HOMILY WEEK 02 04 – Year II From Exile to a New Creation: Memorial of St. John of the Cross (Is 41:13-20; Ps 145; Mt 11:11-15) **************************************** “The hand of the Lord has done this.” This sentence, from the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading, can be taken in two ways. Ultimately, its deepest […]

HOMILYADVENT WEEK 02 03 – Year II Faith, Forgiveness, Healing and Rest: Memorial of St. Lucy (Is 40:25-31; Ps 103; Mt 11:28-30) ******************************************* How strong is your faith? The readings today invite us to have a strong faith in God experienced through forgiveness, healing and rest. The first reading from Isaiah and Psalm 103 tell […]

HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 02 02 – Year II Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples (Rev 11:19, 12:1-10; Judith 13; Lk 1:39-47) ******************************************************* There are two options for the first reading on this Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The richness and appropriateness of the second option […]

ADVENT WEEK 02 01 – Year II Tee Pee Spirituality and Healing: Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I (Is 35:1-10; Ps 85; Lk 5:17-26) ************************************ A man told a psychiatrist that he suffered from nightmares – sometimes he dreamt he was a teepee, other times he was a wigwam. When he asked what his problem […]

HOMILY ADVENT SUNDAY 2- B Repentance – Key to the Kingdom (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3:6-15; Mark 1:1-8) **************************************************************** A dishonest painter thinned paint with water and painted a church. As long as it didn’t rain right away, he would be okay, he thought. That night there was a big storm. He […]

HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 06 – Year II Isaiah’s Offering of Hope and Healing: Optional Memorial of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (Is 30:19-26; Ps 147; Mt 9:35 – 10:8) **************************************************** Are you shocked at the number of drug-related deaths due to the opioid crisis in our society today? Could that be an indication of a […]

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Balancing Devotion to, with Imitation of, Mary (Gen 3:9-20; Ps 98; Eph 1:3-12; Lk 1:26-38) ********************************************************** In November – December of 2016 and again in 2018, I was chaplain for a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land, and was privileged to preside at the Eucharist commemorating this feast of […]

HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 04 – Year II Humble and Obedient Faith in God: Memorial of St. Ambrose (Isaiah 26:1-6; Ps 118; Mt 7:21, 24-27) *************************************************** “Only the ones who do the will of my Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus could not be clearer or more direct than this teaching: […]

HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 03 – Year II Realized Eschatology and Abundant Grace: Optional Memorial of St. Nicolas (Is 25:6-10; Ps 23; Mt 15:29-37) ************************************************* Did you realize that we are actually to be immersed in realized eschatology? Christian life is all about both living in the graced reign of God here and now, while […]

HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 02 – Year II The Healing Power of Advent: (Is 11:1-10; Ps 72; Lk 10:21-24) ********************************************** Have you ever compared your spiritual growth to the process of raising poinsettias? The readings today invite us to slow down this Advent, enter more deeply into contemplative silence, become more aware of our inner […]