HOMILY HOLY WEEK 03 The Key to the Kingdom (Is 50:4-9; Ps 69; Mt 26:14-26) ********************************** A fellow, tired of carrying his cross, went into a cross shop to trade it in. He tried on all kinds of crosses, but found them all either too long or too short, too heavy or too light, too […]

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 relationship with […]

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 talks he gave to health-care professionals outlining what it means to really care. One of the points […]

HOMILY PASSION/PALM SUNDAY YEAR A The Cross-Shaped God (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66) ************************************************************ “The American people have a right to comfort, power and speed.” These words were spoken by some Congressional leaders in the United States to justify giving permission to drill for oil in the protected Alaska wildlife area. The […]

WEEK 05 06 – Year I A Covenant of Peace (Ezk 37:21-28; Jer 31:10-13; Jn 11:45-57) ************************************ Have you ever had an experience of being in exile? of feeling alienated and lost? out of sorts? One day on Facebook Danny from north central Saskatchewan posted: “Pray for me today – I don’t feel so good.” […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 05 – Year I Faith, Prayer and Presence (Jer 20:7-13; Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42) ************************************* Faith, prayer and presence sum up the readings for today. We are invited to place our total trust in Jesus as Son of God, pray to God from the heart out of our need, and live […]

WEEK 05 04 – Year I A Covenant Relationship of Intimate Love (Gen 17:3-9; Ps 105; Jn 8:51-59) *********************************** Robert was a very popular but alcoholic priest. Unfortunately, he ended up in the hospital after having an alcohol-related accident. There he confided with a friend who had come to visit him that alcohol wasn’t his […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 03 – Year I Glory and Praise; Worship and Blessing (Dan 3:13-95; Dan 3; Jn 8:31-42) ******************************************** Many parishes are familiar with the hymnbook Glory and Praise that came out many years ago. That title, the psalm response and readings today combine to provide us with a clear message centred on […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 02 – Year I Finding New Life in Jesus (Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102; Jn 8:21-30) **************************************** Ordinarily, liturgists try to find a first reading that connects with the gospel for the day. That connection today is very clear and invites us to put our total faith in Jesus, to turn to […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 01 – Year I The Mystery of Forgiveness and Non-violent Love (Dan 13:1-64; Ps 23; Jn 8:1-11) ****************************************** When we act like God, we get to feel like God. To forgive from the heart is to act like God, and to get to share in God’s serenity, inner freedom and even joy. […]