My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn. –Psalm 51:19– In November of 2021, some friends and I went to Ronks, Pennsylvania, to see the Sight & Sound Theater production of their musical “Queen Esther.” I had never been
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A Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C I have never had misgivings about my priesthood, but the older I get, the more seriously I take my ordination. For example, when I was a young priest, I recall reading that when the Italian mystic Saint Mary Magdalene de’
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A Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.” –John 8:11– I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. –Philippians 4:13– The one who sat on the
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A Homily for the First Sunday of Lent I am old enough to remember the cartoon character Fred Flintstone depicted in the throes of temptation—with a winged and haloed angel on his right shoulder and a horned, pitchfork-bearing devil on his left. Fred was part of my childhood. Today, however,
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A Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B Most of us, I dare say, would prefer Mom’s home cooking to fast food, being chauffeured by a close friend to being chauffeured by an Uber driver, recovering from an illness at home among loved ones to undergoing rehabilitation in
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A Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” –John 6:35– As many of you know, until the spring of 2013, I
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A Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year B Remember the Sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your
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A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year B 18 April 2021 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. –Luke 35:45– Wouldn’t it be nice if you had your own personal guide to help you read and interpret the Bible? Well, have I got good news
Read moreA Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year B Window in the Eucharistic Chapel in the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, Paris God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism,
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A homily on the Annunciation Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” –Luke 1:38– We Catholics hear the Gospel account of the Annunciation so often that I think we fail to appreciate fully at least one
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