My pastor has assigned me to preach next weekend and a little while ago I looked at the assigned passages. The first reading focuses on Isaiah's vision of the Throne Room of the Lord God with the angels prostrate before the Almighty: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!" Similarly, in the Gospel, after the miraculous catch of fish, Peter is filled with a holy fear and cries out, "Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" So I asked, "Lord, what would you have me say. The word came back, "Contrast the Fear of the Lord vs. the fear that has been created over covid-19. Which should my children be focused on?" Yikes!
Would love to be in your Church to hear you preach on this Terry…it will be awesome. Not sure if it’s at all related but to me in the end..the fear is the fear of death… the world has us focus on physical death… it’s why in a sense we are bowing down to the “COVID gods “ and almost deifying the so called science…. And vaccines, masks etc. But the real fear should be eternal death…cut off from God for ever. There is little if any no focus on this reality. And yet, God promises us life… he paid the price for our eternal lives. This to me is key in these ages. it’s so awesome that God has given you a word to preach next week!
That should get you in trouble. I am always careful talking to people about the Virus for there is always an argument waiting in the wings. People have such fixed opinions on the subject.
Ah, the homily is ready; the Lord wasted no time. I am at peace. Sorry, AED, but it is another Theresa who helped me! St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!
Oh I am with everyone else on this, what a wonderful thing to talk about. I wish you were my deacon! When do you give this talk? I'll pray that ears open to hear the important message.
The though sometimes comes to me that when I die I might be sent to hell. I suppose this is part of what St Paul meant when he talks of working out our Salvation in , 'Fear and Trembling'. But then I turn to the Good Lord and Is ay, 'Dear Lord if you're going to do so, well you're just and I have no doubt I deserve it a thousand times over. But please do me one last favour, grant that when you do so you permit me still to love you amongst the flames. Then at least one soul down there will love you still. If you do this then my heaven will be hell and hell, heaven.'
