HOMILY LENT WEEK 04 06 – Year I Transcending Justice in Jesus (Jer 11:18-20; Ps 7; Jn 7:4—53) **************************************** Have you ever had an attitude problem? Today’s liturgy invites us to have an open attitude towards Jesus and to accept him into our lives as the Messiah. In the first reading, Jeremiah continues the Old […]

HOMILY – SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH Ushering in the Realm of Faith and Loving Grace (2 Sam 7:4-16; Ps 89; Rm 4:13-22; Mt 1:16-24/Lk 2:41-51)) ********************************************************** Have you ever been embarrassed by taking something totally of out context? The readings today, as well as the solemnity of St. Joseph, are best understood within the context […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 04 04 Year I Living Faith: Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Ex 32:7-14; Ps 106; Jn 5:18-47) **************************************** Nikos Kazantzakis, the great Greek writer, tells a story of an elderly monk he once met on Mount Athos. Kazantsakis, still young and full of curiosity, was questioning this monk and asked him:  […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 03 – Year I Trust in God; Believe in Jesus (Is 49:8-15; Ps 145; Jn 5:16-30) ************************************** “I will never forget you, my people. I have carved you on the palm of my hand… I will never leave you orphaned, I will never forget my own.” This familiar hymn by Carey Landry, […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 02 – Year I On Being Open to the Newness of Faith (Ezk 47:1-12; Ps 46; Jn 5:1-16) **************************************** In the busyness of preparing for giving presentations at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress one year, I neglected to water the plants before leaving. Upon my return, I was shocked to see […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 04 01 – Year I Transformative Faith – Believing in Jesus and Living in Hope (Is 65:17-21; Ps 30; Jn 4:43-54) ****************************************************** When a lady was asked why she put in her will a request to be buried with a fork in her hand, her answer was because her mother always told […]

HOMILY LENT SUNDAY 04-B Back to the Future (2 Chronicles 36:14-17; 19-23; Ps 137; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) ***************************************************************** In the not too recent past, a movie came out called Back to the Future, in which the main character experiences a time warp into another period of history. The readings today come together to form […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 03 06 – Year I Responding to a Relational God (Hos 5:15-6:6; Ps 51; Lk 18:9-14) **************************************** Have you ever tried to earn anyone’s love? The readings today invite us to respond to a relational God through humble honesty, trusting repentance and grateful service. The tendency to try to earn someone’s love […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 03 05 – Year I Walking with God through Love (Hos 14:1-9; Ps 81; Mk 12:28-34) **************************************** A lady confessed she was guilty of the sin of narcissism. When asked by the confessor what that meant, she replied she was totally centred on herself, spent all her time on her make-up, hair, […]

HOMILY LENT WEEK 03 04 – Year I Willing or Willful – our Choice (Jer 7:23-28; Ps 95; Lk 11:14-23) **************************************** The late Gerald May wrote a book entitled Will and Spirit. In it he claims the gift of free will that we have been given by God is one of our most precious attributes […]