HOMILY EASTER VIGIL YEAR B Experiencing New Life Through the Cross (Romans 6:3-11; Mark 16:1-8) ***************************************** Two confirmed bachelors were sitting and talking about cooking. One said that he had a fancy cookbook but never did much with it. When asked why by the other, he replied because every recipe started the same way – […]
Good Friday-Cross-Passion
GOOD FRIDAY HOMILY – (Homily 01) Choose Jesus’ New Way of Life (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42) ******************************************************* In the movie Passion of the Christ, Jesus, beaten, bloodied and half dead, meets his mother and tells her simply, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This is the shocking reality of […]
Holy Thursday-Faith-Love-Service
HOMILY HOLY THURSDAY Faith Expressed Through Loving Service (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15) ************************************************ Have you ever noticed the change that happens to someone when they fall in love? Let the love of Jesus lead you into and intimate relationship with him and humble service of others. Tonight, we remember that intimate […]
Faith-Redemptive Suffering-Kingdom of God
HOMILY – WEDNESDAY of HOLY WEEK The Key to the Kingdom (Is 50:4-9; Ps 69; Mt 26:14-26) ************************************** A fellow, tired of carrying his cross, went into a cross shop to trade it in. He tried on all kinds of crosses, but found them all either too long or too short, too heavy or too […]
Redemptive Suffering-Passio-The Last Supper
HOMILY – TUESDAY of HOLY WEEK Redemptive Suffering and Brokenness (Is 49:1-6; Ps 71; Jn 13:21-33. 36-38) ********************* ************************* As a young seminarian, my spiritual director was Fr. Adam Exner, who eventually became an archbishop. After hearing my story (the first one to ever do so), Exner observed that I needed to work on my […]
Faith-Jesus Son of God-Mary of Bethany
HOMILY – MONDAY of HOLY WEEK Mary of Bethany – Model of Genuine Caring (Isaiah 42:1-7; Ps 27; Jn 12:1-11) ******************************************** Many years ago, well-known spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote a book entitled Out of Solitude. It contains three sermons he gave to health-care professionals outlining what it means to really care. One of the […]
Palm Sunday-Kenosis-Kyrios
HOMILY PALM SUNDAY YEAR B From Kenosis to Kyrios (Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47) **************************************************** As is the case on Good Friday, the readings provide us with such a rich content that it borders on being overwhelming, so a comment on each reading, under the umbrella of From Kenosis to Kyrios, will […]
Faith-Covenant-Jesus Christ
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 06 – Year I A Covenant of Peace (Jer 37:21-28; Jer 31:10-13; Jn 11:45-57) ******************************************* Have you ever had an experience of being in exile? of feeling alienated and lost? out of sorts? One day on Facebook someone from north central Saskatchewan posted: “Pray for me today – I don’t feel […]
Faith-Prayer-Perseverance
HOMILY LENT WEEK 05 05 – Year I Faith, Prayer and Presence (Jer 20:7-13; Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42) ************************************* Faith, prayer and presence sum up the readings for today. We are invited to place our total trust in Jesus as Son of God, pray to God from the heart out of our need, and live […]
Faith-Annunciation of Mary
SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION Birthing Jesus into the World in Imitation of Mary (Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10d; Ps 40; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-28) ************************************************* Sr. Connie Piska UJ of Edmonton gave me a gift she made for my priestly ordination in 1974 that still hangs on a wall in the bathroom so that I see it […]
