tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post114100774672937306..comments2024-03-29T08:14:32.748-04:00Comments on Bonfire of the Vanities: Why I badger you for comments on my homiliesFr Martin Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1163008537796764232006-11-08T12:55:00.000-05:002006-11-08T12:55:00.000-05:00Speaking of human-animal hybrids:http://www.lifene...Speaking of human-animal hybrids:<BR/>http://www.lifenews.com/bio1852.html<BR/>(I got that from <BR/>http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/ )Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06624317806947588259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1145673078442525492006-04-21T22:31:00.000-04:002006-04-21T22:31:00.000-04:00Dear Fr. Fox,I regret the opportunity lost of bein...Dear Fr. Fox,<BR/><BR/>I regret the opportunity lost of being one of the Sir Knights at your Mass of Thanksgiving. We were told about it, planned for it, yet my JOB prevented me from it. I pray that it was a grace-filled celebration. You are in my prayers.<BR/><BR/>JonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141187448975325292006-02-28T23:30:00.000-05:002006-02-28T23:30:00.000-05:00I am giving up visiting blogsites for lent. I will...I am giving up visiting blogsites for lent. I will miss your homilies and thought about maybe stopping by just for them but I know I would probably read a few other posts and then link on to others sites. I look forward to checking out your archives during Easter.<BR/><BR/>I hope you had a good vacation and will have a productive lent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141179349745907782006-02-28T21:15:00.000-05:002006-02-28T21:15:00.000-05:00Father,Please do me and some other anonymous visit...Father,<BR/><BR/>Please do me and some other anonymous visitors a BIG favor.<BR/><BR/>When you have a capital campaign to raise money for major parish rebuilding, please remember that there may be some occasional visitors, etc. in the congregation. The reason I ask is that last Sunday I was subjected to the ending of such event. (I visit that parish about once a year when in KY visiting family). I had about 3 sermons with only a very brief touching on the scriptures of the week. First, was a video, and then the pastor pushed, and then he allowed the chairman of the campaign to talk. The layman had a 7 point talk. <BR/><BR/>I don't mind fund raising, but I thought that it was a bit much. BUT, there was nothing Catholic about it. Not even mentioning needing/praying for more vocations so that eventually there will, once more, be more than 1 priest there.<BR/><BR/>I do like the poetic style of your written sermons, but then I sometimes write poetry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141163399410586822006-02-28T16:49:00.000-05:002006-02-28T16:49:00.000-05:00Mark:Thanks for your comments and encouragement.Ab...Mark:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments and encouragement.<BR/><BR/>About the "animal human hybrids." As I recall, I brought that into a homily looking at the Church's teaching about the generation of life, and the issues of contraception, abortion and stem-cell research that relies on destroying embryonic human beings.<BR/>That was my, "what's next?" point, I recall.<BR/><BR/>I dunno, I thought it was useful to point out that we have to draw the line somewhere, or else it just gets worse, that ultimately, this is ultimately about the preservation of human life <I>itself</I>. I hoped the instinctive repugnance to such an idea would be useful.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps that wasn't clear, or effective...but apparently, memorable!Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141142237311255692006-02-28T10:57:00.000-05:002006-02-28T10:57:00.000-05:00Fr. Fox,Excellent post! It should be in every chu...Fr. Fox,<BR/><BR/>Excellent post! It should be in every church bulletin and posted on every bulletin board.<BR/><BR/>One thing I've noticed is that if I get into anything really heavy, the number of "nice sermon" comments is smaller, but more sincere. I assume I have made a lot of people uncomfortable.<BR/><BR/>DeaconMike<BR/><BR/>As a deacon, I only preach one Sunday per month, but it's a good thing because it usually takes me a month to get it right (or at least what I consider to be right.) I don't know how you priests manage to do one a week, plus weekdays.<BR/><BR/>Also, I couldn't agree more about the kids. Jesus wouldn't have locked them in a closed room while He spoke. He would have gathered them to Him. Cry rooms are just an excuse for the moms to visit during mass. We should turn them all into exercise rooms.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415395477955746672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141101534838685482006-02-27T23:38:00.000-05:002006-02-27T23:38:00.000-05:00It seems that you won't be able to please everyone...It seems that you won't be able to please everyone, but I'll give you my feedback anyways.<BR/><BR/>Normally I like a homily that doesn't deviate from Church teaching (I've sometimes wondered at some homilies). After that base is covered, I'm pretty happy. I do enjoy homilies more if they have a new insight I've never heard before or a new way to look at the reading. I also enjoy homilies that encourage me in my Faith, since its difficult being Catholic sometimes. I also like it if the homily subjects vary from Sunday to Sunday. I have one priest at my parish who always manages to tie the Gospel back to social justice and unity of some sort no matter what the point of the Gospel really was! I think the subject is good once in a while, but its pretty old now. <BR/><BR/>All of the above suggestions except the first are simply a matter of taste, though I've found that your homilies fulfill all of my criterion for a good homily.<BR/><BR/>But thank you for your comments early on in your post. I tend to be extremely critical of the homilies I hear and I forget that priests are human too and don't see their homilies in the way we do. They're really not in our shoes, as you said. So, thanks for the reminder :) I hope you have gotten something from my feedback.Gregariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02361415775218081345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141093655924336032006-02-27T21:27:00.000-05:002006-02-27T21:27:00.000-05:00theresa:Thanks for your comments.I'm sorry the lin...theresa:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments.<BR/><BR/>I'm sorry the line-by-line format is hard for you to read. The reason they appear that way is that is how I write my text for the pulpit. I do end up shortening the lines, when I post it here, but I don't like to take out all that formatting -- that is to say, I don't know how, other than to do it line by line, and that takes quite awhile.<BR/><BR/>If anyone has a suggestion about how to do it easily, I suppose I could try that . . .Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141092507322165132006-02-27T21:08:00.000-05:002006-02-27T21:08:00.000-05:00Father, you seem really sensible and I like your b...Father, you seem really sensible and I like your blog. My first comment on your homilies would be that they are very hard for me to read in the "poetry" line-by-line format. In fact I don't read them because of that. Perhaps that helps some people, and mainly I'm just lazy--but there it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141066680809006642006-02-27T13:58:00.000-05:002006-02-27T13:58:00.000-05:00I know what you mean. There are the complainers, ...I know what you mean. There are the complainers, who always complain, but most people are afraid to say anything in the least negative. Cantoring, lectoring, or singing in the choir, people would always tell me what a good job I did even on days where I was not happy with how things went. When it was another singer's turn, I would hear everyone compliment her after Mass, then go outside and complain how bad it was. I developed a complex that everyone who said nice things must be lying to be polite. Constructive criticism is certainly a lost art.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17838676594500396265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141010542758974852006-02-26T22:22:00.000-05:002006-02-26T22:22:00.000-05:00Mrs Darwin:Well, you're certainly welcome.Having n...Mrs Darwin:<BR/><BR/>Well, you're certainly welcome.<BR/><BR/>Having never sired children, I cannot adequately comprehend what it is like for folks who have children at Mass; I recall, lo these many years ago, being at Mass with my family, and my dim recollection of the unspeakable consequence that awaited him who misbehaved! I cannot recall much else, and I distrust my recollections enough not to draw any conclusions therefrom. <BR/><BR/>But I will say, keep coming; as much (if I may be very candid) as I desire not to hear coughs, and squeals, and shrieks at any point during the Mass, I believe children should be present; and however much such "special effects" may discomfit me, I can't imagine how they are for the parents! So I will to let it go.<BR/><BR/><I>Keep bringing them kids!</I>Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-1141008000075676262006-02-26T21:40:00.000-05:002006-02-26T21:40:00.000-05:00I don't know if I have any useful feedback for you...I don't know if I have any useful feedback for you, but I always enjoy reading your sermons -- especially when I can't understand the sermon at Mass (one of our priests has a very strong accent that's hard to comprehend if you're wrestling with small children) or the sermon was uninspiring. Thank you for posting them each week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com