MEMORIAL: OUR LADY OF SORROWS (Heb 5:7-9; Ps 31; Lk 2:33-35 or Jn 19:25-27) ************************************************** “Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered.” That striking sentence by St. Paul, becomes even more striking in our day and age when our society has lost any understanding of suffering, and tries to avoid it at all cost. The […]
The Holy Cross
EXULTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS The Cross – Source of Life Through Faith and Repentance (Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17) *********************************************************** There is much history behind today’s feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Legend has it that St. Helena, the mother of St. Augustine, discovered the True Cross in 326 […]
St. John Chrysostom
HOMILY WEEK 23 03 – Year I Renewal and Revelation: Memorial of St. John Chrysostom (Col 3:1-11; Ps 145; Lk 6:20-26) ******************************************** If you’re green you grow, if you’re not, you rot! That rather striking statement carries a lot of truth and actually applies to today’s readings that invite us into a life-long process of […]
Most Holy Name of Mary
HOMILY WEEK 23 02 – Year I Staying Rooted in Jesus Christ: Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Col 2:6-16; Ps 145; Lk 6:12-19) ************************************************************ One of the many scenes of destruction portrayed on television during the wrath of Hurricane Irma was that of a homeowner watching and videoing the uprooting of […]
Jesus Christ
HOMILY WEEK 23 01 – Year I Mining the Great Mystery – Christ in Us: (Col 1:24-2:3; Ps 62; Lk 6:6-11) ***************************************** As a 25th anniversary of priesthood initiative in 1994, I wrote a booklet on Indigenous ministry called “Northern Nuggets” that eventually morphed into the book Drumming From Within published by Novalis. That original […]
Forgiveness
HOMILY SUNDAY 23 – A Forgiveness and Love – Heart of the Church (Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95; Romans 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20) ************************************************************* Can you sum up the Bible in one sentence? St. Paul, in the second reading, does it for us. The commandments, he tells us, are summed up in this one word: “Love your […]
St Peter Claver
HOMILY WEEK 22 06 – Year I Secure in Faith, Reaching Out in Love: Optional Memorial of St. Peter Claver (Col 1:21-23; Ps 54; Lk 6:1-5) ********************************************** Have you seen the movie, March of the Penguins? If not, I would encourage you to do so. That movie, along with the readings today, encourage us to […]
Nativity of Mary
FEAST of the NATIVITY OF MARY – WEEK 22 04 – Year I Trust and Transformation (Rm 8:28-30/Micah 5:2-5; Ps 13; Mt 1:1-23) ********************************************* Have you had to make a difficult decision lately and felt very alone? Have you ever wondered where was God in a particular painful situation? The readings on this feast of […]
Faith
HOMILY WEEK 22 04 – Year I Our Life in Christ: (Col 1:9-14; Ps 98; Lk 5:1-11) ***************************************** “Since we heard of your life in Christ.” Has anyone ever said that to you? Those words of St. Paul to the Colossians in the first reading today are a strong reminder to us that we are […]
Servants of the Word
HOMILY WEEK 22 03 – Year I Faithful Ministers of Christ (Col 1:1-8; Ps 52; Lk 4:38-44) ********************************************** Have you ever thought of taking Epaphras as your model for a life of faith? In the first reading, St. Paul holds him up as a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ. That means that […]
