Homilies

In our second reading, Peter declares: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”. Much of the letter, from which this come, seems to speak to those who are newly baptized, and so it’s fitting for us to hear in this Season of Easter. When I think of Peter, I can’t help but recall being on pilgrimage in Rome. Possibly the most powerful m

Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd and that his sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. But sheep, even as there is a sweetness about them, are pretty stupid animals. They are not prone to recognizing a voice and inherently trusting, in the way that a dog or a cat does. Sheep have to be coerced, forced, by fear. Sheepdogs move them by chasing them from behind and nipping at their heels. Without that imposed and fear-based guidance, they would otherwise be just pass

We’re a week removed from Holy Week, from all that went wrong: Jesus’ friends abandoning him, his arrest, suffering and death. Today’s Gospel follows that mess, as Jesus suddenly appears to his friends, gathered like frightened bunnies. Instead of anger or assigning guilt, he simply says, “Peace be with you….Receive the Holy Spirit”. This is the definition of mercy: receiving something good, even when it’s not deserved. It’s a curious thing that Jesus shows them his wounds. T

The Gospel story we hear today, takes place at a place called the Pool of Siloam, located in Jesus’ time, in the southernmost part of Jerusalem. The pool was an engineering feat in its time and the aqueduct that supplied its water was formed through solid rock. As we heard, Siloam means ‘sent’, because the water was sent from the Kidron Valley, just to the east of the city’s ancient walls, through the aqueduct, into the pool. But unlike last week's gospel, this story is not p

There are several things that we can relate to in this Gospel. First is that like this woman, we all are thirsting for something beyond our reach, something we believe we don't yet have, and as is often times the case, we don’t even know what it is that’s missing from our lives. So often we seek to satisfy this thirst through things that money can buy. Other times, like the woman Jesus encountered, we hope that a relationship will solve the problem. What we inevitably find

I recall speaking with someone about the idea of meditating upon the crucifix as a means of trying to help her deal with a sort of suffering. This prompted her to ask why we Catholics so prominently display the suffering and crucified Jesus, considering the good news that followed his crucifixion: that he was raised from the dead. Why this fixation on such a morbid image, especially when it’s not the end of the story? Undoubtedly, you’ve noticed how most Catholic

Having just been baptized, what followed, as we heard today, is Jesus went to the desert for forty-days of spiritual training, to prepare and strengthen himself, so that he could begin to wage war against Satan’s stronghold over the earth. At the end of this forty-day training, as he had become physically weakened and hungry, Satan came to do battle against Jesus. His tactic was to tempt Jesus in his physical weakness, and he did so in three ways. First, to tempt Jesus to use

In today’s Gospel, Jesus references three of the 10 Commandments: the 5 th ( You shall not kill ); the 6 th ( You shall not commit adultery ); and the 8 th ( You shall not bear false oath )–all to illustrate a point about who he is and his purpose. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill”. To paraphrase, I have come to help you live this beautiful law in a spirit of truth. Rather than this Law being limit

Today we hear Jesus declare that we are to be salt for the earth. That sounds odd. Scientifically, we know many things about mineral salt that people of Jesus’ time wouldn’t have known. On the other hand, they understood it and used in ways that we no longer understand. For example, in Jesus’ time, salt was a precious and expensive commodity. It was traded by caravans, the way one traded gems or gold. The Romans valued it so much that part of a legionnaire’s pay was a ration

As we hear the Beatitudes today, it seems odd that the word beatitude is sometimes translated as ‘happy’. They don't seem to fit our definition of happiness. As you might know, the word beatitude comes from the Greek word makarios , meaning fortunate or blessed. If you were to ask the average person to describe how they would like to be blessed in life, they would likely include things like: 1) to have money and things money can buy; 2) to avoid pain; 3) to be a winn

The formal name for today’s solemnity is the Epiphany of the Lord , but it’s commonly called the Feast of the Three Kings. So, were these mysterious figures actually kings, wise men, or magi? The Greek word used for them was magoi , or in Latin, magi ab oriente , magi from the east. The tradition that they were kings developed as way of bringing fulfillment to references in the Old Testament. Psalm 72 declares: “May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kin

I recall someone once saying that images of the Holy Family are a little like some of the annual family-update letters, mailed to friends and extended family members, that can seem as though they only mention ‘good stuff’ from the past year, and ignoring the other stuff, such as: “Jeremy (now age 14) was kicked-out of his third school this year, but we trust that Oakmont Academy will be the right fit…Tiffany (age 17) was caught drinking underage with her friends back in March

Of the various characters we focus on in Advent, one who historically has been overlooked is Joseph. Today’s Gospel tells us that he and Mary were betrothed. We might think that means something like engagement, but actually, it’s marriage. In their culture, marriage was a two-step process. Betrothal was a formal exchange of consent before witnesses. Usually about a year later, the second step occurred, when the groom took the bride into his home. Joseph learned of Mary’s pr

Later in this Season of Advent we will shift to meditate upon the promised coming of our Lord, born to us in human flesh, the birth of the baby Jesus. But Advent properly begins by focusing on his coming at the end of times. Jesus declares in clear terms: “The Son of Man will come” and furthermore, says that we are to be prepared for it. Advent begins, we give attention to the end of days, when Jesus will return—the Parousia, as it’s called. While we might wonder what that

Exploring the Feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, this reflection invites us to see not just a historic building but ourselves as living temples of God, built on Christ, dwelling in the Spirit.

A reflection on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed: how prayer, hope, and God’s love unite us with those who have gone before us in faith.

Discover how the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) invites us to humility and persistent prayer through the story of the tax collector and Pharisee.

This homily calls us to persistent prayer: even when God seems silent, He is preparing a greater gift than we asked. With faith, hope, and love we expand our hearts to receive His mercy.

This reflection for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) invites us to gratitude, faithfulness, and recognizing the healing coming from Christ’s mercy.

This reflection on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C) encourages us to deepen our faith, act on it, and serve others faithfully, even when our faith feels small.