This is my favorite homily of all time

This is probably my favorite homily, given in August  of 1997…

It illustrates one of the things I have learned during my ministry… it is the Spirit, the Word, that preaches, and sometimes I just need to get myself out of the way.

To let the spirit touch people in the spaces in between…

“This week we were all moved by the death of a woman who had a great impact on our world.  Millions of people remember her, and are grateful for her gifts.  She traveled the world and met with many famous people, but she always retained the gift of caring as much (or more!) for the poor and unworthy as for the rich and powerful.

“No one would have guessed, when she was a young girl growing up, what an impact she would have on the world. She was not a politician or a great business leader. She did not live in the world of entertainment, or celebrities; yet most people around the world instantly recognized her face. which radiated kindness and love.

She had the gift of being very attentive to people, so that when you were  with her, you felt like you were the only other person in the room.  Her  heart was full of compassion, especially for children and those who were most neglected; and she inspired many other people to care for those most in need.

“So who is this person?”  I asked.  Several people said, “Mother Theresa!”  and quite a few others said,  “Princess Diana!” as  both of them had died that week.

The gasp of silence was awesome. I allowed the moment to sink in.

The silence of those few seconds was probably one of the best homilies I have given.

The words I said afterwards are probably not remembered by anyone there, but  people still remember the impression caused by seeing those two women, so different and yet alike in one essential way. in a totally different light.

I gave a trite reflection on not judging a book by its cover, and about those who come late to the harvest treated as well as those who have worked all day in the heat, but the Spirit spoke during those few moments of silence when people figured all those lessons out on their own.