HOMILY EASTER SUNDAY 02 – Year A Divine Mercy Sunday (Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31) *************************************************** Divine Mercy Sunday celebrates the merciful love of God shining through the Easter Triduum and the whole Easter mystery. The feast recovers an ancient liturgical tradition, reflected in a teaching attributed to St. Augustine about […]

HOMILY SATURDAY of EASTER WEEK Missionary Disciples Proclaiming Good News (Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118; Mk 16:9-15) ******************************************************** Two themes continue to dominate the readings after Easter: faith in the Risen Lord, and the commission to go and proclaim the Good News. These two themes synchronize precisely with two dominant themes of the papacy of Pope […]

HOMILY – FRIDAY of EASTER WEEK Grace Like a Spider’s Thread: Optional Memorial – St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118; Jn 21:1-14) ************************************** Pope Francis states that to be a missionary disciple is to first have a personal encounter with Jesus, and then to share that encounter with others. The Gospel today recounts the […]

HOMILY THURSDAY of EASTER WEEK On Being Missionary Disciples (Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8; Lk 24:35-48) ********************************************** Pope Francis has repeatedly stated that he wants a church of missionary disciples. The gospel for today could serve as a manual for how to be missionary disciples: faith; repentance; forgiveness; redemptive suffering; understanding the bible, and witnessing. First, […]

HOMILY WEDNESDAY of EASTER WEEK The Resurrection: Believe, Experience and Share (Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105; Lk 24:13-35) *********************************************** After the celebration of a Triduum and participating in an addictions awareness workshop, a participant shared she had become aware for the first time that Jesus was truly alive and present in her life. He was now […]

HOMILY TUESDAY OCTAVE OF EASTER – Yr II Believe, Grieve, Repent and Live in the Spirit (Acts 2:36-41; Ps 33; Jn 20:11-18) ***************************************  Can you guess what three elements arise from the readings that will enhance our experience of Easter? To deepen our experience of Easter, the readings today suggest believe, grieve and repent, then […]

HOMILY MONDAY of EASTER WEEK Absorbing and Manifesting the Reality of Easter (Acts 2:14, 22-33; Ps 16; Mt 28:8-15) ************************************************* This first day after the celebration of the Great Triduum of Easter, we are invited to allow the reality of the newness of Easter sink in more deeply, to be children of the resurrection, and […]

EASTER SUNDAY HOMILY – YEAR A Repent, Believe, Grieve and Experience Easter (Acts 10:34, 36-43; Psalm 118; Col 3:1-4; John 20:1-18) **************************************************** The feelings most often associated with Easter morning would be peace and joy. Hopefully, as we woke up this Easter morning, we were experiencing at least to some degree, those Easter emotions. Whether […]

HOMILY EASTER VIGIL – YEAR A Come and See, Grieve and Mourn, Go and Share with Joy (Romans 6:3-11; Ps 118; Mt 28:1-10) ******************************************** The Gospel is a striking description of the resurrection of Jesus holding within it, meaningful nuances for our spiritual life. First is the need that we have to grieve and mourn […]