I enjoyed reading George Brunner's response to Deacon James Toner's recent commentary "Happy Homilies" in the Sept. 11 issue of the Catholic News Herald.
I believe motivational and inspirational speakers such as Joel Osteen and Dr. Charles Stanley are popular because their messages are relevant and relatable. When I hear their messages, most of the time I come away with food for thought and a better spiritual understanding of the Word relating to my life.
I have been Catholic all my life and have no desire to follow these other preachers, as the Word and the Eucharist are both components of our faith. But while I believe the teaching of the "hard stuff" is important, when I leave Sunday Mass I want the homily to resonate with me. I can recollect two homilies that did just that. One homily was by a deacon from my parish in New York who has since passed away. His homily was about the tragic bombing of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The other homily was by a monsignor from the same church, about letting go of our loved ones when God has called them home. When my dad fell gravely ill, it was one of the worst times in my life. I did not want to let him go and could not see my life without him in it. I remembered the monsignor's homily, particularly the part in which he said it was selfish to want to hold on to our loved ones when they are ready for eternal life with the Father. Although I heard these homilies many years ago, both still resonate with me to this day.
— Hazel C. Stewart, a Mercy Associate, lives in Charlotte.
I winced when I read in George Brunner's Sept. 11 letter to the editor, "Good homilies should inspire us to act": "Most preachers, even if they preach a joke or preach the hard stuff, miss the most important piece – the piece that gives the people in the pews something to do, something that actually pertains to their lives right then and there."
I cannot comment on "most preachers," but I do know my pastor's homilies inspire me to strive for Gospel values in daily life. I am grateful for our pastor's weekly gift of time and effort. Mr. Brunner quoted Pope Francis from "Evangelii Gaudium": "The homily can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter of God's word, a constant source of renewal and growth." He closed his letter by asking, "When is the last time you thought that about a homily you heard?"
My answer, thoughtfully and gratefully, is "last Sunday and many before."
— Pat Henderson is a member of Holy Cross Parish in Kernersville.