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The inner word

08 Apr 2012 - Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday), Cycle B

In John’s gospel, confusion reigned at the empty tomb of Jesus. Mary of Magdala thought the body had been taken. Peter could not understand what was happening. Only the “disciple whom Jesus loved” grasped the meaning of the situation. For the “beloved disciple,” it seems, the burial cloth neatly rolled in a corner merely confirmed what he or she already suspected: Christ would be raised from the dead. You can sympathize with Mary’s jumping to a conclusion or Peter’s mystification, but what about the other disciple? Do you think that love can open your heart and mind to both faith and knowledge? How?

empty tomb beloved disciple burial cloth

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Clothed in mourning

28 Apr 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Just as Paul and Barnabas endured hardships to spread the good news, workers in Bangladesh’s low-wage garment industry have to undergo many hardships to barely earn a living. After a horrific factory collapse left more than 200 workers dead Wednesday, survivors and loved ones likely long for a time when, as the second reading promises, “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.”With deep cracks visible in the walls, police had ordered a Bangladesh garment building evacuated the day before its deadly collapse, but the factories flouted the order and kept more than 2,000 people working, officials said Thursday. Hundreds are dead and many more still trapped after a huge section of the eight-story building splintered into a pile of concrete.The disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar came less than five months after a blaze killed 112 people in a garment factory and underscored the unsafe conditions faced by Bangladesh's garment workers, who produce clothes for brands worn around the world.Hundreds of rescuers, some crawling through the maze of rubble in search of survivors and corpses, worked through the night and into Thursday amid the cries of the trapped and the wails of workers' relatives gathered outside the building, called Rana Plaza, which housed numerous garment factories and a handful of other companies.Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style, and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether they produced several million shirts, pants, and other garments a year. The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for major brands including North American retailers The Children's Place and Dress Barn, Britain's Primark, Spain's Mango, and Italy's Benetton. Ether Tex said Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, was one of its customers.Many of the retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.Homily hint: Shoppers have grown accustomed to bargain prices on many apparel items but often are unaware of the appalling working conditions around the world that make such prices possible. Help raise awareness and encourage the faith community to demonstrate to the world that we are indeed disciples of him who taught us to “love one another.” Source: An article by the Associated Press

bangladesh garment workers savar rana plaza clothing clothes

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Clothed in mourning

28 Apr 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Just as Paul and Barnabas endured hardships to spread the good news, workers in Bangladesh’s low-wage garment industry have to undergo many hardships to barely earn a living. After a horrific factory collapse left more than 200 workers dead Wednesday, survivors and loved ones likely long for a time when, as the second reading promises, “there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.”With deep cracks visible in the walls, police had ordered a Bangladesh garment building evacuated the day before its deadly collapse, but the factories flouted the order and kept more than 2,000 people working, officials said Thursday. Hundreds are dead and many more still trapped after a huge section of the eight-story building splintered into a pile of concrete.The disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar came less than five months after a blaze killed 112 people in a garment factory and underscored the unsafe conditions faced by Bangladesh's garment workers, who produce clothes for brands worn around the world.Hundreds of rescuers, some crawling through the maze of rubble in search of survivors and corpses, worked through the night and into Thursday amid the cries of the trapped and the wails of workers' relatives gathered outside the building, called Rana Plaza, which housed numerous garment factories and a handful of other companies.Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style, and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether they produced several million shirts, pants, and other garments a year. The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for major brands including North American retailers The Children's Place and Dress Barn, Britain's Primark, Spain's Mango, and Italy's Benetton. Ether Tex said Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, was one of its customers.Many of the retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.Homily hint: Shoppers have grown accustomed to bargain prices on many apparel items but often are unaware of the appalling working conditions around the world that make such prices possible. Help raise awareness and encourage the faith community to demonstrate to the world that we are indeed disciples of him who taught us to “love one another.” Source: An article by the Associated Press

bangladesh garment workers savar rana plaza clothing clothes

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The inner word

02 Mar 2025 - Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Today's readings provide a simple reminder of the importance of our words as they relate to God's Word, made flesh in Jesus. In what ways does my speech "disclose the bent" of my mind? How has my preaching been affected by my mood? What can I do to ensure that I am not hindering the gospel message through the words I choose to preach? We are encouraged to clothe ourselves in the word, which brings with it a powerful perspective into eternal life. Do I ever feel clothed in the word, fully confident in the protection it provides? What can I do to convey the amazing strength that comes with being true to God's word? Do I draw on that strength when I should? Do I display the courage that comes with being draped in the word and loving as Christ loves? Jesus tells us that "from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks." Do I have a full heart? If not, what caused the feeling of depletion? What can I do to restore my joy, which is imperative to the task of preaching?

clothed in the word

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