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Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, September 8, 2024

“Ephphatha, be opened.” Today, Jesus orders us to be opened to the Father’s plan and to adopt a sincere concern for all his children across the globe, across the millennia.   We are to do so in virtue of our Baptism. The rite of Baptism includes the gestures performed by Jesus and the word “ephphatha” “be opened” that he uttered when he cured the deaf person with a speech impediment.  This complete openness is required of us for two reasons.   From the Bible’s perspective, illness has a constraining grip on all components of the affec

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Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family, December 31, 2023

The 1st reading (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14) talks about the traditional family in which there is a husband who is a man and a wife who is a woman. There is a father, a mother, and children.  These are simple, traditional concepts that have been good for millennia, but which are now turned upside down in certain environments, with intimidation, crippling repercussions and even the loss of livelihood for those who do not comply.  God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons. Sirach 3:2  In non-traditional

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Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 24, 2023

In today’s readings we meet two people, worlds apart: a very successful king and a 13,14-year-old Jewish girl from the obscure hamlet of Nazareth. There had been significant ups and downs in King David’s past, yet, all things considered, he had had a very successful life.  When he had time to reflect, he realized that his success was due to God’s generous favors, hence, he decided to build a house for the Lord as an expression of his gratitude.  The prophet Nathan, his mentor, agreed.  “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”&n

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Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinal Time, August 27th, 2022

Usually, we let Jesus get away with a lot of stuff just because he is the Son of God and can do no wrong. However, if we start from this standpoint, we will fail to appreciate the message Jesus wants to leave with us today. Jesus was invited to a formal dinner into a house of a prominent Pharisee so that he could see that he was considered on equal footing with the host and the other guests. Eventually, according to local etiquette, Jesus would have had to reciprocate. What ensues, instead, is something more than shocking. Jesus acts in an extremely rude and

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Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinal Time, July 31st, 2022

If this parable (Luke 12:13-21) does not give us pause, I cannot think of anything else that will. And this is clearly a matter of life and death; eternal life or eternal death, that is! What shall we do to avoid being called “fool” by the Lord and be wise enough to stop storing up earthly treasures for ourselves to become rich in what matters to God? The letter to the Hebrews offers us the surest way: Let us persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 And, if we ar

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Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinal Time, July 24th, 2022

There are circumstances in which, in our prayer of petition, we can be as confident and as daring as Abraham was, (bordering on impudence) as he haggled with God on behalf of people dear to him. (cf. Genesis 18:20-32) But in the 2nd reading (Colossians 2:12-14) St. Paul reminds us of the privileged status we enjoy through the cross of Christ Jesus. We are God’s family! Our old ways, sins, maladies, fears, worries, all those things that embarrass us, and which formed an ugly screen that kept us away from full and free access to “Daddy,” have been nailed to the cros