In today’s 1st reading (Acts 2:36-41) we’re told that about 3,000 new members were baptised in one day! I don’t see such numbers being baptised in our Church these days.
There is not enough space to respond adequately! However, let me ask you: how often do you hear a preacher give a homily that calls you to Repent? I suspect that most people overlook that last line in Peter’s message today: “Save yourselves from this perverse (corrupt) generation.”
Yes, this is indeed a corrupt generation today, in the year 2017 –probably worse than in Peter’s time, because we have no excuse. Immorality, violence, baby-killing, assisted suicide, political and commercial deception at its worst, total disregard for both the natural law of God as well as the scriptural revelations about right living - - the list of corruption areas of is endless!
You know, priests and deacons need to hear more from parishioners than “that was a nice homily, Father/Deacon.” They need to be held accountable for proclaiming the Good News; but that proclamation also needs to include the Challenge that the Gospel message always places in front of us. The challenge is to change, or using Peter’s language, to “repent,” and then to actively respond to our environment. We need to confront this “corrupt generation” with the truth, and help each other in waging spiritual combat that determines the final resting place of our soul, and the souls of our brothers and sisters.
It’s not just the person in the pew who must change and engage in spiritual warfare. Your help is needed in reminding the preachers about our nation’s apparent loss of a sense of sin, and the dangers that poses to our families. We need to hear about “sin” as well as God’s grace, to help people recognise and cope with because they encounter it every day- even though some may not be aware of their need to recognise inconspicuous sin. Remind your priests and deacons about that!
I suspect that if we returned to meaningful preaching (including moral direction) in today’s environment, then perhaps the pews would fill up again as the Truth is recognised and to say nothing about the confession lines…
Sin is present in human history – and that includes today. Any attempt to ignore it or joke about that dark reality is both futile and deadly. God’s grace is freely given to us to overcome all evil, and also to enable us to unite in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, The Church.
There is not enough space to respond adequately! However, let me ask you: how often do you hear a preacher give a homily that calls you to Repent? I suspect that most people overlook that last line in Peter’s message today: “Save yourselves from this perverse (corrupt) generation.”
Yes, this is indeed a corrupt generation today, in the year 2017 –probably worse than in Peter’s time, because we have no excuse. Immorality, violence, baby-killing, assisted suicide, political and commercial deception at its worst, total disregard for both the natural law of God as well as the scriptural revelations about right living - - the list of corruption areas of is endless!
You know, priests and deacons need to hear more from parishioners than “that was a nice homily, Father/Deacon.” They need to be held accountable for proclaiming the Good News; but that proclamation also needs to include the Challenge that the Gospel message always places in front of us. The challenge is to change, or using Peter’s language, to “repent,” and then to actively respond to our environment. We need to confront this “corrupt generation” with the truth, and help each other in waging spiritual combat that determines the final resting place of our soul, and the souls of our brothers and sisters.
It’s not just the person in the pew who must change and engage in spiritual warfare. Your help is needed in reminding the preachers about our nation’s apparent loss of a sense of sin, and the dangers that poses to our families. We need to hear about “sin” as well as God’s grace, to help people recognise and cope with because they encounter it every day- even though some may not be aware of their need to recognise inconspicuous sin. Remind your priests and deacons about that!
I suspect that if we returned to meaningful preaching (including moral direction) in today’s environment, then perhaps the pews would fill up again as the Truth is recognised and to say nothing about the confession lines…
Sin is present in human history – and that includes today. Any attempt to ignore it or joke about that dark reality is both futile and deadly. God’s grace is freely given to us to overcome all evil, and also to enable us to unite in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, The Church.
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