A Silent Homily…

“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25.

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A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going.

After a few weeks, the Priest decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The Priest found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his Priest’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the Priest took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.

As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

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We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.

As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”

What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives but WHO we have in our lives. As God’s children let us be that His witness in every circumstance, at all times, and be a blessing to others and…

Stay Blessed!