I am grateful for the opportunity to write a few remarks about the structure of the homilies I write and the theological and philosophical lens I adhere to. It is important to me that I make the week's scripture relevant to our lives today. They are usually 5-10 minutes. They are purposely short because most people lose interest after that time. I bring scriptural references from other Biblical sources or books pertinent to the day's scripture. I adlib to the written homily from my experience or current events as appropriate for that Sunday.
Catholic tradition has a rotation of scripture in a three-year cycle: A, B, and C. There is a reading and a Psalm from the Hebrew Scriptures, followed by a reading from the New Testament and a relevant reading from the Gospels. Year A primarily has Gospel readings from Matthew, year B from Mark and chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, and year C from the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is read during Easter in all three years. Grace Trinity Catholic Church uses much of the Roman Missal for guidance but does not follow it word for word.
Grace Trinity invites other clergy and laity to participate in our services. The visiting clergy or laity can present a sermon from their spiritual tradition. It allows for a different perspective in interpreting scripture and its relevance to our lives.
Personal experiences are also a part of my homilies. They remind people of similar experiences and help them remember their similar experiences and remember the scriptural lessons. Jesus told stories and parables to make His teaching relevant to the people. I follow Him.
I use examples that may exaggerate or shock my flock. Jesus did this to grab the attention of His followers. He meant only a few of His quotes precisely as He said them so the people would remember and understand the parables.
I use ordinary objects to which my parishioners can relate. I use this especially when I do a children's homily. I used bread, jelly, and water to help the children understand the stories of the Israelites escaping from Egypt when God provided manna from the sky (Exodus and Numbers) and water from a rock (Exodus) for the Children of Israel.
I repeat stories or scripture from past homies or references to the week before. My experience is that people better remember something important if they hear it multiple times.
The other practice for me is to engage my congregation in interactive homilies. Although I lead my flock, many have knowledge and experiences relevant to the week's scripture. Participating in the service gives them agency in the church. "Owning" the church is essential to each member and helps them continue participating. I am the leader of the flock, but that does not mean I am the only voice with relevancy. I end my homilies with questions and meditation suggestions.
Parts of the prayers and Mass are said in unison or read by a volunteer from the congregation. We use different names for God, such as Source of all Being, Source of all Life, Creator, YHWH, or Yahweh, and we refer to the Realm of God instead of Kingdom or Kin-dom. We refer to the Trinity as Mother and Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or Creator, Redeemer, and Paraclete.
An essential principle at Grace Trinity Catholic Church is inclusivity. We want people to feel welcome and safe. We change gender references to terms that are gender-affirming, non-binary, and gender-fluid in prayers and make changes in the scripture when it does not change the message. We use Believers, Children, or Children of YHWH (or another inclusive term for God) instead of Sisters and Brothers.
During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we include a paragraph that provides for people from other faiths and walks of spiritual life.
“As we break this bread and share this cup, we remember those who share this journey with us. With those who drum the song of the earth and those who dance the wisdom of women, with those who travel the way of the Hindus, those who follow the path of the Buddha, the children of Islam, the Jewish people from whom we come, with Christians everywhere and all others who walk a path.”
Creed: We do not use the Athanasian, Apostle’s, or Nicene Creed. Our Affirmation of Faith contains the components of all three of these with different wording.
Prayers of the People (Intercessions): These focus on community needs, personal devotions, and prayers for world events and peace. Each week, these prayers reflect those changes.
Our Call to Be Aligned Toward God (Penitential Rite) differs from the Roman Missal's wording. We take responsibility for our wrongdoings and receive reconciliation in the name of the Trinity.
The Memorial Acclamation:Changed from
“Christ has died, Crist has risen, Christ will come again” to an Affirmation such as the following.
“With our whole being, we affirm His birth. With our whole life, we proclaim His resurrection. With our whole presence, we live as disciples and await His coming in glory.”
Communion (Eucharist): At Grace Trinity Catholic Church, interpreting the meaning of the Eucharist is left to the individual. We do not strictly adhere to the theological premise of consubstantiation or transubstantiation but instead believe the Body and Blood of Christ is a faith mystery miracle. We welcome everyone to the Lord’s table for Communion.
We believe the Breaking of the Bread is “The gifts of God for the People of God. Happy are we to be called to this meal.” We believe in a loving God who gives us communion without shame. We say together:
“Through Your grace, we are worthy to receive You. May we receive this gift in purity of heart. May it bring us healing and strength now and forever.”
The Lord’s Prayer: Changed from “lead us not into temptation” to “Let us not fall into temptation but deliver us from evil.”
The Biblical texts I may use to reference scripture from include The Harper Collins Study Bible,[1] The New American Bible [2], JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh[3], The Life Recovery Bible[4], The Inclusive Bible[5], and The Gnostic Bible[6]. Each source has valuable interpretations for historical accuracy, inclusivity, Twelve Step references, and text for readability at differing educational levels. I use various websites for ideas and others’ perspectives on scripture for that week.
I use Catholic Women Preach (https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/), The Sunday Website at The Saint Louis University (https://liturgy.slu.edu/), and Laughingbird (https://laughingbird.net/). I research the scripture reflections others have incorporated into the scripture. The critical piece is crediting any sources I use closely and not "stealing" someone's homily. Some websites sell sermons. I do not use those.
Grace Trinity Catholic Church says, "We stumble in the footsteps of Jesus as best we can."
1 The Harper Collins Study Bible (HarperCollins, 1989).
[2] The New American Bible (Catholic Press A division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1970).
[3] JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh The Traditional Hebrew Text and the New JPS Translation, Second (Philadelphia, PA, 2000).
[4] The Life Recovery Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1998).
[5] Priests for Equality, The Inclusive Bible The First Egalitarian Translation (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2007).
[6] Willis Barnstone ed; Marvin Meyer, ed., The Gnostic Bible, Gnostic Texts of Mystical Wisdom from the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, Revised Edition (Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publishers, Inc., 2009).
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