Homily – Fifth Sunday of Easter – 2024

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Saint Peter’s Church, Mary Queen of Martyrs Parish, Plymouth MA

“I am the vine, you are the branches, whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me,you can do nothing.”

Most of my childhood was spent on a property that once was a farm. In our backyard was an apple tree; a very old, very big apple tree! It was never pruned, and it would only produced very small apples. These apples did not taste good, and most of them rotted on the ground.


In today’s Gospel, Jesus is comparing His relationship with His disciples to that of a vine and its branches, and with the vine grower, the Father. Jesus is calling on us to maintain a close, a deep personal relationship with Him, as He maintains a close relationship with the Father. The effects of this relationship with the Lord is that we will produce good fruit, fruit that strengthen us, fruit that will transform us, our families, our communities.


Jesus is, in one sense challenging His disciples, and in a sense, challenging all of us here, to go out into this world we are living on, and by word, by example, show to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our communities, what it means to live the Gospel, and what it means help bring about change, light, joy, hope in a world in such times we are experiencing right now.
“Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.”

We are currently in times that, to quote the American Revolutionary, Thomas Paine “try men’s souls.” It is in such moments, in such challenging situations, that Christ calls on us to go, and in small ways or large, share the fruit that is within us. Opportunities may present themselves to us, to take on acts of charity, to share with others the love and the peace we ourselves experience when we open ourselves to the love of God, through Jesus. And as we have received much fruit from our loving Savior, so we are encouraged to share that fruit, that joy, that healing with everyone we come in contact with.


To achieve this, means deepening our relationship with Jesus. It means trying to enter daily into moments of prayer, moments of reflecting on Scripture, and especially in our participation in the Eucharist, where we. receive the Body of Christ, open ourselves to His Presence. United with Him, we find the strength, the encouragement, to go out from here, to reach out to those in need, spiritually and physically, family member, friend or stranger. We go out and share the fruit we received through our union with Jesus.


“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Happy Easter to All!!

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Saint Peter’s Church, Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish, Plymouth MA

“Christ is Risen!!”

“He is Risen indeed!!!”

The traditional Easter Sunday greeting, shared among Eastern Rite Christians around the world.

May this be a blessed day for all!!

Palm Sunday Homily – 2024

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Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Church, Plymouth, MA

“Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.”

This weekend, we are entering a time of holiness, a time of both remembering and reflecting on the events that lead up to the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Now, out there, in our communities, our towns and cities; Easter time has already taken hold. Bright colors, sweets, pastries and fancy meals are already popping up all over; enticing us, tempting us.

But here, in this church and in all other churches, other places of worship; the somber color of purple reigns. Especially in this moment, when we read, when we hear the Gospels that proclaim the story of the Passion of Our Lord. We are called to reflect more deeply on what Jesus went through for us, to save us finally from the grip that Original Sin had over us, and to give us new hope for the future.

We, in turn, are called to proclaim that Good News, by our words and deeds, to everyone we come in contact with.
As Holy Week begins, let us focus more deeply on what we entering into, let the Holy Spirit in and let it transform us. And on Easter morn, let us sing out with joy.

New Auxiliary Bishop for Boston

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Yesterday, February 3, 2024, Reverend Cristiano Barbosa, native of Brazil, was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Boston, MA. In that capacity, he will be assisting the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFMCap.

I was able to attend the ceremony as a Deacon. The day of ordination, I made it into Boston, in what I thought was plenty of time to vest and take up a position for the procession. Only I had the schedule mixed up, and I was just made into the deacon’s procession line by the skin of my teeth.

Now I have attended several ordinations in the Cathedral in my life as a Deacon. All were orderly, all liturgically beautiful. Yesterday was a new experience for me. As we processed into the Cathedral, we saw a congregation that was large, loud and joyful. People were crowded in the benches, the aisles, and any open spaces in the wings of the sanctuary. Brazilian Portuguese filled the air!

Now among some of my Anglo brethren, this may have been too much, not respecting the solemnity of the ceremony. The crowds did quiet down as Mass began, and when the ordination ceremony began. The energy, the excitement picked up again as the newly ordained Bishop walked around the cathedral, blessing the people.

Yes, these was a new experience for me, but I accepted it. I joined in the celebration in the way I knew, rejoicing in their celebration.

Ad Multos Annos, Bishop Cristiano Barbosa!

Third Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily

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Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver, MA

“Moses spoke to all the people, saying ‘A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, will raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.”


The Hebrew people were about to enter the promised land, Moses would not be entering the land with them. Up to that moment, it was he who passed on the words that God spoke for them, because the people could not bear hearing the voice of God. Now Moses declared that the Lord would raise up prophets who will speak to them, and share the word of the Lord. The Old Testament speaks of these prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others who faithfully proclaimed the word of God to the people.


Then, the time came, when God wished to speak directly to His people, and to the all persons on earth. It is now that Jesus, the living “Word” of God, makes His appearance. He brought the Word of God directly to the people, changing the relationship humanity had with the Father. By his death and Resurrection, he freed us from the hold sin and death had over us, he showed us how we can draw closer to the Father, to share in the joy and peace such an encounter with our living God can provide.

Through Jesus, we have a closer relationship with the Father, in that relationship, we find ourselves encouraged to change, to be converted into more loving persons, to be drawn closer together as brothers and sisters in Christ. In our experience of God’s love for us, we are all also being called to share in the work of Christ, to proclaim the Good News, to work towards a world that can be transformed into a more loving and peaceful place for all people. We do this by both our words and our deeds. Together or individually, we reach out to the poor, the wounded, the isolated, the desolate. It can be through our acts of charity, large or small. Or it can be by just giving a smile to a stranger, a warm handshake, a gentle embrace. There are so many ways that we can share with the world the joy we all have felt when we experience the love of God.


I would like to close with these words I came across in my reading. It is a quote from the writings of St. Oscar Romero, assassinated Archbishop of San Salvador:


“To know Christ is to know God. Christ is the homily that keeps explaining to continually that God is love, that God is power, that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus Christ, that he is the divine Word, God’s presence among us.”

Feast of the Holy Innocents

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“The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing forever: Glory to you, O Lord. Entrance Antiphon for the Mass of The Holy Innocents

On this December morning, we remember the. innocent baby boys who were slaughtered by the soldiers of King Herod of ancient Judea. He had been told that a young baby boy had been born in Bethlehem, who would be proclaimed “King of Jews.” Herod would not tolerate any challenger to his rule.

Today, in my morning prayers, I remember the children of Israel and Gaza. The new innocents who are being slaughtered, whether intentionally or not. Their surviving parents and siblings cry out in pain and loss.

I remember this quote from the BBC tv series “Doctor Who,” about the effects of war; “How many hearts will be broken? How many lives shattered? How much blood will spill until everybody does what they’ve always going to have to do from the very beginning…sit down and talk!”

I pray that the Holy Spirit will influence all leaders to “sit down and talk!” There has been too much blood, too much pain! In the name of the Prince of Peace; for the innocents who have died…TALK!!!

“Behold, Your Savior Comes!”

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Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you righteous;
for praise is fitting for the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp;
with a ten-stringed lute sing songs to God.
O sing a song that is new; 
play skillfully, with shouts of joy.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all God’s works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justices and right; 
God’s faithful love fills the earth.

Psalm 33

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King – Homily

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St. Peter’s Church, Plymouth MA

“Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did it for me.”


Recently, on different media platforms, there have been debates on what it means to be Catholic. These discussions are taking place in some of our Catholic newspapers, magazines, and of course the Web. They run the gamut of being restrained and thoughtful; to hot and heavy. They draw the attention of some Catholics, while others show no interest whatsoever.


In today’s Scripture readings, we are seeing another approach being placed before us. Jesus outlines what it means to be a follower of His; to care for the poor, the imprisoned, the abandoned. And we are left with the question, as this year draws to a close; how did we as individuals, as a family, as a community of believers, answer the needs of the poor around us. We are summoned to share with others, not only from our surplus, but from our scarcity. We are called to reach out our hands to others who are distressed, and provide comfort and hope. To embrace the stranger, the wounded, whether physically or mentally, and give them hope.


Now the challenge then is to find out in what ways can we answer those needs. Because we are many different types of people, with different strengths, different skills, different attitudes. There are some us who are very out going, who are comfortable with strangers. Others among us, maybe not so much, but are generous, being able provide for the persons physical needs. Sometimes, all it takes is a smile and a handshake to lift a persons spirits.


There are many ways that we as individuals or as a group can care for those in needs, there are many different approaches that we can take to provide for those in need. We only need to take that first step, that first reaching out our hand; Jesus will take care of the rest.


“Then the king will say to those on his right; ‘Come, you who are blessed by my my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ “