EASTER VIGIL YEAR B Experiencing New Life Through the Cross (Romans 6:3-11; Mark 16:1-8) ***************************************** Two confirmed bachelors were sitting and talking about cooking. One said that he had a fancy cookbook but never did much with it. When asked why by the other, he replied because every recipe started the same way – “Take […]
Category: Homilies
Good Friday
GOOD FRIDAY HOMILY Choose Jesus’ New Way of Life (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42) ******************************************************* In the movie The Passion of Christ, Jesus, beaten, bloodied and half dead, meets his mother and tells her simply, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This is the shocking reality of faith – it […]
Holy Thursday
HOLY THURSDAY (Homily 02) Freedom to Serve (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15) ******************************************* This celebration tonight begins the three great liturgical days of the year – what we call the Easter Triduum. The feast tonight, Holy Thursday, and indeed every Eucharist, has one message – love one another as Jesus has loved […]
Kingdom of God
HOMILY WEDNESDAY of HOLY WEEK The Key to the Kingdom (Is 50:4-9; Ps 69; Mt 26:14-26) ********************************** A fellow, tired of carrying his cross, went into a cross shop to trade it in. He tried on all kinds of crosses, but found them all either too long or too short, too heavy or too light, […]
Suffering
HOMILY TUESDAY of HOLY WEEK Redemptive Suffering and Brokenness (Is 49:1-6; Ps 71; Jn 13:21-33. 36-38) ****************************************** As a young seminarian, my spiritual director was Fr. Adam Exner, who eventually became an archbishop. After hearing my story (the first one to ever do so), Exner asked me to pray with Is 43:1-4, and that passage […]
HOMILY MONDAY of HOLY WEEK Mary of Bethany – Model of Genuine Caring (Isaiah 42:1-7; Ps 27; Jn 12:1-11) ******************************************** Many years ago, well-known spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote a book entitled Out of Solitude. It contains three sermons he gave to health-care professionals outlining what it means to really care. One of the points […]
Palm Sunday Year B
HOMILY PALM SUNDAY YEAR B Making Sense of our Suffering (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47) ********************************************************** “We transmit the pain we don’t transform,” and, “Hurt people, hurt people.” These succinct quotes from Richard Rohr, noted spiritual writer and speaker, touch on the meaning of the Paschal Mystery for our lives. Faith in […]
St. Turibius of Mogrovejo
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 06 – Year II The Messiah and Covenant Love: Optional Memorial of St.Turibius of Mogrovejo (Ezk 37:21-28; Jer 31; Jn 11:45-57) ************************************** “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them.” That promise from God, proclaimed by the prophet Ezekiel in the first […]
Faith and Prayer
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 05 – Year II Faith and Prayer – Lifelines in Times of Distress (Jer 20:7, 10-13; Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42) *************************************** “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he heard me.” The readings today are quite appropriate for this time of post-pandemic global distress and the ravages of wars, […]
Abraham and Jesus
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 04 – Year II Keeping the Covenant and Living the Word: (Gen 17:3-9; Ps 105; Jn 8:51-59) ****************************************** In Indigenous cultures, there is always someone in each community or territory who is the keeper of the traditions and ceremonies. Today, the Word of God invites us to be keepers of the […]
