February 8 2018 - Association Of Catholic Priests

Skip to content

Search for:

Home
Liturgy
Blog
Events
About
Contact

Search for:

Home / 2018 / February / 08

Weekday Homily Resources

08 February. Thursday of Week 5

08 February. Thursday of Week 5

Read More 08 February. Thursday of Week 5

▼

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

12

3456789

10111213141516

17181920212223

24252627282930

31

2930

123

1

3031

1

1234

293031

12

2930

123

1

30

1234

282930

12

31

123

12

31

1234

293031

12

1

3031

123

1

30

1234

1234

262728

293031

123

1

3031

123

12

31

1234

293031

12

2728

1

3031

1234

282930

12

31

1234

293031

123

1

3031

123

28

12

31

2930

123

1

3031

1234

282930

12

31

1234

293031

1

1234

293031

12

2930

123

1

30

1234

282930

12

31

12

1

3031

123

1

30

1234

293031

12

2930

123

123

12

31

1234

293031

12

1

3031

123

1

30

1234

1234

262728

293031

123

1

3031

123

12

31

1234

293031

12

2829

12

31

2930

123

1

3031

1234

282930

12

31

1234

293031

123

1

30

1234

282930

12

31

2930

123

1

3031

1

232425262728

1234

293031

12

2930

123

1

30

1234

282930

12

31

12

1

3031

123

1

30

1234

293031

12

2930

123

1234

293031

123

25262728293031

1

3031

123

12

31

1234

293031

12

2728

1

3031

1234

262728293031

123456

78910111213

14151617181920

21222324252627

282930

Sunday Homily Resources

Weekday Homily Resources

Presider's Page

Most Recent Comments

5 comments
Gerry O’Connor CSsR and ACP Leadership Weekly Sunday Homily
July 3 2025
DOM
Sean in (1) makes a key point "the dignity of service rather than the arrogance of power" and this is very necessary in the Church going forward. A simple example, in a cluster of five parishes all the Saturday Vigil Masses have been suspended for the Summer. The Vigil and Sunday Masses are official Masses for the whole parish, weekday Masses are devotional in nature. It is clear that so many parish clergy need some respite but the needs of the laity should also be considered. An arrangement is needed to balance the needs of the clergy and the parishoners. The balance might be achieved by suspending some weekday masses leaving the Vigil Masses in place.
Go To Comment
8 comments
Killala diocese may have only eight priests by 2032
July 19 2012
Mary Judge O Dwyer
Thank you for the very informative reflection on the situation of the Diocese regarding the Priesthood. Could it also be that the Holy Spirit is calling others to the Priesthood? I am reminded of Jesus' words, "the harvest is great but the labourers are few". The harvest begins in every family. Please, God, let us focus on passing on the faith to others and hope for a bountiful harvest. What better year to start than this year, the Holy Year of Hope and Renewal of Devotion to the Sacred Heart, which embodies the love of God. I believe the family is where it all begins. I have found in my own life that Small groups, such as Lectio Divina groups, are a great way to grow in faith together. "We can not give what we do not have". I want to thank God for the great priests we have and have had. Deo Gratias.
Go To Comment
5 comments
Gerry O’Connor CSsR and ACP Leadership Weekly Sunday Homily
July 3 2025
Sean O'Conaill
This strikes a welcome note for me - but do we need to stop using the same word - 'pride' - for two utterly different attitudes - self-respect on the one hand and egotism (or 'superiorism') on the other? Perfectly compatible with respect for others, self-respect is utterly different from egotism which is always a search for acknowledged superiority and is therefore born not of self-respect but of anxiety about one's own status and need for the flattery of others. Everyone probably remembers a certain world leader elbowing his way to the front row of a photo-op for heads of state at a NATO conference in Brussels on May 25th, 2017. It was the most vivid demonstration of status anxiety and neediness I have ever seen - on the part of someone who would have earned far more respect by staying graciously in the second row, confident that his height alone would make him visible. Well done Gerry for getting to grips with this task of disentangling these 'affects' - especially at a time when the superiorism that tarnished too much of Irish Catholicism in the 20th century has been flattened by decades of scandal and loss of prestige. This is part of the 'rethinking' (i.e. repentance) that is needed to restore our self-respect in the inverted pyramid that the Irish church needs to become - based upon the dignity of service rather than the arrogance of power. There is a greater game afoot than the (no doubt) noble pastime of Gaelic football? This distinction of 'just' from 'sinful' pride is grist to the mill of the 'conversion' we are undoubtedly undergoing, driven as much by circumstances as by conscious intent. Is 'sin' even mainly about egotism rather than sexuality - as suggested also by a remark of Pope Francis in December 2021, when asked about the admission by a French archbishop to an affair with an adult woman: “… the sins of the flesh are not the most serious. The gravest sins are those that are more angelic: pride, hatred. These are graver." Surely the 'pride' he was referring to then was that of those he called 'fixated' on sexuality and determined to undermine Amoris Laetitia on the grounds of its compassionate discernment on divorce and the Eucharist. That 'pride' too was not the self-respect that is perfectly compatible with respect for others. There was precious little respect in the verbal assault launched by then Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano on Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in August 2018. The vindictiveness was all too obvious. Given the danger posed by the ongoing rise of chauvinistic Christian nationalism, the nailing of sinful pride should surely be a preaching priority? (The Catechism is seriously underpowered on this theme.)
Go To Comment
1 comments
6 July 2025 – 14th Sunday (C)
July 6 2025
Thara Benedicta
Key Message: Your obedience in little things shakes Hell. Homily: Testimony (conversation): Nun (Sister): "I have left my family, friends and everything for love of my Jesus. I have dedicated my whole life for Him and served Him all these years faithfully. But still why do people say bad things about me?" Friend: "Jesus has been carrying the cross for all our sins. He is sharing a little bit of His suffering for you. You are privileged to suffer for Him." The Nun was consoled to listen that her sufferings would console her dear Jesus. The life of a priest or a nun is a gift from God and also challenging. There will be opposition. Our Lord Jesus said, "I am sending you like sheep among the wolves". So do not worry. As our Lord Jesus has said, "Wipe off the dust from your feet", dust it and move on. Our Lord Jesus says to His anointed servants, "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals". This is the wonderful mission of our Catholic priests and nuns. So it is a happy privilege to be the obedient followers of our Lord Jesus. The servant leadership style of Jesus is not comfortable, but courageous. It is not powerful, but it is surrendered. And as our Lord Jesus says in today's Gospel, our glory is not in the world. It is in rejoicing that our name is written in Heaven. Our Lord Jesus does not ask us to do something beyond our reach. He asks us to focus on the little things for His love, like constraining our lips when we want to answer back, bless those who harm us, offering our bodily pain for the salvation of sinners, like every small act of love. We read that the devils were scared of Little Thérèse when she was young. What did little Thérèse do? She did little things she could think of. Like she used to drink a bitter medicine slowly, so that she could offer it for saving souls. Angels noticed and noted it. A soul progressed to Heaven... Hell was shaken. Testimony: "Something that has always been a wonder for me is Little Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who has been in a sacred convent, has managed to save thousands of souls, similar to Saints like St. Francis of Assisi, who has travelled far and wide. How can someone preach the Gospel without leaving the home and still be a great preacher of the Word to the whole world?" The Gospel has been entrusted to each one of us, to be a little preacher in our own world. Our world may be just the four within our family, or our peers and friends. At the end of our life, our loving Lord may not question us if we saved thousands of souls. But "Where are your family members?" will be our question to answer. Imagine Jesus sending you - not someone else, on His mission today. He looks at you, with love and fire in His eyes. “Go,” He says, “where I send you: your workplace, your family, your community. I will come after.” You hesitate. “But Lord, I’m not ready.” He smiles: “Take nothing. Just take My name.” Now, picture yourself going out. You help strangers. You help the people you meet. You bless those who curse. You feel weak, but something burns in your chest. Later, you return to Jesus, exhausted but alive. You tell all that you have done for your Jesus today. He listens smilingly. And then He shows your heart and says: “See this: I have written your name in My heart.” Pause here. Ask yourself: Am I willing to be sent, even to hard places? Do I desire recognition more than obedience? Can I rejoice in Heaven’s record even when Earth ignores me? Can you make this simple resolution: I will offer myself each morning as a “labourer for the Lord,” ready for any task, no matter how hidden, how small.
Go To Comment

previous comment

Copyright 2025. Designed by acton|bv

Home
Liturgy
Blog
Events
About
Contact