Hero wanted!

[FrGareth]

Since the homily is an integral part of the liturgy (as +George reminded his priests at the Cardiff Chrism Mass earlier this month) I presume homily help is on-topic in this forum, so, a quick appeal for help!

This weekend, for vocations Sunday, I want to illustrate my homily with one or two examples of each of -

- A hero who risked his life and was willing to lay it down, but through circumstances was spared;

- A hero who risked his life and was in fact killed.

In this instance I am not looking for saints or real-world heroes but iconic figures from Hollywood or literature. My own literary tastes are sci-fi and fantasy (and I have promised parishioners not to use yet another illustration from Doctor Who in the near future!) - I hope you can help me widen the fields of examples that different portions of my congregation will immediately recall and identify with.

Ideas by Saturday lunchtime please - I will let you know how the sermon turns out!

[quaeritor]

Try "The Magnificent Seven" for several examples of both options (with varying degrees of heroism!) - or just for an excuse to watch it again - or come to think of it, if you have even more time for research try "Lord of the Rings"

Q

[FrGareth]

PS "Hero" in this case includes heroic figures from literature or popular culture who may be male, female, or "fantastic other" (thanks, Q ,for the elves, hobbits and dwarves)

[VML]

Sean Devereaux (1964-1993) springs to mind: the youth worker and teacher who was a hero to the African children who knew him in his work with the Salesians. Then he worked on food distribution and resettlement programmes in Somalia and was shot by Charles Taylor's men.

[nazard]

Grace Darling and St Maximilian Kolbe always inspire me.

[quaeritor]

I feel rather shamed by my contibution in such worthy company, but Fr Gareth did write

In this instance I am not looking for saints or real-world heroes but iconic figures from Hollywood or literature.

I'll leave quietly now.

Q

[dmu3tem]

You want candidates from literature (also now on film):

Try the Harry Potter characters:

starting with Harry Potter himself (someone spared)

those not spared: Dumbledore, Harry Potter's parents, and - above all (because he is flawed and largely un-recognised) - Snape!

[gwyn]

Who was the young Mexican bishop who was pistol-whipped out of his cathedral and into the crowded town square? There he was stripped, his eyelids cut off (along with other hideous mutilations). He'd have been spared all this if only he would publicly deny Christ. You'll be ahead of me when I say that he died rather than accept this option.

[FrGareth]

Thank you everyone! The homily is now written and will appear on this link at 10.30 on Sunday morning.