The Power of Stories: Homily for Thursday, May 15, 2025

The power of history is the power of stories. In looking back at what has happened, we gain a sense of meaning that can be helpful today. Saint Paul recounts salvation history to show the people the stories of God’s care for us, ultimately in the care Jesus gives us. Readings for Today.

The Power of Stories

In so many ways, the study of history is a study of stories. Unfortunately, I think for too long, the way we presented history, the way many of us learned it, was to miss its primary storytelling role. We were encouraged to memorize facts and dates, when things happened, and all kinds of details.

And the result was that I think many didn’t see any value in studying history, because they weren’t good at memorizing dates and details and so forth. I think the best teaching of history is to be a very good storyteller. And that, in fact, is what Paul is doing in the first reading. He’s telling a story.

They want him to give some words of exhortation, and I suppose on some level, the telling of a story can be that. But I’m not sure that exhortation is necessarily the primary task that Paul is about. He’s reminding the people of the stories that demonstrate that God cares for them. 

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update. You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

About Author

thefriarwebmaster

See author's posts