HOMILY – ALL SOUL’S DAY Living the Paschal Mystery (Job 19:1, 23-27; Ps 103; 1Cor 15:20-23; Jn 12:23-26) ***************************************************** “Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.” Both the readings and today’s commemoration of All Soul’s Day invite us to follow Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery. Jesus, in the […]

SOLEMNITY: ALL SAINTS DAY 2024 Living In the Reign as Saintly Servants and Children of God (Rev 7:2-4, 9-14; Ps 24; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12) ******************************************************** “It is heaven all the way to heaven.” This statement from St. Catherine of Sienna, and the All-Saints liturgy today, invite us to live in the reign of […]

HOMILY WEEK 30 04 – Year II Putting on the Armor of God (Eph 6:10-20; Ps 144; Lk 13:31-35) ************************************ “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you!” According to the New Interpreter’s Bible, these are fateful words. Even though Luke here puzzlingly paints a more positive picture of the Pharisees than the […]

HOMILY WEEK 30 03 – Year II Humble Faith and Love – Keys to the Kingdom (Eph 6:1-9; Ps 145; Lk 13:22-30) ************************************* Strive to enter through the narrow gate. (Luke 13:24) Today’s liturgy reminds us that faith in Jesus, love for others, and humble self-awareness are critical keys to the kingdom of God. The […]

HOMILY WEEK 30 02 – Year II Marriage and the Kingdom of God (Eph 5:21-33; Ps 128; Lk 13:18-21) ******************************************* It has been said that the marriage bed is comparable to an altar for a married couple. That statement, and the readings today, present us with the message that marital commitment and achieving intimacy are […]

HOMILY WEEK 30 01 – Year II Our Identity and Life in Christ: Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude (Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19; Lk 6:12-19) ***************************************** Today’s readings, and this feast, firmly establish our identity in Christ, and what it means to live in Christ. The late motivational speaker Serge LeClerc claimed throughout his […]

HOMILY SUNDAY 30 – B (Homily 01) Faith to Heal and Follow (Jer 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52) *********************************************************** It was mealtime during a flight on a small airline in northern Manitoba. “Would you like dinner?” the flight attendant asked me. “What are my choices?” I asked. “Yes or no,” she replied. Do […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 06 – Year II Balancing Faith and Repentance (Eph 4:7-16; Ps 122; Lk 13:1-9) ****************************************** “Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15) are the first words Jesus preached as he began his public ministry. The readings today continue that double message of faith and repentance, inviting us to live it […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 05 – Year II Truth, Beauty and Goodness – Attributes of God (Eph 4:1-6; Ps 24; Lk 12:54-59) *************************************************** “Truth, Beauty and Goodness” – these are the classical three pillars of believing in God and living in Christ. The readings today, within the context of these three pillars, carry powerful messages for […]

HOMILY WEEK 29 04 – Year II Awakening to God’s Power Within Us: Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret (Eph 3:13-21; Ps 33; Lk 12:49-53) ******************************************* The phenomenon of high and low tides during a priest’s retreat I was conducting in Newfoundland became an invitation for me to be more aware of and appreciative […]