Father C's Homilies

God has been so amazingly generous with me – in so many ways that I could never name them. One of those gifts is that God enabled me to preach and to teach. Sometimes I would go back to my chair after a homily and think, ‘Wow! That was good!’ But I know that the ‘goodness’ came completely from God, so I can take no credit. If these homilies and lectures and sermons help people, I simply thank God because God is the author and source of all that is worthwhile here. (From Father C's Bio page)

I've written before about Father C, about how welcoming and encouraging he was at Mass (previous Father C posts here, here, and here. He's retired now, and living on the west coast.  I read his former parish's bulletin online, and, as far as I can tell, he hasn't been back here since he retired almost two years ago. 

I don't write about others with their real names on my blog.  I'm going to make an exception here because one of the parishioners put up a website with many of Father C's homilies on it.  I save them for days when I really need encouragement.  If you go look at the website, you'll find out who he is. 

Father Phillip was the pastor of the Newman Center in Chapel Hill for 14 years.  He's a wonderful preacher who also taught homiletics at Duke's Divinity School.  One wonderful aspect of his homilies is that he always ends focusing on God.  No matter how much he might be remonstrating the community, he never stops there.  He always ends pointing to God.  Also, even when he is criticizing the community, he always includes himself. He never condemns others leaving himself appearing unspotted.  Another thing I really appreciated was that he was very honest about himself - his faults, his depression.  He relies very much on God's grace and preached that very strongly.  I always went home feeling more hopeful and with energy to try to do what God wants me to do. 

I knew that I was going to miss him very much when he left - particularly his homilies.  One evening last year, I looked him up online to see if there was anything about what he's doing now, and I found this website of homilies he's given.  I was very happy!  I save them for times when I need encouragement - particularly during my winter depression. 

The most encouraging homily I remember, the one to listen to when you feel that you can't be a Christian, that God wouldn't ever want to have anything to do with you, when you feel that you were a mistake, created on one of God's off days, is the homily for Trinity Sunday, June 11, 2006 (or click on FatherPhillip.com, choose Chapel Hill homilies, and choose June 11, 2006).  I loved the homily at the time, and I still remembered it unusually well.

I listened to it again this afternoon, and it's just as good as I remembered.  Not only that, but it also turned me around from what was bothering me this morning to, instead, focus on God again.

I've added the link to my sidebar section on faith, for when, as dear husband puts it, you need a Father Phillip "fix."

[Station of the Cross from the Newman Center Art page]