HOMILY – TUESDAY of HOLY WEEK Redemptive Suffering and Brokenness (Is 49:1-6; Ps 71; Jn 13:21-33. 36-38) ********************* ************************* As a young seminarian, my spiritual director was Fr. Adam Exner, who eventually became an archbishop. After hearing my story (the first one to ever do so), Exner observed that I needed to work on my […]

HOMILY – MONDAY of HOLY WEEK Mary of Bethany – Model of Genuine Caring (Isaiah 42:1-7; Ps 27; Jn 12:1-11) ******************************************** Many years ago, well-known spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote a book entitled Out of Solitude. It contains three sermons he gave to health-care professionals outlining what it means to really care. One of the […]

HOMILY PALM SUNDAY YEAR B From Kenosis to Kyrios (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47) **************************************************** As is the case on Good Friday, the readings provide us with such a rich content that it borders on being overwhelming, so a comment on each reading, under the umbrella of From Kenosis to Kyrios, will […]

HOMILY – WEEK 09 01 – Year II Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Gen 32:9-15,20; Judith 13:18-20; Jn 19:25-27) *********************************************************** Take a moment to think of your mother. What thoughts come to mind, and what feelings flood your heart? Hopefully gratitude, warmth, tenderness, affection, and compassion for her limitations, etc. […]

HOMILY PENTECOST SUNDAY – YEAR A Pentecost and Tee Pee Spirituality (Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23) ******************************************************* A certain person was troubled by nightmares. He went to see a psychiatrist and shared with him sometimes he dreamed he was a tee pee and sometimes he dreamed he was a wigwam, […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 07 06 – Year II Following Jesus into the Kingdom of God (Acts 28:16-20,30-31; Ps11; Jn 21:20-25) **************************************************** Imagine spending years in prison or under house arrest, as Paul did. Or imagine languishing in harsh conditions – including nine years in solitary confinement – as did Vietnam Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 07 05 – Year II Servant Leadership Based on Love and Forgiveness: Optional Memorial of St. Paul VI (Acts 24:27, 25:13-21; Ps 103; Jn 21:15-19) ************************************************** In the early years of my ministry in northern Saskatchewan, a brother priest and I went by boat from Île-à-la Crosse to Patuanak to visit […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 07 04 – Year II Called to Faith, Unity and Reconciliation (Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Ps 16; Jn 17:20-26) ***************************************************** “So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me.” That statement by Jesus, again in the context of the Farewell Discourse at the Last […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 07 03 – Year II Balancing Action and Contemplation: Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury (Acts 20:28-38; Ps 68;Jn 17:11b-19) ***************************************** Some see Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr as a modern-day prophet, whose career spans founding the New Jerusalem charismatic community, recording a ground-breaking Great Themes of Scripture, delving into Male […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 07 02 – Year II Living Lives of Love and Gratitude: Memorial of St. Philip Neri (Acts 20:17-27; Ps 68; Jn17:1-11a) ************************************************ When someone is dying, we pay special attention to his or her last words. In the readings today, both Jesus and St. Paul are saying farewell – Jesus to […]