Timely Headlines

 

Dear Friends

Just home from five wonderful weeks in Almaden Valley (just outside San Jose), I am now looking forward to continuing my “Sunday Substitute” role  through October (with just one Sunday off). My driver (Kathleen) will be taking me to Irvine, Riverside, Redlands, Fullerton and Carmel Valley.

As some of you know, I am always on the lookout for PSI’s (possible sermon illustrations), though sometimes they just appear, ready to go, without warning. Such is the case for tomorrow and next Sunday. For tomorrow, I was already planning on preaching on Jesus’ answer to his disciples’ request---“Lord, teach us to pray”. And then three days ago, the headline pictured above appeared: “FALLEN ANGELS HAVEN’T (A) PRAYER”. Of course, I will make the point that every Sunday we pray “…for angels, archangels and all the company of heaven…” just before the Eucharist prayer! What makes this especially fun is that the parish I am preaching at, is just a few miles from Anaheim Stadium.

And then, after seeing the recent picture taken by the Hubble telescope and reading the accompanying op-ed appearing in the LA Times last Sunday---“A WONDEROUS ANTIDOTE TO TODAY’S GRIM WORLD”--- how can I not preach on these words from the second reading appointed for next Sunday: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…”

Illustrations don’t always come “just in time”. But it has happened more often than I would have ever expected when I started preaching 40 years ago. Thanks be to God that they are not just still coming, but that I still have some opportunities to share them from time to time.

John