HOMILY WEEK 07 03 – Year I (Sir 4:11-19; Ps 119; Mk 9:38-40) ************************************** Years ago, I received the gift of a small book entitled “What’s In A Name?” It described the origin of the names of all the communities in my home province of Saskatchewan. It was enlightening, interesting and somehow even affirming to […]

HOMLY WEEK 07 02 – Year I (Sir 2:1-11; Ps 37; Mk 9:30-37) *************************************** A young man asked his friends if they believed he could push a wheelbarrow on a high wire over Niagara Falls. They of course said no, but then he did it. Then he asked his friends if they believed he could […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 01 – Year I (Sir 1:1-10; Ps 93; Mk 9:14-29) ************************************* Would you like to have a stronger, more powerful faith? Consider doing a monthly Poustinia in which you fast, and pray the prayer of the father in the Gospel today: “I believe, help my unbelief!” It is noteworthy that Matthew begins […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 7-C (1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-25; Psalm 103; 1 Cor 15:45-50; Lk 6:27-38) **************************************************************** A magnetic cartoon on a friend’s refrigerator caught my attention one day. It pictured a man holding a banner that read: “Who Would Jesus bomb?” It is time that we let the Law of Love reign supreme in […]

HOMILY – FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST PETER (1 Pt 5:1-4; Ps 23; Mt 16:13-19) ****************************************** This feast invites us to emulate Peter’s faith, fidelity and ministry. According to the Living With Christ commentary on this feast, early Roman Christians celebrated a feast in honour of their departed loved ones on this day, including […]

HOMILY WEEK 06 05 – Year I Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gen 11:1-9; Ps 33; Mk 8:34-38) ****************************************************** “Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own” and “Take up your cross and follow me.” These two quotes pretty well sum up the readings today. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]