HOMILY WEEK 22 03 – Year I Faithful Ministers of Christ (Col 1:1-8; Ps 52; Lk 4:38-44) ********************************************** Have you ever thought of taking Epaphras as your model for a life of faith? In the first reading, St. Paul holds him up as a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ. That means that […]

HOMILY WEEK 22 02 – Year I Living with Christ as Children of the Light (1 Thess 5:1-11; Ps 27; Lk 4:31-37) *********************************************** Are you familiar with the term “paradigm shift”? It refers to an idea or event that radically affects the way we see and deal with reality – almost forcing us to refocus […]

HOMILY for LABOR DAY Walking in Harmony with all of God’s Creation: Optional Memorial of Blessed Dina Bélanger (Gen 1:26-2:3; Ps 90; Mt 25:14-30) **************************************   The first reading from Genesis provided for this Labor Day fittingly portrays God at work at creating the universe.   “Let us make man in our image” could indicate […]

  HOMILY SUNDAY 22 – A “Passio” and the Cross (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) ********************************************************** “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him take up his cross and follow me.” What a strange invitation from someone who is looking for followers. Certainly, it is not coming from someone […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 06 – Year I Just Love: Optional Memorial of Blessed André Grasset (1 Th 4:9-11; Ps 98; Mt 25:14-30) ************************************************ A customer placed an exquisite greeting card on the store counter and reached for his wallet. Pushing the keys on the cash register, the clerk said, “That will be $4 please.”  “$4,” […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 05 – Year I Living with Lamps Lit (1 Thess 4:1-8; Ps 97; Mt 25:1-13) ************************************* Recently, after years of burning messy candles, I noticed an oil lamp sitting on a side table in our chapel where I previously lived. I filled it with oil, held a match to it and voila! […]

  HOMILY WEEK 21 04 – Year I Rooted in Faith; Living in Hope and Growing in Love (1 Thes 3:7-13; Ps 90; Mt 24:42-51) ********************************************* “Participate, don’t anticipate” is what we used to tell youth who were beginning either a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) or a Search weekend in the north years ago. That […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 03 – Year I Holy Lives or Whitewashed Tombs? (1 Thess 2:9-13; Ps 139; Mt 23:27-32) ******************************************* As it was a few days ago, the readings today are a study of contrasts. That being said, the gospel acclamation and St. Paul in the first reading come together to provide a clear message: […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 02 – Year I The Passion of John the Baptist: Prophetic Consolation and Desolation (Jer 1:17-19; Ps 71; Mk 6:17-29) *********************************************** The late Fr. Andrew Britz OSB, former editor of the Prairie Messenger newspaper, was noted for his courageous editorials that addressed rather fearlessly and directly the key and often controversial issues […]