HOMILY WEEK 05 01 – Year I Creation and Recreation: Optional Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita (Gen 1:1-19; Ps 104; Mk 6:53-56) ************************************************** The readings for an optional memorial like St. Josephine Bakhita today vary from year to year, thus presenting a different challenge to a homilist each time. Within the context of this memorial, […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 05 – B Living a Balanced Life of Prayer and Action (Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39) *********************************************************** Have you ever felt a strong desire to do more for God, to be more like Jesus? A good place to begin would be with prayer. Today’s liturgy is a strong call […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 06 – Year I Doing the Will of God: Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions (Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Ps 23; Mk 6:30-34) ********************************************** On Feb 28, 1944, a young Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps for running a safe house for […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 05 – Year I Loved and Loving: Memorial of St. Agatha (Heb 13:1-8; Ps 27; Mk 6:14-29) ********************************************* Today’s readings remind us of how loved we are by God, and invite us to live out of that love in a multiplicity of ways. The author of the letter to the Hebrews lays […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 04 – Year I Emissaries of a New Covenant (Heb 12:18-24; Ps 48; Mk 6:7-13) ***************************************** Do you realize that you are, or can be, part of an exciting, life-giving and life-changing missionary venture? The liturgy today is meant to blow wide open our concept of God, church, and mission, and send […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 03 – Year I Cavalry in Slow Motion: Optional Memorial of St. Blaise (Heb 12:4-15; Ps 103; Mk 6:1-6) *************************************** Archbishop Emeritus Adam Exner OMI speaks about martyrdom for us as “Calvary in slow motion.” We probably won’t be physically martyred, but are still called to die to ourselves day by day. […]

HOMILY YEARS ABC The Presentation of the Lord (Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24; Heb 2:10-18; Lk 2:22-24) ****************************************************** A traveller in Africa tells this story of passing through a drought-stricken area and being followed by a small, emaciated, hungry, shy boy who came out of the bush. Whenever the traveller stopped, the boy stopped also. Finally […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 01 – Year I Faith and Healing (Heb 11:32-40; Ps 31; Mk 5:1-20) *************************************** Linda’s son consistently got his clothes dirty every time he went out to play, no matter how often she admonished him. One time, he came back with green grass stains on the knees of his jeans, and gave […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 04 – B ORDINARY TIME Sharing in the Power and Authority of Jesus (Dt 18:15-20; Psalm 95; 1 Cor 7:17, 32-35; Mk 1:21-28) ************************************************************ Are you familiar with the expression to “Walk the talk? Today’s readings invite us to live our faith and share in the power and authority of Jesus. The great […]

HOMILY WEEK 03 06 – Year I With Jesus in Our Boats (2 Sam 12:1-17; Ps 51; Mk 4:35-41) ******************************************** Have you ever prayed with your emotions? Have faith in Jesus and in the power of prayer. Today’s familiar account of Jesus calming the storm highlights the fear and lack of faith of the disciples, […]