Jesus Has Not Abandoned Us

To hear a homily on the mystery of the Ascension, and why the disciples were joyful at the departure of Jesus, click on the image below.

To Love As God Loves

To listen to a homily on Christ’s commandment to love one another, click on the image above

My Sheep Hear My Voice

For a homily for Sunday IV of Easter, year C, click on the image above.

The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life
I was chowing down on a burger on Corporation Street in Birmingham when the waiter, Ali, saw that I was reading a religious book. He asked the question what can you say to an atheist about God and why do they not believe in God. That is a really good question. I would love to hear the answer from a true blue atheist. However, my conversation got me thinking about the contrast between the Christian view on the meaning of life, and the world’s view.

The Christian’s view of the meaning of life is can be boiled down to three points:
1) to believe in God as the greatest good to whom it is worth giving my life, and so therefore I should
2)glorify Him by doing his will as Christ came to teach and once my time on this earth has come to an end
3)to be happy with God in heaven for eternity.

In one sentence, I think that pretty well sums up the life of a Christian. Obviously there is lots more to say, especially centred around Jesus Christ as the Way the Truth and the Life, but everything about Jesus is about being brought to the Father, and coming to Father is coming to real life.

Coming up with a clear view of the world’s meaning of life is more complicated, as there is no one who can speak for the world. Here is my stab at expressing a worldly view of the meaning of life boiled down to three points:
1) I don’t know ultimately where I are going,
2) I don’t know what happens when my time on this earth has come to an end, so I should try to be as happy as I can until I die,
3) and anything or anyone in whom I put trust can let me down.

The contrast between these two views is striking. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who reads this to share their observations on the Christian and worldly views on the meaning of life, or their own version of these two views.

The Prodigal Son

For a homily on the Prodigal Song, click on the image above.