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 and contemplative prayer. In the gospel, Jesus […]
Category: Ordinary Time
HOMILY WEEK 01 05 Year I
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 invites us to come to Jesus for both […]
HOMILY WEEK 01 04 – Year I
Torah and Temple, or Partners of Christ Memorial: St Anthony, Abbot (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 gas station parking lot? Today’s liturgy invites us to go far beyond the rubrics of […]
HOMILY WEEKDAY 01 02 Year I
Jesus: True God and True Man (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 establishing the identity of Jesus, utilizing such expressions as “Son of God, […]
HOMILY WEEK 34 03 – YR II
Worship and Witness (Rev 15:1-4; Ps 98; Lk 21:12-19) *************************************** During this last week of the liturgical year, the readings continue an apocalyptic theme, as well as two scenes – a heavenly one and an earthly one and the connection between the two. The opening prayer provides the underlying message: Pray to see what must […]
HOMILY WEEK 34 02 – Yr II
Carpe Diem (Rev 14:14-19; Ps 96; Lk 21:5-11) ********************************** A message offered us by the movie Dead Poet’s Societyis to Carpe Diem– to grasp the day, to make the most of our time each day. Our liturgy today in this final week of ordinary time encourages us to make all our time here on earth […]
HOMILY WEEK 34 01 – Yr II
Giving All to Christ (Rev 14:1-5; Ps 24; Lk 21:1-4) ********************************* The message of the gospel today is to put our complete faith in Christ; to surrender to him totally. It is interesting that in one translation, Jesus looked up and sawor watched rich people put donations into the treasury, but he noticedthe poor widow […]
HOMILY CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY B
Christ the Servant King (Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93; Rev 1:5-8; John 18:33-37) ********************************************************** A wife heard her husband come back into the house not too long after he had left. She said, “Hon, I thought you were going to your lodge meeting.” “It was postponed,” He replied, “The wife of the Grand Exalted Invincible Supreme […]
HOMILY WEEK 33 06 – Yr II
The Transfiguration and Resurrection Memorial: St Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions (Rev 11:4-12; Ps 144; Lk 20:27-40) ********************************************** During a course I once took on addiction’s awareness, I found out only two out of twenty-three participants actually believed in the resurrection. All the others were into reincarnation. A friend tells me her niece seemed to also […]
HOMILY WEEK 33 05 – Yr II
The Word of God (Rev 10:8-11; Ps 119; Lk 19:45-48) ********************************* The Law of the Lord is sweet, like honey to the mouth. A message that can be drawn from the readings today is to pray more contemplatively, to focus on the Word of God. According to Robert Barron, the Messiah had four distinct roles: […]
