Fr. Rick’s Two-Minute Homily Friday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time      

October 4, 2024, Luke 10:13-16

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi | USCCB

When our hearts change after an encounter with Jesus,
We will never forget Him.

The word “woe” that Jesus uses in today’s Gospel is not a warning as much as a cry from deep within his heart.

I wonder how many times St. Francis of Assisi cried from deep within his heart with people, with us.

The Lord pleads with the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida and with us to listen to Him and get beyond the miracles He performs over nature and broken bodies.

His plea is for us to turn to Him wholeheartedly and hide nothing from Him.

No secrets, no darkness in our souls will stop Him from loving us and laying down His life for us on the cross.

The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida experienced His mighty deeds, Still, they failed to come to Him for the mightiest deed of all: forgiveness.

The saddest thing of all is that when Jesus left their towns, no one would continue to proclaim His Gospel.

The miracles would be forgotten because no one’s life changed.

When Jesus left, they returned to the same worries, quarrels, and nitpicking they did before He came to town.

It makes me want to look seriously at what I do when I leave Holy Mass.

They missed out on the surprise of the Gospel, as Pope Benedict XVI called it. “There is nothing more beautiful than to know Christ and speak to others about our friendship with Him.” God’s Word’s power comes alive when we welcome Jesus to love us at our worst.

Then, our witness to Jesus becomes effective, and people will listen.

They listen because they know we connect with them and their life experiences.

The words we speak about Jesus flow from the deepest and richest encounter a human being can have with the Lord – His Mercy.

Gospel Reflection:
And all of us need His Mercy.

Having visited our town, will the sadness of Jesus continue, or will the angels in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner?


You and I can be their cause for rejoicing.

Love Your Neighbor!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com

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