#124 / Homilies

The Merriam Webster Dictionary, online, defines homily as: (1) a usually short sermon; (2) a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme; (3) an inspirational catchphrase; also: platitude.

That last part of the definition is cautionary. It is a necessary caution. All too often we try to skate along on platitudes, as we think about or discuss morality - or as we consider the possibilities we have before us, and the adversities we confront.

While we do need to be cautious about about placing too much weight on the catchphrases that might motivate us to action, our actions create the world we most immediately inhabit, and fixing our attention on "words to live by" can be (as the dictionary also says) a necessary inspiration.