WEEK 06 01 – Year I Mastering Sin and Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude (Gen 4:1-25; Ps 50; Mk 8:11-13) ***************************************************** “Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) The readings today invite us to turn to God for the spiritual help and healing we […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 6-A Living and Loving Wisely (Sirach 15:15-20; Ps 119; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37) *************************************************** “It is part of spiritual wisdom to be able to see the eagle in the egg; butterfly in the caterpillar; saint in the sinner.” This quote from Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, noted spiritual writer and speaker, leads into […]

WEEK 05 DAY 06 – Year I Responding to Love with Love (Gn 3:9-24; Ps 90; Mk 8:1-10) ************************************** Many years ago, the Beatles sang a song, “All You Need Is Love.” That song resonates with the readings for today, which remind us of the depth of God’s love for us, and our call to […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 05 – Year I Shame and Fear – Speak and Hear: Memorial of St. Scholastica (Gen 3:1-8; Ps 32; Mk 7:31-37) **************************************** What would you entitle a homily based on these readings? Many possible titles came to my mind: “A Not-so Original Sin; Sin and Sinfulness; Forgiveness and Healing; The Solution to […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 04 – Year I The Two Dimensions of Faith and Love (Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128; Mk 7:24-30) ********************************************* What are the names of the two girlfriends that a priest or bishop can have? The answer is Karen and Sharon. Caring and Sharing! Those two names sum up the essence of the message […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 03 – Year I The Reality of Sin: Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita (Gen 2:4-17; Ps 104; Mk 7:14-23) ************************************** A French preacher told his congregation that he was going to preach about hell – what the hell it is, where the hell it is, and how the hell to get there! […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 02 – Year I A Spirituality of Human Incompleteness (Gen 1:20-2:4; Ps 8; Mk 7) ******************************************* A child was paging through a large family bible when he came across a large Maple leaf his mother was drying in its pages. He ran to her excitedly to proclaim that he had found Adam’s […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 01 – Year I Creation and Recreation: Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions (Gen 1:1-19; Ps 104; Mk 6:53-56) ************************************************** The readings for a memorial like St. Paul Miki and Companions today vary from year to year, thus presenting a different challenge to a homilist each time. Within the context of […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 05 – YEAR A Be Salt and Light to the World (Isaiah 58:7-10; Ps 111; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5:13-16) *********************************************** “Let your light shine” is one of the teachings of the Christopher Leadership course on effective speaking. It could also well be the message of the Gospel for today’s celebration of the […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 06 – Year I Doing the Will of God (Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Ps 23; Mk 6:30-34) ********************************************** On Feb 28, 1944, a young Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps for running a safe house for Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland. […]