Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine
Parish Website

Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine & Sacred Heart

Homily
by
Father Thomas E. Clegg

Epiphany             St. Augustine Sacred Heart                        2010

Isaiah 60:1-6                  Ephesians 3:2-6                       Matthew 2:1-12

A few weeks ago one of my former students called me

  to tell me she was engaged.

She was hoping that I would be able to preside at her wedding next summer.

As you might imagine, she was very excited.

  We talked for a while and confirmed the dates

     and after a little more catching up,

        she said, “I’ve got to go…I have a lot more calls to make.”

It turns out I was in the middle of a list of over 50 people

  she had to call and tell about her engagement.

After that, I’m sure she’ll put an announcement on Facebook or Twitter.

    They’ll be a “save the date” postcard

          with cute pictures of the bride and groom.

They may even have their own webpage announcing as time goes on

    how the plans are coming for the grand affair.

We get excited when we have good news

     and we try to find ways to share that good news with others.

Today that is pretty easy with the internet…

But it wasn’t so easy 2,000 years ago.

   God didn’t have the advantage of Twitter and Facebook;

      God didn’t have the electronic super highway to share his good news.

So he spread his good news the best way he knew how:

   Through prophets and dreams, angels and stars,

      and good old fashioned word of mouth.

And the message got out because here we are two thousand years later

  Still celebrating the birth of a little boy born in an obscure village

     half the globe away.

The further good news is this:

   God still uses these old fashioned ways to spread the message.

       The only difference is now we also have the added knowledge of Jesus

          whole life and the 2000 years of history that has followed.

And in that 2000 years of history that has followed:

   God has still sent angels and prophets,

      miracles of nature and dreams and good old fashioned word of mouth

         to make manifest the Good News.

Prophets like Mother Teresa beckon us to respond to the call of the poor.

    Prophets like Dr. Martin Luther King that call us to realize

       the need for racial equality.

          Prophets like John Paul II who continually challenged us

             to a respect for all human life.

God is made manifest today in the lives of prophets.

God still relies on the miracle of nature to remind us

   that God is still present in our lives.

A beautiful snowstorm, a stunning sunset.

   A trip to the ocean, the Smokey Mountains.

I could go on and on but we all know many people

   who find God the artist in nature.

God is made manifest today through the beauty of nature.

And good old fashioned word of mouth!

   When someone has a genuine spiritual experience and comes back to

       share how God has touched his or her life.

Whenever people gather together in small groups

   and share the message of Jesus action in their lives:

       Bible Study, Prayer Groups, Retreats and Faith Sharing.

God is made manifest in all that.                                                   

Today we celebrate the Epiphany…a word that means manifestation…

    God has made God’s self known to us 2000 years ago,

       But today as well.

All we need is the faith to see it.     

[ 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