I guess homilies are really sticking with me these days. Today's memorable homily was by Fr. David Morrier, TOR. He spoke from the reading in 1 John about how grace is like gravity or like wind: you can't see these things directly, but you can see their effects. The effects of grace that are evident in our lives from being with Jesus? Cleansing, healing, empowering.
Once again I look at my experience, and what Fr. David said rings true. We are cleansed: sin is removed, uprooted from my life. We are healed: grace puts back in working order that which wasn't working right before. We are empowered: grace doesn't stop with me "just surviving" but moves me to do things for the good of others.
You know, there is a completely different feel between a Catholic homily and a Protestant sermon. I think this is why many Catholics who encounter Christ in a Protestant setting leave the Church bewildered with the sense that no one is "feeding" them. Homilies sort of require us bringing our experience to Scripture within the context of the Church, so they collaborative in a way, and not meant to just fill empty cups and passive minds. It seems though, that what is direly needed is the basic teaching or catechesis that already informs us as members of the Church. Here is a nifty guide that can be used for reading the Bible and the Catechism through in a year, which might be very handy for adult Catholics who find themselves drawn to Protestantism to help them understand the Christ they have met.
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