Homilies
2nd Sunday of Advent, Year BIsaiah 40:1-5, 9-11Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 (8)2 Peter 3:8-14Mark 1:1-8 December 10, 2023 Isaiah the prophet speaks of a voice that cries out. Today’s gospel speaks of a voice crying out in the desert. Isaiah…
Read MoreToday we celebrate the Solemnity of the the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You will not find a story of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in the Bible. The Bible does not tell us much about Mary. What…
Read MoreDefeated by their enemies, their nation and temple destroyed, many scattered in exile, the Israelites cry out to God, “Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?”…
Read MoreOur Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe, Year AEzekiel 34:11-12, 15-17Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 (1)1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28Matthew 25:31-46 November 26, 2023 The Lord speaks through the prophet Ezekiel in a time when those who had been appointed shepherds…
Read MoreAfter setting up for Mass this morning, I glanced at a Catholic news headline that said, “Dublin archbishop responds to stabbing of 3 children that sparked violent riots”. Ugh! Stabbing children? Why? Why? I clicked on the headline. Reading the…
Read MoreToday we celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a secular holiday but the practice of giving thanks is very much in keeping with our faith. In fact, the word “Eucharist” means thanksgiving. We give thanks to God for…
Read MorePsalm 128 begins, “Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.” Today’s gospel speaks of the third servant who acts out of fear of his Lord. Are these two passages in conflict? The psalm speaks of…
Read More32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AWisdom 6:12-16Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (2b)1 Thessalonians 4:13-18Matthew 25:1-13November 12, 2023 Jesus presents us with this parable of “ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of…
Read MoreJesus says, “Call no one on earth your father.” His words are pure, simple, and clear. So, why do Catholics call priests “father”? Doesn’t this go against what Jesus said? Taken at face value, it would. We need to look…
Read MoreAll SaintsRevelation 7:2-4, 9-14Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-61 John 3:1-3Matthew 5:1-12aNovember 1, 2023 Do you want to be a saint? The first saints were all martyrs. They sacrificed their earthly lives for their faith. The martyrs become powerful witnesses to the…
Read More30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AExodus 22:20-26Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 (2)1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10Matthew 22:34-40October 29, 2023 “Thus says the LORD: “You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of…
Read MoreThe number of Christian disciples in many parts of the world is shrinking. Fewer people identify as Christians. Some because they formally reject God while others have not been taught that God exists and loves them. Add to this the…
Read More28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 25:6-10aPsalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6, (6cd)Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20Matthew 22:1-14October 15, 2023 We say we are disciples of Christ but what does this mean? In secular terms a disciple is a student of a…
Read MoreIn our first reading today Isaiah writes of his friend who “had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hew out a…
Read More26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AEzekiel 18:25-28Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (6a)Philippians 2:1-11Matthew 21:28-32October 1, 2023 – Respect Life Sunday Through the prophet Ezekiel the Lord is speaking with his people. They say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” They…
Read MoreIn today’s parable Jesus talks about “how much” the landowner pays his servants. As the sun rises he “went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” He agreed to pay the “usual daily wage.” All is as it…
Read More24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ASirach 27:30-28:7Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 (8)Romans 14:7-9Matthew 18:21-35September 17, 2023 Last week we heard Jesus give us instructions on what to do when our brother sins against us. Deacon Tom talked about our…
Read MoreIn the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” In the Act of Contrition we “firmly resolve to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads us to sin.” Avoiding temptation is not…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AJeremiah 20:7-9Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (2b)Romans 12:1-2Matthew 16:21-27September 3, 2023 Last week we heard Peter proclaim to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter got that right. Jesus…
Read More20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 56:1, 6-7Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 (4)Romans 11:13-15, 29-32Matthew 15:21-28August 20, 2023 Jesus entered the land of Tyre and Sidon. There He encountered a Canaanite woman. As a Canaanite, she would not have…
Read MoreToday we celebrate the Assumption of Mary. We give our praise and worship to God alone. We venerate (honor) Mary but we do not worship her. Our gospel reading today is the story of the Visitation of Mary. When Mary…
Read MoreAfter Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fed the vast crowd, He “made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side.” So begins today’s gospel. As He made his disciples leave in the boat, He…
Read MoreToday’s gospel begins, “Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Why did He take them with him? He knew what was going to happen and He wanted them to see…
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