HOMILY WEEK 32 05 – Year I Faith and Readiness; Believe and Love: Optional Memorial of St. Albert the Great (Wis 13:1-9; Ps 19; Lk 17:26-37) ********************************************* A nervous lector at the Sunday Eucharist ended her reading one day with the words, “This is the end of the world.” To which the congregation dutifully responded. […]

HOMILY WEEK 32 04 – Year I Living in the Reign (Wis 7:22-8:1; Ps 119; Lk 17:20-28) ********************************* Living in the Reign is the title of a retreat that I love to offer. It of course, alludes to living in the Kingdom of God here and now, the message of today’s gospel. It also coincides […]

HOMILY WEEK 32 03 – Year I Grateful Servants of the Kingdom (Wis 6:1-11; Ps 82; Lk 17:11-19) ************************************************** “Because as servants of the kingdom you did not rule rightly.” That quote from the first reading caught my attention for two reasons: one, it is the first time that I have seen it written, and […]

HOMILY WEEK 32 02 – Year I Living Our Human Longing Well (Wis 2:23-3:9; Ps 34; Lk 17:7-10) ******************************************  “God created us for incorruption.” That evocative statement from the Book of Wisdom, and the readings today, invite us to live our human longing well. Today’s first reading from Wisdom is one we are most likely […]

HOMILY WEEK 32 01 – Year I Called to Repent and to Forgive: Memorial of St. Martin of Tours & Remembrance Day (Wis 1:1-17; Ps 139; Lk 17:1-7) ************************************************** “If there is repentance, you must forgive.” Does this statement by Jesus in the gospel mean we don’t need to forgive a person if they don’t […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 32-C Living the Resurrection (2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; Psalm 17; 2 Thes 2:16-3:5; Luke 20:27-38) ************************************************************** As young seminarian, I was going door-to-door one summer, promoting the former Oblate Our Family Magazine, when I came across a dejected looking young girl sitting on the front steps of her house. I sat down beside […]

HOMILY WEEK 31 05 – Year I Joyfully Proclaiming the Good News (Rm 15:14-21; Ps 98; Lk 16:1-8) **************************************************** Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without faith in Jesus Christ? Honest and open encounters with a Muslim woman and a Hindu computer programmer left me appreciating St. Paul’s goal to constantly […]

HOMILY WEEK 31 04 – Year I Saints and Sinners All (Rm 14:7-12; Ps 27; Lk 15:1-10) ************************************ “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). “I am a sinner” (Pope Francis). Every coin has two sides. These statements, one about Jesus in the gospel, the other uttered by Pope Francis, provide a […]

HOMILY WEEK 31 03 -Year I The Commandments of Jesus (Rm 13:8-10; Ps 112; Lk 14:25-33) *********************************** Isn’t it interesting how love and hate both figure in today’s readings? First, we are to love one another, and then in the gospel we are to hate our families! In the end, the message is simple: we […]