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Homily stories

17 Jul 2011 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Perhaps Jesus told the parable of the weeds and wheat because he was also worried about weeding too soon. That is, people can have the tendency to rush to judgment about the worth of others. There are countless people, late bloomers, who would not have made the grade in their profession or field if the decision to eliminate them had come too soon. After all, Michael Jordan was cut from his high-school basketball team. Thomas Aquinas was thought to have been too slow-witted to be a scholar. And Blessed Solanus Casey, whose fame as a spiritual guide became known worldwide, almost didn't make it through his first months of seminary. In the spiritual realm, especially, it may be difficult to determine which are the weeds and which are the wheat.

weeds wheat michael jordan thomas aquinas solanus casey judgment

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Homily stories

17 Apr 2022 - Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday), Cycle C

Michael Jordan is consistently ranked among the greatest basketball players of all time. He was the lead player on the six-time championship-winning Chicago Bulls team of the 1990s. He won every honor and accolade of his sport. His net worth is in the billions. But his story doesn't start there. The wins and glory and fortune and fame were a culmination of years of hard work—learning the fundamentals of the game, pushing himself to improve, promising his college coach that "nobody will ever work as hard as I work," learning from his Bulls coach the strength of teamwork and inner calm, and constantly expecting "great things" of himself and others. If we only look at the end results, we miss the fullness of the narrative—the history of failures and successes, the lessons learned and the witness given. The same holds true of Easter. Yes, we bask in the glory of Christ's Resurrection. But never forget Jesus' backstory: his humble birth, inclusive ministry, and message of love. That's what you'll need to know—and follow—to achieve the great things of this day.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

michael jordan

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Homily stories

17 Dec 2023 - Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle B

“Who are you, Michael? That will be the defining question of your life. And I think you already know the answer, and that's why we're all here.” That is the question sports marketing legend Sonny Vaccaro asks basketball legend Michael Jordan in the movie Air, as Vacarro is trying to get Jordan to sign a shoe deal with Nike. “A shoe is just a shoe until somebody steps into it,” says Sonny, or as Jordan’s mother explains even more presciently, “A shoe is just a shoe until my son steps into.” Jordan personified greatness. Vaccaro knew it, Jordan’s mother knew it, and Jordan himself knew it. “The rest of us just want a chance to touch that greatness,” says Vaccaro. “We need you in these shoes not so you have meaning in your life, but so that we have meaning in ours. Everyone at this table will be forgotten as soon as our time here is up—except for you. You're going to be remembered forever, because some things are eternal. You're Michael Jordan, and your story is going to make us want to fly.” In a similar way, John the Baptist recognized Jesus’ greatness early on. He saw who Jesus was and would become. And John knew his role was to point the way to perfection. Follow John’s lead.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

john the baptist michael jordan perfection

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Quotes

07 July 2024 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

We must often draw the comparison between time and eternity. This is the remedy of all our troubles. How small will the present moment appear when we enter that great ocean. —Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton My attitude is that if you push me toward something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength. —Michael Jordan

elizabeth ann seton michael jordan

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