HOMILY – FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS – Year I Jesus Christ: Light in the Darkness (1 Jn 1:5-2:2; Ps 124; Mt 2:13-18) ************************************************* St. John, whose feast we celebrated yesterday, begins the readings today with the proclamation that God is light and in him there is no darkness. Those who repent and receive the […]

HOMILY Dec 27th – FEAST OF ST. JOHN Joyful Faith and Communion with the Lord (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, at the insistence of Luigi Venturi, papal nuncio at that […]

HOMILY FEAST OF ST STEPHEN Witnessing to Our Trinitarian Faith (Acts 6:8-10; Ps 31; Mt 10:17-22) **************************************** If it were against the law to be a Catholic Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you, and what would be the evidence? Today’s feast of St. Stephen and its readings invite us into a deeper […]

HOMILY – XMAS DAY YEAR B Christmas: Just a Celebration or a Life-changing Experience? (Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18) ********************************************************** Two kids, staying overnight at their grandparent’s house, were praying their night prayers. One was praying silently while the other was shouting out loud what he wanted for Christmas. The first chided […]

CHRISTMAS EVE HOMILY – YEAR B Jesus’ Identity and Our Identity (Isaiah 9:2-4, 6-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-16) ********************************************************* One of the reasons for the abiding impact of the animated movie Kung Fu Panda is that it addresses some of the perennial and pertinent themes of human existence, such as good versus evil, […]

BAPTISM OF THE LORD – A Live as a Covenant People (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17) **************************************************** A French-Canadian logger went to confession one day claiming he had a sin for which there was no forgiveness. The priest responded that God was forgiveness and encouraged him to proceed. The logger recounted […]

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY – YEAR A Living the Gifts of the Magi (Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12) **************************************************************** Lay theologian Gerry Kelly of Ottawa has a theory that the authors of the bible wrote with the intention that each word was important and significant. This was partly because of the […]

HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON – JANUARY 7th Strong Faith Expressed Through the Finest Wine of Love: Optional Memorial of St. André Bessette (1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149; Jn 2:1-12) ******************************************* St. John, once again, is unique among the gospel writers with his emphasis on mystery, mysticism, sign and symbolism. Today, both readings invite us to place […]

CHRISTMAS WEEKDAYS – FRIDAY, JANUARY 06 Radical Grace – Radical Newness (1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147; Mk 1:4-11) ********************************************** “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness.” That simple, innocent looking statement holds a radical content that is key to appreciating the gospel. It invites us to place our faith in Jesus as Son of God […]

CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – THURSDAY, 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. […]