As far as I can ascertain, His Holiness did not ask his clerics to base their sermons on global politics.
Today's readings couldn't be more directed at pastors, in my un-Biblical-scholarly-like opinion. Yet in the two Masses I attended today, nothing in the homilies were addressed to pastoral duties.
"Uh..duh, Kelly? Maybe that's because pastors delivered the sermons?"
No, I don't think so. Maybe, but I don't think so. I think — and this is rather more disturbing — that priests somehow saw this chance to air their feelings about war...the War on Terror, the Middle East wars, the World Wars, for Heaven's sake.
What did you hear?
Yesterday afternoon, I think I heard — it was a tad difficult to follow — a discourse on the war in Iraq and on the evils of capitalism. (?)
Today I heard a talk on the evils of war — and no argument from me, war is evil — and also the need to achieve peace in our families, neighborhoods, country, and so forth.
What I sorta was expecting...
...was something simply...pastoral. As in "As your pastor, I'm telling you to obey the Holy Father and go home and spend the day praying for peace. And as a matter of fact, as your pastor, I'm telling you to pray more. Period!
Something like that, anyway.
Or maybe even — what the heck — a simple reading of the Holy Father's message. Or an invitation to offer the Mass up for world peace? Or an invitation to pray the Rosary after Mass for the intention of peace? (Although to be fair, at today's Mass, before the final blessing, the priest led us in a Hail Mary for peace.)
Anyway, I'm curious...what did you hear? Because today's readings are exquisitely suitable for a sermon on pastoring.
"...His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;"
I sorta felt like them.
"...and He began to teach them many things."
That's what I was waiting for.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.
