HOMILY WEEK 26 06 – Year I Believing in Angels: Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels (Exodus 23:20-23; Ps 91; Mt 18:1-5, 10) ****************************************** A young boy asked his parents to be alone with his new-born baby sister. The parents listened in and heard him say to his little sister, “Quick, tell me what God […]

HOMILY WEEK 26 02 – Year II Called to Redemptive Suffering: Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Job 3:1-23; Ps 88; Lk 9:51-56) ************************************ One of the most striking teachings of Jesus is to take up our cross and follow him. All the readings today focus on suffering. And all call us into […]

HOMILY WEEK 26 01 – Year II Qualities of a Strong Faith: Memorial of St. Jerome (Job 1:6-22; Ps 17; Lk 9:46-50) *************************************************** “In all of this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”  That conclusion to the first reading today sets the stage for the readings and the message they convey – […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 26 – B The Kingdom Priorities of Holiness and Justice (Num 11:16-17, 25-29; Psalm 19; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48) ************************************************************ “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.” These are harsh words spoken by Jesus in today’s gospel. What […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 06 – Year II Radical Discipleship and Redemptive Suffering: Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions (Eccles 11:9-12:8; Ps 90; Lk 9:43-45) ******************************************************* Blending reflections from The Word Among Us and Bishop Robert Barron with today’s readings provides us with a strong invitation to be radical disciples of Jesus following him […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 05 – Year II The Messiah of God: Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul (Ecclesiastes 3; Ps 144; Lk 9:18-22) *********************************************** In today’s gospel, Jesus poses a question about his identity in the peoples’ eyes to his disciples, and then asks them who they think he is. Peter replies with a very […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 04 – Year II Taking up the Cross and Living Calvary in Slow Motion: Feast of Saints Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and Companions (Rev 7:9-17; Ps 124; 2 Cor 4:7-15; Lk 9:23-26) ********************************************************* This day honours the eight martyrs of North America – six Jesuit priests and two assistants – who […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 03 – Year II Sent to Proclaim and to Heal: Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Prov 30:5-9; Ps 119; Lk 9:1-6) ****************************************** “Take nothing with you.” What a difference there is between this admonition of Jesus to the apostles he sends out on mission, and the Boy Scouts motto “Be […]

HOMILY WEEK 25 02 – Year II Like a Stream in God’s Hand: Optional Memorial Blessed Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin (Prov 21:1-6, 10-13; Ps 119; Lk 8:19-21) ********************************************************** The Grand Canyon is two hundred seventy-seven miles long, up to eighteen miles wide, and over a mile deep. Water flowing there, over millions of years, has left its […]

WEEKDAY HOMILY 25 01 – Year II Living as Blessed – Who You are Meant to Be: Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padré Pio) (Prov 3:27-34; Ps 15; Lk 8:16-18) *************************************************** When he turned fifty, folk-music legend Bob Dylan was asked by Rolling Stone magazine if he was happy. He replied, “These are Yuppie […]