GOOD NEWS – AURORA PROGRAM – REGISTER NOW! The Star of the North offers a faith formation program called Aurora Living open to Christians willing to engage in the inner work of integrating contemplative prayer and social practice. The program is now into its fourth year, and we’ve been privileged to have folks from all different professions, […]
Category: Homilies
St. Damasus I
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 02 03 – Year II Faith, Forgiveness, Healing and Rest: Memorial of St. Damasus I (Is 40:25-31; Ps 103; Mt 11:28-30) ******************************************* How strong is your faith? The readings today invite us to have a strong faith in God experienced through forgiveness, healing and rest. The first reading from Isaiah and Psalm […]
Our Lady of Loretto
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 02 02 – Year II God as Loving Father and Good Shepherd: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loretto (Is 40:1-11; Ps 96; Mt 18:12-14) ************************************************ There’s nothing like a parable to illustrate a spiritual point in a new way, or to offer new insight to a familiar point. Jesus used these […]
SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Balancing Devotion to, with Imitation of, Mary (Gen 3:9-20; Ps 98; Eph 1:3-12; Lk 1:26-38) ********************************************************** In November – December of 2016 and again in 2018, I was chaplain for a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land and was privileged to preside at the Eucharist commemorating this feast of […]
Hope
HOMILY ADVENT SUN 2-C Repent, and Be a People of Hope (Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126; Phil 1:3-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6) ************************************************************* Joe was amazed at how his friend Bob treated his wife during a visit at their house. Bob hugged his wife when she came home from shopping, thanked her for all she did, complimented […]
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 06 – Year II Isaiah’s Offering of Hope and Healing: Optional Memorial of St. Ambrose (Is 30:19-26; Ps 147; Mt 9:35 – 10:8) **************************************************** Are you shocked at the number of drug-related deaths due to the opioid crisis in our society today (2,500 in BC alone in 2023)? Could that be […]
St. Nicholas
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 05 – Year II Seeing with the Eyes of Faith: Optional Memorial of St. Nicholas (Isaiah 29:17-24; Ps 27; Mt 9:27-31) *********************************************** “Do you see what I see?” This line from a familiar Christmas Carol, along with today’s readings, invites us to see Jesus with the eyes of faith, and come […]
Humble Obedient Faith
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 04 – Year II Humble and Obedient Faith in God (Isaiah 26:1-6; Ps 118; Mt 7:21, 24-27) *************************************************** “Only the ones who do the will of my Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus could not be clearer or more direct than this teaching: “Not everyone who says […]
St. John Damascene
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 03 – Year II Realized Eschatology and Abundant Grace: Optional Memorial of St. John Damascene (Is 25:6-10; Ps 23; Mt 15:29-37) ************************************************* Did you realize that we are to be immersed in realized eschatology? Christian life is all about both living in the graced reign of God here and now, while […]
Faith and Love
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 01- Year II Faith and Love (Is 2:1-5; Ps 122; Mt 8:5-11, 13) ********************************************** “Many will come from the east and the west and will recline … at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). Today’s readings for this first weekday of Advent invite us to place our complete […]
