Following up on yesterday's post, this morning I thought that I almost had a homily together on Mark 12:38-44 and the donation of the widow. I still didn't feel as if it had really come together, but maybe it was done enough to give at Mass. So I offered the 11:30 assembly a choice: they could either have the uncongealed homily on the poor widow, or the more formed and edited one on Hebrews. As I know from the days of Applied Behavior Analysis lessons when I worked at the group home, offering choice always empowers the client and reduces refractory behaviors.
St. Mark won out over Hebrews, but here's the funny part: the vast majority of the assembly abstained from the vote! I suppose that their preference would have been to hear no homily at all!
5 comments:
So sad-but thanks for the commentary - hope they read!
One of the points that my pastor made was the difference between the two widows. Elijah promised the first widow that she would have enough oil and flour for herself and her son until the rains came. She trusted God to make that possible and fed Elijah.
However, the widow in the gospel reading was not given any kind of promise... She simply put her entire trust in God and gave all she had, even though she was not required to.
He made other points also, but this one struck me...
I was in the congregation today. Did not raise my hand on either because I have seen the interest on the widow. The Hebrew choice should have been more interesting because it is uncommon. Just thought that i can read it in your blog sometime.
I would have wished for the Homilist to decide for me. :-)
To make such a decision, or be asked to vote on anything by show of hands, during mass, would be a weird experience indeed.
W
hi, Fr. C! i enjoyed reading your homily on Hebrews! if they would have prefered no homily, they would have been missing out! PEACE! ~tara t~
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