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Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels Revelation 12:7-12a Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5 John 1:47-51 September 29, 2016 Today is officially called the Feast of Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels. They are the three angels found by name in…
Read MoreToday’s gospel begins with Jesus saying, “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” If we buy a…
Read More25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a Paul says to the Philippians, “Christ will be magnified in my body” and “Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the…
Read MoreHomily for September 2017 – Year of the Eucharist Joshua 3:1-13 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 7-8, 8-9 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 Matthew 26:36-46 In encouraging people to come, I have been saying that tonight would include Exposition. We have Jesus present in…
Read More24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Sirach 27:30-28:7 Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 Romans 14:7-9 Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus came to offer us “forgiveness” but forgiveness wasn’t “new” with Jesus. We see it in what Sirach writes, “Forgive you neighbor’s…
Read MoreToday, September 14th, we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is a feast, like every saint memorial or feast, that we celebrate every year but yet it is different. Logistically, because of the importance of…
Read More23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Ezekiel 33:7-9 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20 Today Jesus gives us guidance on how to respond if someone against us. It begins, as it should to avoid making a mountain…
Read MoreToday’s Gospel for Mass comes from Luke 4:38-44. It has just seven verses and is set near the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry but it contains much of what we see throughout Jesus’ ministry. We hear how the crowds bring…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Jeremiah 20:7-9 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27 Last week Peter responded to Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am?” with “You are the Christ, the Son…
Read MoreI have been reading Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) for the last couple of weeks (I read slowly as I reflect over the text). I just read paragraph 227 and was deeply struck by it. I think it…
Read MoreThe Transfiguration of the Lord, Year A Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9-12 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9 There are times in the gospels when Jesus goes off alone to pray. Generally, we are not told of what Jesus…
Read MoreThis week our calendar of saints has included saints who were founders of religious orders. On Monday, July 31st, we celebrated the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola who founded the Jesuit order (S.J., who run McQuaid high school in…
Read More17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 1 Kings 3:5:7-12 Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52 Jesus says, “The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure” so valuable that one who finds it “sells all that…
Read More16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16 Romans 8:26-27 Matthew 13:24-43 Today Jesus speaks to us about weeding, a task common to many people. We are fortunate to have a couple of dedicated…
Read MoreToday’s first reading continues the story of Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush. God told Moses that he would send him to rescue the Israelites from Egypt. Moses asked whom should he tell them sent him. For us…
Read MoreThose of you who are regular readers of my blog might notice that the title of this article is “Some Thoughts on the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A” as compared to the normal title including the word “homily.”…
Read More14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30 Giving praise to God is a recurring theme in today’s readings. Our reading from Zechariah calls us to “shout for joy.” …
Read MoreBack on June 22nd I wrote about St. John Fisher, St. Thomas More and the “Fortnight for Freedom.” That “Fortnight for Freedom” began on June 21st. It ends today on July 4th, the day we, in the United States, celebrate…
Read More13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 Matthew 10:37-42 The Fourth Commandment tells us to “honor our father and mother” but today Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother…
Read MoreAs I began reflecting upon today’s gospel and the idea of “bearing good fruit” I thought about how it takes time to bear fruit. If we plant a seed we know it will take time for the seed to grow…
Read MoreStop judging, these are the first words Jesus says to his disciples in today’s gospel. Jesus goes on to tell us that we will be judged by the same standard by which we judge others. He also tells us we…
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