HOMILY WEEK 06 03 Faith that Transforms; A Love that Heals (Gen 8:6-22; Ps 116; Mk 8:22-26) ******************************************* Have you ever participated in a trust walk? The readings today invite us to place our complete trust in Jesus, experience his unconditional love, and become a new creation. Youth ministers sometimes blindfold participants and have them […]

HOMILY WEEK 06 – 02 A Paradigm Shift of Faith (Gen 6:5-10; Ps 29; Mk 8:14-21) **************************************************** Have you ever experienced a paradigm shift? A paradigm shift is a movement away from one way of seeing reality, thinking or acting, to an entirely new way of seeing reality, thinking or acting. For those afraid of […]

HOMILY WEEK 06 01 Mastering Sin and Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude (Gen 4:1-25; Ps 50; Mk 8:11-13) ***************************************************** “Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) The readings today invite us to turn to God for the spiritual help and healing we need to […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 06 – C On Being Beatitude People (Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1; 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:20-26) *********************************************************** A young boy travelled far from his home to study under a great teacher. When he met the wise old man, his first question was, “How long will it take me before I am as […]

WEEK 05 DAY 06 (Homily 02) Responding to Love with Love (Gn 3:9-24; Ps 90; Mk 8:1-10) ************************************** Many years ago, the Beatles sang a song, “All You Need Is Love.” That song resonates with the readings for today, which remind us of the depth of God’s love for us, and our call to respond […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 05 Shame and Fear – Speak and Hear (Gen 3:1-8; Ps 32; Mk 7:31-37) **************************************** What would you entitle a homily based on these readings? Many possible titles came to my mind: “A Not-so Original Sin; Sin and Sinfulness; Forgiveness and Healing; The Solution to Sin,” etc. What I decided upon was […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 04 The Two Dimensions of Faith and Love Memorial – Saints Cyril and Methodius (Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128; Mk 7:24-30) ********************************************* What are the names of the two girlfriends that a priest or bishop can have? The answer is Karen and Sharon. Caring and Sharing! Those two names sum up the essence […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 03 The Reality of Sin (Gen 2:4-17; Ps 104; Mk 7:14-23) ************************************** A French preacher told his congregation that he was going to preach about hell – what the hell it is, where the hell it is, and how the hell to get there! Understanding sin helps us avoid sin. The first […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 02 A Spirituality of Human Incompleteness (Gen 1:20-2:4; Ps 8; Mk 7) *********************************************** A child was paging through a large family bible when he came across a large maple leaf his mother was drying in its pages. He ran to her excitedly to proclaim that he had found Adam’s underwear! Jesus, through […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 01 Creation, Recreation and Our Lady of Lourdes: Optional Memorial (Gen 1:1-19; Ps 104; Mk 6:53-56) ************************************************** The readings for an optional memorial like Our Lady of Lourdes today vary from year to year, thus presenting a different challenge to a homilist each time. Within the context of this memorial, today’s readings […]