HOMILY WEEK 29 06 – Year I Our Identity and Life in Christ: Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude (Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19; Lk 6:12-19) ***************************************** Today’s readings, and this feast, firmly establish our identity in Christ, and what it means to live in Christ. The late motivational speaker Serge LeClerc claimed throughout his […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 05 – Year I Gratitude for Salvation (Rm 7:18-25a; Ps 119; Lk 12:54-59) ********************************** Have you ever wished you were further along your spiritual path than you are, still struggling with some sin and sinfulness in your life? If so, you are in good company. St. Paul in his letter to the […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 04 – Year I Living in Freedom as Children of God (Rm 6:19-23; Ps 1; Lk 12:49-53) ********************************************* “You were slaves of sin… and have become slaves of God.” Slavery is not a word we like to hear. It brings to mind some of the worst abuses of humanity, including within our […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 03 – Year I Instruments of Righteousness (Rm 6:12-18; Ps 124; Lk 12:39-48) ********************************************* “Present yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.” That sentence from the first reading to the Romans, the reading itself and the gospel combine to offer us a clear two-pronged message: let go of sin and do the […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 02 – Year I On Being Good and Ready: Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret (Rm 5:12-21; Ps 40; Lk 12:35-38) *************************************** According to Bishop Robert Barron, in today’s Gospel Jesus urges us to be ready for his second coming, similar to John the Baptist preparing us: “Make ready the way […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 01 – Year I On Being Rich Towards God: Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano (Rm 4:20-25; Lk 1:69-75; Lk 12:13-21) ************************************* A hundred-dollar bill, a twenty-dollar bill and a Looney were having a serious conversation about live one day. The hundred-dollar bill boasted he had a very good life, as […]

HOMILY SUN 29-A Be True to Moses and Mission Sunday (Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Matthew 22:15-21) *************************************************************** Today, the Catholic world celebrates Mission Sunday, which given the recent focus on colonization here in Canada and in other parts of the world, can give us reason to pause for reflection, as it […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 06 – Year I The Flow of Trinitarian Faith (Rm 4:13-18; Ps 105; Lk 12:8-12) ************************************* A rather vain, somewhat narcissistic woman confessed she was guilty of the sin of vanity. The priest popped out of the confessional, opened her door to look at her, came back in and told her, “Lady, […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 05 – YEAR I Repent, Return, Rejoice: Memorial of St. Hedwig (Rm 4:1-8; Ps 32; Lk 12:1-7) ********************************************** A dishonest painter took a contract to paint a church, but cheated by thinning the paint. As long as it didn’t rain, he thought he would be okay. That night there was a big […]

HOMILY WEEK 28 04 – Year I Justified by Faith or Works? Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross (Rm 3:21-30; Ps 130; Lk 11:47-54) *********************************************** Someone once said that if Christians wanted others to believe in their redeemer, they needed to act more redeemed. The readings today invite us to live the fullness […]