Category Archives: Homily

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

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Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver MA.

Jeremiah 20: 10-13
Romans 5: 12-15
Matthew 10: 26-33

“Jesus said to the Twelve: ‘Fear no one.’”


Today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew is part of Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve Apostles, as he is about to send them off on a preaching tour throughout the Galilee. I can picture the look on the Apostles faces as they prepare for this journey. As much as they want to do this, they were also hesitant, because of what they may encounter. They could guess what the reactions of the Pharisees would be. And then there was also the Roman occupiers; who have governed the province with an iron fist. They would maintain peace at any cost, even if meant cracking open some heads. So the Apostles would not be blamed if they were all feeling a little apprehensive. Jesus keeps telling them that they will not be alone, that the Father would be watching over them; so he tells them to shout out the Good News; that salvation was at hand. Shout it out in the village squares. Shout it out in vineyards and throughout the fields. Shout it out!


And Jesus’ message holds very true for us in our present times. And there is such a great need for people in our communities to hear this Good News. There is a great need for people out there to experience the Good News of Jesus Christ being lived, here and now!


And that is challenge that is before all of us. And to meet that challenge requires continuing conversion on our part. To realize and to accept the fact that with all our own faults and failures, God does loves us, cares for us. And if that is true, we, in turn, must love others. Loving those we call friends, and loving those we may have a hard time accepting as friends; bringing them all together as brothers and sisters in Christ.


So as Jesus is always reaching out to us with love; so we also must reach out to those we encounter daily, relative, friend or stranger. And we let them know, by word and deed, that there are people out there who care for them.


“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10: 26-33)

Homily – Pentecost 2023

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The Easter season of 2023 is rapidly drawing to a close. Before this, we had the season of Lent and of Holy Week. And today, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. We commemorate, we celebrate the day when the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus, descended upon the Apostles, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the other disciples.

Now keep in mind, that these early disciples of Jesus were also in hiding. They still feared the power of the Sanhedrin, and Roman authorities. And they did not know exactly what was about to happen, or when it would happen. It was one thing to feel courage when they could see our Risen Lord in front of them. It was another thing when they are in hiding, fearing that the Jerusalem authorities may find them.

Then something happened, something wondrous. The fierce wind, the tongues of flame settling on top of each head. The people in that were no longer simple fishermen, homemakers, a tax collector. They became proclaimers of the Good News of our Risen Lord. They were promising a healing, a peace that could only come through the name of Jesus.

This is the story that has been told; that is being told, being proclaimed in so many homes, street corners, churches; throughout this country, throughout this world, and in this place, here, now!

But I am finding it necessary to ask if this, the greatest story ever told; this Good News, still has the power to move hearts; to move souls? I mean we have all heard the reports of declining numbers of members, in our parishes, in our dioceses. Religious orders are fading away, in this country, and in Europe. We have all heard the stories of churches closing down. And it can be discouraging.

But there is reason to hope. In what has been called the Global South, we see a rebirth of faith communities; communities fired up by the Holy Spirit. And we see the efforts being made here is our own parish. And we are called to be in one way or another, evangelizers, bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. As Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

We each have a role in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ; by word or by action, we bring the Gospel message to life, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Following Jesus Into The Desert – Homily for the First Sunday of Lent – 2023

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Today’s readings provides us with a short lesson on salvation history. In the first reading, from the Book of Genesis, we have a description of how humanity came to be; how God brought about the parents. And how he blessed them with a paradise, a wondrous garden that would provide for their every need. So what happened? They messed up, that is what happened! They gave into temptation to want more, disobeying God and resulting in humanity losing Paradise!


But the Father was not going to abandon us. He set into motion those events, that would lead eventually to the birth of a savior; God’s own Son, Jesus. We have read and have celebrated what follows; Jesus comes to the Jordan River, is baptized by John the Baptist; the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the Father declaring that Jesus is His Son. In today’s Gospel, continuation of Matthew, we see that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the desert.


Now, in preparation for this homily, I came across a painting that illustrates what we have just heard in the Gospel reading. The title of the painting is “Christ in the Desert.” It was painted in 1872, by a Russian painter, whose name was Ivan Kramskoi. It portrays Jesus at the end of his forty days fast; he is seating on a rocky hill. We see him worn out by the ordeal, and we know that the devil is coming soon. Or maybe he already there, invisible, but already tempting Jesus, whispering in his ear; pushing him hard to give in, to surrender to the Evil One, to screw up like Adam and Eve did. However, Jesus holds true. Jesus overcomes the Tempter.


Fast forward to today; to us hearing this Gospel; it calls us to reflect on those times we have been tempted, and how hard it is for us to resist; and whether we either succeed is resisting temptation, or not. Call him “Evil,” “the Devil,” “the Tempter,” or “Mr. Scratch,” he is out there. And by every subtle means, he is always trying to trip us up. And let’s be honest with ourselves, sometimes we do!


However, we have a companion who is with us, who is always walking with us! And he has showed us how to deal with temptation, by turning to Scripture, reflecting on the Good News that God is there with us, strengthening us. We are to pray; seeking the help of our Heavenly Father, to overcome the temptation to sin. Now sometimes, we do fail; sometimes, we do not follow the teachings of Jesus as we are called to do. It is moments like that, when we should turn to the Sacrament of reconciliation; to heal our soul, and be strengthened to resist sin.


So this Lent, let us reflect on how well, or not; we have tried to live the Gospel life . And then rededicate ourselves to following Jesus, more closely, more intensely; during the time of Lent, and for all time.

Keep on Climbing – First Sunday of Advent-2022

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“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” (Isaiah 2).


A very long time ago, while I was in college, a group of my classmates decided to go up to the White Mountains, and climb one of them. Which one, I cannot remember, I want to believe it was one of the smaller ones. I was invited to join in this “adventure.” Now keep in mind, I was much heavier than I am now, and I was definitely out of shape. But I went anyway.


Now it was fall, the leaves on trees in New Hampshire were just coming into their peak color. We had rented a large cabin for the weekend, we slept on the floor in sleeping bags, and the next morning, we began our hike.


It did not take long for me to realize that this may not have been one of my brighter ideas. I was starting to have having problems; I told them to leave me, I was going to sit on some rocks by the trail, and I would join them on their way down. They were not having it. They literally dragged me up to the summit. And when we made it to the top; and I could catch my breath; I looked out over the mountain range. It was one of those rare days when everything was crisp and clear, and beautiful. The foliage was in full color; you could see the beauty of the mountain range for miles. And I thank God for getting me up there.


We are all at the beginning of another Advent season, the first of two penitential periods on the Church’s calendar. A time of preparation, a time of reflection, a time for penance, a time of renewal. We are all called to make that journey up to “the mountain of the Lord’s House.” To reach where God dwells. It is a journey, a climb that began the moment we were born; the moment we were baptized and confirmed. But how many of us take this journey seriously? Or have we come to believe that this journey is too much for us, that we will just stop here and “rest.” But Jesus is not willing to give up us, He continually calls us again and again, to go forward! He gives us His body and blood to refresh us, to strengthen us; and the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire us, show us the path we are called to travel, and give us that kick in the pants to get up, and get going. And the Father waits for us patiently, lovingly.

Now there are many paths up that mountain, and we each have our own unique journey to make. And Advent is a perfect time to reflect on how our journey, how our life of faith is going. And we can see if a course correction is needed; to and determine what might be holding us back, and what needs to be jettisoned. Advent is an opportunity to refresh our soul, and begin the journey again, reaching for the top, and experiencing the glory and love of God!


“So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily

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“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish is were already blazing!” Luke 12: 49


Listening or reading this Gospel verse can be very jarring! We are so used to the gentle Jesus; not the one revealed in today’s Gospel. This Jesus wants to set the world ablaze. We look at this statement from the point of view of a country that has already been ablaze from numerous, destructive forest fires. We have witnessed numerous, fierce house fires in our neighborhoods. Fire is destructive, so how can Jesus say he wants to set the world blazing?


Let us look at this another way; that Jesus wishes to set the world ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit! Jesus wants to transform the world, with the Holy Spirit working through us. We need to accept the Holy Spirit within us; to guide us; to energize us. All of us, in what ever way Jesus calls us, are to help bring the transformative fire of God, to our communities, our workplaces, our churches, our homes, and within ourselves!


Now, we maybe all called to various levels of works or actions, and for many us, it was a call to just daily living of the Gospel, of lives of prayer, of acts of simple charity is all what is demanded of us. And it does not matter if our actions are big or small; simple or very involved; have you ever seen a steel wielder’s torch? It may produce a small flame, but it’s heat is so intense that it melts metal, cuts through steel. No matter what God may ask of us; whether it is large or small; we share what we have received. Whether by word or action, whether with a large group or small. We perform the work we have been given; we do the best we can to proclaim the Good News, by our works, our words, and yes, even just by our prayers.
Now, there may be disappointments, especially in the times we finds ourselves in, church attendance is dropping, many of our friends and family members no longer practice the faith, indeed, they are thuise who are hostile to the Church. But so was the experience of the early disciples, and the early Christians. Within their own families, they found discord, disputes, and divisions. But just as our Risen Lord was with the Apostles, the first disciple; He is with us here and now, and into the future.


I have a favorite story about a Desert Father that I would like share in closing. Now the Desert Fathers and Mothers were early Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian wilderness. They lived in simple huts, prayed and fasted often. Now, one day, one of these hermits approached Abba Joseph, who was known for his holiness, with a question. “I have followed my rule of life faithfully, what more is required of me?” Abba Joseph lifted his hands into the air, and spread his fingers. Suddenly, each of his fingertips was aflame. Abba Joseph said to the young hermit, “If you will, you can become flame!” Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will help become flame, to shine the light of the Gospel throughout our community, Commonwealth, our Nation!

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

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There are moments in history that take place near or on rivers. In ancient times, the Roman general Caesar, took his legions across the river Rubicon, challenging the authority of the Roman Senate; and won. The Roman Republic became eventually the Roman Empire! On December 25, 1776, General George Washington took his rag tag army across the Delaware River, and attacked the British Hessian force in Trenton, NJ, the following morning. His victory at that battle saved the Continental Army from falling apart, and laid the groundwork for ultimate victory. And then there is the River Jordan. In ancient times, twelve tribes, after wandering in the desert together, crossed the Jordan, and were transformed into a united people. And during the Roman occupation, there was John the Baptist, who on the shores of the Jordan River, was proclaiming that the hoped for Messiah was coming, that now was the time for repentance, a time for change. And the symbol for that was to be bathed in the River, to be washed clean. And there was a growing expectation that the Messiah was coming soon. And then one day, a man from Nazareth arrived on Jordan’s shore, and John recognized him, knew who he was; and John poured the waters of the Jordan over him. And Jesus, saw the Holy Spirit descending upon him, heard his Father voice acknowledging him, “You are my beloved Son.” And the journey began, the work of proclaiming the Good News began.


And the work of salvation continues, Jesus continues the work through us who have also been baptized. On the day of our own baptism, the wound we suffered from Original Sin was healed; we were given new life as adopted children of God; we were all joined together in the Body of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters, living together in a holy community that is the Church. We all share in it’s mission, given to us by Jesus, to proclaim the Good News, by our words, our actions; and by the example of our own lives; we are all called to give example to others what it means to be a follower of Christ, by the way we ourselves struggle with our faith; how we, as people of faith, relate to others; our families; friends and neighbors, to strangers, the homeless; the disenfranchised in our society; and to people that are not very nice.
When I read in Isaiah; when the Lord, through the prophet, declares “I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind,…” I feel that it is not just the physically blind we are called to open, but also those whose eyes are blinded by prejudice and hatred. To free those who prisoners of greed and selfishness. And to help those who live in the darkness of despair and hopelessness.


That is not to say to that there will not be times when we ourselves may be tempted to give into selfishness, anger, and despair. It is then we should turn to prayer, and the sacraments; namely confession, penance; and the Eucharist, where in we received Jesus Christ through Holy Communion, and are healed and strengthened by his Presence. It is by how we struggle with our own weaknesses and sins; and work to overcome them that we can be at our most prophetic.
Our own baptism is the beginning for each of our own journey of faith. That journey continues, for each of us, each with our own calling, our own approach, to living the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. May the Lord be with all of us on this journey.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent – 2021

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On the liturgical calendar, this Third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday; “Rejoice!” is the cry we hear from St. Paul to the Phillipians. From the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah, we heard “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” I suspect that there are people in six Midwest and Southeast states, for whom this call to “Rejoice!” rings hollow! There are people in our midst, people with their own individual tragedies, sorrows, for whom the invitation to joy, is maybe the last thing they want to hear.


This is not the homily I wanted to deliver this morning, I wanted to speak of joy, of rejoicing in our God; but the tragedy of yesterday weighs heavy on my mind and soul; especially as the numbers of injured and those who have died grows; as I saw the scenes of destruction play out on my TV screen, I knew I had to crumple the pages I had prepared, and start from scratch. This is one of those moments, whether you were personally touched by this tragedy, or not; when you want to shake your fists to the heavens, and shout out WHY?! But there is no easy answer! Scientists can perhaps explain the atmospheric conditions that created these monster storms, but that will not ease the pain, the loss. We still cry out WHY!


Maybe this why the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down to be among us, to share in the sufferings, the pain, the hopelessness we may experience through life. And he did; he took on that pain, that hopelessness to such a degree; that even he cried out “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me!” It is then that he give us a reason for hope; through his Resurrection! There is hope, after all this destruction and death, God has not abandoned us!


As we watch on our televisions, desktops, iPads and cellphones, the scenes of suffering; this question may arise in our minds; “What should we do?” God’s response comes through the lips of John the Baptist: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Whatever we can give to help the recovery, give it! Let the love of Christ, blaze in our hearts, encouraging us to come the aid of our brothers and sisters!


I close with the words of St. Paul: “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
And above all else, we need to continue to pray for the victims; those who are recovering; those who have died and those who mourn their loss. Let us together, give them a reason to experience some hope, some sense that they are not alone in this time of darkness and pain.

Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily!

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“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the SON, but only the Father.”

When I lived in the North Shore, I had to drive through the industrial area of the city of Lynn to get to the T station for the Blue Line subway into Boston. I drove down this road known as the Lynnway,and one morning I noticed this huge commercial sign. One it was a picture of a man, identified as an evangelical preacher, who had calculated, using Scripture, the exact day and time of the Second Coming of Jesus. And it was coming in a few months! He encouraged his followers and anyone who wished to be saved, to get ready. Some interpreted that to mean getting rid of their physical possessions, emptying out their bank accounts; some selling their homes. Of course, the day came and went, and nothing had happened. The preacher sent out a press release, stating that he had “miscalculated.” Sorry!


Scientists have made predictions about the end of our Earth, our Solar System, our Universe; the end of space and time itself, are billions, trillion of years in the future. Or it could be “snap”! Science fiction authors, movie producers and directors have speculated a future where the Earth dies violently from plague, a monster asteroid, a Sun going supernova, a nuclear war or accident!


But when we we are talking about the end times; we are talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, our Savior! This is not something that should be feared! This is something that we should be waiting for with joyous expectation! Jesus will be coming to bring us home to the Father! It is that promise that gives us hope, with all the pains, the sorrows, we may be struggling through. It gives us hope!


So let us live as a people of hope; not just for ourselves, but for every person who might also be in pain, we share with them the reason for our hope, by our words and actions!


We should strive to live a life of expectation; not just for the Second Coming of The Son of God; but in encountering Jesus here and now. Every time we read and reflect on His Gospel. Every time we open our heart and soul to Jesus, in prayer; and especially, when we approach the altar and receive His Body and Blood; we encounter the One who loves us, cares for us, heals our wounds, gives us joy, peace, and and hope!


So as we live daily, looking hopefully to the future; we echo the words from the Book of Revelation: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

Homily for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Saint Peter Church, Plymouth MA
  • Wisdom 7: 7-11
  • Hebrews 4: 12-13
  • Mark 10: 17-30

“Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”


In today’s Gospel, we learn about the rich young man, who came to meet Jesus. Now, picture this, Jesus is ready to depart on a journey; he has his Apostles and other disciples with him. He begins to leave, when up comes this young man, who, by his dress, is obviously a wealthy man. And he comes to ask a question “What must I do to earn eternal life?” Jesus is ready to go, so you can hear the impatience in his voice; he gives the standard reply any rabbi would give; he quotes from the the commandments. The young man replies with fervor that he has keep the commandments since he was young. Jesus stop short, he hears the intensity in the reply, he senses the possibilities in this young man. And he gives a reply from his heart, a personal teaching to this young man. And the young man cannot accept it! He walks away!


At that moment, I can imagine the disappointment that Jesus must have felt. You can hear it in his voice when he he tells his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the people are flabbergasted by this statement. Now keep in mind, the societal structure in Jesus’ time was much different from our own today! We have a class society made up of the wealthy, middle class, low income, poor, and destitute. In Jesus time, there was, as one scripture scholar put it, the haves and the have nots! The haves were nobles, rich landowners, merchants who catered to the rich, political leaders, and leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem. The have nots, were farmers, herdsmen, laborers, craftsmen, fishermen; who, because of Roman taxes, could barely scratch up enough money to survive! To people like these, they dreamed of being wealthy, to have wealth meant they had made it. And to have Jesus tell them that the wealthy could not enter the kingdom of God, must have blown their minds! You can hear the disbelief in their voices! If the rich cannot make it, how can we? Jesus tells them, tells us that to follow, to live the Gospel, will come with trials and persecutions; but with it also a fellowship of believers, to support each other along the way; and to eternal life at the end of the journey!


Now we are a society that is fascinated with the lives of the rich and famous, I mean, who has not watched at lest one episode of the Housewives series, or have not read at lest one society magazine, like “People,” or the tabloids. We envy the rich,we wish we could have a tenth, a fraction of their wealth. Yet, Jesus cautions us, in very strong terms, that success and wealth does not guarantee entrance into the kingdom. Remember the prime commandants, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart! And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus is inviting us to cross the threshold into a new way of looking at the world, a new way of living in this world. One in which we share what we have with the poor and needy. That we look on each person that we come in contact with as a brother or a sister; a fellow traveler in this journey of life and faith, supporting and comforting each other during the hard times. And accepting each other. Standing together against a world where only money and status count, and might, whether through wealth or force of arms, makes right. If we can stand against that, then the blessings Jesus has promised will indeed be ours; and we will enter into eternal life in the age to come!

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” We see Jesus taking an important step in his ministry in the Galilee. Up to now, it has been just him proclaiming the Good News; just him healing the sick; and those suffering from demons and evil spirits. Now, he was sending his twelve disciples out, to proclaim the glory, the mercy of God; sending them out drive out demons, and heal the sick. In a sense, he was sending them out as his front men, to get the word out to a wider audience, to give hope to more people of the Galilee. I would have loved to know what pairings of the Apostles were. Who was Judas paired with? How did that go? Some ago, a book came out, based on the TV mini-series; “Jesus of Nazareth;” a novelization of the mini-series. In the telling of this story, Peter, the rough, tough fisherman was paired with the Matthew, the tax collector! Not exactly a match made in heaven. The story goes on telling how Matthew worked at keeping Peter out of trouble because of his temper. All of the Apostles fulfilled the mission, given to them by Jesus. The groundwork had been done, that when Jesus went into greater Galilee, thousands of people came to see him, came to hear him, came to be healed by him.

We seemed to have turned the corner on this pandemic we are going through, though this variant has people worried. Our churches are fully opened, people are being invited back; yet, the mainstream press, secular and religious, are reporting a severe drop in the number of people attending church, a drop in the number of people who identify themselves as Catholic, or even Christian. Now, there could be many reasons for this, going to church is no longer a habit, people have found other things to fill their time, people have been put off by the division in the some areas of the Church, they felt alone, scared, and losing hope, and for whatever reason, they feel nobody is reaching out to them.

Now, there are programs and approaches to answer this growing situation , all coming under the umbrella of the “New Evangelization;” but in the light of today’s Gospel, I would suggest that each one of us are called to bearers of the Good News, to be evangelists. Now some may object, “I do not have training!” I would agree, we do need trained evangelists. But we also need people who have strived to live the Gospel, at home, on the job, with family, friends and strangers. Amos was not a trained prophet, he was shepherd, something of a gardener. The Apostles were mostly fisherman, who probably knew just enough Hebrew that they could read, barely, the Torah. Matthew was probably the most educated, he had to know some arithmetic, and enough Latin or Greek to communicate with his Roman overseers. But they were ordinary folks, like you and me, but they were inspired by the Gospel that Jesus preached; they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

We, who strive to live the Gospel, try to put into practice the commandments to love God with all our mind, with all our heart, with all our soul; and love our neighbors as ourselves, with all that it implies; have that same Spirit within us. And people will recognize that, recognize the authenticity of our lives, both with the struggles and joys. And they will be drawn to Christ, drawn to the God who loves us and cares for us.

I would remind us again what Saint Paul said to the Ephesians; “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit;”. May the Holy Spirit guide us, inspire us to be evangelists for others, by the example of our lives, our lives of faith.