HOMILIES
Do you know how the first Christians learned about Jesus? They did not have a New Testament like we do. They only had the Old Testament and the stories that the apostles told them.
The apostles were the friends of Jesus who saw what he did and heard what he said. They also saw how he died and came back to life. They told people that Jesus is the special one that God promised to send long ago.
The apostles had God’s power and made people believe in Jesus.
The Church is the family of people who believe in Jesus and listen to the apostles. What stories about Jesus do you like to hear? How do they make you feel?
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The apostles did not always preach in churches. Sometimes they preached in public places like the market or the streets. But as more people joined the Church, they started to gather for the Eucharist.
Today the Eucharist is the part of the Mass when we remember Jesus and share bread and wine that has been transformed into his “Body and Blood”. The homily is the part of the Mass when someone (normally the pastor) talks about God’s word.
It usually relates to the scriptural readings of the day. The homily is not just a talk or a lesson. The homily is also a way of thanking God and learning from God. How do you prepare yourself for the Eucharist? What do you hope to learn from the homily?
The homily is a part of the time when we listen to God’s word, using it to talk about the ideas and topics that the Bible and the prayers of the day suggest. The homily helps us to connect God’s word with our lives.
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It helps us to understand how God loves us and wants us to love others. It helps us to get ready for the rest of the Eucharist when we say what we believe, pray for our needs, and share the bread and wine.
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The Second Vatican Council says that this is what liturgy is all about -- bringing us closer to Jesus and Jesus closer to us. How do you show your love for God and others in your daily life? How does liturgy help you to grow closer to Jesus?
Jesus liked to tell stories about God. The apostles liked to tell stories about Jesus. These stories are good for us because they make us think about our faith. And they show us how God’s words from long ago are still important for us today. The things we face in our lives are like what the people in the Bible faced. What stories from the Bible can you relate to? How do they inspire you or challenge you?
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