HOMILY WEEK 27 06 – Year II Free to Live the Word of God (Ga 3:22-29; Ps 105; Lk 11:27-28) ********************************************** You have probably heard the somewhat cynical saying that was used years ago to describe the life of a church-goer – pay, pray and obey! In the gospel today, Jesus urges us to go […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 05 – Year II Holding Nothing Back: Optional Memorial of St. Pope John XXIII (Gal 3:6-14; Ps 111; Lk 11:15-26) ******************************************* “After Jesus had cast out a demon…” This Gospel passage seems to refer to Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons. Visionary Ann Catherine Emerich claims after Jesus […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 04 – Year II Faith Expressed Through Prayer (Ga 3:1-5; Lk 1:69-75; Lk 11:5-13) ********************************************* There is a saying, “Pray as if everything depended on God; work as if everything depended on you.” That saying resonates with the readings today, inviting us to place our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 03 – Year II The Freshness of Our Faith: Optional Memorial of St. John Leonardi (Ga 2:1-2,7-14; Ps 117; Lk 11:1-4) ***************************************** The movie Risen imparts to the viewer a glimpse of the freshness and hopeful newness the resurrection of Jesus brought to the early disciples, and to the whole world eventually. […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 02 – Year II Our Choice: Dopamine or Jesus? (Gal 1:13-34; Ps 139; Lk 10:38-42) ************************************** “There is nothing we humans crave more, fear more, and fumble more than intimacy.” This statement by David Hassell S.J., author of Dark Intimacy, provides the context for today’s readings. As human beings, we all have […]

HOMILY WEEK 27 01 – Year II A Church of Good Samaritans – Loving as Jesus Loved: Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Gal 1:6-12; Ps 11; Lk 10:25-37) *************************************************** As participants in a course at the Tantur Ecumenical Centre in Jerusalem, we attended a Sabbath service, then were invited to share a Sabbath […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 27 B The Foundation of Marriage and Family Life Gen 2:7-8, 18-24; Psalm 128; Heb 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16) ********************************************************* “What’s it like to be your own boss?” A businessman was asked. “I don’t know,” he replied.  “The police won’t let me park in front of my office. Tax collectors tell me how to […]

HOMILY WEEK 26 06 – Year II Humble Faith, Repentance and Awe: Optional Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska (Job 42:1-17; Ps 119; Luke 10:17-24) ************************************************ “When you are dead, you do not know that you are dead – all of the pain is felt by others left behind. The same thing happens when you are […]

HOMILY WEEK 26 05 – Year II Discipleship as Humble, Repentant Faith: Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Job 38:12-40:5; Ps 139; Lk 10:13-16) ************************************* Have you ever thought of what it must have been like for Jesus to have seventy disciples following him? Who did all the cooking? Where did they stay? As disciples […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 26 04 – Year II Discipleship: A Test of Faith (Job 19:21-27; Ps 27; Lk 10:1-12) ***************************************************** A priest, who was addressing his sermon on Jesus especially to the kids in the congregation, started by describing an imaginary special person who was very kind, good, loved all people and helped everybody, etc. As […]