HOMILY WEEK 15 06 – Year II Relational, Transformative Justice (Micah 2:1-5; Ps 10; Mt 12:14-21) ****************************************** “He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles, and bring justice to victory.” This promise in the gospel of Matthew today puts our focus on justice as central to following Jesus and our faith life. That should not be […]

HOMILY WEEKDAY 15 05 – Year II Love over Law; Compassion over Compunction (Is 38:1-22:8; Is 38; Mt 12:1-8) ****************************************************** “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” That simple statement of Jesus in the gospel today invites us into deeper faith in him as God among us, and into a deeper understanding of what it means to […]

HOMILY WEEK 15 04 – Year II An Invitation Like None Other: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Is 26:7-19; Ps 102; Mt 11:28-30) ************************************************* “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Some years ago, I received a similar invitation from […]

HOMILY WEEK 15 03 – Year II Humble Faith – Key to the Kingdom Memorial of St. Bonaventure (Isaiah 10:5-7; 13-16; Ps 94; Mt 11:25-27) ********************************************* “Even the biggest ship needs a tug to move it out of the harbor.” That statement resonates with the readings today proclaiming humility as the virtue opening up our […]

HOMILY WEEK 15 02 – Year II Transformative Faith and Repentance: Optional Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis (Is 7:1-9; Ps 48; Mt 11:20-24) ********************************************** “Repent and believe – the kingdom of heaven is near.” That first sentence of Jesus in the Synoptic gospels is reflected in the readings today as an invitation to us […]

HOMILY WEEK 15 01 – YEAR II What God Really Wants, and Does Not Want, of Us: Optional Memorial of St. Henry (Is 1:10-17; Ps 50; Mt 10:34-11:1) ******************************************* At one point during his agony in the garden, Jesus utters a prayer that rings true for us in the light of today’s readings: “Father, not […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 15-A The Sustaining and Healing Word of God (Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23) ******************************************************* Within the striking image or parable of the Word of God today as a seed, and the response or lack of response to that seed, two aspects emerge demanding our attention, and that is the power […]

HOMILY WEEK 14 06 – Year II Our Healing Journey of Faith: Memorial of St. Benedict (Is 6:1-8; Ps 93; Mt 10:24-33) ************************************** “Whoever acknowledges me, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” That statement is a clear call to believe in Jesus. The readings add the dimension of forgiveness and healing to that […]

HOMILY WEEK 14 05 – Year II Ready to Evangelize (Hos 14:1-9; Ps 51; Mt 10:16-23) ************************************* “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves.” This statement from Jesus can be a little intimidating. However, if we are solidly grounded in the Father’s love experienced through forgiveness and healing, we […]

HOMILY WEEK 14 04 – Year II God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways: Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rang and Companions (Hos 11:1,3-5,8-9; Ps 80; Mt 10:7-15) ******************************************************** A young lad, allowed by a storeowner to lick the molasses from an empty jar, decided he should pray first, “Lord, make my tongue adequate to […]