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3rd Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 35:1-6a, 10Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 (Isaiah 35:4)James 5:7-10Matthew 11:2-11December 15, 2019 “Be patient.” “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord.” These are the words that begin our second reading today. …
Read MoreAdvent Holy Hour Matthew 26:36-46December 8, 2019 We are here this evening for what we call a “holy hour”. One might ask we do we holy hours at all and why today. To understand why we do “holy hours” at…
Read More2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A Isaiah 11:1-10Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 (3)Romans 15:4-9Matthew 3:1-12 December 8, 2019 Advent is a time to reflect on the coming of Jesus. Last week’s gospel spoke of the Second Coming. The birth of…
Read More1st Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 2:1-5Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9Romans 13:11-14Matthew 24:37-44December 1, 2019 Soon it will be Christmas but not yet. If you look at the stores, Christmas items have been out for a while. That doesn’t…
Read MoreOur Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year C2 Samuel 5:1-3Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5 (see 1)Colossians 1:12-20Luke 23:35-43November 24, 2019 Today we begin the last week in Ordinary Time before we start a new liturgical year next week. To…
Read More33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CMalachi 3:19-20aPsalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9 (see 9)2 Thessalonians 3:7-12Luke 21:5-19November 17, 2019 Today we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are a total of 34 weeks in Ordinary Time (the remaining of…
Read More32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 (15b)2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5Luke 20:27-38November 10, 2019 We live in a troubled world. We see in is war and terrorism, shootings in schools and marketplaces. There is…
Read MoreI just uploaded the video from the third and final presentation in my series, Our Saints and Intercessors to my website at www.renewaloffaith.org/saints3. In this presentation, we talk about St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Luke, and then pull all three presentations…
Read More31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CWisdom 11:22-12:2Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14 (see 1)2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2Luke 19:1-10November 3, 2019 A few years ago, I was ministering in a parish that had a school. One of the things we would…
Read More30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 35:12-14, 16-18Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 (7a)2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18Luke 18:9-14October 27, 2019 We continue to hear about prayer in our readings this week. Today, the question addressed start with whose prayer gets…
Read MoreTwelve years ago, on June 30, 2007, I was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. I serve and am incarnated in the Diocese of Rochester. Priests who are incarnated in a diocese are called diocesan or secular priests.…
Read More29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CExodus 17:8-13Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (see 2)2 Timothy 3:14-4:2Luke 18:1-8October 20, 2019 Jesus tells us to “pray always”. Really? How can anyone pray “always”? We have to sleep or we will become “weary”. …
Read More28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C2 Kings 5:14-17Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (see 2b)2 Timothy 2:8-13Luke 17:11-19October 13, 2019 As our first reading begins today, Naaman is “plunged into the Jordan seven times.” This might remind us of how Jesus…
Read MoreI just posted the video and handout from my latest presentation on my website. You can see them at www.renewaloffaith.org/saints2. Here’s a short description – In Part I of this series Fr. Jeff began by talking about the saints in…
Read More26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CAmos 6:1a, 4-7Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)1 Timothy 6:11-16Luke 16:19-31September 29, 2019 Amos speaks of those who have “beds of ivory”, “eat lambs… and calves from the stall.” They have the “best oils.” All…
Read More25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CAmos 8:4-7Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 (see 1a, 7b)1 Timothy 2:1-8Luke 16:1-3September 22, 2019 Our readings start today with the prophet Amos speaking to those “who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of…
Read MoreFor those who follow St. Luke’s on Facebook (the parish where I currently serve), we began posting images or quotes associated with particular saints this summer. We do this to help us better know the saints. This is also part…
Read More24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CExodus 32:7-11, 13-14Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 (Luke 15:18)1 Timothy 1:12-17Luke 15:1-32September 15, 2019 Today’s readings should be familiar to us. Our Sunday readings are on a three-year cycle so if you have been…
Read MoreI started a new presentation series this week. In Part I, I begin with a general introduction to our Catholic understanding of the saints. Then, I discuss Mary and the Holy Angels (from two of our churches, St. Mary’s and…
Read More23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CWisdom 9:13-18bPsalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 (1)Philemon 9-10, 12-17Luke 14:25-33September 8, 2019 “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid.” These…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11 (see 11b)Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24aLuke 14:1, 7-14 September 1, 2019 “Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.” The people there observed Jesus…
Read MoreFor the last couple of months, our first readings at daily Mass have been from the stories of Genesis, the Exodus, Joshua, and Judges. Today we shift to Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. Most of Paul’s letters are written…
Read More21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CIsaiah 66:18-21Psalm 117:1, 2 (Mark 6:15)Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13Luke 13:22-30August 25, 2019 Jesus is asked, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”. Taken at face value, the question might be interpreted as simply asking…
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