Sunday Homily 8-30-09, 22nd Ordinary Time
Readings: Deuteronomy 4, 1-8; Psalm 15, The One who does Justice will Live in the Presence of the Lord; James 1 17-27; Mark 7, 1-23.
Deuteronomy:
The fifth book of the Old Testament. The last book of what we refer to as the Pentateuch, namely five books. These five books, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy were made up of five scrolls, which is how it got its Greek title, Pentateuch. The Jewish people referred to them at the Torah or Law. Interestingly, the books themselves got their titles from the Greeks as a way to describe what the content of each book was about. They cover a period from the very beginning of time down to the arrival of the Jewish people into the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy is mainly made of laws, and the bulk of the book is composed of a series of addresses by Moses and also a long collection of laws, which covered just about every facet of life for the “devout Jew”.
Letter of James
Why am I here
I blame
Before Vatican II the pathway was clear, follow the rules and you will get into heaven, or at least purgatory. After the council, it seems that the ball was passed to each one of us. We were responsible for our own relationship with God. Catholics certainly began to take responsibility, aided greatly by the encyclical on Birth Control.
We might well apply this discussion to our selves. Why are you here today? Is it because your parents made you come??? Is it because you will go to hell if you don’t come here? Probably a more basic question could well be: What is the purpose of being here today? Am I here just because of habit, or does what we do here each week have an impact on my life outside this “getting together”?
Picture 1: Mass with Kevin & Sabrina
Picture 2: Mass helpers, an Old Geezer, Kevin, and Sabrina
Picture 3: Birthdays, Melissa, Maureen, & Carl
Picture 4: Birthdays, Jo & Jackie