HOMILY WEEK 05 05 – Year II Healing Touch and Joyful Proclamation: Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius (1 Kg 11:4-13; Ps 106; Mk 7:24-30) ********************************************** “We are not punished for our sins – we are punished by them.” This cryptic saying, coming out of the 12 Step program, invites us to believe in Jesus […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 02 – Year II Worship from the Heart: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes (1 Kg 8:22-30; Ps 84; Mk 7:1-13) ******************************************************** Did you notice that the word “heart” is mentioned in all three readings today? “Your servants who walk before you with all their heart” in the first reading; “My […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 01 – Year II Living in Glorious Simplicity: Memorial of St. Scholastica (1 Kg 8:1-13; Ps 132; Mk 6:53-56) *********************************************** Perhaps you have heard the expression we should “live simply, so that others can simply live.” Today’s liturgy invites us to emulate Jesus in a simple way of life and loving service. […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 05 – YEAR A Be Salt and Light to the World (Isaiah 58:7-10; Ps 111; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5:13-16) *********************************************** “Let your light shine” is one of the teachings of the Christopher Leadership course on effective speaking. It could also well be the message of the Gospel for today’s celebration of the […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 05 – Year II David and John the Baptist: Model of Repentance and Faith (Eccles 47:2-13; Ps 17; Mk 6:14-29) ******************************************************** Repent, heal and realize our dignity is a message from the readings today. Ben Sirach, in the first reading, extols and exalts David, in spite of the fact that he committed […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 04 – Year II Our Royal, Missionary Mandate: Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions (1 Kg 2:1-12; 1 Chron 29; Mk 6:7-13 ******************************************** While travelling as a university student with Cast C of the international singing group Up With Peoplein 1969, we performed for King Beaudoin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 03 – Year II Truly Trusting or Taking Offence? Memorial of St. Agatha (2 Sam 24:2-17; Ps 32; Mk 6:1-6) ************************************** “They took offense at him.” (Mark 6:3) Today’s readings present us with a choice – to truly trust in Jesus or to end up, in one form or another, taking offense […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 01 – Year II On Not Throwing Stones: Optional Memorial of St. Blaise (2 Sam 15:13 – 16:13; Ps 3; Mk 5:1-200 *********************************************** A vain king who lived in a glass palace and loved hording, kept on buying more and more thrones and storing them in his attic. Finally, one day they […]

HOMILY YEARS ABC The Presentation of the Lord (Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24; Heb 2:10-18; Lk 2:22-24) ****************************************************** A traveller in Africa tells this story of passing through a drought-stricken area and being followed by a small, emaciated, hungry, shy boy who came out of the bush. Whenever the traveller stopped, the boy stopped also. Finally, […]