HOMILY – FEAST OF THE VISITATION (Zeph 3:14-18/Rm 12:9-16; Is 12; Lk 1:39-56) *************************************************** In his book, Mary – Mirror of the Church, former papal preacher Ranaiero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap., offers beautiful insights into role of Mary in the Church. In his writings, Cantalamessa invites us to make imitation of Mary our priority. He calls […]

HOMILY WEEK 08 04 – Year II Living in and Proclaiming the Light of Christ (1 Pt 2:2-5,9-12; Ps 100; Mk 10:46-52) ************************************** Close your eyes and keep them closed for a minute – and imagine staying like that for the rest of your life – blind and unable to see. The powerful readings today […]

WEEK 08 03 – Year II Loving Intensely from the Heart: Optional Memorial of St. Paul VI (1 Pt 1:18-25; Ps 147; Mk 10:32-45) **************************************** Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. The readings today invite us to live the mystery of our faith through redemptive suffering, servant leadership […]

HOMILY WEEK 08 02 – Year II Setting All Our Hope on the Grace of Christ (1 Pt 1:10-16; Ps 98; Mk 10:28-31) ********************************************** One Sunday at the Oblate Scholasticate at Battleford where I began the study of theology, Fr. Kedl, one of our professors, gave an eloquent homily. Fr. Huber, one of the elder […]

HOMILY WEEK 08 01 – Year II Humble Faith, Living Hope and Eternal Joy: Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury (1 Pt 1:3-9; Ps 111; Mk 10:17-27) ********************************************** Have you ever seen yourself as the rich young man in today’s gospel? The readings today invite us to grow in humble faith leading us to […]

TRINITY SUNDAY Year B Make Disciples of All Nations (Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Ps 33; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20) ************************************************************ A teacher was trying to teach her class the creed by having assigned students recite the different parts at the start of each class. It worked well for a few days, then one day there was […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 06 – Year II The Virtue of Childlikeness: Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable (Jm 5:13-20; Ps 141; Mk 10:13-16) ***************************************************** A set of parents finally managed to convince their precocious son that Jesus was really risen from the dead. As that truth settled on him, a gleam appeared in his […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 05 – Year II Faith, Healing and Intimacy: Optional Memorial of Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau (James 5:9-12; Ps 103; Mk 10:1-12) ******************************** A Sunday school teacher said to her children, “We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 04 – Year II Faith, Love and Justice (James 5:1-6; Ps 49; Mk 9:41-50) *********************************** Today’s readings present a challenge to us with their harsh language, both by James in the first reading and Jesus in the gospel. Combined with the psalm, however, they invite us to be grounded in God’s forgiveness […]

HOMILY WEEK 07 03 – Week II Doing God’s Will and Living the Mission: Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia (James 4:13-17; Ps 49; Mk 9:38-40) ******************************************** We can all vividly remember how quickly our lives changed four years ago at the onset of the global pandemic. As we lived through months of lockdown, […]