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

HOMILY WEEK 21 03 – Year II Attitudes of Genuine Faith and Sincere Love (2 Th 3:6-10, 16-18; Ps 128; Mt 23:27-32) ****************************************** “The last act is the greatest treason. To do the right deed for the wrong reason.” That statement, by T.S. Eliot, in his play Murder in the Cathedral, relates to the readings today, […]

HOMILY WEEK 21 02 – Year II Standing Firm and Holding Fast: Optional Memorial of St. Joseph Calasanz (2 Thes 2:1-3,14-17; Ps 96; Mt 23:23-26) **************************************** There is a legend about St. Francis who claimed he would keep on hoeing in the garden if Jesus was coming that day. In the readings today, St Paul […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 06 – Year II Called to Unite Heaven and Earth: Feast of St. Bartholomew (Rev 21:9b-14; Ps 145; Jn 1:45-51) ******************************************** A somewhat forgetful preacher at a wedding was an ardent fisherman.  He asked the groom, “Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish this woman?” “I do,” said the groom meekly. […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 21 – A Who Do You Say I Am? (Isaiah 22:15, 19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20) ************************************************************* Do you remember the answer to the old catechism question “Why were we created?” The answer, of course, is to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with him […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 02 – Year II Temples of the Holy Spirit and Humble Integrity Memorial – The Queenship of Mary (Ezk 43:1-7; Ps 85; Mt 23:1-12) **************************************************** The glory of the Lord entered the temple (Ezk 43:4). The readings for today (there are other options) invite us to be temples of the Holy Spirit, […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 20 05 – Year II Be Humble and Walk the Talk: Memorial of St. Pius X (Ezk 43:1-7; Ps 85; Mt 23:1-12) *********************************** If a topic were to be given to this homily, emerging from the readings, it would be “Be Humble and Walk the Talk.” Once again in the Gospel, we see […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 04 – Year II Wearing the Wedding Garment:  Memorial of St. Bernard (Ezk 36:23-28; Ps 51; Mt 22:1-14) ************************************************************* Have you ever felt out of place because you were not dressed right for a particular occasion? Today’s readings invite us to put on the garments of profound repentance, deep faith and genuine […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 03 – Year II On Being Good Shepherds in the Kingdom of God: Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes (Ezk 34:1-11; Ps 23; Mt 20:1-16) ************************************************ Did you know that by our baptism, we are shepherd-kings, called to help shepherd God’s people? The readings today challenge us to deeper caring and greater […]

HOMILY WEEK 20 02 – Year II Humble Honesty – Key to the Kingdom (Ezk 28:1-10; Dt 32; Mt 19:23-30) ******************************************* Danny’s wife called me at two am, asking desperately if he could come to see me. Apparently depressed despite being on anti-depressants, unable to sleep despite taking sleeping pills, restless and grouchy, he was, […]