Homily for the Reception of the Body of Fr James McInerney

Homily for the Reception of the Body of Fr James McInerney

The homily for a funeral should not be a eulogy. That is to say, when we gather together to commend a soul to God, we do not do so to praise them, but rather to pray for them - to ask God for his mercy and forgiveness. We plead him to free the departed soul from purgatory, to cleanse him from him sins and to welcome him into his glorious presence. We do not come together to celebrate the achievements or praise the virtues of the one whose loss we mourn, but rather to praise Christ, whose death and resurrection makes it possible for us to dwell in God?s presence.
This is true for every soul, and for every funeral, no less that of a priest, no less that of Fr Seamus.
And yet, our prayers are more insistent, our petitions more earnest, because of our respect, our affection and our love for him.
He is a sinner standing before God?s throne of mercy, as we all are - yet who can find a bad word to say about him?
It was on Boxing Day evening that Fr Eric, the hospital chaplain, rang me to tell of Fr Seamus sudden, shocking and unexpected death. I had seem him just two days before. He chatted away about this and that in his typical bright and cheery manner. Fr Eric described as ?chirpy?, and I?ve thought several times since how appropriate a description is was of him. Positive, jovial, kind, good humoured.
He had an excellent singing voice. I?ve got a recording somewhere of him singing ?What a wonderful world? - I think he could have been a crooner. Many of us will remember him singing at his jubilee celebrations, and he needed little excuse to burst into song.
He had a bright and sometimes dry sense of humour. When he supplied for me at Hanley he always refused to take the offering and the stipend. ?You must, Father,? I said, ?at least - let me give you a gift?. ?Just do one thing for me, Peter,? he said - finally relenting as I thought - ?remember me in your will.?
And this positive attitude on life, this musical in his soul, no doubt was closely connected with his Irish heritage, which was so important to him. When St Patrick?s Day fell in Holy Week he came down to the party in the club in Hanley and asked if he could park at the Presbytery. ?That?s fine?, I said. ?But remember it?s Holy Week, Father. Don?t have a drink!? ?Peter?, he said, ?of course I won?t be drinking.? Then he added, by way of explanation, ?I?m Irish?. [Of course, he didn?t drink anyway]
In his last illness he was private, and many did not realise how ill he was. But he was not secretive and did not seem to be at all afraid. At the Deanery meeting about a month ago he was very matter of fact about the cancers which were spreading in his body. We could say he was brave, but it was rather more prosaic than that, it seemed a kind of acceptance.
He stands before God now, and we come to plead God?s mercy and forgiveness from our great love of God - who has blessed us so much in this wonderful person, this caring priest, this holy man.

Homily / Sermon for the Baptism of the Lord

Someone is coming who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals (Luke 3:16)

Taking down the decorations is always something of an anti-climax, isn?t it? Although people will say they should come down on 12th Night - no one seems to know whether that means the 5th or 6th of January, and now that we keep the feast of the Epiphany on the first Sunday in the new year that doesn?t seem very relevant anyway. Most people seem to want to take their decorations down even before new year - and probably, let?s be practical, before they go back to work.
And it?s a Job. A necessary and important Job. But a Job nonetheless. A task to be performed, but done just because it has to be done. No Joy and anticipation here.
After all - it?s all over now. That?s the end of this joyful time. Now we return to work. We are not ?laughing through the snow? now - but rather trudging through it - ?In the bleak midwinter?.
But there could not be a greater contrast in our moods with today?s Gospel and the celebration today. Perhaps it is too convenient for us to think that once the child is born and safe in his Mother?s arms that it is all over. But now - it is just begun!
Christmas and Epiphany is not an ending, but a beginning: ?one is coming who is greater than I am? John the Baptist says. Soon we remember his first miracles, the call of his disciples, the beginning of his preaching. We see what was present and worshipped in the crib unfold into a life lived for all of us - its teaching, its mystery, its sacrifice.
And there is one of the decorations which can stay with us a little longer, because it is no decoration, but a holy icon. The crib will stay for a few weeks. In the old English tradition, the crib would stay right until Candelmass, 2nd February, and no bad thing - after all the Kings have only just arrived - why should we pack them away so soon.
The crib, if you like, is the acorn of the faith - or perhaps a more biblical image is to call it the mustard seed. From something tiny and almost secret a great tree will emerge. Someone, something very great is about to emerge, the story has just begun ...

Homily / Sermon for the Epiphany

‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ the wise men asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’  (Matthew 2:2)

In today’s Gospel we are given a very great contrast between two kinds of kings: King Herod, and his advisors; and the Wise Men who travel into the Holy Land.

How do they understand the ancient prophecies about the birth of this child? How can they understand the work which he is sent to do? What role will he have amongst them, and what duty will they owe to him?

Now the interesting thing is that both Herod and  the Wise Men largely agree: this child is destined to be someone who Is greater than they are, someone to whom they should give homage, someone whom they must worship.

But there the similarity ends. And the difference between them comes not because of their belief in the prophecies but because of their outlook on life.

For Herod the King sees only politics and power, allegiances and hierarchies, armies and battles, wealth and influence. A great king, a greater King, must fit in this model. He can only be a threat. And he can only be dealt with by force, when he is at his weakest.

But the wise men, even if we think of them as Kings, are outsiders; they are seekers not after power but after truth, not fighters of battles, but enquirers for meaning and purpose, they seek not wealth or influence, but hope. They seek not for their own benefit, but for the good of all mankind.

And human beings today are not so different. Do we - like Herod- search for wealth and comfort and personal glory and position? Or are we - like the wise men - more concerned with truth and hope and the good of all mankind?  


How do they understand the ancient prophecies about the birth of this child? How can they understand the work which he is sent to do? What role will he have amongst them, and what duty will they owe to him?

Now the interesting thing is that both Herod and the Wise Men largely agree: this child is destined to be soneone who Is greater than they are, someone to whom they should give homage, someone whom they must worship.

But there the similarity ends. And the difference between them comes not because of their belief in the prophecies but because of their outlook on life.

For Herod the King sees only politics and power, allegiancies and hierarchies, armies and battles, wealth and influence. A great king, a greater King, must fit in this model. He can only be a threat. And he can only be dealt with by force, when he is at his weakest.

But the wise men, even if we think of them as Kings, are outsiders; they are seekers not after power but after truth, not fighters of battles, but enquirers for meaning and purpose, they seek not wealth or influence, but hope. They seek not for their own benefit, but for the good of all mankind.

And human beings today are not so different. Do we - like Herod- search for wealth and comfort and personal glory and position? Or are we - like the wise men - more concerned with truth and hope and the good of all mankind?