Humble Faith and Trust (1 Sam 4:1-11; Ps 44; Mk 1:40-45) ************************************* Have you ever wondered, “Where is God?” when something bad happened to you? The readings today provide us with a simple, clear and important message: Be humble and trust in God at all times and in all circumstances. To better understand the first […]
HOMILY WEEK 01 03 – Yr II
Living in Balance (1 Sam 3: Ps 40; Mk 1:29-39) ************************************** “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” This sentence from Psalm 40 of today’s readings captures the message of the liturgy for us today – to balance prayer and work, contemplation and action in our lives. […]
HOMILY WEEK 01 02 – Yr II
Spiraling Out of Control (1 Sam 1:9-20; 1 Sam 2; Mk 1:21-28) **************************************** How would you take the air out of a glass? Would you use a vacuum pump? Or simply fill the glass with water, and the air would be pushed out. In a similar way, the readings today invite us to come to […]
HOMILY BAPTISM OF THE LORD – Year B
A New Covenant of Unconditional Love (Isaiah 55:1-11; Ps 29; Mk 1:7-11) ******************************************************** Have you ever felt insecure, unsure of yourself in some situations, perhaps even doubting if you are loved or really lovable? Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord invites us to appreciate not only our baptism, but also our identity as […]
HOMILY EPIPHANY Year B
Learning from the Magi (Is 60:1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3:2-6; Mt 2:1-12) ************************************************* When a topic pertaining to wisdom, theology or academia comes up, Bishop Emeritus Gerry Wiesner, who lives, taught and ministers in Western Canada, often quips, “All wise persons come from the East – and the wiser they are, the sooner they come!” […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON January 6
Three That Testify: Living God’s Testimony (1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147; Mk 1:4-11) ******************************************* And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. That sentence from the first reading hints at the dynamic energy and power of God at work in our lives through Jesus Christ. We […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON January 5
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 SEASON Jan 4
Singing A New Song (1 Jn 3:7-10; Ps 98; Jn 1:35-43) **************************************** O sing a new song to the Lord. 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 fit together […]
HOMILY CHRISTMAS SEASON JAN 02
Abiding in friendship and in God: Saints Basil and Gregory (1 Jn 2:22-28; Ps 98; Jn 1:19-28) ******************************************** Can you think of a friendship that changed your life? The reading today from 1 Jn, and the memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, invite us into an always deeper and more intimate […]
HOMILY MARY MOTHER OF GOD – NEW YEAR’S DAY
Pray, Bless and Praise (Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21) ************************************************************* Ritual, Theology and Narrative: these three words succinctly describe the three readings for today. In essence, they call us to bless one another; pray like Mary, and worship God like the shepherds. As we begin this New Year, it seems appropriate to […]
