Category Archives: Homily

Homily for 30th Sunday In Ordinary Time

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“Jesus said to him in reply ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man replied to him, ‘Master, I want to see.’ “

In today’s Gospel of Mark, we see the encounter Jesus had with Bartimaeus, a blind man. Bartimaeus must have known something of who Jesus was, and the power of healing he seemed to possess. Bartimaeus decided to take a risk and began calling out loudly to Jesus, begging for help. Some in the crowd thought of him as a nuisance.

Jesus did not think so, he had Batimaeus brought over to him. When this was done, Jesus did not lay his hands on him, as some of the people would have expected. Instead, Jesus told Bartimaeus that he could leave, “..your faith has saved you.” His sight was restored to him.

Now most of us do not have to deal with blindness; at least, not physical blindness. But what about social blindness, spiritual blindness? Where and when have we turned a “blind eye” to others in need, to others who are in suffering; to our own personal suffering?

It is moments such these, that we need to open ourselves to the Presence of Christ, to enter into prayer, to pray that our eyes, our minds, our hearts, our souls; be opened to the needs of others. And to our own need for healing.


So, I invite all of us, to, at the best of our ability, be present to our Savior in the Eucharist. And let ourselves be transformed, our eyes opened, and our journey with Christ renewed.

Saint Peter’s Church, Plymouth MA.

Homily for Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 2024

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Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver MA

“He began to ask them, “‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” (Mark 9: 30).


Every time I have read that sentence from the Gospel of Mark, I find myself wishing I could change a small part of that sentence. I have to believe that they were not “discussing” anything …..they were arguing about who amongst them was the greatest. And no matter how quiet they may have tried to be, eventually they caught Jesus’ attention. It was then that He brought them to the side of the road; had them sit down; and told them flat out what it means to be first of His followers. And it was by being last of all. It meant being a servant of all. It meant being last of all those he or she may encounter, seeing to the other’s needs; before their own.


Now if this is what it means to follow Christ; can you imagine the reaction of some of our families and friends; our neighbors and the strangers we meet. In today’s society, in parts of our country and elsewhere; the goal is to be number one, numero uno, whether because of wealth; intelligence or power. And there are many who are loathed to give that up.


However, if Jesus is calling us to become the servants of all; we must take that call seriously, and open our hearts to whatever inspiration the Holy Spirit may give us. Whether we are called to small or great deeds, we do so with the help of Christ. Whatever challenges lays before us.


Jesus said, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and and whoever receives me, receive not me but the One who sent me.”

A Homily for Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 25th, 2024

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Saint Thomas Aquinas Church, Bridgewater MA

“He performed these great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed.
Therefore, we also will serve the Lord for He is our God.” (Joshua 24)

In this chapter from the Book of Joshua, we see the children of Israel, the ones who fled from Egypt, and their children, make a promise to obey God, follow His teachings, and live according to His commandments.

As we read through the Old Testament stories, we see how they struggled to be faithful to that initial promise they made to God. They were not always successful.


In today’s Gospel reading, we also see the inability for many of the people who had originally committed themselves to Jesus ; only to find that they could not accept His teaching and went back to their old ways. Only the Twelve remained; and even they could not fully understand, at first, what Jesus was trying to teach them. But they knew something wonderful was happening; they believed in Jesus.


The question that is before us this day is how strong is our belief in, of our acceptance of the Good News that was proclaimed by Jesus. I read in the newspapers, watch on television, see on my laptop, the news of the decline in church attendance. We hear of the lack of interest in practicing the faith. It pains me to see how few young people are not coming to church, to experince the love and joy one gets from encountering Christ in the Eucharist.


So what are we going to do? First of all is that we must not lose hope. Hold onto the Jesus, embrace Him and His teaching. Open our hearts and let the grace of the Spirit flood in; guiding us on how to live the Good News in today’s fractured world. Each of us, in our own unique ways, can help make Christ present and active in our homes, our communities. Where we socialize or where we work; we can become living examples of Jesus Christ’s teachings; living examples of what it means to live the Gospel, here and now.


“Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Master to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”


May Simon Peter’s response be our own, as we go into the world around us.

Homily – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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A long, loooong time ago, my father and uncle bought a motor boat. Back then these boats were all wood, not fiberglass, with wooden benches, instead of cushioned seats. Our families used it for water skiing, and for fishing, fresh water or ocean. One Saturday, my father and uncle took me, my brother and a cousin out into the sea, off of Lynn Harbor, for some fishing.

We were having an enjoyable day, when suddenly a storm came down on us. The waves were huge, the boat was bouncing up and down. The bench we were seating on suddenly collapsed; to say we were scared would be an understatement. We did finally reach the safety of Nahant harbor; but that was an experience.


Needless to say, I think I can empathize with what the disciples were going through, on their own boat. Still, these were veteran fishermen, who should have known how to sail through rough seas. One can understand Jesus being peeved with them.


Still there is a lesson to be learned. I think that all of us need to reflect on our own responses might be, when the world tosses challenges at us, especially challenges to our faith, to what we believe; to what actions we are being asked to take, in the name of the Gospel; which we are called to proclaim by word and deed.
In the world, out there, we see new challenges; challenges to world peace, challenges to peace and harmony in our nation, in our communities; some would say even in our Church. There are storms a brewing out there, storms that threaten to swamp us.

How do we respond? By first of all, by having faith. To believe firmly that God is with us. Yes, it is a challenge, and there may be times when we may not meet that challenge. Yet, Christ is with us, encouraging us to strive to live the Gospel, to proclaim the Good News. The Holy Spirit is with us, to calm our fears, to inspire us to push on, in living the Gospel. And Father is there to embrace us all, to be a comfort to us all, no matter what trials we face.


“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.’ “

“And Now You Know The Rest Of The Story!” Sermon for the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Saint Peter’s Church, Plymouth MA

“And so I say, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16


There are some of us who probably remember radio reporter and commentator, Paul Harvey. He had a segment during which he would describe a historical event, a story of some famous person. He would always end the segment with the words; “ And now you know…the rest of the story.”


In today’s Gospel reading, we are seeing Jesus trying to learn how the crowds are describing him. And he gets various responses, various descriptions. I picture Simon, getting very antsy, he has something he has to let out. So when Jesus specifically asks the other disciples how they would would describe him, Simon blurts it out, excitedly, forcefully; “You are the Christ!” One can picture the other disciples stunned by his response, the force behind it. Then they will be stunned again when they hear Jesus’ response; he declares that from that moment on, Simon will be known as Peter, and on this “rock” Jesus will bring about a community of believers dedicated to proclaiming the Good News by word and deed.


Yet, we all know what is coming. The Gospels tell of the many times Peter seemed not to get the point of Jesus’ teachings. And when Jesus is arrested and sentenced to undergo crucifixion, Peter denies knowing Jesus, when the crowd accuses him, in order to save his own skin.
Now Jesus knew that this was coming, and he had earlier told Peter that he would be able pull himself together, and that it would be Peter’s responsibility to help the other Apostles to do likewise.


And when Christ ascended back into heaven, Peter fulfilled that role, pulling that little band of believers together. And on the day of Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit; he and the others came out proclaiming the Good News about Jesus Christ. And the number of believers grew.


We are all gathered here today, as baptized believers, as believers who entered into the Body of Christ, through receiving the Eucharist. We are the spiritual descendants of the Saint Peter, of the other Apostles; of Saint Paul of Tarsus, and all of the other saints. We are all called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, by our words and our deeds.


However, we have to acknowledge that sometimes, like Peter, we may find ourselves failing to put the teachings of Jesus fully into practice, in our lives. We may find ourselves overwhelmed by the way Jesus is asking us to follow.


Again, we turn to the example that the life of Saint Peter sets before us. His recovery from his failures, is an example to all of us. His life provides us a light, which shows us the way. That we too can recover from our own failures and sins. His life, and his actions encourages us to pick ourselves up when we fall; and begin again with a renewed commitment, to follow Jesus, and by our example, to bring others along with us on that journey.


“And now you know the rest of the story!”

Homily-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The Galilee

In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus taking a moment to teach his disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven. Like he did when he was preaching to the crowds earlier, he was speaking to them in parables. A parable was usually a short fictional story that illustrates a moral or spiritual truth.


When Jesus was alone with his disciples, He was teaching them something more deeper, then what he told the crowds. He describes the experiences of two wealthy men, and a fisherman. I mean He and his disciples were at the Galilee, how could He not throw in a fisherman into the parables. We hear of two men, one who stumbles on a field that hold a treasure buried beneath its surface. The other man, an expert in gems and pearls it appears, comes across a truly beautiful pearl, and he knows it’s true worth. Both men goes out to gather the funds they need to purchase what will give them possession of the treasure and the pearl. And they are paying a lot. But both will realize a greater profit from their actions, undoubtedly more than what they shelled out to get what they wanted. Now the fisherman, Jesus tells the parable of how this man goes out to fish, trusting in his skills and expertise to bring in a huge catch. When he brings his catch, he sorts through it, keeping the better fish, discarding the “junk” fish. Now he could have sold the inferior fish at a much lesser price, but he trusted his instincts, knowing what will sell. And I am sure he would have come out with good payout for his catch.


Now we who live in the land of Yankee business sense, would think we instant what these parables are teaching, but I think we would find that we are mistaken. What Jesus is really teaching, what He is asking of His followers, are what are you, what are we willing to pay, to give of ourselves, to enter the kingdom of Heaven? And I am not just talking about entering Heaven itself; but what are we willing to do bring about the Kingdom here and now. What are we willing to give up, what changes in ourselves are we able to make, what price are willing to pay, to help bring about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. And we begin with ourselves, the daily small changes, the conversions we can strive to make within ourselves. And then going out and helping each other bring about the conversions needed to the Gospel life.


This was the work that Jesus invited His disciples to take up. This is the work that He invites us to take, no matter if it small efforts or large. As individuals and as a community of believers, we answer the call to bring out from our “storerooms both the new and old” ways of living together the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.