Weeds, Wheat, and the Problem of Evil: Homily for 20 July, 16th Sunday, Cycle A
By Fr. Dennis | July 21, 2008
Now that I am ordained and busy with parish life, I spend several hours every week doing homily preparation, and so I don’t have much attention to give to blogging. However, gentle reader, if it does not displease, here is another homily. This was delivered this past weekend at Immaculate Conception Church in Union City, Tennessee. I covered all the weekend masses for the pastor, who was on vacation.
Readings for Sunday, July 20, 2008
===========================
It is a well-known part of the mythology of the premier institutions of higher learning in this country, like Yale Law School, Harvard Medical School, the US Naval Academy, and other places that have very high standards of excellence… Even if you haven’t been to these places, you’ve seen it in the movies or on television… On the opening day of the new school year, the dean of students or some other worthy officer of the school will step up to the podium and address the incoming students with these words:
“Ladies and gentlemen, take a moment and look at the student to your left. Now, look at the student to your right. By the end of this year, one of you will be gone.”
It’s very dramatic, and it’s meant to put a little fear into the new students, to let them know that play time is over and it’s time to take things seriously.
Now, imagine what would happen if a priest were to say that from the pulpit in church, during mass. “Look at the Christian to your left. Look at the Christian to your right. At the end of time, when we stand before God in heaven to praise him forever, one of you won’t be there.”
Some of you are probably looking at each other right now thinking, “Well, I’ve been married to this character for some time now, and I can tell you right now which of us won’t be there.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Homilies, Parish Life | 4 Comments »
Seeds of Sainthood: Homily for 13 July, 15th Sunday, Cycle A
By Fr. Dennis | July 14, 2008
When I was a little boy, 5 or 6 years old, my family lived across the street from a little girl who was about my age. And while I liked to climb the big magnolia tree in the front yard or play games that involved throwing something or running somewhere, Robin, the little girl across the street, wanted to play a game called “house.” As in she would tell me, “Let’s play house. You be the daddy and I’ll be the mommy.” Which basically involved her pretending to prepare some kind of meal in an Easy-Bake Oven and me pretending to eat and drink from a little tea set of some kind and disciplining some misbehaving teddy bears or something.
I did not care for that game, but it always came with the promise that we’d play football or hide-and-seek afterwards. I only fell for it a few times.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Homilies | 5 Comments »
Honor and Shame: Life in the Balance
By Fr. Dennis | July 10, 2008
Got 2 emails today from Sarah, who volunteers with Lifehouse, a shelter for pregnant women in Louisville:
I’m asking all the pro-life prayer warriors to please join me on your knees for a young couple who are currently being forced into an abortion situation by their family…neither of them want the abortion, but their family has a lot of pull over them right now.
Their names are Jessica & Frederick
Lifehouse staff has met with them both and we have a spot for Jessica if she decides to come…the pressure from her family is the only thing standing in her way right now because in her culture she has dishonored her family and could be disowned if she goes against their wishes.
Please pray like you’ve never prayed before…a precious young life hangs in the balance…and the future of a beautiful young girl and her fiance is at risk!
God bless you all!
For the voiceless-
Sarah
And then this follow-up:
I e-mailed earlier today concerning a young couple who was in need of prayer and since then the situation has drastically gotten worse!
The young mom (Jessica) and her fiance (Frederick) are both decided that they do not want to abort their baby, however, when Jessica’s sister and parents found out it all took a turn for the worse. Jessica’s sister drove up from Atlanta, Ga today, forced Jessica into the car and drove her back down to Atlanta where they scheduled an abortion for her this coming Saturday morning against her will. They have also cut her off from any contact with Frederick. Her parents are (as we speak) flying over from India to pressure her even more saying she is hurting their family name and that she is physically killing her parents by going through with this pregnancy outside of marriage.
I have spent the entire day calling all over the country to see if there is anything we could do legally (to protect Jessica & Frederick’s rights as parents) to no avail. The answer was that Jessica would have to stand up to the pressures of her family, risk disownment, and risk being forced back to India in shame. Right now Jessica is caving to her family even though she knows abortion is wrong and desperately doesn’t want it…the cultural family pressure is enormous!
Frederick has said that if he looses Jessica to her family and looses this baby he will have nothing to live for.
I am calling on anyone I know to please do a 24 hour prayer vigil for this couple!!! Please pray that God will give Jessica the strength and courage to walk away from her family if need be and pray that Frederick will find the hope in Christ he needs to get through this and not take his own life.
Thank you for spreading the word and thank you for your prayers!For the voiceless-
Sarah
Topics: Abortion | 2 Comments »
Fr. Dennis and the Curse of the Jilted Jesuit
By Fr. Dennis | June 18, 2008
Sounds like the first in a series of mystery stories a la Nancy Drew, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a story, anyway.
Last Sunday, you’ll recall, I had noon mass at the parish where I was baptized, All Saints Church in St. Peter’s, Missouri. As mass began, the pastor came out to briefly introduce me before I continued on with mass. His introduction was something like:
Today, I want to introduce to you Fr. Dennis Schenkel, a priest of the Diocese of Memphis who was ordained only a week ago. Fr. Dennis is here today because this is the parish where he was baptized.
Now, many of you may know the legend that has been in this parish for many many years, that back in the earliest days of this parish, one of the pioneer Jesuit fathers who worked here was mistreated by the parishioners, and in response he placed a curse on this parish that we would never have a vocation to the priesthood.
Today, Fr. Dennis has broken the curse because he’s the first priest from this parish in the 185 year history of All Saints! Thank you, Fr. Dennis!
It was like playing for the 2004 Red Sox.
Topics: Baptism, History, News, Ordination, humor | 9 Comments »
Last Things First
By Fr. Dennis | June 16, 2008
Tomorrow at 10AM I am presiding at my first funeral. I’m a little nervous because it’s my first one, but I don’t think it will be that difficult.
It’s not going to be a mass because, while the deceased is Catholic, no one else is (except me, the priest, of course). The funeral service will take place at the funeral home. I went through the ritual this afternoon, and I feel like I can get through it without too much fuss.
Toward the end, I will be trying out the idea of letting someone speak about the deceased on behalf of the family. We can fight about whether that’s a good idea or not, but I’m planning on doing it anyway. It’s pretty much expected as the norm in the African-American community, and I want to do what I can to accommodate their customs.
I hope it goes well. I won’t name him on this blog, but if you remember to pray for the deceased of my first funeral which takes place tomorrow, I would appreciate it.
Topics: Liturgy | 10 Comments »
« Previous Entries Next Entries »