Filled with the Spirit, Sent to Serve and Open to the Word (Micah 5:2-5; Psalm 80; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45) ************************************************** An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor who fitted him with a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% clearly. […]
HOMILY ADVENT DECEMBER 21 Yr I
Faith, Forgiveness, Healing and Joy (Zeph 3:14-18; Ps 33; Lk 1:39-45) ************************************** “The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies.” Those words, a repeat of the first reading from the third Sunday of Advent, along with the gospel account of the Visitation, hint at the way our faith […]
ADVENT HOMILY DECEMBER 20 Yr I
Prophecy Fulfilled – Mary’s Fiat – God is With Us (Is 7:10-8:10; Ps 24; Lk 1:26-38) ************************************************ How accurate do you think you would be in predicting events seven hundred years into the future? The readings today, about prophecy fulfilled in Mary, encourage us to be like her and let the Lord of glory enter […]
HOMILY ADVENT DECEMBER 19th
Humble Faith and the Power of Powerlessness (Jdgs 13:2-25; Ps 71; Lk 1:5-25) *********************************************** Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you were powerless, came up empty, felt like your hands were tied behind your back? The readings today give us hope that God can work marvels even in our times of […]
HOMILY ADVENT DEC 18th – Yr I
(Jer 23:5-8; Ps 72; Mt 1:18-24) *********************************** The late Serge LeClerc was a motivational speaker who spoke at a Health Conference in Saskatoon some years ago. Born in Winnipeg to a young drug addict mother deemed unfit to raise a child, he was taken away, put into foster homes, rebelled and got into a life […]
ADVENT HOMILY WEEK 03 01 – Yr I
Believing and Blessing (Gen 49:2-10; Ps 71; Mt 1:1-17) ********************************* Did you notice a shift in today’s readings? Until the last seven days of Advent, the emphasis is on the coming of Jesus at the end of time. On December 17th, the theme switches to the coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, to […]
HOMILY ADVENT SUNDAY 3 – C
Joyful, Transformative Love (Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12; Phil 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18) ************************************************************ What happens when you put a piece of paper in a glass of water? Nothing really – the paper simply gets soaked and soggy. What happens when you hold a piece of paper over a lit candle? Transformation – the paper bursts into flame, […]
WEEKDAY HOMILY ADVENT 02 05 – Yr I
The Light of God’s Word – Memorial: St John of the Cross (Is 48:17-19; Ps 1; Mt 11:16-19) ******************************************************* Fr. René Fumoleau OMI recounts the story of an elder who commented to him that having faith in God was like driving a car at night. One journeyed without being able to see the destination, because […]
HOMILY ADVENT WEEK 02 04 – Yr I
The Pain of Entering Heaven – Memorial: St Lucy (Isaiah 41:13-20; Ps 145; Mt 11:11-15) *************************************************** Since John the Baptist, the violent take heaven by force. These are strange words. What do they mean? The readings today invite us to enter into the hard work of healing, of transformation, of taking heaven by force. Isaiah […]
HOMILY – FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
(Rev 11:19, 12:1-10; Judith 13; Lk 1:39-47) **************************************************** There are two options for the first reading on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The richness and appropriateness of the second option from Revelations makes for an easy decision. The whole reading lends itself to a deeper understanding of the mystery of our salvation through […]
