I have been working at Sacred Heart and with Fr. Bill since 2003. Over the course of those years, I have heard the majority of Fr Bill's homilies - either at weekend Masses, holy days, or funerals. Week after week, I have listened to poignant messages that have touched my heart. This past weekend was no exception. In fact, I believe that this homily was in my top ten.
This particular homily was extremely personal and passionate coming from the perspective of a Roman Catholic priest. Our answer to the question that Jesus asks, "Who do YOU say that I am?" is different for everyone. We are all unique individuals with diverse backgrounds, life experiences and different relationships with God and others. Fr. Bill asked each of us to answer Jesus' question - who do WE say that Jesus is? Here is my answer as a middle-aged woman, wife, mother, and life-long learner.
Jesus....to me you are:
· The Master Healer – Our family would not have gotten through this past year without you. You want us to be whole in the midst of challenging, scary situations. · A humble teacher – you teach us how to live so that we can teach our children giving us infinite number of chances when we make mistakes. · A mentor and role model – You show me how to treat others without being judgmental. Help me to leave my judgments at the door. · Full of compassionate and forgiveness – your example of the woman caught in adultery or the woman at the well teaches me to see with my heart as we never know what is in the heart of others. A servant – you came to serve others and teach me to serve others by your example. You show no partiality as we are all equal in God’s eyes.
If you have not had the opportunity to listen to Fr. Bill’s homily or you would like to listen to it again, I encourage you to do so. You can access the Mass on our website https://sacredhearthopedale.org/mass-video. I also encourage you to complete your homework assignment! This particular homily and assignment are very insightful.