Homilies | Father Nathan

St Gabriel Catholic Church | Pompano Beach
God Bless You All

Father Nathan Homily | August 11, 2019

Father Nathan | Homily

19th Sunday Ordinary Time (August 11, 2019)

Your Kingdom Come!!!

Fr. Nathan

 

Introduction:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me”

  • Revelations 3:20
The central theme of today’s readings is the necessity for trusting Faith in God’s promises and vigilant preparedness in the followers of Christ.

Scripture Reading Summarized:

The First Reading – Wisdom 18:6-9

Cites the Faith-filled preparedness of the ancient Hebrew slaves in Egypt before their mass exodus to the Promised Land.

Their trusting Faith in their God’s promises gave them hope.  We are told how their Faith and Hope resulted in their liberation. With expectant Hope, the Hebrews obediently sacrificed the first Passover lamb and ate the first ritual meal, as prescribed by their God through Moses.  They awaited their imminent release and were prepared for it.

Responsorial Psalm – Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22 (12b)

Invites us to express our own confidence in God and declare our trust in His providence.

Second Reading  – Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

Taken from the last chapter of the letter to the Hebrews, Paul defines Faith as

“the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen”

      • Hebrews 11:1

He tries to bolster the Faith of the Jewish Christians (the Hebrews), by appealing to the example of their ancestors, starting with Abraham, and reviewing the things they had accomplished by Faith.

Today’s Gospel – Luke 12:32-48

Jesus teaches us to be ready for the kingdom. People of Jesus’s day expected it soon. The early Christians expected it soon. Some expected it sooner and some thought it is NOT imminent or it’s NOT going to happen at all. Hence Jesus warns them to be ready that we won’t be left out.

Life Messages:
We need to wait for the Lord.

“Waiting for Christ to return” means working for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

This means doing God’s will by rendering humble service to others. The primary reason Jesus came to earth was to inaugurate the Kingdom of God.

Often, we hear that the reason Jesus came to the earth was to die on the Cross. Jesus did come to die on the Cross, but that death on the Cross was for the purpose of establishing the Kingdom of God. If the Kingdom of God is in you, you should leave a little bit of heaven wherever you go.

Have a Blessed Week,

Fr. Nathan

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Past Messages from Father Nathan

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 10, 2021

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 10, 2021

Together, We Are the Church. A universal body of believers, delivering God’s message of hope and love to everyone, everywhere. Your generosity to the Archbishop’s Charity and Development Drive, ABCD, serves the Church so that the Church can serve you.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 3, 2021

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | January 3, 2021

Happy New Year. Goodbye, 2020. Hello, 2021. We have all experienced a most unusual year. Our lives have had to adjust to never-ending uncertainties that shake our personal and public lives. We have witnessed a shutdown in our thoughts and actions all over the world…

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | December 20, 2020

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | December 20, 2020

Merry Christmas to You! “JOY TO THE WORLD” Fourth Advent of Sunday. In this season…when the people were all tired, worried, concerned, and waiting with lots of perplexities, the Lord incarnated Himself and opened up a new world of love to His people.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | November 1, 2020

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | November 1, 2020

On November 2nd we are going to celebrate All Souls Day. This is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as a few other denominations of Christianity.

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From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 25, 2020

From The Desk Of Father Nathan | October 25, 2020

Every week as we profess our faith, we express… “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic
Church and THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS.” The author of this letter to the Hebrews wrote. “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and the perfecter of faith.” (12.1-2)

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