HOMILY WEEK 06 04 – Year I (Gen 9:1-13; Ps 102; Mk 8:27-33) *********************************** When in the Holy Land in 2013 for a sabbatical, our group of priests found our way to northeastern Galilee, to Caesarea Philippi. There, we experienced the thrill of standing where Jesus once stood, and reflected on his message to his […]
Faith that Transforms; A Love that Heals
WEEK 06 03 – Year I (Gen 8:6-22; Ps 116; Mk 8:22-26) ******************************************* Have you ever participated in a trust walk? The readings today invite us to place our complete trust in Jesus, experience his unconditional love, and become a new creation. Youth ministers sometimes blindfold participants and have them follow the directions of a […]
A Paradigm Shift of Fait
HOMILY WEEK 06 02 – Year I (Gen 6:5-10; Ps 29; Mk 8:14-21) **************************************************** Have you ever experienced a paradigm shift? A paradigm shift is a movement away from one way of seeing reality, thinking or acting, to an entirely new way of seeing reality, thinking or acting. For those afraid of change, this reality […]
Mastering Sin and Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude:
WEEK 06 01 – Year I Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order (Gen 4:1-25; Ps 50; Mk 8:11-13) ***************************************************** “Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) The readings today invite us to turn to God for the spiritual help and […]
On Being Beatitude People
HOMILY SUNDAY 06 – C (Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1; 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:20-26) *********************************************************** There is a saying that life is more about the journey than the destination. To become Beatitude People, we must make the Beatitudes our way of life today. At the beginning of his ministry, immediately after his baptism, Jesus […]
HOMILY WEEK 05 DAY 06
Trust, Surrender and Love (Gn 3:9-24; Ps 90; Mk 8:1-10) ************************************** Why is it possible to not starve in a desert? We can always eat the “sand which is under our feet!” Today’s readings invite us to trust in God’s love, to surrender to God’s will, and to love as God has loved us. In […]
“A Not-so Original Sin”
HOMILY WEEK 05 05 – Year I Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk and Methodius, Bishop (Gen 3:1-8; Ps 32; Mk 7:31-37) **************************************** The underlying message to the title of this homilyis this: we are invited to undo the original sin of our first parents by placing our faith in Jesus as Messiah and Savior, come […]
HOMILY WEEK 05 04 – Year I
The Two Dimensions of Faith and Love (Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128; Mk 7:24-30) ********************************************* What are the names of the two girlfriends that a priest or bishop can have? The answer is Karen and Sharon. Caring and Sharing! Those two names sum up the essence of the message from today’s readings: We are to live […]
HOMILY WEEK 05 03 – Year I
The Reality of Sin (Gen 2:4-17; Ps 104; Mk 7:14-23) ************************************** A French preacher told his congregation that he was going to preach about hell – what the hell it is, where the hell it is, and how the hell to get there! Understanding sin helps us avoid sin. The first reading speaks about original […]
HOMILY WEEK 05 02 – Year I
A Spirituality of Human Incompleteness: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes (Gen 1:20-2:4; Ps 8; Mk 7:1-13) ******************************************* A child was paging through a large family bible when he came across a large Maple leaf his mother was drying in its pages. He ran to her excitedly to proclaim that he had found Adam’s […]
