The Good Shepherd parable in John's Gospel, specifically found in John 10:1-18, is a metaphorical story used by Jesus to convey important spiritual teachings and reveal his role as the shepherd and caretaker of his followers. Here's an explanation of the meaning behind the parable:Jesus as the Good Shepherd: In the parable, Jesus refers to himself as the "good shepherd." By doing so, he emphasizes his love, care, and sacrificial nature towards his followers. He contrasts himself with false shepherds who do not genuinely care for the sheep.The Relationship between the Shepherd and the Sheep: Jesus highlights the intimate and personal relationship he has with his followers, symbolized by the shepherd-sheep relationship. He knows his sheep by name, and they recognize and trust his voice. This signifies the closeness and trust that believers should have with Jesus.Protection and Guidance: The parable emphasizes the protective nature of the shepherd. Jesus states that the shepherd enters the sheepfold through the gate, signifying his rightful and legitimate access. He guards the sheep from harm, leads them to safe pastures, and goes ahead of them. This conveys Jesus' role in safeguarding and guiding his followers through life's challenges.Sacrificial Love: The parable reveals the depth of Jesus' love and commitment to his sheep. He states that the good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep, even to the point of death. This foreshadows Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross, where he willingly gave his life for humanity's salvation.Universal Reach: Jesus indicates that his role as the good shepherd extends beyond his immediate followers. He mentions having "other sheep that are not of this sheep pen." This refers to the inclusion of the Gentiles and people from all nations, indicating that Jesus' salvation and care are available to all who believe in him.Overall, the Good Shepherd parable emphasizes Jesus' love, protection, guidance, and sacrificial nature towards his followers. It reveals the intimate relationship he desires with believers and highlights his role as the ultimate shepherd who provides eternal life and salvation.
(Verse 1) Yo, baby, listen up, I got something to say, I'm about to pour my heart out in a lyrical display, To my queen, my soulmate, my better half, I wanna let you know, there's nothin' I lack.
(Chorus) Girl, you're my everything, my shining star, With you by my side, we can go so far, So let me serenade you with this rap, To show you how deep my love is, no cap.
(Verse 2) From the moment we met, my world turned bright, You brought color to my life, like the morning light, You're the melody to my beat, the rhyme to my flow, In this crazy journey, together we'll grow.
You're the definition of beauty, inside and out, A diamond in the rough, there's no doubt, Through thick and thin, we'll conquer it all, Building an empire, standing tall.
(Chorus) Girl, you're my everything, my shining star, With you by my side, we can go so far, So let me serenade you with this rap, To show you how deep my love is, no cap.
(Verse 3) Through every trial, you've been my rock, With you in my corner, I'll never feel blocked, Your love is my armor, it shields me from harm, Guiding me through life's storms, keeping me warm.
You're the reason I smile when the day is tough, You're the reason I strive when the going gets rough, Together, we're unstoppable, an unbreakable team, Living this love story, like a waking dream.
(Chorus) Girl, you're my everything, my shining star, With you by my side, we can go so far, So let me serenade you with this rap, To show you how deep my love is, no cap.
(Bridge) You're my inspiration, my heartbeat, my muse, With you, my love, I never lose, Every moment with you feels like a treasure, I promise to love you beyond measure.
(Chorus) Girl, you're my everything, my shining star, With you by my side, we can go so far, So let me serenade you with this rap, To show you how deep my love is, no cap.
(Outro) So, here's my love, wrapped in this rhyme, For you, my love, until the end of time, Together, we'll create memories that last, I'm grateful for you, my love, my present, my past.
Title: The Good Shepherd: A Guide, Guardian, and Giver of Life
Introduction: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we delve into the profound and comforting words of Jesus in the Good Shepherd Discourse found in the Gospel of John. This passage serves as a reminder of God's love, provision, and protection for His children. In a world filled with uncertainty and chaos, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, beckons us to hear His voice, follow His guidance, and find true fulfillment in His care. Let us reflect on the essence of this discourse and allow its timeless truths to inspire and uplift our hearts.
I. The Identity of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-13): Jesus proclaims, "I am the good shepherd" - a statement that holds immeasurable significance for us. By identifying Himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus presents a striking contrast to the hireling who abandons the flock in times of danger. Unlike the hireling, Jesus loves us unconditionally, remaining committed to our well-being even to the point of laying down His life for us. His sacrificial love is the very essence of His identity as the Good Shepherd, providing us with a foundation of trust and security.
II. The Intimacy between the Shepherd and His Sheep (John 10:14-15): Jesus declares, "I know my own, and my own know me." Our Good Shepherd desires a deeply personal and intimate relationship with each one of us. He knows us intimately, understanding our weaknesses, our fears, and our deepest longings. As we grow in our knowledge of Him through prayer, reading the Word, and communing with the Holy Spirit, we come to recognize His voice and experience the unbreakable bond between the Shepherd and His sheep.
III. The Guidance and Protection of the Shepherd (John 10:3-4, 27-29): Our Good Shepherd guides us with tenderness and wisdom. His voice leads us away from harm and into green pastures, where our souls are nourished and restored. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He speaks to us through His Word, offering us divine direction in the midst of life's complexities. His protection is unwavering; no force can snatch us out of His hand. In a world filled with distractions and dangers, we can find solace in the shelter of our Good Shepherd, knowing that He guards our lives with steadfast love.
IV. The Abundant Life in the Care of the Shepherd (John 10:10): Jesus assures us that He came to give us life—life that is abundant, overflowing with purpose and meaning. The Good Shepherd's provision extends beyond mere sustenance; it encompasses our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. He leads us beside still waters, providing for our every need. In His care, we find contentment and true fulfillment that surpasses the fleeting pleasures of this world.
Conclusion: As we contemplate the Good Shepherd Discourse, let us find comfort in the assurance of Jesus' presence and care in our lives. He is the shepherd who knows us intimately, protects us fiercely, and guides us faithfully. In Him, we discover the fullness of life, unshaken by the storms that may arise. May we respond to His invitation to follow, trust, and surrender to His loving guidance. Let us rejoice, for we are cherished and led by the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for us. Amen.
As it happens, for this weekend's masses, the archdiocesan powers that be decided, for whatever reason, that homilists should tell their vocation stories: how it was that they decided to become a priest or a deacon. So even though I heard three homilies this weekend, two of them didn't say a single word about the Gospel reading.
ReplyDeleteThis was Vocations Sunday. I guess the bottom line is that we are to pray for more priests, deacons, and religious. (one homilist added parents).
I am not sure that the world particularly needs more priests, deacons, religious or parents. I am also not sure that I would be doing anyone a favor by praying that they become a priest, deacon, religious or a parent.
All of this appears to me to be very elitist, more concerned with people who supposedly are more like Jesus than poor, dumb sheep.
Jack - Yes!
DeleteOne can be a priest, deacon, religious, or parent, and still be a poor dumb sheep. I guess we need more people who do a good job at those vocations.
DeleteI don't think the church needs a heavier dose of clericalism. But I do think the church would benefit from more priests. The math simply doesn't work anymore, regarding the ratio of priests to faith communities, and the entire parish organizational structure of dioceses is in danger of breaking. I think priests are frightened about what they will be asked to do in coming years and decades.
DeleteThe church needs people who are willing to devote their lives to the growth and care of the church. Not just a small fraction of their lives, but their entire lives.
"The math simply doesn't work anymore, regarding the ratio of priests to faith communities, and the entire parish organizational structure of dioceses is in danger of breaking. I think priests are frightened about what they will be asked to do in coming years and decades."
DeleteJim, you are right about that. It's already playing out here. One of our local pastors is 80- plus years old. He's a dedicated guy who says he doesn't want to retire. But the truth is there is no one to replace him.
Thé solution to the priest shortage has been in plain sight for many years now. But the male celibates desperately cling to their power. The shortages will continue to worsen. More parishes will close. More priests will be overburdened and will suffer any number of physical and psychological ailments as a result.
DeleteWhile it is possible that the Synod of Bishops in its second session in 2024 could approve married priests and women deacons with Pope Francis authorizing both by 2025, it will take a while to get the pipeline going, e.g., providing training for both new priests and new deacons.
DeleteA key glitch in the pipeline is that the American bishops would have to approve the implementation in the United States. I suspect that the only way the authorization for the US will get through the Conference is if individual bishops are allowed to block it for their dioceses. In other words, a divided bishops conference will let each bishop go his own way.
Most likely it will take at least five years before changes begin to occur in some parishes, and probably a decade before change occurs in the average parish. That means a lot of strain upon the current personnel for perhaps a decade or more.
I think that at the end of the day we could end up with more clericalism as well as more clerics. If the church ladies become women deacons, they will be more even entrenched.
Married priests and women deacons might increase the number of vocations, but, as Jack notes, it will be divisive as seen with women priests in the Anglican communion.
DeleteThe larger problem for the Church is dropping attendance. More gender diversity in the Episcopal Church did not punch up numbers much. Not that it wasn't a good thing for people in the pews.
Istm that the obvious potential candidates for a women's diaconate are the wives of current deacons who are required to get the same training as their husbands.
Church Ladies? Maybe. But I think they know their powers lie in running CCD, RCIA, and other areas where they can fly under the radar and tell people how to be Catholic without much oversight.
IMO, there are multiple reasons to open the door of the priesthood to all qualified Catholics - married, single, male, female. First, all seven sacraments should be available to all baptized Catholics. Young adult women are heading out the doors in the thousands. They are not coming back to a church that treats them as second class. They don’t wish to raise their children in a church that teaches that their daughters aren’t as good as their sons. Lots of surveys and studies on this. So marriages in the church are way, way down and infant baptisms are at record lows. Denying the sacrament of ordination to women hasn’t exactly stemmed the general outflow of membership. Second the reality - parishes keep closing. Schools keep closing. Seven Catholics leave for every one brought into the church via RCIA. Maybe because the local parish isn’t local anymore and the pastor has to juggle multiple parishes. Maybe parishes have been merged into one gigantic mega parish and it no longer feels like a real community but like a bunch of strangers at the local concert hall. Is it right to deny a sacrament to women just because some people don’t like it? Lots of people would rather have a woman priest than a circuit riding priest who is never there except to confect the Eucharist. But the real point isn’t to increase membership. It’s to right a wrong - the sin of ecclesiastical patriarchy that has been inflicted on women throughout its entire history. In the practical realm, It’s to have enough priests that the almost 4000 parishes in the US that don’t have even one priest will have a priest. It is to reduce the burden on the priests who are postponing retirement until they drop dead at 85. Or fall apart under the stress of taking care of two or three parishes and end up addicted to more than just communion wine.
DeleteThe bonus of having married/ and or women priests might be that the church begins to realize that many of its teachings on marriage, women and sexuality in general are not only wrong, but harmful. Worrying about divisiveness caused by having women become priests seems beside the point in a church that is already hopelessly divided anyway.
Isn't ChatGPT just a more sophisticated form of plagiarism? Instead of taking a particular article and rewriting it so that the original author doesn't not get credit, ChatGPT takes 5, 10, 20, or 50 articles and rewrites them so that no one get credit.
ReplyDeleteJack - yes, that's my understanding. Although it could be 5,000 or 500,000 articles.
DeleteOn the other hand, synthesizing 10 or 20 sources into a clear and unified exposition is what, in my high school composition days, was called "research" and "writing a term paper". The "rewriting" or synthesizing seems to be the higher-order functionality of the tool.
Jim, you mentioned blue books. I predict a return to those, and to oral exams. And to do blue books, they're going to actually have to know how to write. Not necessarily copperplate cursive, block printing would do. But it's the only way to find out what knowledge students actually got from a course, vs what ChatGPT knows (and FWIW you can write a lot faster in cursive than kindergarten block printing).
DeleteI have read some hyperventilating about how AI could be an existential threat to humankind (yeah I've read my share of sci fi too). The only way I can see that that might be true is if we somehow blundered into nuclear war, and I don't think we could blame that on AI.
I can see how AI might be good thing in a lot of ways. I can also see how if we're not careful it could dumb us down. Kind of like hereditary nobility who rely on servants to do everything.
Katherine, that's interesting regarding the return of blue books. It makes a lot of sense. I've probably groused about this before (or a dozen times before, as it's a hobby horse I've worn out): quite a few of the school districts in this area don't teach cursive anymore. My family was sort of the laboratory for this, as our first two kids attended Catholic elementary school and the last two (mostly) attended public elementary school. The first two were taught cursive and use it to this day. The last two were not taught cursive. Even for something as simple as signing a birthday card, they print their names - it looks like the card is from a kindergartener.
DeleteOne of my kids is now an elementary school teacher. For the first three years, she taught in a Catholic school and was expected to teach her second graders to write in cursive. For the last two, she has taught in public schools and cursive is not in the curriculum.
"On the other hand, synthesizing 10 or 20 sources into a clear and unified exposition is what, in my high school composition days, was called "research" and "writing a term paper". The "rewriting" or synthesizing seems to be the higher-order functionality of the tool."
DeleteI guess I should add: we were expected to footnote our term papers and give due credit to our sources. ChatGPT didn't provide footnotes nor acknowledge any sources for what it churned out in answer to my question. However, I see that one can ask ChatGPT to provide its sources:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-make-chatgpt-provide-sources-and-citations/
A decent teacher will require students to demonstrate ability in several ways in order to test understanding. I used to require students to submit timed impromptu essays in class via the course management system (they typed it on their tablets, no need for blue books), lead class discussions, present assigned background topics in written or oral form, and discuss their research topics in individual conferences. All this gave me a good idea of every kid's abilities and writing style, discouraged plagiarism, and made any plagiarism that did occur a lot more obvious.
DeleteI could see some students using AI as an aid, but it would be hard for them to get a passing score relying on it entirely.
Ah, the dreaded blue book. The mere thought of one gives me shivers to the core. X amount of time to do Y problems. And to do it legibly with a pencil. My last blue book test was my optical engineering Masters qualifier. Four problems in four hours. The easiest one was designing an electro-optic device to non-contact measure scoliosis of the back. I finished in four hours and was soaked in sweat. Yeah. Blue books will neutralize ChatGPT as long as a student doesn't have a bluetooth device concealed somewhere. A Faraday cage testing room would block radio communication.
DeleteLast blue book I took was the final exam in Greek drama. We had to reference each of the 20 or so plays at least once to illustrate six different themes or devices. Closed book. So you needed a mnemonic device to remember all 20 plays, and I quickly wrote them all on the inside back cover and ticked them off as I mentioned them. I think I might have gotten an A just for the mnemonic device. He made some comment about it being a dying art. Anyway, he was an ultra-conservative fuss budget (whom I liked a lot), and I knew he was hoping to dock people by leaving out some plays. I underlined each title so he could see them easier.
DeleteToday, I cannot tell you anything about that course, but I recently read some of my old papers before tossing them in the recycling, and it was clear I enjoyed it. It prompted me to re-read "The Trojan Women." Such a sadplay.
Your referencing ancient Greek writings in this AI thread reminded me of a recent effort involving AI and high resolution x-rays to recover the contents of the Herculaneum scrolls carbonized (but structurally intact) by the pyroclastic flow from the Vesuvius eruption. If AI can tease out patterns in the scans that relate to written symbols, what a boon if the contents library could be reconstructed.
DeleteThat is so cool! Hopefully it won't all turn out to be Roman porn ...
DeleteA few observations. I am totally amazed and impressed that Jean and Stanley actually remember the final exam questions that they wrote about in those wonderful blue books. I can’t remember a single exam question from either undergrad or grad school.
DeleteJim, I think the rap song is great. My eldest son and his wife, AND their 9 year old son love rap. Along with Bob Marley. I’m going to copy it. And send to my son if you don’t mind. The homilies were better than most I’ve heard in my lifetime.
Stanley, what you describe with AI scans comes to fruition, it will open the doors to understanding so much about ancient peoples and cultures, and religion, including early Christianity. A far less tedious and painstaking process compared to piecing together the fragments of ancient scrolls. Plus a whole new way to understand still indecipherable writings found on stone, in caves, etc. all over the world. Maybe it will finally answer the questions and confirm a theory about why Stonehenge was built!
Stonehenge is fascinating. I actually visited the site once. It seemed to reinforce the theory that agriculture came first, then organized religion. But the Turkish site, Göbleki Tepe, is said to have been a stone monolith sacred site built by hunter-gatherers. Did organized spirituality predate and possibly give rise to agriculture and civilization? To me, an interesting possibility.
DeleteI think Stonehenge is fascinating, too. I've never been there, but my brother has, and got some pretty good photos of it, and also Salisbury Cathedral. From what I have read Stonehenge was constructed in two or three different stages. Good question about what came first, agriculture or organized religion.
DeleteMy husband and I first went to Stonehenge a couple of years after we got married. It was late November. He had a business trip so I took some annual leave and went with him. We got there late in the day, nearing sunset. There were only a couple of other people around. It was a truly mystical experience. Years later we went in the summer, with our sons. They had put a fence around the area because too many graffiti artists decided that they could use the stones as a canvas. There were tour busses galore, and mobs of people. I have been grateful ever since that when we first saw it, it seemed almost as if we were back in ancient times, actually feeling the mystery, as the sun slowly went down, giving the stones a magnificent sunset backdrop. That first visit in 1974 on a chilly November day was one of our very best travel experiences. I would love to visit more mystical places like it, like the one Stanley mentioned in Turkey, but I fear we are getting too old to travel that far.
Delete"Jim, I think the rap song is great. My eldest son and his wife, AND their 9 year old son love rap. Along with Bob Marley. I’m going to copy it. And send to my son if you don’t mind."
DeleteSure, go for it! It's not my original work, it's ChatGPT's. FWIW, I did share it with my wife (in an email; I didn't try to actually perform it, that would just have been awkward for both of us). She said it made her smile. She is a very intelligent person, with many gifts, but she also is just fine with corny things from the heart. Of course, that's the unsettling part: this didn't really come from *my* heart, it came from some entity whose heart is a network of interconnected CPUs.
My friend Julie had ChatGPT write a Valentine poem for her husband. Raber was horrified. But he is horrified by the whole concept of Valentine's Day. Unless it involves cookies.
DeleteThanks, Jim. Interesting analysis that has me going in a variety of speculative directions.
ReplyDeleteAs you noted, a homily should stir, deepen, and renew. But the homilies that have stayed with me are the prescriptive ones--what can I do to follow Jesus better in the context of my own life and time?
So it will be interesting to see if AI will eventually be able to talk about how we all must try to be good shepherds against, say, a backdrop of gun violence, political division, suspicion of strangers, and weakening family structures.
At this point, your example illustrates that ChatGPT can only spit out an explanation based on generic mainline Christian theological understanding of the reading. It does not start with the question that I presume you and all homilists do: "How can I talk about this reading so that everyone listening knows I love them like Jesus and want their eternal souls to find joy in the light of God?"
I am old these days. I can’t think of a single homily I’ve ever heard in my entire life that conveyed a sense that the homilist “loved” the people in his congregation, nor that he had a clue about helping people find joy in the light of God. You have been quite lucky it seems, Jean, if you have experienced this.
Delete. The best homilies I’ve heard were quite academic in nature, but by illuminating the historical and cultural contexts of the eras when scriptures were written, they at least helped with comprehension. Maybe that’s what the homily robots do.
"At this point, your example illustrates that ChatGPT can only spit out an explanation based on generic mainline Christian theological understanding of the reading."
DeleteYes, fair enough. I've now asked the chatbot to give me a sermon based on the Good Shepherd passage, and I've pasted the results at the bottom of the post.
My approach to homilies is to try and find a good thought that I can take with me, something I can use to help in living the Christian life, or deepen my prayer life. Usually I am able to do that. The exception would be stewardship talks, or homilies that veer into culture war stuff and politics (thankfully these are rare).
DeleteSome homilists are better at it than others. But homilies also demand something from the listener, I don't feel that I can just be passive, I need to make myself open to whatever inspiration the Spirit will provide.
You might what to ask ChatGPT to give you a Catholic homily based on the Good Shepherd passage.
DeleteAnd a Catholic homily on the Good Shepherd appropriate to priesthood vocations.
DeleteThe ChatGPT sermon is really good at stringing together comfy platitudes in a nihil obstat kind of way. Wonder if you can make it do a hellfire and brimstone sermon on something out of revelation.
Delete"Wonder if you can make it do a hellfire and brimstone sermon on something out of revelation."
DeleteOk. This isn't Revelation, but it's Jesus in pulpit-pounding mode:
"Then [Jesus] began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” [Mt. 11:20-24]
ChatGPT's sermon in the next comment.
Here is ChatGPT's sermon on Mt. 11:20-24:
DeleteMy dear brothers and sisters,
Today, as we gather in the presence of our Lord, let us reflect upon the powerful message conveyed to us through the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verses 20 to 24. In this passage, we encounter a solemn warning from Jesus Himself, which speaks to the depths of our hearts and calls us to profound introspection.
Jesus begins by denouncing the cities where He had performed great miracles and mighty works, specifically Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities had been blessed with the privilege of witnessing firsthand the presence and power of the Son of God. Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, and taught with unparalleled wisdom and authority in their midst. Yet, despite all the signs and wonders, these cities failed to repent and turn to God.
The Lord expresses His disappointment, stating that had the miracles performed in these cities taken place in Tyre and Sidon or even in the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus' words should stir our hearts, for they remind us that to whom much is given, much will be expected. We, too, have received countless blessings from the Lord, and with those blessings come a responsibility to respond in faith and obedience.
But let us not be quick to judge those cities of old without examining our own lives. How often have we, like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, experienced the presence of God and yet failed to fully respond? How often have we heard the Gospel message proclaimed, witnessed miracles of grace in the lives of others, and yet remained unchanged? Are we not guilty of becoming complacent in our faith, taking God's mercy for granted?
My brothers and sisters, Jesus' warning is a wake-up call for all of us. It is a reminder that faith is not mere intellectual assent or passive observance. True faith calls us to repentance, to turning away from sin and embracing the mercy and forgiveness of our loving Father. It is not enough to simply acknowledge Jesus; we must allow His words to transform our lives.
The consequence of indifference and unrepentance is severe, as Jesus clearly states. The cities that failed to respond to His message will face a harsher judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment. Such a fate should shake us to the core and ignite a sense of urgency within our souls.
But the good news is that it is not too late. Jesus, in His infinite love and mercy, is still calling us to repentance. He invites us to experience His forgiveness, His healing, and His transformational power. Let us not harden our hearts like the cities of old, but rather let us open ourselves to the grace of God and respond to His call.
May this Gospel passage serve as a reminder to each one of us that we have a responsibility to respond to the abundant grace and blessings God has bestowed upon us. Let us take this warning seriously, examine our lives, and make the necessary changes to align ourselves with God's will. May we never grow complacent in our faith, but rather strive to live each day in repentance and devotion to our Lord.
May God's grace guide us, His mercy transform us, and His love empower us to respond faithfully to His call. Amen.
Ok, one more example, and then I'll give the insta-homily-generator a rest. In the previous example, for Mt 11:20-24, I instructed ChatGPT, "Give a homily on Matthew 11:20-24". For this example, I inserted the word "Catholic": "Give a Catholic homily on Matthew 11:20-24". And it did give us kind of a Catholic spin on its homily:
DeleteMy dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11:20-24 presents us with a sobering message from our Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke these words to the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, cities where He had performed many miracles and taught the Good News. Yet, despite witnessing His mighty works and hearing His divine wisdom, the people remained hardened in their hearts.
Jesus said, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."
These words of Jesus should resonate deeply within our hearts today. They remind us of the profound responsibility we have as believers, to respond to God's grace and mercy with faith and repentance. The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were privileged to witness the very presence of God in their midst, yet they failed to acknowledge Him and change their lives accordingly.
We too are recipients of God's abundant blessings. We have the Scriptures, the Sacraments, and the living Tradition of the Church to guide us in our journey of faith. We have the example of the saints and the teachings of the Magisterium to help us grow closer to God. But the question we must ask ourselves today is this: Are we truly responding to God's grace in our lives?
In our busy lives, it is easy to become complacent, to take God's blessings for granted, and to grow indifferent to His call. We may attend Mass regularly, say our prayers, and even engage in acts of charity, but if our hearts remain hardened and closed to the transforming power of God's love, then we risk falling into the same trap as the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.
Let us examine our hearts today and reflect on the areas of our lives where we have become lukewarm or resistant to God's grace. Are there areas of sin that we have grown comfortable with? Are there relationships that need healing and forgiveness? Are we actively seeking to grow in holiness and conform our lives to the teachings of Christ?
The words of Jesus in today's Gospel are a call to conversion, a call to turn away from sin and turn toward the Lord with all our hearts. He desires to heal us, to set us free from the bondage of sin, and to lead us into everlasting life. But we must respond to His invitation with humility and a sincere desire for change.
Let us not be like the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, who squandered the opportunity to encounter the living God. Instead, let us be like the saints who, throughout history, responded wholeheartedly to God's grace and allowed His love to transform their lives.
May the Holy Spirit inspire and empower us to respond to God's grace with faith and repentance. May we open our hearts to His transforming love and allow Him to work in us and through us for the glory of His Kingdom. And may we, through our words and actions, become witnesses of God's love and mercy to a world in need of hope and redemption.
ChatGPT seems to give the homily only a slight Catholic cast, as if you had instructed it to give a homily for women, or children, or any other group.
DeleteIt does not look that it goes through any process that would focus only upon existing Catholic homilies or exegesis.
I think I would quickly be turning on its reference mode to see where it is getting its information, and figuring out how my questions could change that.
There is a great story about Brigid of Ireland linked to at America. She was a bishop, and apparently not the only one in ancient Christian history. The story linked to is in the Irish Times. A good story for our saints stories collection. The solution to the priest shortage does have precedent it seems.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/ireland-s-own-5th-century-female-bishop-brigid-of-kildare-1.3504216
I have never heard about Brigid's ordination, but I like it! But, as with most Irish hagiography, there's a lot of drinking and exaggeration going on.
DeleteWhat can be verified is that Irish and Anglo-Saxon women abbesses were often called the "mothers" of bishops and were depicted very early on with croziers to indicate their importance to the Church.
It is also clear that secular authorities were more inclined to consult a homegrown abbess for advice than a bishop sent over from Rome who didn't understand the political landscape. Bede mentions St Hild's intervention in several disputes up in Northumbria.
In addition, the North Sea cultures were, if not matriarchal (still being debated), were far more egalitarian in their laws about women's rights than in more southerly European areas. You can see it in the law codes, which gave women property rights, the right to bring legal complaints, the right to directly receive restitution payments, and to get dowries back if a marriage faltered. It took hundreds of years for laws to devolve those rights.
Just unrelated personal note, I got my stitches out this morning. They said I was healing well. But "healing well" means stuck with the brace and crutches for another month. And my social life is going to be going to physical therapy. A little bit of a reality check, I have to readjust my expectations.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are healing on schedule! I am learning that you either adjust your expectations or the top of your head blows off. Praying for patience!
DeleteThanks Jean! You are right about expectations. Patience is not something I'm always good at. But it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Or maybe it's a fruit. I never can keep the gifts and fruits straight!
DeleteGifts, fruits; vitamins, minerals. Who knows. Important thing is that you get some!
DeleteHang in there, Katherine! It’s real progress. One month to freedom. Instead of having all your meals courtesy of the senior center, go to a real restaurant once a week. Or at least order a real meal to be picked up. No fast food. Eat your fruits and vegetables to get all those vitamins and minerals as Dr. Jean prescribes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne. Good idea to get some takeout from the nice restaurant. (once in a while we give in to a fast food craving)
DeleteRight now my biggest challenge is to figure out how to get into the compression socks they want me to wear. Maybe a Barbie doll could get into them, LOL!
I read the various ChatGPT products to Betty. She agreed that the sermons were better than many that we have heard at the parish level.
ReplyDeleteThe homilies that were given by the scripture scholar who was pastor of one of our parishes were all better than ChatGPT, as are most of those by Francis.
Betty noted the absence of examples and stories.
In most cases the ChatGPT homilies, although short, were more than the three points that Francis usually has in his homilies.
So, if a homilist picked three points form the ChatGPT outline, added an example or story to each, they might have a good homily.
It is always good to have somebody to talk to when thinking about anything. ChatGPT just might be that somebody. AI generates a beginning point of a conversation without much effort. How well it works if one continues the conversation with different questions, remains to be seen.
The program does not have access to a lot of information, e.g., many books of scripture commentary, restricted access journal articles, news articles behind a paywall.
We don’t know how AI searches, evaluates, and summarizes information available to it
Most of the important information that I have gotten has come from books, and journal articles that are not free to the public. What is in the public domain tends to be closer to gossip than hard evidence.
Thanks to Jim for conducting this exercise, it was a good way to begin to think about AI. As with most new things it will probably bring both blessing and problems.
Another AI rabbit hole to get into are the AI art generator apps. They are both more perfect than and worse than real art. They don't have the indefinable "something" that comes from the soul, even if the artist is not particularly trained in an academic sense. But as a substitute for clip art or illustration, they can do that.
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