Texan Priest Gives Amazing Homily Against Hate

This is an incredibly moving homily that was given by Father Josh Whitfield in Texas after one of his parishioners received the Eucharist and then, with the host still in his mouth, said something very hateful against Muslims.

Father Whitfield is a priest who converted from Anglicanism in 2012 and was brought into the Church with his wife and children.

An excerpt of his homily:

…last week I had an experience that has bothered me; it’s bothered me greatly in fact. After placing the Host on the tongue of a Christian, one of our brethren, he stared me, face trembling, and he yelled at me, “Father, you forgot to say, ‘Kill all the Muslims!’” The body of Christ still was in his mouth. “Kill all the Muslims,” he said. Now I have thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it, and I’ve never seen hell and holiness so mingled together. “The body of Christ.” “Kill all the Muslims.” That’s my favorite spot in the whole church; it’s a holy place. Now I am a minister of Jesus Christ and a preacher of his gospel, and so in his name, let me clear: if you agree with that sentiment—“Father, you forgot to say, ‘Kill all the Muslims’”—then this may not be the place for you. And you probably need to rethink your commitment to Catholicism because you obviously don’t understand it all, not in the slightest. And let me further clarify—and I know I speak for all the clergy of the parish—St. Rita is a place where love will be preached, the gospel of Jesus Christ which is love. And if you don’t like that, I am not changing my message. Not a single person in this building tells me what to preach. The Spirit comes down upon me like fire, and I will always preach love because that is the word of Jesus. And his word is more powerful, more eternal, and more truthful than yours. The gospel has always been preached as peace against violence, love against hate, and so St. Rita will always be a church of love. Like John the Baptist, I will always stand on the banks of the Jordan and tell you to repent—of
everything that keeps you from Christ, especially hatred. You’d better repent of your hatred, or you’ll never see Jesus. I’m a preacher of the gospel, and I speak in his name.

He also makes clear that he is not speaking from a certain point of view; he is just preaching the Gospel:

I’m a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ—not a liberal, not a conservative, not a Republican, not a Democrat. I am a Christian. And this will be a Christian place. Love, not hate. St. Rita will be a place of love—always. I’ll give my life for it.

Please read the entire homily; his message is not complete unless you read it all.