Category Archives: Sunday Morning

Sweeping right

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I have always liked today’s first reading – the story of how a young boy named Samuel was called to a life of service to the Lord. It was the only story I knew where a young child was the center, the protagonist, the “hero” of the story. I remember my Catholic school religion teacher telling me what I was supposed to learn from the story: always go to church – after all Samuel heard God’s voice in the temple. Always obey my parents and adults – Samuel did exactly what Eli, the temple priest, instructed. Always keep your heart open to God and then act – Samuel invited God to speak to him. Continue reading →

Epiphany attraction

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Note: our Deacon is preaching at the Masses for which I am presiding – a homily holiday for me! Here is one of my favorite Epiphany homilies from years past.

Today we celebrate The Epiphany of the Lord, traditionally celebrated on January 6th in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches; but here in the West we celebrate it on a Sunday. So, welcome to our celebration of The Epiphany. It is a word taken from the Greek epiphaneia meaning “manifestation, striking appearance; from epiphanes meaning “manifest, conspicuous,” and from epiphainein “to manifest, display, show off; come suddenly into view.” Our liturgy marks the arrival of visitors, identified in Scripture as the magi, to the place where Jesus was born. Although we know virtually nothing about them, we do know they brought three gifts, each with traditional meanings. Continue reading →

In your hands

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In today’s gospel account, it is now forty days after Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph are performing their duty as pious Jewish parents by coming to the Temple to fulfill the requirements of Exodus 13. It is a ritual that reminds the parents that this child is now a member of the family that God redeemed from the slavery in Egypt. And so, they come to offer a simple sacrifice as they dedicate their first-born child to the Lord and to the larger, holy covenant family of God. Continue reading →

The Meeting Place with God

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Let’s start in the beginning. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth…” One the sixth day God created people, pronounced it better than good, declaring it was very good. On the seventh day, God rested. It was the first Sabbath, when man and woman could be in communion with God. In the beginning we were holy and able to be in the presence of God. From the beginning Scripture makes clear that the entire cosmos and all that is in it was created for humanity’s Sabbath communion with God.  Continue reading →

Choosing Joy

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Last weekend my homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent centered on a verse from the second reading which asked “…what sort of person ought you to be…”   In the course of the homily I offered a verse from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, 3:12-13 which recommends: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you.” This week our readings suggest another: joyfulness. this Guadete Sunday. A Sunday whose name is taken from Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” I think that should definitely be part of who we ought to be. Continue reading →

Who we ought to be

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Note: it was pointed out that I had not posted the homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent – so…here it is.

There are questions that are rooted in curiosity, such as, the stained glass windows in our church; where did they come from? There are questions that are seeking necessary and important information. There are all manner of questions: choice, open, rhetorical, probing, motivational, leading, and many more. But right there in the middle of the second reading is the question of questions brought to us by St. Peter: “…what sort of person ought you to be…”  Heck of a question. Continue reading →

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Imagine four people in a room. The first is a powerful dictator who rules a country. He commands armies, directs the lives of millions, and his wishes become law and are enforced. He possesses a brutal power.

Next to him sits a gifted athlete at the pinnacle of his physical prowess. This is one whose speed, strength, and endurance have few equals. His is a graceful power for which he is much admired and envied. Continue reading →

Fear and Holding Back

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The amygdala is a part of the brain, no larger than an almond. It is the center of our fear response. Such a little thing that can control so much of our life and our choices. St. Irenaeus remarked that the glory of God is the human person fully alive. Amazing! Yet perplexing is that something as small as an almond can keep us from being fully alive and radiating God’s glory into the world. Continue reading →

What can’t be borrowed

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A world of information, expert advice, and knowledge all sit at our fingertips. With all that available to us via a simple query or the use of artificial intelligence such as Chat GPT, we should have plenty of answers to our questions. But will the answers carry wisdom? I can find a world of knowledge about bees and bee stings with a few keystrokes. Wisdom lies much deeper than our quick keystroke answers. Knowledge understands bee stings, but wisdom does not disturb the hive. Continue reading →