HOMILY – TUESDAY of HOLY WEEK Redemptive Suffering and Brokenness (Is 49:1-6; Ps 71; Jn 13:21-33. 36-38) ********************* ************************* As a young seminarian, my spiritual director was Fr. Adam Exner, who eventually became an archbishop. After hearing my story (the first one to ever do so), Exner observed that I needed to work on my […]
Category: Homilies
Faith-Jesus Son of God-Mary of Bethany
HOMILY – MONDAY of HOLY WEEK Mary of Bethany – Model of Genuine Caring (Isaiah 42:1-7; Ps 27; Jn 12:1-11) ******************************************** Many years ago, well-known spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote a book entitled Out of Solitude. It contains three sermons he gave to health-care professionals outlining what it means to really care. One of the […]
Palm Sunday-Kenosis-Kyrios
HOMILY PALM SUNDAY YEAR B From Kenosis to Kyrios (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47) **************************************************** As is the case on Good Friday, the readings provide us with such a rich content that it borders on being overwhelming, so a comment on each reading, under the umbrella of From Kenosis to Kyrios, will […]
Faith-Covenant-Jesus Christ
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 06 – Year I A Covenant of Peace (Jer 37:21-28; Jer 31:10-13; Jn 11:45-57) ******************************************* Have you ever had an experience of being in exile? of feeling alienated and lost? out of sorts? One day on Facebook someone from north central Saskatchewan posted: “Pray for me today – I don’t feel […]
Faith-Prayer-Perseverance
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 05 – Year I Faith, Prayer and Presence (Jer 20:7-13; Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42) ************************************* Faith, prayer and presence sum up the readings for today. We are invited to place our total trust in Jesus as Son of God, pray to God from the heart out of our need, and live […]
Faith-Annunciation of Mary
SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION Birthing Jesus into the World in Imitation of Mary (Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10d; Ps 40; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-28) ************************************************* Sr. Connie Piska UJ of Edmonton gave me a gift she made for my priestly ordination in 1974 that still hangs on a wall in the bathroom so that I see it […]
Faith-Praise-Glory
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 03 – Year I Glory and Praise; Worship and Blessing (Dan 3:13-95; Dan 3; Jn 8:31-42) ******************************************** Many parishes are familiar with the hymnbook Glory and Praise that came out many years ago. That title, the psalm response and readings today combine to provide us with a clear message centred on […]
Faith-New Life-Jesus Christ- St. Turibius
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 02 – Year I Finding New Life in Jesus: Optional Memorial of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo (Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102; Jn 8:21-30) ************************************* Ordinarily, liturgists try to find a first reading that connects with the gospel for the day. That connection today is very clear and invites us to put our […]
Faith-Forgiveness-Non-violence
HOMILY WEEK 05 01 (Year I) The Mystery of Forgiveness and Non-violent Love (Dan 13:1-64; Ps 23; Jn 8:1-11) ****************************************** When we act like God, we get to feel like God. To forgive from the heart is to act like God, and to get to share in God’s serenity, inner freedom and even joy. In […]
Faith-Jesus Christ-New Passover
HOMILY LENT SUNDAY 05 – B The New Passover in Jesus (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ps 51; Hebrew 5:7-9; John 12:20-23) ***************************************************** “Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for all who believe in him.” That one sentence from the Letter to the Hebrews in today’s readings best expresses the message of this celebration: we are invited […]
