HOMILY WEEK 22 05 – Year II New Wine, New Wineskins: Optional Memorial of Blessed André Grasset (1 Cor 4:1-5; Ps 37; Lk 5:33-39) *********************************************** “The new wine will burst the skins.” In ancient Israel, the juice from pressed grapes immediately went into a container to ferment into wine. If the wine was going to […]

HOMILY WEEK 22 04 – Year II An Invasion of Grace (1 Cor 3:18-23; Ps 24; Lk 5:1-11) ************************************* Did you know that all wise people come from the East? And that the wiser they are, sooner they come! The liturgy today encourages us to be wise, put our faith in Jesus, receive his forgiveness, […]

HOMILY WEEK 22 03 – Year II Co-workers Building the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 3:1-9; Ps 33; Lk 4:38-44) ******************************************* A key feature of my first year of ministry in northern Saskatchewan was introducing the Christopher Leadership Course to the north, which in turn convinced me of the importance of team ministry. As instrumental […]

HOMILY WEEK 22 02 – Year II Living Out Fully Our Trinitarian Faith (1 Cor 2:10-16; Ps 145; Lk 4:31-37) ******************************************************* Step 3 of the A.A. program reads, “Made a decision to surrender our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.” This step, and today’s readings, invite us […]

HOMILY WEEK 22 01 – Year II Prophets Speaking Truth to Power with Love: Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist School Year Opening Mass – St. Charles Parish (Jeremiah 1:17-19; Ps 71; Mk 6:17-29) ******************************************* When I was to be ordained as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas in 2005, […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 22 – C Strive to be Humble (Sirach 3:17-20, 28-29; Psalm 68; Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14:1, 7-14) ************************************************************ “Even the biggest ship needs a tug to move it out of the harbor” Strive to be humble, and let God’s power work in your life. Rarely do the readings focus so clearly on […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 06 – Year II Striking a Balance Between Prayer and Action: Memorial of St. Monica (1 Cor 1:26-31; Ps 33; Mt 25:14-30) ******************************************** Is contemplation incompatible with action? The readings today invite us to find a way to balance these two important and essential elements of Christian life. On the surface, the […]

WEEK 21 05 HOMILY – Year II Faith expressed through Love (1 Cor 1:17-25; Ps 33; Mt 25:1-13) ********************************************* For St. Paul, in the first reading, what is more important than even baptism? The answer is proclaiming the Gospel. He says he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel, to entice everyone […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 04 – Year II Called to be Saints: Optional Memorial of St. Louis (1 Cor 1:1-9; Ps 145; Mt 24:42-51) ****************************************** Ovide Charlebois, first bishop of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas, claimed that one’s life would be wasted if it was not spent trying to be a saint. St. Paul, in today’s […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 04 – Year II Called to be Saints: Optional Memorial of St. Louis (1 Cor 1:1-9; Ps 145; Mt 24:42-51) ****************************************** Ovide Charlebois, first bishop of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas, claimed that one’s life would be wasted if it was not spent trying to be a saint. St. Paul, in today’s […]