2015-10-11T16:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1697"},"modified":"2015-10-11T12:53:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-11T16:53:42","slug":"28th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/28th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

28th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
\n<\/a>Wisdom 7:7-11
\nPsalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-1
\nHebrews 4:12-13
\nMark 10:17-30
\nOctober 11, 2015<\/p>\n

Our responsorial verse speaks of asking God to fill us with His Love so that we might sing for joy!\u00a0 Do we make known the joy we have in the Lord?<\/p>\n

Hebrews\u00a0describes the Word of God as \u201cliving and effective.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 God\u2019s Word as found in scripture was written 2,000 years ago but it still is relevant it today.\u00a0 We need to study it with an understanding of the context it was written in and then apply it to today but it is still relevant as a \u201cliving\u201d document.\u00a0 As to its effective, perhaps we should each ask ourselves what difference has God\u2019s Word made in our lives?\u00a0 Have we been changed by what we hear?\u00a0 God\u2019s Word is effective on us today.<\/p>\n

When we embrace the faith that God has given us, it makes life better.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t mean all our problems are eliminated.\u00a0 Some problems may go away but some may remain.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean God\u2019s Word hasn\u2019t been effective.\u00a0 Sometimes God shows us a way through <\/em>our problems or simply helps to understand that sometimes what we see as an important problem isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

In what God does in our lives we can find peace and comfort. Do others see that in us?\u00a0 Often, the best way to share our faith with others is to let them see the difference it means for us.<\/p>\n

Do we show peace in our lives?\u00a0 Do we show joy?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to talk about \u201cwelcome presence\u201d.\u00a0 You may remember that a couple of years ago our Parish Pastoral Council did a survey to help us understand what people thought of our parish.\u00a0 Over half said it was welcoming and friendly.<\/p>\n

Clearly being \u201cwelcoming\u201d is important.\u00a0 That\u2019s why the Council made \u201cProvide a Welcoming Presence\u201d one of the Guiding Principles we developed last year.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t make it one of the principles because we were terrible at it.\u00a0 We did so because we realized it is important and that we need to make we try to be welcoming in all we do.<\/p>\n

You can look at welcoming on at least two levels.\u00a0 Welcoming can be something that happens at the door like when I stand outside and greet people before Mass.\u00a0 Welcoming includes how we treat people inside the church.\u00a0 Look at the people around you.\u00a0 Have you ever talked to them (I don\u2019t mean the people you came with, look a little farther)?\u00a0 Do we really feel welcome if no one has ever talked to us?<\/p>\n

I think maybe a way to define what it means to have a welcoming presence<\/em> is to make people feel appreciated (to know we are glad they are here) and that we care about them.<\/p>\n

This include people who aren\u2019t in our church building with us.\u00a0 It includes our homebound.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want them to feel forgotten.\u00a0 That\u2019s why our Communion Ministers who bring the Eucharist to them are important.<\/p>\n

We can also think of the people who have never come to our church who are poor.\u00a0 Soon the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will be upon us and there are our Thanksgiving gift card and Christmas gift programs that show we care.\u00a0 Hopefully our caring action is a sign of God\u2019s love to them.<\/p>\n

How about the people who are involved in our ministries?\u00a0 Do we ever express our gratitude or do we take them for granted?\u00a0 I know this is something I need to work on, saying thank you more often.\u00a0 We shouldn\u2019t do it for the thanks but a word of thanks can help us know we make a difference.<\/p>\n

Maybe the best way to provide a welcoming presence<\/em> is show that they are important to us and that we are glad they join us.<\/p>\n

Think of it this way.\u00a0 Say you see someone sitting in church who hasn\u2019t been in here in a long time.\u00a0 Are we shocked to see them or do we tell them we are glad they are here?<\/p>\n

We do about fifty funerals a year here.\u00a0 Some include Mass in church while others are just simple prayer services at the funeral home or graveside.\u00a0 A fair number involve families that haven\u2019t been to church in a while.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 It is an opportunity to show them God\u2019s love.\u00a0 It makes a difference.\u00a0 I can literally look out in to our pews and see people who have started coming back to church following a family funeral.<\/p>\n

Do you welcome those around you?<\/p>\n

Everything I have said so far speaks of ways we can all be welcoming.\u00a0 I want to now take a moment to introduce a new ministry designed to help us be more welcoming.<\/p>\n

After consulting with our Parish Pastoral Council and our Evangelization Team, we have decided that it is time to \u201cbegin\u201d a Greeter Ministry.<\/p>\n

I really don\u2019t like saying \u201cbegin\u201d.\u00a0 We have our ushers that take up the collection and help direct people to the handicap section or the ever important bathrooms.\u00a0 What our ushers do is important but we would like to take a step forward now and have greeters at every door before Mass to welcome people as they arrive.<\/p>\n

Some of our ushers do this at times.\u00a0 We need to do it more.\u00a0 We are going to keep our Usher Ministry as it is.\u00a0 This is one set of gifts.\u00a0 Greeting people is another set of gifts.\u00a0 Some of our ushers have already expressed interest in being a Greeter.\u00a0 You can do both but we need more people to be greeters.<\/p>\n

Could it be you?\u00a0 Do you feel you can be that warm friendly face at the door?\u00a0 All you have to do is be here fifteen minutes before Mass and welcome <\/em>people.\u00a0 If you would like to find out more, we will be having a workshop on October 26th<\/sup> in the evening and October 31st<\/sup> in the afternoon.\u00a0 You can come and find out more without feeling totally committed.<\/p>\n

If being a greeter at the door isn\u2019t for you that is fine.\u00a0 Just remember everything else I said about being welcoming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-1 Hebrews 4:12-13 Mark 10:17-30 October 11, 2015 Our responsorial verse speaks of asking God to fill us with His Love so that we might sing for joy!\u00a0 Do we make known the joy we have in the Lord? Hebrews\u00a0describes the Word of …<\/p>\n

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