HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 04 04 – Year I After God’s Own Heart – Living a 9th Beatitude: Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis (Acts 13.13-25; Ps 89; Jn 13.16-20) ***************************************************** If you were invited to speak in a synagogue, what would be your message? The readings today provide us with one: have faith in […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 05 01 – Year I Living and Praying the Paschal Mystery: Feast of Saints Philip and James (1 Cor 15:1-8; Ps 19; Jn 14:6-14) ******************************************** Today’s first reading begins with St. Paul reminding his readers of the Good News that he proclaimed to them in which they were “standing,” and by […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 04 02 – Year I A Positive Faith: Memorial of St. Athanasius (Acts 11.19-26; Ps 87; Jn 10.22-30) ************************************** Fr. Bryan Massingdale, a black priest who in 2017 received an honorary doctorate from the Oblate School of Theology for his ministry in theology and social justice, delivered a passionate and inspiring […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 04 01 – Year I The Cross and Resurrection: Optional Memorial of St Joseph the Worker (Acts 11.1-18; Ps 42; Jn 10.11-18) ********************************************* Sr. Lùcia Silva’s nephew was walking home one night with a friend when he looked up and saw they were by a tall wooden cross bathed in bright […]

HOMILY SUNDAY EASTER 04 – A Jesus – Shepherd and Gate (Acts 2:14a, 36b-41; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:20-25; Jn 10:1-10) **********************************************************  Do you have a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall in your home? If so, and most do, what image is it? Many have the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON WEEK 03 06 – Year I Growing our Relationship with Jesus: Memorial of St. Catherine of Sienna ((Acts 9:31-42; Ps 116; Jn 6:53-69) ********************************************* What do you think was the most pivotal moment of Peter’s life with Jesus? What would ours be? St. Peter is strikingly central to both readings today, inviting […]

HOMILY EASTER WEEK 03 05 – Year I Transformative Faith: Optional Memorial of St Peter Chanel (Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117; Jn 6:52-59) **************************************** An atheist professor was told about a little girl who claimed her newborn kittens were atheists. Finding that intriguing, he went to visit her and see for himself. When he arrived and […]

HOMILY EASTER WEEK 03 04 – Year I Dare We Also Rejoice and Proclaim? (Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66; Jn 6:44-51) ****************************************** Henri Thoreau once famously claimed “Most people lead lives of quiet desperation.” Given our society today, I would add “and silent depression,” coming from the surprising response to a retreat we gave at the […]

HOMILY EASTER SEASON 03 03 – Year I Our Lady of Good Counsel (Acts 8:1-8; Ps 66; Jn 6:35-40) ************************************** Gabor Maté, renowned psychologist from Vancouver, BC., speaks of addiction in terms of a Buddhist legend of people with huge stomachs and scrawny necks, never able to satisfy their hunger. In the book, A Spirituality […]

HOMILY – FEAST OF ST MARK Proclaiming the Good News by Word and Witness (1 Pt 5:5-14; Ps 89; Mk 16:15-20) *********************************************** This feast of St. Mark and the readings today might suggest this dismissal at the end of the Eucharist: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” […]