HOMILY WEEK 20 02 – Year I Humble Faith and Spiritual Warfare: (Judges 6:11-24; Ps 85; Mt 19:23-30) *************************************************** August 21, 2017, was a memorable day for millions of people in North America as they witnessed a solar eclipse – total for some and partial for many more. That experience elicited some very interesting responses […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 01 – Year I Our Journey into Deeper Healing: Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Judges 2:11-19; Ps 106; Mt 19:16-22) ************************************************* Where are we at on our healing journey? The readings today fit the two stages of spiritual growth described by St. John of the Cross – the Dark Night […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 20 B  The Assumption of Mary – A Call to Greater Justice (Rev 11:19, 12:1-6, 10; Ps 45; 1 Cor 15:20-26; Lk 1:39-56) ***************************************************** The feast of the Assumption we are celebrating today comes to us, not from scripture as such, but from the lived tradition of the Church, the lived word of […]

HOMILY WEEK 19 06 – Year I Faith – Beyond Happiness to Joy: Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe (Jos 24:14-29; Ps 16; Mt 19:13-15) *************************************** Some time ago I learned of the book The Happiness Trap, a title that intrigued me. As I suspected, the book affirms that the pursuit of happiness doesn’t really work, […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 19 05 – Year I Eunuchs on a Healing Journey for the Kingdom of God – Optional Memorial of Saints Pontian and Hippolytus (Jos 24:1-13; Ps 136; Mt 19:3-12) *********************************************** The first reading today seems to miss a few other groups the Israelis had to face upon entering the promised land: the Gigabytes […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 19 – 04 Our Own Exodus Journey and Paschal Mystery Experience: Optional Memorial of St Jane Frances de Chantal (Jos 3:7-17; Ps 114; Mt 18:21-19:1) **************************************************** One day, Louis, a tall Cree recovering alcoholic, came into my office and shared his story with me: a drunk for years, sobriety, joining AA, a dry […]

HOMILY WEEK 19 03 – Year I The Power of Forgiveness: Memorial of St. Clare (Dt 34:1-12; Ps 66; Mt 18:15-20) ********************************************************* The gospel today invites us to encounter Jesus face to face through forgiveness and heart-felt prayer. Matthew 18:15-20 is perhaps one of the most potent yet least appreciated passages in all of the […]

HOMILY WEEK 19 03 Following and Serving Jesus: Feast of St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (2 Cor 9:6-10; Ps 112; Jn 12:24-26) ********************************************** Have you noticed that Jesus asked us to follow him much more often than to simply worship him? Today’s gospel is an example, inviting us to serve Jesus by following him, by […]

HOMILY WEEK 19 01 – Year I A Religion of the Heart – Optional Memorial: St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Dt 10:12-22; Ps 147; Mt 17:22-27) ************************************************ “Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God.” That quote, taken from the prophet Micah, aptly summarizes the message of today’s readings – to walk […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 19 – B Transformative Faith (1 Kg 19:4-8; PS 34; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6:41-51) ************************************************ Have you ever heard the statement, “Some people are reacting against a God they have been taught wrongly about?” Faith in Jesus can transform our lives and lead us to experience God. Thomas Keating, renowned monk and spiritual […]