Homily: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s gospel is so much more than just the healing of someone with a physical blindness rather it is a story that calls for us to open our eyes to be like Christ and to bring forth God’s life changing message of the liberation for the oppressed and the inclusion of the marginalized. It is a story about each of us recognizing our own spiritual blindness -those times when we are hardheaded, judgmental, close minded, and have our own certitude as to who is in and who is out – who is up and who is down – why I am right and you are wrong…which seems to be the main criteria of this current election cycle. Check it out and see what I mean…

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Homily: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

For the past few weeks, we have been listening to Jesus telling parables to the Chief Priests and Pharisees.  For Jesus is attempting to get their attention to think differently, choose differently and to open their eyes to his teachings of the Kingdom of God. But they show no interest in listening to his teachings about love and compassion, much less inclusion.  Thus, they look to corner Jesus into committing a crime of sedition and thus be crucified, by putting the question to Jesus if taxes should be paid to Caesar or not.

Perhaps a way to phrase this question in the present time would be: is our allegiance with the spiritual or the worldly?  Where is our focus today?  Since this story appears in all three Synoptic Gospels, this story carries a deeper and more significant message than a Gospel about just paying taxes. What is that hidden meaning?  Check it out…

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Homily: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

“Many are invited, but few are chosen” is unfortunately one of the most misread, misunderstood and misused phrases in the Bible.  Then again, so is the parable of the Wedding Banquet where the King acts with anger and vengeance on those who refuse his invitation to come to the wedding.

So what is the meaning hidden within this parable and how can we really look at what seems to be a line of exclusion at the end of the Gospel?  Check it all out…

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Homily: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend’s Gospel of the vineyard landowner paying a full day’s wages to those who worked all day as well as those who worked for only an hour has us often crying out, unfair…echoing all those times in our lives when we feel the same way – that life is just unfair.

While I still mourn the recent tragic death of my 3 year old grandson, it is he and my other three grandchildren who give me a continuing gift that allows me to better understand this Gospel…and how to better recognize God in our lives.  What is that gift and what is the real meaning of this Gospel?  Check it out!

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Homily: Fifth Sunday of Lent

This weekend’s Gospel is the story of the adulterous woman who is about to be stoned with the scribes and the Pharisees having Jesus caught between a rock and a hard place (bad pun). We all know how the story ends – but what was Jesus really teaching those gathered in the Temple?  Take a second look and you will find the deeper lesson of this Gospel – one that is so often missed…because it just may be hitting too close to home.  Check it out…

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Homily: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

“Many are invited, but few are chosen” may be one of the most misinterpreted and misused scripture passages ever written. Used by many to divide and exclude, actually when you understand the context of this parable you will see that it is all about how to include and be open to an invitation that is always present for all people.

Sounds confusing?  It’s not.  See what I mean…

 

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Homily: Feast of Christ the King 2015

This morning we come to the end of our Liturgical Year with the celebration of the Feast of Christ the King as the Church reminds us that Christ is King of all things.  But we cannot forget that we, too, are baptized into Christ’s kingship. 

But with all this talk about ‘kings,’ when Pilate asked Jesus if he was the 'King of the Jews,' Jesus sidesteps that question and says that he came to testify to the ‘truth.’ But what does that ‘truth’ look like? (Funny, Pilate asked the same thing!)

Looking for clarity on all this?  Perhaps Pope Francis, as well as the parable of the Old Turtle can shed light on the “Truth” and better explain what we are called to do with this Feast of Christ the King?

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Homily: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Over the past few weeks our Sunday Gospels have given us this ongoing dialogue of Christ with his disciples and his patient efforts in trying to teach them what it means to be fully alive.  This past week, as he travelled through our country, Pope Francis was actually doing the same thing.  So what does it look like when the Gospels and Francis come together to teach us how to live?

Check it out….

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Homily: 7th Sunday of Easter

For six weeks we have listened to post resurrection Gospel stories, which when woven together give us great insight into Christ’s explanation of what it is like to be in relationship with him - to be fed by him, to be in communion with him.

Two thousand years later, our problem is that I think we make it more complicated, more ego-centered, and more difficult than it really is.

So what do you have to do?  Perhaps a baby can give you the answer.  Check it out….

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Homily: 4th Sunday of Advent

As we light our fourth Advent candle, this season of waiting and hoping and preparation comes quickly to close with Christmas just a few days away. Or does it?

All Advent we have sung Emmanuel - God is with us.  So how does living a life woven in the fabric of this season allow us to see Christ in our daily lives? And how does John the Baptist, St. Joseph and Nelson Mandela show us the way?
 
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