A Collection of Homilies and Reflections on the Mass Readings
by Father Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
10.28.14
Father Patrick’s homily & reflection for Tuesday, October 28, 2014, the Feast of Saints Simon
& Jude, Apostles
“We are the Church” Eph. 2: 19-22 and Luke 6: 12-16.
So often we drive by churches;
We walk into churches;
We are baptized, married and buried in churches.
And so we see the Church as a place, a building
where we gather to pray.
We fail to see ourselves as the Church.
We fail to see ourselves as Living Stones.
We fail to see ourselves as dwelling places of the Holy Spirit.
WE ARE THE CHURCH!
For the first three hundred years of the Church this is exactly how Christians saw themselves.
There were no grand buildings to gather in to pray.
There were no great, towering buildings in which to be baptized, married or buried.
The Christians of the first three hundred years were being hunted and persecuted.
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They did not "go to Church" on Sundays dressed in their best clothes and listen choirs sing and
priests preach.
They broke bread where they could and where they were … and there was the Church.
Living and breathing made of their own flesh and blood.
They were the Church.
They were Living Stones.
They were dwelling places of the Holy Spirit.
The Church is the Living people of God.
While it is wonderful to have beautiful churches and basilicas and cathedrals made of marble and
gold, decorated with statues and mosaics in which to gather and pray.
It is not the real Church!
We are the Real Church!
Built on the Apostles and Prophets (Eph. 2:20);
Made of Living Stones, of flesh and blood;
In which the Holy Spirit dwells.
Churches made of stone and brick, statues and mosaic are meant only to remind us of who we are.
We are Temples!
We are Churches!
We are Living Stones!
We are dwelling places of the Holy Spirit!
This is what it means to be Church.
If we do not understand this and live it, then we can fill a building with thousands of people, but it
will never really be a Church!
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Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
National President of the MI for the USA & Canada
International Vice President of the MI
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10.25.14
Father Patrick’s homily and reflection for Saturday, October 25, 2014 in the Twenty-ninth
Week of Ordinary Time.
“Truth and Love.” (Eph. 4:7-16)
Truth and Love at first glance seem to be total opposites.
Truth at times can appear hard.
Unbending and unbreakable.
While Love can appear soft.
Always changing and never consistent.
Both however are necessary for,
What is a relationship without Truth?
What is a relationship without Love?
Truth and Love must go hand in hand.
But for some people it is one or the other.
For some people Truth is the Absolute.
Nothing can compromise it.
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Truth is Eternal.
It comes to us from God and cannot be bent, stretched or compromised in any way, shape or form.
For others Love is the Absolute.
Nothing should inhibit it.
Love is Eternal.
It comes to us from God and as long as we love, anything can be bent, stretched or compromised in
any way, shape or form.
The irony is that most people who speak the truth say they are speaking it out of love, while those
who speak of love say they are being truthful.
And yet they never agree!
And so Truth and Love seem to be in an eternal struggle.
Except in God!
God is Truth and Love.
God does not choose or place one above the other.
They are one and the same.
This is why St. Paul says we must live the Truth in Love. (Eph. 4:15)
When we speak the Truth, is there Love in our words?
Do our words sound loving or harsh and hard?
When we Love, is there Truth in our hearts?
Is our Love truthful and honest or is it motivated by other wants and desires?
Striking the balance between Truth and Love is like walking the high wire above the Grand Canyon.
Lean too far one way or the other and one will lose one's balance and is sure to fall.
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Truth and Love are inseparable for, Truth is what keeps our Love real.
And Love is what keeps our Truth human.
This is the question we must always ask ourselves –
Is our Loving Truthful? And,
Is Our Truth Loving?
Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
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10.22.14
Father Patrick’s reflection on the Luke 12: 39-38, the Gospel reading for Wednesday,
October 22, 2104 in the Twenty-ninth Week of Ordinary Time
“Entrusted.” Luke 12: 39-48.
With what have we been entrusted?
A student is entrusted with homework.
Parents are entrusted with children.
A priest is entrusted with a flock.
Friends are entrusted with friendship.
God has entrusted us with many things great and small.
How have we carried out that entrustment?
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It is not something that can be done at the last minute but must be carried out every day.
What kind of student leaves homework to the last minute?
What kind of parents are too busy for their children?
What kind of priest shepherds himself?
What kind of friend never calls?
The Son of Man will return one day when we least expect Him. (Lk. 12:40)
And He will look to see how we have carried out and fulfilled what was entrusted to us.
The greater the entrustment the greater the expectation when He returns.
For much will be required of the person entrusted with much. (Lk. 12:48)
When God entrusts something to us it means that God believes in us.
That He has Faith that we can be trusted.
Will Jesus find Faith in our hearts when He returns?
Will we show Him that the Faith He put in us was true?
We are continually prepared and watching for the Lord's return
Not out of fear but to show Him that,
We can be trusted.
We are responsible.
We are people of character
And the Faith He put in us was true.
Unfortunately looking around at the Garden that God has entrusted to us, God may have His doubts
when He returns.
Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
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10.21.14
Father Patrick’s reflection on the Luke 12: 35-38, the Gospel reading for Tuesday, October
21, 2104 in the Twenty-ninth Week of Ordinary Time
“The Light of Service” Luke 12: 35-38.
Lucifer was cast out of Heaven because he said, “Non Serviam,” which means - "I will not serve."
Adam and Eve did not want to serve either.
Do we?
We want God to heal, to forgive, to love, and to raise us from the dead.
But are we willing to serve Him?
How do we view ourselves before God?
Is our life centered around serving God or just calling upon
Him when we need Him; thus treating Him as our servant?
What was God's response when Lucifer and Adam and Eve
chose not to serve Him?
He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant. (Phil.
2:7)
He became the Suffering Servant. (Is. 5:3)
He desired not to be served but to serve. (Mt. 20:28)
He got on His hands and knees and washed the feet of His
Disciples. (Jn. 13:4-5)
Jesus undid the pride of Lucifer and Adam and Eve by His own humility.
Thus did He show that the way back to God, is by becoming a servant.
He is the ultimate Master who teaches not by words, but by example.
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We were created to serve God not ourselves.
In serving God and not ourselves we will be exalted. (Phil. 2:9)
For those who humble themselves in the sight of The Lord will be lifted up on His return. (James
4:10)
Therefore we must gird our loins and light our lamps!
We must be like servants ready and waiting for our Master's return. (Lk. 12:36)
And the One Who is Humility itself will wait on us as we recline at the heavenly banquet (Lk. 12:37)
And only those who have served The Lord all their life will be humble enough to allow The Lord of
Heaven and Earth to get on His knees and with His wounded hands wash their feet and wait on
them at the Heavenly Banquet.
Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
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10.20.14
Father Patrick’s reflection on Luke 12: 13-21, the Gospel reading for Monday, Oct. 20, 2014
in the Twenty-ninth Week of Ordinary Time.
“What are you storing up?” Luke 12: 13-21.
There are material riches and then there are spiritual riches.
For which do we work?
Which one are we storing up for sickness, loss or death?
Which would you rather have money or Faith, Hope and Love in times of sickness, loss or death?
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Family and friends who love you in sickness and are there in times of loss and when you are dying
or money that you can count and add up?
It would be foolish to have no material possessions or savings with which to care for family and
oneself.
But how much do we need?
Do we and our family only need material things and riches that
need to be insured and locked up?
What about Love, Faith, Understanding, Forgiveness, and Hope?
Do we work just as hard for these things?
Like money, these things do not just fall into our lap.
They take a great deal of time, effort and sacrifice.
And they cannot be bought.
Only earned by doing them over and over again.
So, how much time do we spend making money and how much time do we spend loving family and
friends?
Forgiving family and friends?
Understanding family and friends?
When we die, do we want others to talk about how rich were, or how loving we were?
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Do not store up treasure that will be divided or argued over when you are dead.
Rather store up treasures in your heart that overflow to everyone for years, and years after you are
gone...
These are the treasures of the heart!
These are the treasures that will last!
Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
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10.18.14
Father Patrick’s homily & reflection for Saturday, October 18, 2014 on the Feast of St. Luke,
the Evangelist.
“The Feast of St. Luke” Luke 10: 1-9.
Jesus sent out 72 of His disciples in pairs to every town and
village that He intended to visit.
The disciples were to imitate John the Baptist and to go
before The Lord and prepare His way and prepare the
hearts of those to whom He would come.
The Lord sends each one of us before Him as well.
To work, to the store, to school, to the neighborhood.
Do we prepare the way of The Lord?
Or are busy preparing our own way?
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If Christ is no longer present in the workplace, the marketplace, in schools or our neighborhood, it
is because we have not prepared the way for Him.
In order to prepare the way for Him in the world we must first prepare the way for Him in our
hearts.
Jesus told His disciples to carry no money, no sack, no sandals, for they only weigh one down.
What is in our hearts that weigh them down?
Anger, grudges, envy, pride, righteousness?
Ego, lust, or desire for control or power?
Not only how beautiful upon the mountains are the FEET of those who bring glad tidings of peace,
bearing Good News, announcing salvation, (Is. 52:7); but consider how much more important and
beautiful is what is in the HEARTS which those feet carry!
Yours in the Immaculata,
Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Greenough, OFM Conv
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