Homilies
3rd Sunday of Lent, Year AExodus 17:3-7Psalm 95:1-2, 607, 8-9 (8)Romans 5:1-2, 5-8John 4:5-42March 12, 2023 Jesus is making his way through Samaria. “Tired from his journey,” He pauses to rest at the well. While He is sitting at the…
Read MoreOur first reading today comes from Genesis 12 where the story of Abram, who God would later rename “Abraham.” Before this passage, the only mention of Abraham is his genealogy presented in Genesis 11:10-32. These four verses in today’s first…
Read More“The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life.“ These are the words that begin our first reading today. God created humanity. The first part of this verse…
Read MoreAsh WednesdayJoel 2:12-18Psalm 51:304, 5-6ab, 12-13,14 and 172 Corinthians 5:20-6:2Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18February 22, 2023 What are we doing here today? It’s the middle of the week. We go to church on Sunday. Why are we here in the middle of…
Read More7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ALeviticus 19:1-2, 17-18Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 (8a)1 Corinthians 3:16-23February 19, 2023 Today is our last Sunday before we begin Lent. The readings are picked for Ordinary Time but they give us some…
Read MoreOur first reading from Sirach speaks of the choice we have. It is our choice whether to follow God’s commandments or not. God gives us free will to make our choice. However, we must realize our choices have consequences. If…
Read More5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 58:7-10Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 2:1-5February 5, 2023 Last week we heard the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s gospel. We will continue to hear from Jesus’ Sermon each…
Read MoreOur readings today begin with the prophet Zephaniah calling us to “Seek the LORD.” God did not create us and walk away. God wants to be part of our lives everyday. We are called to humble ourselves to follow him.…
Read More3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 8:23-9:3Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a)1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17January 22, 2023 Each Sunday we gather to celebrate Mass. We begin with the procession followed by the Sign of the Cross, a greeting, Penitential Rite,…
Read MoreOur Christmas season has ended. We have entered Ordinary Time. There can be a tendency from the term “ordinary” to think of it as a time to lay back and relax. One might think that nothing special is going on.…
Read MoreThe Epiphany of the LordIsaiah 60:1-6Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (11)Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6January 8, 2023 Today we celebrate another important part of the Christmas story, the Magi coming from the east seeking the newborn king of the Jews. We call…
Read MoreChristmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is far too important to celebrate with a single day. We celebrate Christmas for a season that lasts until the Baptism of the Lord (which falls on Monday, January 9th this year).…
Read MoreThe Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Night)Isaiah 9:1-6Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2022 You can find a video of this homily on my website page for my upcoming series, The Greatest Gift: The Eucharist at www.renewaloffaith.org/greatestgift (scroll down on…
Read MoreIn our first reading today (4th Sunday of Advent Year A), the Lord offers a sign to King Ahaz. He tells Ahaz, “let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” Ahaz can ask for any sign,…
Read MoreIn our first reading, through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord offers a message to the Israelites in distress. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers.” The message…
Read More2nd Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 11:1-10Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 (7)Romans 15:4-9Matthew 3:1-12December 4, 2022 Our gospel passage today comes from the time just before Jesus began his public ministry during his first coming. It speaks of preparation. We…
Read MoreIn today’s gospel, Jesus speaks the coming of the Son of Man. Noah had been commissioned by the Lord to build an ark. The people did not know that a great flood was coming. “They were eating and drinking, marrying…
Read MoreThanksgiving DaySirach 50:22-241 Corinthians 6:3-9Luke 17:11-9November 24, 2022 Today we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is a national holiday for us. It is a secular holiday but it is a day that we need to celebrate. Why do we need Thanksgiving…
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 23:35-53November 20, 2022 Today we celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ as King of the Universe. The Jews had been waiting for a…
Read MoreIn two weeks our current liturgical year will draw to a close. Our gospel comes from a time shortly before Jesus’ Passion. He knows his time on earth will be coming to end soon. He wants to prepare his disciples.…
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 6, 2022 The Sadducees come to Jesus with a question. Given that this passage starts by saying the Sadducees “deny that there…
Read MoreAll Saints DayRevelation 7:2-4, 9-14Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (see 6)1 John 3:1-3Matthew 5:1-12aNovember 1, 2022 There are numerous people who have been canonized as saints in our Catholic Church. Each of them has their own feastday. For example. St. John…
Read MoreAt times we may feel like no one is listening, that no one cares about us. We might feel like we do not matter. We feel small and insignificant. How can little old me matter to God. After all, “Before…
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 23, 2022 Once again Jesus tells a parable, this time “to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone…
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