HOMILY WEEK 28 06 – Year I The Flow of Trinitarian Faith:  Memorial of St. Marguerite d’Youville (Rm 4:13-18; Ps 105; Lk 12:8-12) ************************************* A rather vain, somewhat narcissistic woman confessed she was guilty of the sin of vanity. The priest popped out of the confessional, opened her door to look at her, came back […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 05 – YEAR I Repent, Return, Rejoice: Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus (Rm 4:1-8; Ps 32; Lk 12:1-7) ********************************************** A dishonest painter took a contract to paint a church, but cheated by thinning the paint. As long as it didn’t rain, he thought he would be okay. That night there was […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 04 – Year I Justified by Faith or Works? Optional Memorial of St. Callistus I (Rm 3:21-30; Ps 130; Lk 11:47-54) *********************************************** Someone once said that if Christians wanted others to believe in their redeemer, they needed to act more redeemed. The readings today invite us to live the fullness of our […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 03 – Year I Love, Do Not Judge, and Work for Justice: (Rm 2:1-11; Ps 62; Lk 11:42-46) *********************************************** “…tithes of mint and or rue and of every garden herb” (Luke 11:42). So begins the commentary of this Sunday’s readings in The Word Among Us, which will provide the framework for most […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 02 – Year I Genuine Religion – an Inner Healing Journey of Faith: (Rm 1:16-25; Ps 19; Lk 11:37-41) **************************************************** One of the best compliments I have ever received came from the late Verna Vandale, former director of Guadalupe House in Saskatoon. She once shared with me how, although Indigenous, she grew […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 01 – Year I Set Apart for the Gospel: Thanksgiving Day (Rm 1:1-7; Ps 98; LK 11:29-32) ************************************** In 1976, while heading home after an old-timer’s hockey game, I came across a fatal accident. A head-on collision had occurred between a drunk driver and a pickup truck of local youth. The drunk […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 28 – B Being Wise; Praying with the Word, and Letting Go (Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30) *************************************************** Whenever we celebrate the sacraments of initiation, especially confirmation, the gifts of the Spirit come to mind. The ones that usually surface in the minds of most people are wisdom, knowledge and […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 06 – Year I Listening and Obeying Like Mary (Joel 3:12-21; Ps 97; Lk 11:27-28) *************************************** “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” That statement from Jesus in today’s gospel needs a bit of tweaking for our society today that is full of sound bites, news […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 27 05 – Year I In-breaking of the Kingdom of God (Joel 1:13-2:2; Ps 9; Lk 11:15-26) ******************************************* The readings today invite us to heed the word of God like Joel, to repent and change, to practice justice and fairness in our lives and all our affairs, to put our complete trust and […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 04 – Year I Persevering Prayer and Serving the Lord: Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Mal 3:13-20; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:5-13) *************************************************** A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the […]