HOMILY SUNDAY 26 – B Entering the Kingdom of God (Num 11:16-17, 25-29; Psalm 19; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48) ************************************************************ If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! My brothers and sisters, seek first the Kingdom of God. In the gospel […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 06 – Year I The Paradox of Presence, Suffering and Persecution: Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian [Adapted from The Word Among Us] (Zech 2:1-11; Jer 31; Lk 9:43-45) **************************************************** Have you ever heard of a chancel lamp? It is that lantern or candle in a church that tells us that […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 05 – Year I Living Out Our Identity in Christ: Optional Memorial of Blessed Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin (Haggai 2:1-9; Ps 43; Lk 9:18-22) ********************************************** The gospel today highlights the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, the importance of finding our identity in him, and living it out through the Paschal Mystery. Bishop Robert […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 04 – Year I God at Work in our World: Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Haggai 1:1-8; Ps 149; Lk 9:7-9) *************************************** “The Lord takes delight in God’s people.” What a wonderful responsorial psalm antiphon! But do we really believe that God takes delight in us? There is an invitation here […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 03 – Year I Temple and Second Chance, or Kingdom of God and New Creation? (Ezra 9:5-9; Tob 13:3-6; Lk 9:1-6) ********************************************************* During a retreat he conducted for Oblates and Oblate associates, Fr. Bonga OMI from Aix-en-Provence in France shared how for him the honeymoon of ordination was over after a year, […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 01 – Year I Unity, Community and a Spirituality of Letting Go: Feast of St. Matthew (Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Ps 19; Mt 9:9-13) ***************************************** How have you responded to the words of Jesus, “Come, follow me,” addressed to you? The readings today, on this feast of St. Matthew, offers us three interrelated […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 01 – Year I Builders of a New Temple: Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon and Companions (Korean Martyrs) (Ezra 1:1-6; Ps 126; Lk 8:16-18) ************************************************************ Do you see yourself as a builder? We are about rebuilding the reign of God. The first reading is all about the return of the exiles […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 25-B Faith Expressed through Humble Selfless Service (Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalm 54; James 3:16 – 4:3; Mk 9:30-37) *********************************************************** In the movie “Forest Gump”, Forest reacts to his childhood sweetheart’s rejection by running across America. He draws media attention and followers who think he has some cause, some wisdom, for them. Some run […]

HOMILY WEEK 24 06 – Year I Listening To, and Keeping the Word of God (1 Tim 6:13-16; Ps100; Lk 8:4-15) ******************************************* The first reading and gospel today combine to give us a critical message: keep the commandment, and hear and keep the Word of God. There is a very interesting and intriguing peculiarity in […]

HOMILY WEEK 24 05 – Year I Birthing the Kingdom: Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine (1 Tim 6:2-12; Ps 49; Lk 8:1-3) ******************************************* Have you ever had the experience of a line of scripture you have read many times before, suddenly take on a whole new meaning? That was my experience with today’s readings […]