5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 58:7-10Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 2:1-5February 5, 2023 Last week we heard the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s gospel.  We will continue to hear from Jesus’ Sermon each Sunday until we begin Lent. Our passage today begins with Jesus saying to his disciples, …

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Being the Person That God Calls Us to Be

Our readings today begin with the prophet Zephaniah calling us to “Seek the LORD.” God did not create us and walk away. God wants to be part of our lives everyday. We are called to humble ourselves to follow him. When we humble ourselves, we realize that God’s ways are better than our ways. From …

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 8:23-9:3Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a)1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17January 22, 2023 Each Sunday we gather to celebrate Mass.  We begin with the procession followed by the Sign of the Cross, a greeting, Penitential Rite, Gloria, and a prayer.  We end with a blessing before we recess out.    In …

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The Call to Discipleship

Our Christmas season has ended. We have entered Ordinary Time. There can be a tendency from the term “ordinary” to think of it as a time to lay back and relax. One might think that nothing special is going on. However, with God there is always something special. God is always at work in our …

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The Epiphany of the Lord 2023 – Homily

The Epiphany of the LordIsaiah 60:1-6Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (11)Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6January 8, 2023 Today we celebrate another important part of the Christmas story, the Magi coming from the east seeking the newborn king of the Jews.  We call it the Epiphany of the Lord. They find Jesus in Bethlehem just as the prophecies …

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Beginning a New Year With Blessings

Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is far too important to celebrate with a single day. We celebrate Christmas for a season that lasts until the Baptism of the Lord (which falls on Monday, January 9th this year). This season include the Epiphany of the Lord (which falls on Sunday, January 8th this …

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Christmas Homily for 2022

The Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Night)Isaiah 9:1-6Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2022 You can find a video of this homily on my website page for my upcoming series, The Greatest Gift: The Eucharist at www.renewaloffaith.org/greatestgift (scroll down on that page to find the video). “The people who walked in darkness have seen a …

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You Can Count on God

In our first reading, through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord offers a message to the Israelites in distress. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers.” The message is in the future tense. It is a message of hope. While things may seem …

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2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A – Homily

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 11:1-10Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 (7)Romans 15:4-9Matthew 3:1-12December 4, 2022 Our gospel passage today comes from the time just before Jesus began his public ministry during his first coming.  It speaks of preparation.  We can use this passage to reflect on our readiness for the Second Coming. John the …

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