Living in the Reign (Wis 7:22-8:1; Ps 119; Lk 17:20-28) ********************************* Living in the Reign is the title of a retreat that I love to offer. It of course, alludes to living in the Kingdom of God here and now, the message of today’s gospel. It also coincides with my episcopal motto, Regnum Dei Intra […]
Category: Homilies
HOMILY WEEK 32 03 – Yr I
Servants of the Kingdom – St Albert the Great (Wis 6:1-11; Ps 82; Lk 17:11-19) ************************************************** “Because as servants of the kingdom you did not rule rightly.” That quote from the first reading caught my attention for two reasons: one, it is the first time that I have seen it […]
HOMILY Week 32 02 – Yr I
Living Our Human Longing Well (Wis 2:23-3:9; Ps 34; Lk 17:7-10) ****************************************** “God created us for incorruption.” That evocative statement, and the readings today, invite us to live our human longing well. Today’s first reading from Wisdom is one that we are most likely to hear at a Catholic funeral. In fact, it is […]
HOMILY Week 31 06 – Yr I
Memorial: St Martin of Tours and Remembrance Day (Rm 16:3-9, 16, 22-27; Ps 145; Lk 16:9-15) *************************************************** “If you want peace, work for justice.” That bumper sticker is an appropriate one to ponder this Remembrance Day when we gather to remember, honor and express gratitude for all the veterans who gave their lives in pursuit […]
HOMILY WEEK 31 05 – Yr I
Proclaiming the Good News – Memorial: St Leo the Great (Rm 15:14-21; Ps 98; Lk 16:1-8) **************************************************** Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without your faith in Jesus Christ? Honest and open encounters with a Muslim woman and a Hindu computer programmer left me appreciating St. Paul’s goal to constantly speak […]
HOMILY: FEAST – DEDICATION OF ST JOHN LATERAN
Temples of the Holy Spirit and Life-giving Water (Ezk 47:1-12; Ps 46; Jn 2:13-22) ***************************************************** Wherever this river flows, the waters shall be made fresh. The readings today, and this feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran, invite us to drink of the living waters of God’s love as temples of the Holy Spirit, […]
HOMILY WEEK 31 03 – Yr I
The Commandments of Jesus (Rm 13:8-10; Ps 112; Lk 14:25-33) *********************************** Isn’t it interesting how love and hate both figure in today’s readings? First, we are to love one another, and then in the gospel we are to hate our families! In the end, the message is simple: we are to love God first and […]
HOMILY WEEK 28 01 – Yr I
Memorial: St. Marguerite d’Youville (Rm 1:1-7; Ps 98; LK 11:29-32) *********************************** In 1976, while heading home after an old-timer’s hockey game, I came across a fatal accident. A head-on collision had occurred between a drunk driver and a pickup truck of local youth. The latter was pinned in his vehicle on the highway, while the […]
HOMILY SUN 28-A
Wearing the Wedding Garment (Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:10-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14) ***************************************************************** Imagine that Queen Elizabeth has decided to invite one person from each country in the Commonwealth to the wedding of Prince Harry, all expenses paid! It would be preposterous to think that the one Canadian chosen out of 35 million would […]
HOMILY WEEK 26 06 – Yr I: Our Lady of the Rosary
Faith, Repent, Serve: a recipe for joy (Bar 4:5-29; Ps 69; Lk 10:17-24) **************************************** When was the last time you felt a moment of pure joy? That probably doesn’t happen that often, partly because as Henri Nouwen wrote, in this life there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, and as theologian Karl […]
