Jesus: True God and True Man (Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8; Mk 1:21-28) ****************************** Our Christian faith invites us to worship Jesus as divine, and relate to his humanity as a brother. The author of Hebrews in yesterday’s first reading seemed very intent on establishing the identity of Jesus, utilizing such expressions as “Son of God, […]
HOMILY – BAPTISM OF THE LORD Year C
Baptism – a New Creation (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17) **************************************************** An elder came to a missionary in China one day to say that he had no trouble understanding God the Father, and no trouble understanding God the Son, but that he was having a hard time understanding the “Honourable Bird!” […]
HOMILY EPIPHANY WEEKDAY JANUARY 10
Faith Expressed Through Love (1 Jn 4:19-5:4; Ps 71; Lk 4:14-22) ******************************************* The liturgy today invites us to deepen our faith in Jesus as the Messiah, revealing a God who is love, and then express that faith by living his commandment to love. In the first reading, John gives us a glimpse into the importance […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY JANUARY 9
Becoming Icons of God’s Love on Earth (1 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 72; Mk 6:45-52) ************************************************* Jesus and Moses were golfing one day, and it turns out Jesus was a great fan of Jack Nicklaus. If he hit a good shot, he would exclaim, “Yes, just like Jack Nicklaus!” If he hit a poor shot, he […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – TUESDAY, JANUARY 8
A God Who is Love, and Loving Like God (1 Jn 4:7-10; Ps 72; Mk 6:34-44) ******************************************** The readings today challenge us in two ways: how well do we really know God, and are we learning God’s language of love? John in the first reading, and Matthew in his gospel account, are clear: God is […]
HOMILY WEEKDAY OF CHRISTMAS – JANUARY 7th
Living in the Kingdom through Faith and Love: Memorial – Saint André Bessette (1 Jn 3:22-4:6; Ps 2; Mt 4:12-25) ************************************************* According to The Word Among Us,researchers interviewed American Christian youth, both Catholic and non-Catholic, for a recent study. The data indicated although they called themselves Christians, many of the young people didn’t really grasp […]
HOMILY FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY
Epiphany: Two Journeys – the Magi and Ours (Is 60:1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3:2-6; Mt 2:1-12) ************************************************* Have you ever considered the journey of the Magi as an invitation to set out on a journey of your own? Today’s celebration of the Epiphany can be seen as exactly that – an invitation to make of […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – JANUARY 05
Living Faith and Loving Action (1 Jn 3:11-21; Ps 100; Jn 1:43-51) **************************************** A fellow was hiking in the mountains when he fell over a cliff. Halfway down the face of the mountain, he luckily managed to grab hold of a branch with both hands that stopped his fall. Suspended between heaven and earth, he […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS WEEKDAY – JAN 04
Singing A New Song (1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98; Jn 1:35-43) **************************************** O sing to the Lord a new song. That first sentence of the first stanza of the psalm today captures the spirit of the readings: We are to live a new life in Christ, the Lamb of God. The readings today unfold in […]
HOMILY JANUARY 03 – XMAS SEASON
Growing into Christ-likeness – Holy Name of Jesus (1 Jn 2:29-3:6; Ps 98; Jn 1:29-34) *************************************** One of the delights of returning to northern Saskatchewan for seasonal ministry is seeing the children of couples I knew as children, and guessing who their parents are. Often, it is obvious because of the resemblance, other times more […]
