Lent

4th Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/30/2025

4th Sunday of Lent, Year CJoshua 5:9a, 10-12Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (9a)2 Corinthians 5:17-21Luke 15:1-3, 11-32March 30, 2025 “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.” These are the words of the…

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In Need of Mercy – 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C (2025)

By Fr. Jeff | 03/23/2025

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – ReflectionExodus 3:1-8a,13-15Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 607, 8, 11 (8a)1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12Luke 13:1-9March 23, 2025 Last week we heard the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration.  In my homily, I spoke of ways in which we…

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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/16/2025

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year CGenesis 15:5-12, 17-18Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14 (1a)Philippians 3:17-4:1Luke 9:28b-36March 16, 2025 The Bible is the story of Salvation History.  It is the story of hope for it is the story of God’s love for…

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1st Sunday of Lent, Year C (2025)

By Fr. Jeff | 03/09/2025

1st Sunday of Lent, Year C – ReflectionDeuteronomy 26:4-10Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 (see 15b)Romans 10:8-13Luke 4:1-13March 9, 2025 When famine came, Jacob moved his family to Egypt where Joseph had built up large stores of grain.  There, his family…

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Ash Wednesday – Homily (2025)

By Fr. Jeff | 03/05/2025

Ash WednesdayJoel 2:12-18Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 114 and 17 (3a)2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18March 5, 2025 What brings you to church today? One might come because you think you are supposed to come.  You should come today but attendance today…

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Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily (2025)

By Fr. Jeff | 03/02/2025

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 27:4-7Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (see 2a)1 Corinthians 15:54-58Luke 6:39-45March 2, 2025 Lent starts in a few days.  Have you given much thought to what you will do for Lent? Our readings today are…

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 03/24/2024

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, more simply known to many as “Palm Sunday.”  We hear two gospels today.  We begin Mass with the blessing of palms and a gospel recalling Jesus’ final entry into…

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5th Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/16/2024

5th Sunday of Lent, Year BJeremiah 31:31-34Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15 (12a)Hebrews 5:7-9John 12:20-33March 17, 2024 “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” God…

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3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/03/2024

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year BExodus 20:1-17Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 12 (John 6:68c)1 Corinthians 1:22-25John 2:13-25March 3, 2024 At times, Paul tells us that as Christians we are not under the Law.  Rather, we are under the Spirit.  This does…

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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 02/25/2024

“God put Abraham to the test.” How would you fair with the same test?  Last week I spoke about our struggles to resist temptation.  Who you do any better with the test that Abraham faced when God told him, “Take…

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1st Sunday of Lent, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/18/2024

1st Sunday of Lent, Year BGenesis 9:8-15Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, (10)1 Peter 3:18-22Mark 1:12-15February 18, 2024 “Repent and believe in the gospel.” These are the words that were said as ashes were placed on the foreheads of people as we…

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What Does Lent Mean to You?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/13/2024

Lent starts tomorrow (February 14, 2024).  What comes to mind when you hear the word “Lent”?  Do you have feelings of dread or joy?  Why? Is Lent just something “necessary to get to Easter and the Resurrection”?  We all want…

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/04/2024

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – HomilyJob 7:1-4, 6-7Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (3a)1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-3Mark 1:29-39February 4, 2024 “Job spoke saying:  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?…I shall not see happiness again.” These are the words…

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/02/2023

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year AMatthew 21:1-11Isaiah 50:4-7Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)Philippians 2:6-11Matthew 26:14 – 27:66April 2, 2023 Today we start Holy Week.  It is called holy because it contains the most important events that…

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I am the Resurrection and the Life

By Fr. Jeff | 03/26/2023

In the midst of the Babylonian Exile God offers Ezekiel a vision that points to the Resurrection and new life (first reading – read all of chapter 37 for the whole story). The Lord promises that He will open our…

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From Darkness to Light

By Fr. Jeff | 03/19/2023

In today’s gospel we hear the story of the man who was born blind. In those days, serious illnesses like blindness were seen as punishment for sin. So, seeing the man who was been blind from birth, Jesus’ disciples ask…

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3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/12/2023

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…

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Do We Give Control to God?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/05/2023

Our 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…

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The Cunning Serpent

By Fr. Jeff | 02/26/2023

“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…

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Ash Wednesday – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2023

Ash 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…

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/10/2022

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year CLuke 19:28-40 Isaiah 50:4-7Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (28)Philippians 2:6-11Luke 22:14-23:56April 10, 2022 Our Passion narrative today begins, “When the hour came, Jesus took his place.”  What hour?  What was his…

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4th Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/27/2022

4th Sunday of Lent, Year CJoshua 5:9a, 10-12Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (8a)2 Corinthians 5:17-21Luke 15:1-3, 11-32March 27, 2022 The Israelites had been through much.  Now under the leadership of Joshua, they have crossed the Jordan into the land in which…

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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 03/13/2022

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year CGenesis 15:5-12, 17-18Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14 (1a)Philippians 3:17-4:1Luke 9:28b-36March 13, 2022 Peter, James, and John “saw his glory.”  Imagine getting to see Jesus transfigured into glory as we will see him in Heaven.  It…

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8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2022

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 27:4-7Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (see 2a)1 Corinthians 15:54-58Luke 6:39-45February 27, 2022 In Sirach we hear, “so in tribulation is the test of the just.”  We face “tribulation” (i.e. distress) in our world today.…

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New Video – Starting Lent Right

By Fr. Jeff | 02/18/2022

I just uploaded the video and slides from my last presentation, Starting Lent Right, at www.renewaloffaith.org/startinglentright. For the next few days you may complete an evaluation of the presentation online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNg08BBe2TvL4tM6GsFmrT73ZZv-BPLlq5oS4ASNZ-ki84cw/viewform?usp=sf_link At one point in the presentation, I mention…

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