Category Archives: Sunday Morning

When we don’t feel rock solid

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Deacon Mike is preaching this weekend giving me a “homily holiday.” So I thought I would reach back in time and offer a homily from 2011 when I was stationed at Sacred Heart in Tampa, Florida.

“…you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”  Really? Let’s be honest, at first glance, Peter seems a bit shaky to be the one upon which to anchor Christ’s Church. Peter stumbled, fell, and he denied  – and for good measure, denied a few more times. Peter did not always “get it;” he struggled to understand. And even when he did understand, there was often a slight hesitation— unsure what to do, some fear that he would get it wrong.  A lot like you and me. Continue reading →

Crossing Over to the Light

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September 1965 should have been a great year.  I was a rising 8th grader at St James school in Orlando – you know, about to become king of the school.  That’s when geography dealt a cruel blow. Both my older sisters were going to Bishop Moore HS – which was the opposite direction from St James.  In a moment, my fate was sealed.  I had to transfer to St. Charles which shared a campus with the HS.  I was exiled from all my friends to attend a school filled with kids who thought they were too cool, who wore all the new clothes, who bought all the right albums, who won all the school championships. Continue reading →

The Hard Choice

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It has been six years since the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA. Say what you will about the intent, purpose or goal of the rally organizers or opponents – we know what unfolded then and all that has unfolded since.  It just seems like there is a lot going on that brings us face-to-face with the choice between hope and despair. Continue reading →

In the boat

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In our gospel we find the disciples battling against the tempestuous waves and howling winds. They were caught in a storm that threatened to overwhelm them. Amidst this chaos, they spotted Jesus walking on the water towards them. Filled with awe and faith, Peter cried out, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus responded, “Come.” And Peter, guided by faith, stepped out of the boat and began walking towards his Lord… and then, perhaps, he realizes he’s not in the boat. As an experienced fisherman he knows the danger of the wind and waves. Fear seizes him and he begins to sink into the chaos. Fortunately, Jesus seizes his hand, pulls him from certain death, and gets him back into the safety of the boat. Continue reading →

Different Layers

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“And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” In the telling of the gospel, as amazing as the story is, neither we nor the disciples should be surprised. The entire arc of Matthew’s gospel points to this moment. Consider that the transfiguration story recalls the baptism of Jesus when the voice from heaven called out: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  We hear those exact words again today: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Continue reading →

Keeping up with the Kingdom of Heaven

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The kingdom of heaven is like…. There are lots of parables that begin with those words.  Maybe we can do a thought experiment – a kind of fill-in-the-blank thing. Keep your answers silent within your own thoughts. And since no one is listening, you can be completely honest with your answer. For you…. the kingdom of heaven is like……. What? (No hurry, I’ll wait….) Continue reading →

Your choice

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The “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.”  We really should not be surprised. It’s the way it has always been. The “enemy” – a nice term for Satan, the devil and all the evil minions – are just doing what they have always done – offering us a choice.

In the Garden of Eden, humanity had it pretty good. Everything we could want. God came and walked with us in the cool of the afternoon. We were in communion with God. Imagine that, little ol’ us in communion with the one who is infinitely good, infinitely loving, infinitely just and so much more – and what God seeks is communion with us. God only asked one thing of Adam and Eve: eat of the tree of life, but do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Along comes the enemy to offer us a choice. Continue reading →

Achieving the End

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It was pointed out to me this morning that I had not posted my Sunday homily,,, so here it is.

Just recently we held a mini-course about the people, events and issues of the Protestant Reformations of the 16th century.  Among the Reformers there was a far greater emphasis placed on Scripture and preaching upon that Word. John Calvin’s typical Sunday homily seems to have been about 2 hours.  John Knox’s homilies often had intermissions. Hard to imagine, eh? Continue reading →

Lessons from the trail

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Back in the day, I camped and backpacked in the wilds of Virginia and West Virginia. Generally, it was just for a weekend – maybe two or three days – along with a group of friends. We would carry everything in/out. I remember having fun, enjoying it all, but I always felt like I needed a day to recover. Perhaps it was the infrequency of carrying a load, the hiking, and all that goes with the adventure, but come Monday, there was always a stiffness about my neck, arms, shoulders, upper back and all the rest that is connected to those parts.  I could still feel the aftereffects of the pack’s burden.  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” It sounded like the perfect scripture for the post-camping Monday mornings. Continue reading →