Living in the Kingdom through Faith and Love: Memorial – Saint André Bessette (1 Jn 3:22-4:6; Ps 2; Mt 4:12-25) ************************************************* According to The Word Among Us,researchers interviewed American Christian youth, both Catholic and non-Catholic, for a recent study. The data indicated although they called themselves Christians, many of the young people didn’t really grasp […]
Category: Christmas
HOMILY FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY
Epiphany: Two Journeys – the Magi and Ours (Is 60:1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3:2-6; Mt 2:1-12) ************************************************* Have you ever considered the journey of the Magi as an invitation to set out on a journey of your own? Today’s celebration of the Epiphany can be seen as exactly that – an invitation to make of […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – JANUARY 05
Living Faith and Loving Action (1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100; Jn 1:43-51) **************************************** A fellow was hiking in the mountains when he fell over a cliff. Halfway down the face of the mountain, he luckily managed to grab hold of a branch with both hands that stopped his fall. Suspended between heaven and earth, he […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – JAN 04
Singing A New Song (1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98; Jn 1:35-43) **************************************** O sing to the Lord a new song. That first sentence of the first stanza of the psalm today captures the spirit of the readings: We are to live a new life in Christ, the Lamb of God. The readings today unfold in […]
HOMILY JANUARY 03 – XMAS SEASON
Growing into Christ-likeness – Holy Name of Jesus (1 Jn 2:29-3:6; Ps 98; Jn 1:29-34) *************************************** One of the delights of returning to northern Saskatchewan for seasonal ministry is seeing the children of couples I knew as children, and guessing who their parents are. Often, it is obvious because of the resemblance, other times more […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON – JAN 02
Abiding in friendship and in God: Saints Basil and Gregory (1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98; Jn 1:19-28) ******************************************** Can you think of a friendship that changed your life? The reading today from 1 John, and the memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, invite us into an always deeper and more intimate […]
HOMILY OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS DAY 07 – DECEMBER 31st
Living as Children of God with Joyful Faith (1 Jn 2:18-21; Ps 95(96); Jn1:1-18) ********************************************* Suppose you were given cold stone tablets with rules written on them to hold for a while – how would you respond and how would you feel? Then suppose you were given a new-born baby wrapped in soft blankets and […]
HOMILY – FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY Year C
Faith in Jesus and Love for Others (1 Samuel 1:11, 20-22, 24-28; Psalm 84; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52) ************************************************************ Traditionally, the Sunday within the octave of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Family. This feast offers us an opportunity to reflect on the nature and importance of family life for us all. […]
HOMILY DECEMBER 29th
Walking as Jesus Walked (1 Jn 2:3-11; Ps 96; Lk 2:22-35) ********************************************** The Word Among Ushas an interesting commentary on today’s gospel that with some adaptation will make up this homily. It begins with the quote, “The parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,” and continues with the […]
HOMILY – FEAST OF ST. JOHN
Making Visible the Invisible (1 Jn 1:1-4; Ps 97; Jn 20:2-8) ***************************************** When a bishop is named, the tradition is to have the ordination on a feast day. So strong is that tradition that I, at the insistence of the nuncio, was ordained on August 29th, the feast of the beheading of John the Baptist! […]
