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New form of typhoid resists treatment

17 May 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the gospel commemorating the Ascension this Sunday, Jesus promises his followers that “they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Medical staff are struggling to help those suffering from typhoid to recover as an antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacteria causing typhoid spreads worldwide, reaching epidemic proportions in parts of Africa. "This multidrug-resistant strain, H58, is resistant to a number of first-line antibiotics used to treat the disease and is continuing to evolve and acquire new mutations to newer drugs," said Vanessa Wong, a microbiologist at the University of Cambridge in England. Homily hint: The ability of disease agents to evolve and resist treatments points to the urgency of healthcare funding worldwide. Support efforts at home and abroad to shift resources from weapons of war to weapons against disease.The gospel of life calls us to such action. For more on the crisis with typhoid, see: Antibiotic-resistant typhoid reaches epidemic level

epidemic healthcare typhoid budget priorities gospel of life

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Who's listening?

15 Jan 2012 - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

You don't need research to know that the typical parishioner is pulled in many different directions nowadays. Just listen for the distinctive rings of cell phones and pagers in the congregation when people forget to turn them off. All this pocket-sized technology connects parishioners to communities, expectations, and obligations outside of the church community--the doctor or manager who is "on call," the parent whose child is calling to ask for help or permission, the teen whose friends show she's important by sharing every little detail of their day. Like the disciples--whose first question for Jesus is "Where do you live?"--it's important to parishioners that you acknowledge the day-to-day realities of their life. "Churchspeak" or eloquent theology fall on deaf ears if they don't relate to what people experience outside of church.

priorities

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Exploring the word

15 Jan 2012 - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

How do we distinguish God’s voice from all other voices clamoring for our attention each day? How do we detect right from wrong, or separate our stubborn self-will from God’s righteous will? Each of us has dozens of priorities to juggle every day. We have to care for ourselves as well as the practical needs of our families. We have to manage our households and also our employer’s expectations. We have responsibilities to creditors, neighbors, the church, and the custody of our own souls to consider. We’re citizens of many overlapping kingdoms, one of which is the eternal reign of God. Samuel lost the guidance of his parents early when they surrendered him to the local shrine as a human offering of thanksgiving. He had to learn to respond to new authorities, and at first that meant attending to the beck and call of the priest Eli. Too bad for Samuel: Eli wasn’t exactly the greatest mentor around. But as a priest Eli understood one thing even if he didn’t practice it: When God speaks, you listen. This one vital lesson was all he needed to teach Samuel. Once the boy recognized the voice of God, his future direction was no longer in doubt. In the same way, the apostle Andrew could leave John’s discipleship once the Baptist pointed out the Lamb of God. What more did Andrew need to know? Discerning God’s true presence will be enough for those who learn to perceive it. For those who don’t, no lesson will ever be enough. Tomorrow we commemorate another person who learned to hear God speaking to his generation: Martin Luther King Jr. King understood “that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong,” as he wrote in one of his early works, Strength to Love. If we intend to prepare a heart attentive to the divine voice, we have to make sure our thinking is likewise clear and ready. That is what religious education and formation is all about—something not only for our children but for all of us. If we don’t know that God speaks in the language of love, we won’t recognize the divine prompting when it arrives. Division is no longer an option: We have to choose “between chaos and community,” King declared, aware that today’s community must be a global union, not only by befriending the people who are near and similar to us. “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power,” this man of discernment taught us. “We have guided missiles and misguided [people].” Surely it was an angel that revealed to him one of his most powerful truths: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Related scripture links Samuel stories: 1 Sam. chs. 1-3, 7-10, 12-13, 15-16, 19, 25, 28 Other great calls: Gen. 12:1-9; Exod. 3:4-14; Isa. 6:1-13; Jer. 1:4-10; Jon. 1:1-3; Luke 1:26-38; Acts 9:1-9 Catechism links Vocation: CCC 1-3; 541-546; 823-828; 836; 1546-47 Discipleship: CCC 531-533; 551-553; 783-786; 1691-1696

Authors Alice Camille

martin luther king jr priorities

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Homily stories

06 Nov 2011 - Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

A few years back, I celebrated the wedding of a couple in a church in a northern suburb of Chicago. The reception was in a country club in a southern suburb across the metropolitan area. Traffic was terrible, and everyone was late arriving. The bride and groom were nowhere to be found. The photographer took pictures of everyone else. The band started to play. Finally, the couple arrived and were told that if the bridal party didn't immediately sit down and allow the meal to be served, the country club would not be responsible for the quality of the food. As the couple walked in to applause more than two hours behind schedule, they had no idea that most of us were applauding the serving of the food and not them. This is not unusual for weddings. People who normally are punctual often have a meltdown at a wedding, muttering something about this being "their special" time. The time that we have in life is God's gift to us. It is not our time. And it certainly isn't unlimited time. Too often we live like we will be able to solve our problems tomorrow, fix our relationships next month, take the time off we need next year. We get our priorities all wrong. It is only when our time is threatened or comes to an end do we realize that far from being wise, we were incredibly foolish. When we realize that it is God's time, how much more prepared we will be, how much better we will use it.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

god's gift priorities God's time

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