Readings: Click Here All Souls Day is a day to remember and to pray for all those who have died: our family, and friends, and those who have no one to pray for them, that they would pass through the purification of purgatory and enter into heaven. This is also a day for us to... Continue Reading →
Our True Homeland: Homily for the Solemnity of All Saints
Readings: Click Here On this Solemnity of All Saints, Saint John the Apostle shares with us his vision of the “great multitude” of saints gathered around the throne of God in heaven, saints from “every nation, race, people, and tongue,” worshipping God for all eternity. We are told who they are: “These are the ones... Continue Reading →
My Re-Birth Day
Today was my “re-birth day” twenty-nine years ago. I am so grateful to my parents for giving me the greatest gift any parent could give their child: the gift of faith through Christian baptism. I have been buried with Christ by baptism into death, so that as He was raised from the dead by the... Continue Reading →
The “Reward” of the Christian Life: Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus is teaching us what being His disciple is all about. Ultimately, we are not supposed to have a business relationship with God where we give Him our hard religious work and He gives us our pay of blessings and graces. It is true that our... Continue Reading →
Responding to Criticism: Homily for the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
Gospel Reading: Mk 6:17-29 How do we react when someone points out our sins and failings? Usually not very well! When someone tells us that we are doing something wrong, we often become defensive and angry. Our ego is offended, and because of our pride we try to justify ourselves. We attack the other person... Continue Reading →
The Rock of the Church and the Rock of Our Lives: Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
First Reading: Is 22:19-23 Gospel Reading: Mt 16:13-20 Our readings this weekend invite us to reflect on the rock upon which Jesus has built His Church, and also on the rock upon which we are each building our lives. Let us look first at the Church. In the Gospel today, Jesus tells Saint Peter that... Continue Reading →
Fully Seen, Fully Known, Fully Loved: Homily for the Feast Day of St. Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Gospel Reading: Jn 1:45-51 We celebrate today the Feast of St. Bartholomew, who was also known as Nathanael, one of the twelve apostles. In the Gospel reading we just heard, Philip brought Nathanael to encounter Jesus. Nathanael was very skeptical about Jesus at first. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” What was it that changed... Continue Reading →
A Royal Yet Humble Queen: Homily for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today, we celebrate the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is our queen because she is the Mother of Jesus, the King of Kings. She is the queen of heaven and earth because of her relationship with her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Alphonsus Liguori says: “Because the virgin Mary... Continue Reading →
Lessons from the Canaanite Woman: Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
In the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel reading, we see four important virtues for all of us to emulate: faith, courage, humility, and hope. First, faith. As a Canaanite, this woman was a non-Jew, a pagan who worshipped false gods rather than the true God of Israel. And yet, through the experience of suffering and... Continue Reading →
The Call to Forgive: Homily for Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Gospel Reading: Mt 18:21–19:1 The message for us today is clear and simple, even though it is not easy. You and I have received mercy and forgiveness from God for our sins, and we must give mercy and forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. The debt that you and I owe God because... Continue Reading →