Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine
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Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine & Sacred Heart

Homily
by
Father Thomas E. Clegg

5 Sunday Easter A                  St. Augustine Sacred Heart     2008

In light of our recent little earthquake, a little earthquake Holy Humor.

After the earthquake happened Saturday morning,

  What did Spickert Knob say to Floyds Knob?

        Not my fault!

I said a little humor, but in my defense

   do you know how hard it is to find good earthquake jokes?

I recently listened to CD of a talk given by a Catholic priest—

   I won’t mention his name because I’m going to critique something he said.

In his talk he told the story of a woman who said to him.

   “Father, my husband is a good man…He was baptized Catholic….

        But he doesn’t go to Church very often.

           He prays at home….and he works with the St. Vincent DePaul….

              But I just can’t get him to come to Church every week.”

Then she asked, “When he dies, he’s going to be okay isn’t he?”

And the priest said in his talk. I told her “No he’s not going to be okay.”

   And then he went on to tell of the importance of going to Mass.

Now I’m all for going to Mass.

   I go myself four times a weekend and six times during the week

      But to say that someone is going to hell for not going to Mass

         every weekend, strikes me as a bit like the Pharisees.

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places Jesus reminds us.”

It seems to me that one of the thing

   that Jesus most often sought to do was to include people.

      He widened the nets of those fish that would be caught by God.

No longer was the leper on the outside looking in,

    Now the leper was on the inside,

      standing toe to toe with the scribe, the rabbi and the priest.

No longer was the tax collector on the outside looking in,

    Now the tax collector was inside standing toe to toe

       with the beloved disciple and with Peter our first pope. 

It seems to me that Jesus’ words,

   “I  have sheep that don’t belong to this flock.”

It seems to me that Jesus’ words,

    “Come you who are blessed by my Father,

       Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

         For I was hungry and you gave me food…

            I was thirsty and you gave me drink.”

It seems to me that Jesus’ words,

     “In my Father’s house there are many MANY dwelling places.”

I wonder what feeds the need for some people to be so exclusive.

   We have the answers and you don’t.

      We’re gonna make it and your not.

Why not trust Jesus at his word,

      “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and faith in me.”

Why not trust Jesus at his word,

    “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

Why not trust Jesus at his word.

   “If I go and prepare a place for you I will come back

         and take you to myself.”

I trust in that promise…

   I believe there is room for you…

      I believe there is room for me…

         I believe there is room for whoever God chooses.

Because in God’s house there are many, many dwelling places.

    See you there! 

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Catholic Community of Sacred Heart | 1840 East Eighth Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana | 47130
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