Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine
Parish Website

Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine & Sacred Heart

Homily
by
Father Thomas E. Clegg

Solemnity of Mary         St. Augustine Sacred Heart               2010

Numbers 6:22-27

The words of blessing we hear in our first reading today

   are words that there can be no doubt were heard by Jesus and his mother

      time and time again when they went to synagogue.

They are also great words as we begin a new year of grace:

   May the Lord bless you and keep you…

      May the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you…

          May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.

We celebrate today not only the Solemnity of Mary, mother of God,

   But also a world day of prayer for peace.

We do so this year, in 2010, for the ninth year in a row as a country at war.

Perhaps we would do well to dedicate this year to the Blessed Mother,

   And pray that through her intercession God will grant us the peace asked

     for in the blessing.

But to pray for peace is interesting because it only works

    if we have peace in our own hearts.

Peace only comes to the world when we have peace in our own homes

   and in our own hearts.

St. Francis of Assisi knew that when he wrote his famous prayer.

    I’d like to close this short reflection with that prayer.

And I invite you to join me.

    Some of you no doubt will know it by heart;

       If not, I invite you to turn to page 495 of the hymnal and perhaps with Josh’s help we might sing this closing prayer….

And as we do so, I want you to pay attention to what St. Frances knew:

   If we want peace, it begins with each one of us:

Make me a channel of you peace,

  Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.

      Where there is injury, your pardon Lord.

          And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of you peace.

   Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.

       Where there is darkness only light,

And where there’s sadness ever joy.

O master grant that I may never seek,

   So much to be consoled as to console,

      To be understood as to understand,

  To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.

   It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

      In giving of ourselves that we receive.

And in dying that we are born to eternal life!  

[ Home ]  [ Welcome ]  [ Parish News ]  [ Parish History ]  [ Parish Life ]  [ Faith Formation ]
[ Youth Ministry ]  [ School ]  [ Sister Parish ]  [Prayer Requests ]  [ Contact ]

Catholic Community of Sacred Heart | 1840 East Eighth Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana | 47130
812-282-0423 (Church) | 812-283-3123 (School) | Map & Directions to Sacred Heart Church

Copyright © 2002 - 2010 www.SacredHeart-Church.com. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use