HOMILY – SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Acting and Feeling Like God (Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86; Lk 5:27-32) ************************************************* “When we act like God, we get to feel like God.” That is one of Ron Rolheiser’s favourite expressions, which is not only cute, but also very true. When we act as God does, we do get […]

HOMILY – FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Genuine Faith and Sincere Fasting (Is 58:1-9; Ps 51; Mt 9:14-15) ********************************************** At a particular Eucharistic celebration, I could not help but notice that the members of one family very seriously knelt during the communion hymn for private devotion, and also knelt during the recessional hymn for another time […]

HOMILY THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Making a Divine Paradigm Shift (Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1; Lk 9:22-25) ***************************************************** Sr. Elaine Biollo, in a class on Culture & Spirituality, spoke about the reality of a paradigm shift in our lives. When digital technology was developed, apparently it was offered first to the Swiss watchmakers, who refused it […]

ASH WEDNESDAY – Years ABC Lent – a Time of Repentance and Healing (Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51; 2Cor 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) ********************************************************* A dishonest painter hired to paint a church building thinned his paint with water. As long as it didn’t rain, he would be okay, he thought. That night there was a rainstorm. […]

HOMILY WEEK 18 03 – Year II Persistent Faith: Optional Memorial of Blessed Frédéric Janssoone (Jer 31:1-7; Jer 31:10-13; Mt 15:21-28) ******************************************************** There is a very significant faith process at work in the readings today, calling us to have humble and persistent faith in Jesus; to come to him for forgiveness and healing, and to […]

HOMILY WEEK 12 01 – Year II Befriending our Shadow and Not Judging: Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher (2 Kg 17:5-8; 13-15, 18; Ps 60; Mt 7:1-5) *************************************************** The readings today offer us two related messages: Do not judge and the importance of self-awareness. The first, do not judge, is one passage from scripture […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 04 06 – Year II The Prism of the Program (Acts 13:44-52; Ps 98; Jn 14:7-14) ************************************************* We can’t see light – we see by light. It takes a prism or a rainbow to refract light into the different colors that make up light, allowing us some glimpse into the beauty […]

GOOD FRIDAY HOMILY The Cross as a Blessing (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42) ****************************************************** At Christmas, we are moved and touched by the crib scene. On Good Friday, we must let ourselves be moved and touched by the cross scene. The wood of the crib has become the wood of the […]

HOMILY HOLY THURSDAY Freedom to Serve (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15) ******************************************* This celebration tonight begins the three great liturgical days of the year – what we call the Easter Triduum. The feast tonight, Holy Thursday, and indeed every Eucharist, has one message – love one another as Jesus has loved us. […]

HOMILY WEDNESDAY of HOLY WEEK Trust the Father and Follow Jesus (Is 50:4-9; Ps 69; Mt 26:14-26) ***************************************** “Lord, in your great love answer me.” This psalm response and the readings today invite us to trust in God the Father as Jesus did, and emulate him who was without sin, by letting go of any […]