HOMILY WEEK 11 06 – Year II Marriage Encounter and the Reign of God (2 Chron 24:17-25; Ps 89; Mt 6:24-34) ************************************************ Human beings have a rather unique characteristic – a desire to build a better mousetrap. The birds Jesus mentions in the gospel build their nests the same way year after year. Human beings, […]

HOMILY WEEK 11 05 – Year II Priority and Perception (2 Kg 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Ps 132; Mt 6:19-23) ********************************************* Two words summarize the gospel today: priority and perspective. The two sentences expressing these two words are: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” and “The eye is the lamp of the […]

HOMILY WEEK 11 04 – Year II Redemptive Suffering and the Test (Sir 48:1-14; Ps 97; Mt 6:7-15) ****************************************** Elijah continues to be the focus of the first reading in today’s liturgy. In this passage, we hear about him as an epic hero from the point of view of another Old Testament author – Sirach, […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 11 03 – Year II Three Ascetical Practices (2 Kg 2:1,6-14; Ps 31; Mt 6:1-6; 16-18 ********************************************* Does the word “asceticism” sound attractive to you? The gospel today invites us to practice three ascetical traditions in the Church as a way of humbly living out our faith and the Great Commandment of Jesus, […]

HOMILY WEEK 11 01 – Year II Living the Law of Love: Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua (1 Kg 21:1-16; Ps 5; Mt 5:38-42) ************************************* “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” Retaliation is one of the world’s oldest and most contagious sins. Did you know that the Old Testament […]

TRINITY SUNDAY – YEAR C God is Family (Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans :1-5; John 16:12-15) ******************************************************** An elder came to a missionary in China one day to say that he had no trouble understanding God the Father, and no trouble understanding God the Son, but that he was having a hard time understanding the […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 06 – Year II MEMORIAL – ST BARNABAS Returning to our Roots of Faith (Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3; Ps 98; Mt 10:7-13) *************************************** The readings today, and this memorial of St. Barnabas, brings to mind a four-year renewal process we developed in our Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas years ago that was designed to […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 04 – Year II Entering the Reign of God: Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem (1 Kg 18:41-46; Ps 65; Mt 5:20-26) ************************************** “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Today’s reading and memorial invite us to live […]

HOMILY WEEK 10 03 – Year II Living in the Reign with Faith and Love (1 Kg 18:20-39; Ps 16; Mt 5:17-19) **************************************************** Years ago, I was inspired to offer a retreat entitled Living in the Reign. The readings today invite us to live in the Reign of God with the faith of Elijah and […]

WEEKDAY HOMILY 10 02 – Year II Salt of the Earth; Light of the World (1 Kgs 17:7-16; Ps 4; Mt 5:13-16) ******************************************* Have you ever heard the expression, “She or he is worth his or her salt?” That saying probably comes from the value of salt as currency in the ancient world – people […]