Homilies about communication

Speaking the Truth: Why Understanding and Being Understood Matters for Salvation

Monseñor Dan Stack

The homily emphasizes the importance of speaking and understanding the truth, especially in the face of adversity and misunderstanding. Drawing parallels from Jeremiah and the Exodus story, the priest encourages listeners not to fear those who can only harm the body, but to trust in God's protection and to clearly articulate their inherent dignity as God's creations. He highlights the challenges of communication, even within close relationships and across cultural barriers, stressing that salvation and peace depend on our determination to understand and be understood.

Speaking Truth with Charity: Be Shrewd as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

The homily explores Jesus' command to be 'shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves,' emphasizing the importance of speaking truth with charity. The priest uses the analogy of a direct serpent and a gentle dove to illustrate how to deliver difficult truths, like addressing a loved one's health issues, in a way that promotes change rather than causing hurt or enabling harmful behavior. He stresses that while truth can be uncomfortable, it must always be delivered with love, mirroring God's own approach.

Speaking Truth with Kindness: Shrewd as Serpents, Simple as Doves

The homily emphasizes the importance of combining wisdom and kindness in communication, drawing from Jesus' instruction to be 'shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.' The priest shares personal anecdotes about receiving advice on how to respond thoughtfully, especially when angry, highlighting the need for kindness when speaking the truth in today's world.

How to Listen to Jesus' Parables with Your Heart

The homily emphasizes the importance of listening to Jesus' words with an open heart, drawing a parallel with historical communication methods like Morse code and early telephones. It connects the Gospel's parable of the wheat and weeds to the need for deep, heartfelt communication, especially in times of suffering and emergency, urging prayers for those in need.