HOMILY WEEK 05 06 – Year II Jesus – Bread of Life: Faith Versus Faithlessness Memorial of St. Scholastica (1 Kg 12:26-34; Ps 106; Mk 8:1-10) ******************************************** A new waitress was told by a customer he wanted two headlights and four hubcaps, without any explanation. The kitchen staff, who knew the customer as a joker, […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 05 – Year II Healing Touch and Joyful Proclamation: (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 of A.A., invites us to believe in Jesus as Son of God, […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 04 – Year II Humble Faith in Action: Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita (1 Kg 11:4-13; Ps 106; Mk 7:24-30) ************************************************* In today’s first reading, the famous King Solomon lost his mind in old age and fell into idolatry in an attempt to please his wives, even though God had appeared to […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 03 – Year II (1Kg 10:1-10; Ps 37; Mk 7:14-23) ************************************** “May the Lord let his light shine on the dark areas of your life.” Those were the words on a card a grade eleven student gave me once. I was taken aback by them at first, surprised they were coming from […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 02 – Year II Worship from the Heart: Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions (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. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (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 […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 05 – B Radical Discipleship – Secret of the Kingdom (Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39) *********************************************************** Did you know there is a secret to the kingdom of God? The message from today’s readings and a legal decision in Canada, is that while we can and should pray and hope […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 06 – Year II A Balanced Life of Wise Compassion and Prayerful Solitude: Optional Memorial of St. Blaise (1Kg 3:4-13; Ps 118; Mk 6:30-34) ***************************************************** Solomon’s prayer in the first reading today is a reminder to us of balancing the rational and emotional mind so that we too can have that wise […]

HOMILY – PRESENTATION OF THE LORD Year B (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 […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 04 – Year II Our Royal, Missionary Mandate: (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 People in 1969, we performed for King Beaudoin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium in their jungle garden. I was […]