Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, gave the following 1en-minute homily on Sunday, July 24:

The homily began with Abraham negotiating with God to save lives in Sodom. The Lord accepted this prayer. Father Illo: “Ask for what we need, but demand nothing.”

As an example of that prayer, Father Illo  talked of his visit to the Carmelite nuns in Omaha who came from San Francisco.

Father said the Omaha passengers going through Denver were told, “Don’t worry, you’ll make your connections.” But when they got to Denver, the planes to San Francisco had left.

Father Illo tried Mother Teresa’s flying novena, which consisted of 10 Memorares.

“I was struggling: ‘Lord, help me make my connections.’

“I was able to make the connection,  the last person on the San Francisco plane.”

“We can pray for all sorts of things – to make our connection in Denver, we can ask that our marriage doesn’t fail, that we don’t lose our job, that our cancer is cured. But the one thing necessary is the Holy Spirit.”