HOMILY SUNDAY 02 – B The Dynamics of Discipleship and Friendship (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42) ***************************************************************** Four mothers were talking about their ordained sons. One proudly said her son was a bishop and everyone addressed him as “Your Excellency.” Another stated that her son was an archbishop, […]

HOMILY WEEK 01 06 – Year I Following Jesus (Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19; Mk 2:13-17) *********************************** “God accepts us as we are, but believes in whom we can become.” That quote from Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU, underlines the message from today’s readings: we are called to follow Jesus into a new life of mercy, grace […]

HOMILY WEEK 01 05 – Year I Faith, Forgiveness and Healing (Heb 4:1-11; Ps 78; Mk 2:1-12) ****************************************** Years ago, musician and songwriter Cary Landry came out with the hymn Lay Your Hands. One line in particular stands out: Let them bring your forgiveness and healing. The Gospel today on the healing of the paralytic […]

HOMILY WEEK 01 04 – Year I Torah and Temple, or Partners of Christ (Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95; Mk 1:40-45) ************************************************* Have you ever felt guilty for not picking up a hitch-hiker? Or not reaching out to a man seemingly lost in a parking lot? Today’s liturgy invites us to go far beyond the rubrics […]

HOMILY WEEK 01 03 – Year I Faith in Jesus as One of Us: Optional Memorial of St. Hilary (Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105; Mk 1:29-39) *********************************** Some students of human behaviour strive to follow the paradigm: Who, What, Where, Why, When and How? when writing on a certain topic. These questions pretty well assure that […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 01 02 – Year I Jesus: True God and True Man Memorial of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8; Mk 1:21-28) ***************************************** Our Christian faith invites us to worship Jesus as divine, and relate to his humanity as a brother. The author of Hebrews in yesterday’s first reading seemed very intent on […]

HOMILY WEEK 34 06 – Year II On Being Alert and Ready through Prayer, Hope and Trust (Rev 22:1-7; Ps 95; Lk 21:34-36) ******************************************************* Stop, drop and roll! Over the years, children were taught these three words to help them remember what to do in the event of a fire. They were to stop running […]

HOMILY WEEK 34 05 – Year II Experiencing the Newness of the Kingdom of God (Rev 20:1-21:2; Ps 84; Lk 21:29-33) ********************************************** There is a scene in Mel Gibson’s movie Passion of the Christ in which Jesus, bloodied and battered from his torture and carrying the cross, meets his mother Mary and, to the viewer’s […]

HOMILY WEEK 34 04 – Year II Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Rev 18:1-23, 19:1-3; Ps 100; Lk 21:20-28) *********************************************** On the last day of our stay in Jerusalem, our group of pilgrims went to the Western Wall. It happened to be a Thursday when Bar-mitzvahs are celebrated. Even before reaching the […]

HOMILY WEEK 34 03 – Year II Joyful Worship and Courageous Witness: Optional Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Rev 15:1-4; Ps 98; Lk 21:12-19) ********************************************** During this last week of the liturgical year, the readings continue an apocalyptic theme, and present us with two scenes – a heavenly one and an earthly one and […]