mercy!

Another homily post.  I was back at my "home" parish this morning.  I had to chuckle when Father referred to yesterday's first reading (1Kings 18:20-39) as the "bar-b-q of all bar-b-q's." 

At the end of today's first reading (1Kings 18: 41-46) I was thinking, "I hope he explains this one..."  And he did explain that the rain cloud was the symbol of the end of a three-year drought.  Elijah revealing the "heart of God" to his people.  God giving them a chance to start over with life-giving water.  And somehow he managed to tie it to the gospel (Mt 5:20-26), which was Jesus revealing God's heart.  He noted that we need to check our thoughts and attitudes because behavior comes from thoughts and attitudes.  We don't just "do" something; it comes from somewhere - a thought or an attitude.  He also tied in mercy and how the degree to which we show mercy is the degree to which we reveal the heart of God to others around us.

Tomorrow.... the Feast of the Sacred Heart...so appropriate that the readings today were revealing "God's Heart".