WEEK 08 – 02 Keep My Commandments (Sir 35:1-15; Ps 50; Mk 10:28-31) *************************************** Yesterday’s gospel was about the attachment of the rich young man to his wealth, and the need for detachment, leaving all to follow Christ. Today the Gospel presents us with the disciples who have left everything, and wonder what their reward […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 08 – C The Importance of Humble Self-Awareness (Sir 27:4-7; Ps 92; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45) ************************************************** “O, wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as others see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, an’ foolish notion.”  “The stronger the sun, the sharper we see our shadow.” […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 07 – 06 Childlike Faith in Jesus (Sir 17:1-15; Ps 103; Mk 10:13-16) [Adapted from The Word Among Us] **************************************** A mother, not wanting to be bothered with a salesman coming to the house, instructed her 5-year old to answer the door and tell him she was not home. The boy obediently opened […]

HOMILY WEEK 7 05 Marriage and Friendship (Sirach 6:5-17; Mk 10:1-12) ********************************* The readings today speak to us of marriage and friendship and the connection between the two. In so doing, they invite us to strive to be faithful friends to the Lord and to one another. In the Gospel, Jesus is confronted with the […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 04 Contemplative Prayer and Genuine Love (Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1; Mk 9:41-50) ****************************************** “I think I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree.” That opening line from a famous poem by Joyce Kilmer serves as an inspiration to see a tree as a metaphor for the message of today’s readings: […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 03 Living and Loving in Jesus’ Name (Sir 4:11-19; Ps 119; Mk 9:38-40) ************************************** Years ago, I received the gift of a small book entitled “What’s In A Name?” It described the origin of the names of all the communities in my home province of Saskatchewan. It was enlightening, interesting and somehow even […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 02 Childlike Trust in God (Sir 2:1-11; Ps 37; Mk 9:30-37) *********************************** A young man asked his friends if they believed he could push a wheelbarrow on a high wire over Niagara Falls. They of course said no so he did it. Then he asked his friends if they believed he could […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 01 Poustinia – A Way to Fast and Pray (Sir 1:1-10; Ps 93; Mk 9:14-29) ************************************* Would you like to have a stronger, more powerful faith? Consider doing a monthly poustinia in which you fast, and pray the prayer of the troubled father in the Gospel today: “I believe, help my unbelief!” It is […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 7-C Give; Forgive, and Let Live (1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-25; Psalm 103; 1 Cor 15:45-50; Lk 6:27-38) **************************************************************** Have you ever heard the statement, “I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget”? Or have you ever heard someone say in a loud, angry voice, “I’m NOT angry!”? Live the Law of Love: Forgive, […]

HOMILY WEEK 06 06 Faith to Die For – Memorial: St. Polycarp (Heb 11:1-7; Ps 145; Mk 9:2-13) ******************************************* How strong is your faith? Can it lead you on a personal journey of healing and transformation that will help change the world? The first reading highlights the importance of faith in our lives. There is […]