Homily: Trinity Sunday 2024

Countless volumes have been written trying to explain the mystery of three persons in one true God, leaving us to resort to metaphors such as the three-leaf clover to try to comprehend the Divinity. Many of us grew up with the quintessential pyramidal Trinity structure of God at the top and Son and Spirit in opposite corners. But what if we looked at this ‘mystery’ from a different perspective? What if we shifted our language of God as a being towards the concept of God as love? What if we focused more on the relationship within the Trinity versus the persons of the Trinity? What if stopped looking at God as a noun…and instead considered God as a verb?  Check it out…

Click here for a podcast of the homily

Click here for the text of the homily

Click here for the readings of the day

Homily: The funeral of Fr. Don Pantle, SJ

Yesterday, we gathered at the same church where our friend and mentor, Fr. Don Pantle was baptized, received first communion, was confirmed, said his first mass as a newly ordained priest and this weekend was laid to rest.

He touched the lives of thousands of students at the University of Scranton over some 30 years through his unique ministry of food, cards and Eucharist which was brilliant, was Jesuit, and was incarnational.

A few years ago Don asked that I would preach the homily at his funeral and was honored and humbled to have fulfilled my commitment to him.  So take a few minutes and listen to why I feel Don made such a difference – and still does – in so many lives.

 

Click here to listen to the reading of the Gospel – the story of the Road to Emmaus

Click here to listen to the homily for Fr. Don Pantle

Click here to download the transcript of the homily

Click here to download Fr. Don’s recipe for spätzle and doughnuts!

Homily: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In reviewing the readings for the weekend I wondered why, beginning three weeks ago, that our Sunday lectionary interrupted the Gospel of Mark in order to insert the 6^th chapter of John – a sermon often called the “Bread of Life Discourse.”  Instead of following the earlier Gospel writers and recollecting the Last Supper, John talks about Eucharist in a different way.

Why did John make this substitution of stories?  After all, what could be more important than Eucharist?  It would seem that John’s Gospel goes to great lengths to remind us there is more to Eucharist that just coming to the table to receive the real presence of Christ.

So how can the insight of three Jesuits, a game of pinochle and potato pancakes shed light on this Gospel?

Click and check it out…

To listen to the podcast, click here

For a copy of the homily, click here

For the readings of the day, click here