St. Lawrence Catholic Church Muncie Podcasts

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Fr. Dennis O'Keefe

·12 min·1 clip

Saint Malachy's prophecies predicted popes for centuries, ending with the last pope before Jesus returns—but Pope Francis proves them wrong.

The episode is a homily delivered by Father Dennis O'Keefe on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time. It begins with mention of Saint Malachy, an Irish saint whose feast day would be November 3rd if not a Sunday. O'Keefe notes Malachy was Archbishop of Vermont and brought Irish liturgy in line with Rome. He discusses prophecies attributed to Malachy that predicted popes for centuries, ending with the last pope before Jesus' return, but states these are forgeries and Pope Francis proves them false. O'Keefe explains people are drawn to such prophecies due to fallen humanity's desire to know the future. He references King Saul from the Old Testament, who consulted the witch of Endor after God remained silent about battle outcomes, leading to his downfall. The homily shifts to the Shema prayer from Deuteronomy, recited by Jews daily, which declares God is one. O'Keefe says Jesus would have recited this prayer and connects it to living in the present moment. He emphasizes that right now is the only opportunity for grace, not fretting about the past or future. O'Keefe acknowledges the difficulty of staying present, even during mass, due to human nature. He discusses the gospel ethic from Mark's Gospel, which includes loving neighbor as self, and states there is no gray area in belief. The homily concludes that being a believer in Jesus Christ is a personal decision requiring immediate action, not procrastination.

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