Commentaries on the Readings (Joel 1:13-2:2; Ps 9; Lk 11:15-26) ************************************** The readings today are a challenge to understand and break open, so I am going to lean on the commentaries to shed light on these difficult passages. The New Revised Standard Version of the bible informs us that Beelzebul was originally the title of […]
Category: Articles
HOMILY WEEK 27 04 HOMILY – Yr I
Persevering Prayer and Serving the Lord (Mal 3:13-20; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:5-13) ********************************************** A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a […]
HOMILY WEEK 27 03 – Yr I
An Extreme Faith Makeover (Jonah 4:1-11; Ps 86; Lk 11:1-4) **************************************** “Extreme Makeover” TV shows that involve the transformation of a plain looking person into a stunning display of poise and beauty, or a run-down house into a work of art, all end with a “big reveal” of the finished product that impresses people. One […]
HOMILY WEEK 27 02 – Yr I
Genuine Repentance and Mature Prayer (Jonah 3:1-10; Ps 129; Lk 10:38-42) ************************************************ Usually the liturgists who choose the readings for the Eucharist try to find a link or connection between the reading and the gospel. Not so today – the readings provide us with two very distinct messages about repentance and about prayer. The wonderful, […]
HOMILY THANKSGIVING DAY – 2017
Blessings, Gratitude and Praise (Col 3:12-17; Ps 113; Mt 7:7-12) ************************************** Years ago, a Trappist monk happened to make a comment on TV that stayed with me: “A grateful person is a happy person.” That simple statement can be an invitation on this Thanksgiving Day to count our blessings, be grateful and praise God for […]
HOMILY SUNDAY 27-A
Producing the Fruits of the Kingdom (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43 ***************************************************** The following quip actually fits the readings for today: The alcoholic’s problem is not that, in his false pride, he thinks, “I am very special.” Nor is it that, in false humility, he thinks “I am a worm.” The alcoholic’s […]
HOMILY WEEK 26 06 – Yr I: Our Lady of the Rosary
Faith, Repent, Serve: a recipe for joy (Bar 4:5-29; Ps 69; Lk 10:17-24) **************************************** When was the last time you felt a moment of pure joy? That probably doesn’t happen that often, partly because as Henri Nouwen wrote, in this life there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, and as theologian Karl […]
HOMILY WEEK 26 05 – Yr I
Listen and Repent: Blessed Rose-Marie Durocher (Bar 1:15-22; Ps 79; Lk 10:13-16) ************************************************** “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory” and “Admitted to God, ourselves and another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs” These two sentences are Step 4 and Step 5 of the 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, and together with […]
HOMILY WEEKDAY 26 04 – Yr I
A Six-Pack for Discipleship (Nehemiah 8:1-12; Ps 19; Lk 10:1-12) **************************************************** Was there ever a moment when a passage of scripture brought tears to your eyes? That was the experience of the exiles who returned to Jerusalem and assembled around the priest Ezra to hear the words of the Law proclaimed. That reading from Nehemiah, […]
HOMILY WEEK 26 03 – Yr I
Lessons Learned on the Way: Memorial – St Francis of Assisi (Neh 2:1-8; Ps 137; Lk 9:57-62) ****************************************** Have you ever been on a pilgrimage, or walked the El Camino de Santiago trail in France and Spain? If so, you will find it easy to identify with today’s gospel. Whereas the other Synoptic gospels of […]
