HOMILY THURSDAY of EASTER WEEK On Being Missionary Disciples (Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8; Lk 24:35-48) ********************************************* Pope Francis has repeatedly stated that he wants a church of missionary disciples. The gospel for today could serve as a manual for how to be missionary disciples: faith; repentance; forgiveness; redemptive suffering; understanding the bible, and witnessing. First, […]
Emmaus
‘HOMILY WEDNESDAY of EASTER WEEK The Resurrection: Believe, Experience and Share (Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105; Lk 24:13-35) *********************************************** After the celebration of a Triduum and participating in an addiction’s awareness workshop, a participant shared she had become aware for the first time that Jesus was truly alive and present in her life. He was now […]
Grieving
HOMILY TUESDAY of EASTER WEEK From Stuck in Grief to Good Grieving (Acts 2:36-41; Ps 33; Jn 20:11-18) ************************************************ “Go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” “Go” and “Say” – two words that apply also to us. These words […]
Witnessing
HOMILY MONDAY OCTAVE OF EASTER – Year II On Being Spirit-Filled Witnesses (Acts 2:14-23; Ps 6; Mt 28:8-15) ********************************************* “People of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem … listen to what I say!” (Acts 2:14) These words of St. Peter, and indeed the whole book of Acts, are an invitation to us to also […]
Easter Sunday
HOMILY EASTER SUNDAY YEAR B Experiencing Eternal Life through Faith, Forgiveness, Healing and Grieving (Acts 10:34, 37-43; Ps 118; Col 3:1-4/1 Cor 5:6-8; John 20:1-18) ************************************************************ “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” We have every reason to rejoice and be glad, because through the resurrection of Jesus, […]
New Life Through the Cross
EASTER VIGIL YEAR B Experiencing New Life Through the Cross (Romans 6:3-11; Mark 16:1-8) ***************************************** Two confirmed bachelors were sitting and talking about cooking. One said that he had a fancy cookbook but never did much with it. When asked why by the other, he replied because every recipe started the same way – “Take […]
Good Friday
GOOD FRIDAY HOMILY Choose Jesus’ New Way of Life (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42) ******************************************************* In the movie The Passion of Christ, Jesus, beaten, bloodied and half dead, meets his mother and tells her simply, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This is the shocking reality of faith – it […]
Holy Thursday
HOLY THURSDAY (Homily 02) Freedom to Serve (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15) ******************************************* This celebration tonight begins the three great liturgical days of the year – what we call the Easter Triduum. The feast tonight, Holy Thursday, and indeed every Eucharist, has one message – love one another as Jesus has loved […]
Kingdom of God
HOMILY WEDNESDAY of HOLY WEEK The Key to the Kingdom (Is 50:4-9; Ps 69; Mt 26:14-26) ********************************** A fellow, tired of carrying his cross, went into a cross shop to trade it in. He tried on all kinds of crosses, but found them all either too long or too short, too heavy or too light, […]
Suffering
HOMILY TUESDAY of HOLY WEEK Redemptive Suffering and Brokenness (Is 49:1-6; Ps 71; Jn 13:21-33. 36-38) ****************************************** As a young seminarian, my spiritual director was Fr. Adam Exner, who eventually became an archbishop. After hearing my story (the first one to ever do so), Exner asked me to pray with Is 43:1-4, and that passage […]
