Fr Greg, Carmelite priest – blog, homilies, fun and holy ideas
Carmelite homily for Lectionary 485 – Monday, November 4, 2019
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to invite to the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame – in a word, everybody – to a banquet that we hold. We think, “How can we do this?” Teresa of Avila reminds us. She says, “How can we share our gifts lavishly if we do not understand that we are rich?” That’s how we can do this. We are immensely rich. We can share with everybody.
Carmelite homily for Lectionary 475 – Wednesday, October 23, 2019
In The Way of Perfection, Saint Teresa of Avila writes, “The Lord gives us gifts that are for our best, but we are quite capable of flinging them back in his face, because we want to cash in for the wealth we can understand.” I think that fits in well with today’s Gospel.
Carmelite homily for Lectionary 470 – Thursday, October 17, 2019
It seems that all the Carmelite writers have the same quotation – maybe they’re quoting each other, but it’s a good one. “The Lord will never look at the greatness of your deeds; only upon the love with which they are done.” In today’s Gospel we have Jesus condemning the people because they’re defending the faith, and going after him and each other, and building great monuments. They’re doing all sorts of things that are laudatory, but no love in them. I think this quotation from John of the Cross, from Teresa of Avila, from Therese of Lisieux, from ‘you name that Carmelite author’, it’s there: “The Lord will never look at the greatness of your deeds; only upon the love with which they are done.” Whatever you do today, no matter how great, do it with love.