HOMILY SUNDAY 06 – C On Being Beatitude People (Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1; 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:20-26) *********************************************************** A young boy travelled far from his home to study under a great teacher. When he met the wise old man, his first question was, “How long will it take me before I am as […]

WEEK 05 DAY 06 (Homily 02) Responding to Love with Love (Gn 3:9-24; Ps 90; Mk 8:1-10) ************************************** Many years ago, the Beatles sang a song, “All You Need Is Love.” That song resonates with the readings for today, which remind us of the depth of God’s love for us, and our call to respond […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 05 Shame and Fear – Speak and Hear (Gen 3:1-8; Ps 32; Mk 7:31-37) **************************************** What would you entitle a homily based on these readings? Many possible titles came to my mind: “A Not-so Original Sin; Sin and Sinfulness; Forgiveness and Healing; The Solution to Sin,” etc. What I decided upon was […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 04 The Two Dimensions of Faith and Love Memorial – Saints Cyril and Methodius (Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128; Mk 7:24-30) ********************************************* What are the names of the two girlfriends that a priest or bishop can have? The answer is Karen and Sharon. Caring and Sharing! Those two names sum up the essence […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 03 The Reality of Sin (Gen 2:4-17; Ps 104; Mk 7:14-23) ************************************** A French preacher told his congregation that he was going to preach about hell – what the hell it is, where the hell it is, and how the hell to get there! Understanding sin helps us avoid sin. The first […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 02 A Spirituality of Human Incompleteness (Gen 1:20-2:4; Ps 8; Mk 7) *********************************************** A child was paging through a large family bible when he came across a large maple leaf his mother was drying in its pages. He ran to her excitedly to proclaim that he had found Adam’s underwear! Jesus, through […]

HOMILY WEEK 05 01 Creation, Recreation and Our Lady of Lourdes: Optional Memorial (Gen 1:1-19; Ps 104; Mk 6:53-56) ************************************************** The readings for an optional memorial like Our Lady of Lourdes today vary from year to year, thus presenting a different challenge to a homilist each time. Within the context of this memorial, today’s readings […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 5-C  Discipleship: Call and Response (Is 6:1-2, 3-6; Psalm 138; 1 Co 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11) *********************************************************   A farmer had been so good to his animals they wanted to do something special for him one day. A cow suggested that they give him breakfast in bed of ham and eggs. A chicken agreed […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 – 06 Doing the Will of God (Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Ps 23; Mk 6:30-34) **************************************** On Feb 28, 1944, a young Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps for running a safe house for Jews during the Nazi occupation of Holland. This experience […]

HOMILY WEEK 04 05 Loved and Loving: Memorial – St. Josephine Bakhita (Heb 13:1-8; Ps 27; Mk 6:14-29) **************************************** Today’s readings remind us of how loved we are by God, and invite us to live out of that love with in a multiplicity of ways. The author of the letter to the Hebrews lays the […]