HOMILY WEEK 11 02 – Year I Excelling in Faith: Forgiveness, Compassion and Generosity (2 Cor 8:1-9; Ps 146; Mt 5:43-48) ******************************************************* “You have heard it said, but I say to you …” With that simple statement, Jesus opens up a whole new way of being in this world for us – to make both […]

HOMILY WEEK 11 01 – Year I Going the Extra Mile: Optional Memorial of St. Romuald (2 Cor 6:1-10; Ps 98; Mt 5:38-42) *********************************** What do the readings today and the 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous have in common? The answer in one word is “service” although expressed differently. For Jesus in the gospel, […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 06 – Year I Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Is 61:9-11; 1 Sm 2; Lk 2:41-51) ********************************************** “Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.” That statement by St. Augustine fits today’s memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who models for us a life of deep faith lived […]

SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS – Year I Revealing Our God Who is Love, Mercy and Compassion (Dt 7:6-11; Ps 103; 1Jn 4:7-16; Mt 11:25-30) ****************************************************** What word resonates in your heart more deeply – loyalty or love? Today’s solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us into a paradigm shift from […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 04 – Year I Living A Transformative Faith (2 Cor 3:15-4:6; Ps 85; Mt 5:20-26) ****************************************** What do you make of Paul’s focus on “glory” in the first reading today? The message he is earnestly trying to communicate to the Corinthians, and to us, is to allow our faith in Jesus to […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 03 – Year I Ministers of a New Covenant (2 Cor 3:4-11; Ps 99; Matt 5:17-19) ************************************** Would you like to be given new, very important role in your life? You already have one – just believe it and be ministers of a new covenant. Those who are married will perhaps understand […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 02 – Year I On Being Salt and Light Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua (2 Cor 1:18-22; Ps 119; Mt 5:13-16) ************************************** There’s nothing particularly interesting or special about a container of salt or a package of lightbulbs in your pantry. But think how indispensable they are. Today’s liturgy invites us […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 01 – Year I The Beatitudes – Our Way of Being (2 Cor 1:1-7; Ps 34; Mt 5:1-12) *************************************** Do you know your “Way of Being”? The liturgy today invites us to live the Beatitudes always, in both pleasant and painful times. A core teaching of the Returning To Spirit Process is […]

HOMILY CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY Celebrating God’s Love (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; Psalm 147; 1 Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-59) ***************************************************************** What is the world’s oldest religion? There are some who suggest it is cannibalism and human sacrifice. That spirituality is based on the primal need to have power and control over spiritual forces and the forces of […]

HOMILY WEEK 09 06 – Year I Almsgivers in the Spirit (Tob 12:1-20; Tob 13:2-6; Mk 12:38-44) ****************************************** “Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness.” That sentence from the Book of Tobit literally leaps out at the reader, demanding our attention. It also provides an important message for us […]