HOMILY WEEK 17 05 – Year II Called to do Metanoia – Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori (Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69; Mt 14:1-12) ***************************************************** “Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God…” Today’s liturgy invites us be prophetic – to speak the truth of repentance, […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 05 – Year II Prophets Speaking Truth to Power: Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola (Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69; Mt 13:54-58) ***************************************** The late Andrew Britz OSB, former editor of the Prairie Messenger, was known for his ability to write and speak forcefully on issues of social justice – so much so […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 04 – Year II Choosing Light and Life: Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus (Adapted from The Word Among Us) (Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146; Mt 13:47-52) ******************************************** “He tried again, making of the clay another object.” Israel had wandered from the Lord – not once, but multiple times, over many years. The […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 03 – Year II Memorial of St. Martha, Disciple of the Lord (Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 59; Jn 11:17-27 or Lk 10:38-42) ************************************************** “I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” According to The Word Among Us, we often think of St. Martha as an example of what […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 02 – Year II On Being Good Seed in the Kingdom of God (Jer 14:17-22; Ps 79; Mt 13:36-43) ************************************************ The gospel today and the parable of the weeds of the field suggest that Jesus was not a gardener who would have known no one has to sow any weeds – they […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 01 – Year II Intimate Apparel and the Kingdom of God (Jer 13:1-11; Dt 32; Mt 13:31-35) ******************************************* How do you feel about associating intimate apparel with the kingdom of God? The readings today invite us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God lived out within the Kingdom of God. In […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 17 – YEAR A Living In The Kingdom of God (1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52) ************************************************************* Imagine a hockey game without a net; a ball game without a home plate; a bingo game without cards; hunting moose where there are no moose to be found! Everyone needs a goal, […]

HOMILY WEEK 16 05 – Year II Feast of St. James: Life of Christ Within – Loving Service Without (2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126; Mt 20:20-28) ****************************************** “We make living by what we get; we make a life by what we give away.” Those words by Sir Winston Churchill accompany the message of the readings […]

HOMILY WEEK 16 05 – Year II Being Good Soil for the Word of God: Optional Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf (Jer 3:14-17; Jer 31:10-13; Mt 13:18-23) ********************************************* The three readings today form a smooth progression, starting with the responsorial psalm. That psalm is actually taken from Jeremiah, portraying God as a shepherd who will […]

HOMILY WEEK 16 04 – Year II Humble Faith – Secret to the Kingdom: Optional Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden (Jer 2:1-13; Ps 36; Mt 13:10-17) ******************************************** Are you trying to get to heaven, or already living in the kingdom of God? The readings today invite us to have a humble faith in Jesus […]