Possible Preaching Themes
Possible Scientific Resources
- Old yeast vs. new yeast from second reading: old yeast spoils, new yeast (Jesus Christ) cleanses, brings faith, hope, and life to us on Easter
- Behavior of Lambs from sequence and Gospel acclamation: using the behavior of lambs as a way to model how Jesus Christ ministers as the Paschal Lamb
- Burial cloths left in the tomb from the Gospel: Shroud of Turin as an artifact studied by science connecting us to Jesus’ death and resurrection
- “The Science of Baking with Yeast” https://www.finecooking.com/article/the-science-of-baking-with-yeast-2
- Explains what yeast is
- How yeast make bread rise
- What can go wrong with yeast
- “Social Behavior of Sheep” by Gary Landsberg and Sagi Deneberg https://www.merckvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/social-behavior-of-sheep
- Flock dynamics of sheep
- Gender dynamics of sheep
- Intelligence of Sheep
- The Shroud of Turin https://www.shroud.com/
- Definitive site with current research and accurate data that you can interact with regarding the Shroud of Turin
Homily Outline Combining Resources
Homily outline using the image of yeast:
- Old yeast vs unleavened bread
- Yeast Single-celled microorganism
- Many types (over 1,500 species)
- One most commonly used Saccharomyces cerevisiae (which means “sugar-eating fungi”)
- https://www.finecooking.com/article/the-science-of-baking-with-yeast-2
- Why do we prefer yeasted bread?
- It’s taste, texture, smell, different styles of yeasted bread, memories of eating/cooking with risen dough
- How yeast helps bread rise
- When dough is kneaded, yeast metabolizes the starches and sugars in flour
- Yeast turns these starches/sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas
- This gas inflates the bubbles caused by kneading, which causes bread to rise
- During rising, yeast divides and multiplies, producing more carbon dioxide gas
- As long as there is air + carbohydrates in the dough, yeast will multiply until it is actively stopped by heat
- Punching down or stirring a dough after it first rises will refresh the yeast’s environment
- https://www.finecooking.com/article/the-science-of-baking-with-yeast-2
- Paul juxtaposes what old yeast or bad yeast can do to bread vs unleavened bread
- Old yeast or bad yeast for Paul
- Spoils bread like sin spoils us
- Once in us, multiplies and won’t stop growing
- Examples: anger, fear, hatred, avoidance, lust
- If we beat down, avoid, try to mask our sin, just like yeast it will thrive and be refreshed and continue to grow/spoil us
- Jesus Christ: True Bread of Life
- There is a such thing as “good” yeast
- A little yeast goes a long way
- Example of good yeast spreading: when cooking, you take a piece of yeasted dough from one batch to be the starter for the next batch
- Fundamental to using yeast is communal sharing/giving
- Through Jesus Christ’s Paschal Mystery, we are cleansed of old/bad yeast
- Like Jesus Christ who offered Himself for us on the Cross, we are called to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection by becoming the bread of life for others
- A call back to the life Yahweh gave the Israelites through the Passover meal and the mana in the desert
- We are called to be food for those in need
- What does this mean for the community?
- Like new yeast, the Easter Resurrection spreads
- Spread joy, life, hope in our lives
- Paul: calls for use to clean out the old yeast to make room for something new, this is what our 40-day Lenten journey has been for us
- Easter Sunday is what we have been prepared for
- Jesus Christ as bringer of life, of something new
Related Homily Outlines
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Preaching with Sciences
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Edward Foley, Capuchin
Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality
Professor of Liturgy and Music (retired)
Catholic Theological Union
Vice-Postulator, Cause of Blessed Solanus