Prophecy Fulfilled – Mary’s Fiat – God is With Us (Is 7:10-8:10; Ps 24; Lk 1:26-38) ************************************************ How accurate do you think you would be in predicting events seven hundred years into the future? The readings today, about prophecy fulfilled in Mary, encourage us to be like her and let the Lord of glory enter […]
Category: Homilies
HOMILY ADVENT DEC 18th – Yr I
(Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72; Mt 1:18-24) *********************************** The late Serge LeClerc was a motivational speaker who spoke at a Health Conference in Saskatoon some years ago. Born in Winnipeg to a young drug addict mother deemed unfit to raise a child, he was taken away, put into foster homes, rebelled and got into a life […]
ADVENT HOMILY WEEK 03 01 – Yr I
Believing and Blessing (Gen 49:2-10; Ps 71; Mt 1:1-17) ********************************* Did you notice a shift in today’s readings? Until the last seven days of Advent, the emphasis is on the coming of Jesus at the end of time. On December 17th, the theme switches to the coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, to […]
HOMILY ADVENT SUNDAY 3 – C
Joyful, Transformative Love (Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12; Phil 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18) ************************************************************ What happens when you put a piece of paper in a glass of water? Nothing really – the paper simply gets soaked and soggy. What happens when you hold a piece of paper over a lit candle? Transformation – the paper bursts into flame, […]
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 02 04 – Yr I
The Pain of Entering Heaven – Memorial: St Lucy (Isaiah 41:13-20; Ps 145; Mt 11:11-15) *************************************************** Since John the Baptist, the violent take heaven by force. These are strange words. What do they mean? The readings today invite us to enter into the hard work of healing, of transformation, of taking heaven by force. Isaiah […]
HOMILY – FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
(Rev 11:19, 12:1-10; Judith 13; Lk 1:39-47) **************************************************** There are two options for the first reading on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The richness and appropriateness of the second option from Revelations makes for an easy decision. The whole reading lends itself to a deeper understanding of the mystery of our salvation through […]
HOMILY SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Balancing Devotion with Imitation (Gen 3:9-20; Ps 98; Eph 1:3-12; Lk 1:26-38) ********************************************************** In November – December of 2016 and again in 2918, I was chaplain for a group of pilgrims to the Holy Land, and was privileged to preside at the Eucharist commemorating this feast of the Immaculate Conception. The celebrations took place in […]
ADVENT WEEK 01 04 – Yr I
Doing the Will of God – Memorial, St. Ambrose (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 to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will […]
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 04 – Yr I
Building Our Lives on Rock ((Is 26:1-6; Ps 118; Mt 7:24-27) *************************** At the Western Wall in Jerusalem, our guide pointed out that the massive stones we saw were really just a retaining wall to support the platform on which the temple was built. What a solid foundation! Today, in the gospel, Jesus advises his […]
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 01 03
Love Alone Satisfies Spiritual Hunger (Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23; Mt 15:29-37) ************************************ “Is that all there is to my life?” is a question many people end up asking, especially as they enter into the second half of life. Our yearning for the fullness of life can only be satisfied by the experience of God’s love, […]
