Homilies

3rd Sunday in Advent, Year B Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28 December 14, 2014 Christmas is getting closer but it still isn’t here yet.  We are still waiting. As the time drew closer for Jesus’ birth,…

2nd Sunday in Advent, Year B Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8 December 7, 2014     During Advent many of our first readings come from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  The book can be divided into…

1st Sunday in Advent, Year B Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 November 30, 2014 Today we mark the beginning of a new liturgical year with our celebration of the First Sunday of Advent. In the first…

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year A Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 November 23, 2014   Today is the last Sunday of our liturgical year before we began a new year with Advent…

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30 November 16, 2014   As the man was preparing to go away on a journey, he knew he had to leave someone in charge…

All Souls’ Day Wisdom 3:1-9 Romans 6:3-9 John 6:37-40 November 2, 2014 Yesterday morning we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, venerating those who have already passed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Today we celebrate the Commemoration of the All…

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Exodus 22:20-26 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10 Matthew 22:34-40 October 26, 2014   As Christians we generally think in terms of ten commandments.  God first offers these commandments in chapter 20 of the Book of…

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b Matthew 22:15-21 October 19, 2014   Once again some of the Pharisees try to entrap Jesus.  This time come to him acting like they believe him, praising…

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 25:6-10a Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 Matthew 22:1-14 October 12, 2014   Isaiah speaks of how God will provide “a feast of rich food and choice wines.”  This feast comes at the end of…

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Ezekiel 18:25-28 Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32 September 28, 2014 What does the word “Church” mean to you? We call the buildings we worship in “churches” but is “church” just a building? Without a…

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 55:6-9 Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a September 21, 2014 The landowner goes out and hires workers for the day and agrees to pay them the “usual daily wage”.  There is nothing usual…

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Numbers 21:4b-9 Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17 September 14, 2014   Today we take a step away from what would normally be the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time for this feast of the Exaltation of the…

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 12:`01 Matthew 16:21-27 August 31, 2014 Jeremiah wonders if he has been duped in his role as a prophet.  He is proclaiming God’s Word and he suffers derision and reproach…

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 22:19-23 Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20 August 24, 2014 Eliakim is offered the key to the House of David.  Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  What is the significance…

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28 August 17, 2014 Jesus finds time to withdraw to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  One might expect this to be a place where Jesus…

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 55:1-3 Romans 8:35, 37-39 Matthew 14:13-21 August 3, 2014   When Jesus got off the boat he was immediately greeted by a vast crowd.  He had gone off to be by himself…

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52 July 27, 2014 How valuable is the Kingdom of Heaven to us? Does the word “treasure” fit? How much a treasure is it? Jesus talks…

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Romans 8:26-27 Matthew 13:24-43 July 20, 2014 Our God is all-knowing and all-powerful.  There is nothing God cannot do.  God can choose to do whatever he wants. What does God…

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 55:10-11 Romans 8:18-23 Matthew 13:1-23 July 13, 2014   Jesus drew large crowds whenever he arrived in a town.  Why?  People must have known about him.  The only way they could have…

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Zechariah 9:9-10 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30 July 6, 2014 Why are you here? This might seem like a simple question with an obvious answer but I think it is a question that…

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul Vigil Acts 3:1-10 Galatians 1:11-20 John 21:15-19 Day Acts 12:1-11 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Matthew 16:13-19 June 29, 2014   Today would normally be the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time but June 29th is…

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year A Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58 June 22, 2014   Last week we celebrated the Most Holy Trinity as a central mystery of our faith.  This week we…

Pentecost, Year A Vigil Readings Genesis 11:1-9 Romans 8:22-27 John 7:37-39 Day Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 June 8, 2014 Fifty days have passed since Easter.  Our celebration of Pentecost now draws our Easter season to a…