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Exploring the word

24 Apr 2011 - Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday), Cycle A

IF DOCTORS MAKE the worst patients, then surely public speakers are the toughest audience in the pews. When I’m benched on the average Sunday, attending to the homilist, my bottom line invariably remains: “So what?” We’ve all heard the readings, listened to the preacher “open them up,” but where are we now? Any better off from where we were at the start of the hour? Do we know what to do next as a result of our time invested here? So when I join the assembly at the Easter Vigil or on this happy morning, the question on my mind is: Jesus is risen—now what? Purists and mystics will argue that it’s enough to “be here now” and delight in the theological excitement. The crucified Son of God has broken the vice-grip of original sin, death is no longer the end of the road, the gates of heaven are swung wide, and salvation of the human race is achieved! If that isn’t enough for you, maybe you need a vacation. The problem is, most folks in the pews have heard all this before. They’ve—I should say, we’ve—survived many an Easter no worse for wear, but honestly, no better. We’re happy things turned out so well for Jesus, and we hope he’ll keep his promises to our dearly departed grandma, too. Because a lot of us have stood at the mouth of the tomb and found it sealed shut, quite frankly. Grandma’s gone; so are others marked with the sign of faith like her—and a few others marked by their refusal to gamble on religion. We worry vaguely about friends and relatives who put their chips in a different dealer’s hands. But that’s as close as we come to genuine faith in the message. We who have never stood at the entrance to an empty tomb and seen the loosened cloths find it hard to imagine what that’s like. Here is where the presider must truly be the celebrant and the medium match the message, embodying the Good News and demonstrating the joy his own faith provides for him. It’s almost indescribable how much damage a gloomy Easter preacher can wreak. It’s likewise astonishing how much faith is enkindled by an authentic Easter testimony: He is risen! I have seen the Lord! The preacher who has seen the Lord can witness to that experience with enthusiasm and conviction. The one who hasn’t can’t offer the Easter proclamation. That's not meant as a test of your vocation; it’s a call to reflect deeply on what you truly believe and are willing to declare out loud. Tell the truth. Pray for the Spirit’s guidance. Related scripture links Beware the leaven: Mark 8:14; Matt. 16:5; Luke 12:1 Paul and leaven: 1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9 Kingdom leaven: Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20 Catechism links Resurrection of the dead: CCC 988-1004 Resurrection of Jesus Christ: CCC 638-655

Authors Alice Camille

speaking testimony

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The inner word

10 Sep 2017 - Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

What can be the consequences of the prophetic calling to speak the truth? How do prophets have to accept the consequences of their truth-speaking? What does it take to really listen to and hear the voice of Christ? Where have you seen hardened hearts? When have you seen hardened hearts softened? What melted them? Have there been times in your experience when love fulfilled “the law”?

truth speaking

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Homily stories

17 Aug 2025 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

A prominent woman in my community, a 103-year-old named Gloria, takes staying active in her golden years to a new level. She is a lifelong activist, still busy championing social causes. I was proud to march next to her in a Black Lives Matter protest after the killing of George Floyd. I think I got tired during the long walk before she did. Like most centenarians, she has great stories to tell about the past. The first president she voted for was Roosevelt. She was one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Navy. She met Martin Luther King, Jr. Gloria has lived through so much strife, but she says she has never seen more division in this country or the world than now. Her very long perspective makes today’s gospel reading resonate harshly for me. I don’t know if Gloria is religious, but she sure seems prophetic. Speaking up about injustice earns you as many enemies as admirers, and Gloria admitted in a recent television news interview that she has had rocks thrown at her. The camera captured passersby on the sidewalk calling her names. It didn’t faze her. As the protest sign she carries—the same one she carried in the 1960s—says: “Silence is for cowards.” If a 103-year-old woman has the courage to face down bullies with grace, what excuse do I have not to?

Authors Jennifer Tomshack

speaking up injustices Courage

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