HOMILY WEEK 18 04 – Year II Covenant Love: Memorial of St. Jean Mary Vianney (Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51; Mt 16:13-23) ************************************* Yearning for intimacy is one thing that God and humans have in common. For God, that was always expressed through covenant relationships. The liturgy today invites us into an ever-deepening covenant relationship with […]

HOMILY WEEK 18 03 – Year II Persistent Faith (Jer 31:1-7; Jer 31:10-13; Mt 15:21-28) ******************************************************** There is a very significant faith process at work in the readings today, calling us to have humble and persistent faith in Jesus; to come to him for forgiveness and healing, and to respond with joyful worship and a […]

HOMILY WEEK 18 02 – Year II Prayer of the Anawim: Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli (Jer 30:1-2,12-15; Ps 102; Mt 14:22-36) ********************************************** Are you familiar with the prayer of the Anawim? Today’s gospel challenges us to deepen our faith in Jesus and his power to work in our lives, especially when we […]

HOMILY WEEK 18 01 – Year II Multiplication of the Loaves: Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguroi (Jer 28:1-17; Psalm 119; Mat 14:13-21) *************************************** Give them some food yourselves (Mt 14:16) Forty-two years ago, the Holy Spirit brought these words alive for Joe Difato and his colleagues, who founded the magazine The Word Among Us. This […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 18 – C A New Life of Joy (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23; Psalm 90; Col 3:1-5; 9-11; Luke 12:13-21) ************************************************************* A Jewish lady was selling bagels for 25 cents on a street corner in New York City. One day a businessman took a bagel and gave her 50 cents without any comment. He continued […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 05 – Year II Called to do Metanoia: Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus (Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69; Mt 14:1-12) ***************************************************** “Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God…” Today’s liturgy invites us be prophetic – to speak the truth of repentance, to […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 05 – Year II Hospitality, Contemplation, and the Transformative Healing Journey: Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus (Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69; Jn 11:17-27) ***************************************** This memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus was just recently added to the liturgical calendar by Pope Francis.  St. Martha was already celebrated on Jan. 29 […]

HOMILY WEEK 17 04 – Year II Choosing Light and Life (Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146; Mt 13:47-52) ******************************************** “He tried again, making of the clay another object.” Israel had wandered from the Lord – not once, but multiple times, over many years. The people were worshipping false gods of money, fame and power, breaking the […]

HOMILY – FEAST of ST JOACHIM AND ANNE (Sir 44:1, 8, 10-15; Ps 132; Mt 13:16-17) ********************************************** Today we celebrate the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of our mother Mary, and the grandparents of Jesus. The gospels are bereft of details regarding them – not even offering their names. What we […]

HOMILY WEEK 16 05 – Year II Feast of St. James: Life of Christ Within – Loving Service Without (2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126; Mt 20:20-28) ****************************************** “We make living by what we get; we make a life by what we give away.” Those words by Sir Winston Churchill accompany the message of the readings […]