Here is the text of my homily for today (January 23, 2011 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time). 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A St. Michael’s 5:00 p.m, 7:00 a.m. & 9:30 a.m Isaiah 8:23-9:1 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Matthew 4:12-23 January 23, 2011 Jesus calls Simon and Andrew and James and John to …
When we evaluate an action as good or bad we tend to look at the effects. Certainly the effects of our actions are very important. We must consider the effects our actions have not just for ourselves but for others. But the effects of our actions are not all we should be interested in. We …
In today’s readings (January 14, 2011), we once again hear about those whose struggle to do God’s will. In the gospel, many people are coming to see Jesus and hear him preaching. A group comes with their friend who is a paralytic. Whatever they know about Jesus, they are clearly convinced he can heal the …
In tomorrow’s Gospel (January 7, 2011), the leper sees Jesus, falls prostrate before him and says, ““Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” The act of the leper falling prostrating before Jesus means he recognizes that Jesus is far greater than he. I know that God is far wiser, stronger, powerful, and compassionate …
I think that one of our goals in life should be to make the world a better place. But how do we know when we have done this? I remember being part of a conversation with a group of teenagers where one of them, probably about fourteen or fifteen years old, said her parents were …
How are your preparations for Christmas going? What comes to mind when you read the question? Do you think about the list of gifts you need to buy? Do you think about the food you need to prepare? Do you think about the decorating you need to do? Or do you think about Jesus coming …
I wrote the following for this weekend’s bulletin as we begin Advent. Christmas is Coming! Notice, the title says Christmas is coming. The Christmas shopping season began Friday but Christmas day is still almost a month away. We see Christmas decorations going up everywhere. Truly, Christmas, as the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, is …
I wrote the following for our parish bulletin yesterday (the Feast of Christ the King) as we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving this week. Giving Thanks Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. Jesus is indeed a king but a king in a new way. One might think of kings as people who …
How do you decide when you are doing too much? That is the question that has been on my mind this week. I had six meetings and a preaching workshop this week. Of course, there was the regular Masses and homily work too. From Monday evening till Friday morning I was having a tough time …
The End . . . The end of the year that is. Our liturgical year is drawing to close. Our secular calendar always begins a new year on January 1st. Our church year ends around the end of November. Why does the end of our liturgical year vary and end in November rather than January 1st? …
