Reflections on the Sunday readings from the Catholic Lectionary for Mass. Includes homilies, sermons, and other thoughts.
We often think of a prophet as someone who foretells the future. Sometimes they do that. But in the biblical sense, a prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of …
By the late 17th century, Catholics had become so convinced of their own unworthiness that they thought no one was worthy to receive the sacraments or be loved by God. …
John the Baptist was strange. He wore strange clothes and ate strange food. He is called the greatest prophet in history, and yet he left the most important city in …
Today we celebrate the the Solemnity of the Body and Blood and Christ, Corpus Christi in Latin. We might expect to find readings like our second reading from St. Paul. …
Sometimes we think of the Trinity as an obscure theological dogma that was probably invented sometime long after Jesus. While it may have taken a couple hundred years to figure …
The following homily was given at Philmont Scout Ranch at the Vigil of Pentecost on the evening prior to the first crews returning to the backcountry after the Ute Park …
When a Philmont crew starts out on their 10-day trek through the backcountry, they never go out alone. They have their Ranger with them to guide them. He’ll teach them …
This homily was given at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. The readings are from Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter. We call Philmont “God’s Country” and “Heaven …
On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus tells his apostles, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” We use the word love to mean so many things. …
Throughout the Easter season, instead of reading from the Old Testament for the first reading, we have selections from the Acts of the Apostles. This book is the second book …
“It is the Lord!” These simple words stir St. Peter’s heart so profoundly that he jumps into the sea in an effort to reach Jesus as quickly as possible. Do …
It is so wonderful on Easter Sunday to see our churches filled. So many people, with so many different stories. Were you at church this morning? If so, why? Perhaps …
The Body of Christ – We hear these words every time we receive Holy Communion. On this Good Friday, the body of Christ is a focus of our worship. The …
Tonight we gather to do as the people of God have done for millennia. We come together to tell our family stories. These are the stories that make us who …
Palm Sunday always seems to move so quickly. We start by acclaiming Jesus with loud shouts of praise. Hosanna to the son of David! Like the people in Jerusalem 2000 …
I like to win. I like it when my sports teams win. A personality test once told me that one of my biggest strengths is in competition. There’s nothing quite …
When you hear the word “unplanned,” do you have a generally positive reaction or generally negative? That’s the kind of question that might be asked on a personality test. Some …
I kind of feel sorry for the fig tree in today’s gospel. It hasn’t produced any fruit in three years and is about to be cut down, when a compassionate …
There are lots of things to be discouraged about these days. Things that aren’t right with the world, our country, our family, and even ourselves. Dealing with discouragement is one …
Each Sunday we profess to believe in a God who made things “visible and invisible.” We often forget that the saints are invisibly present at every Mass. Another forgotten and …
Watch your thoughts for they become words, watch your words for they become actions, watch your actions, for they become habits, watch your habits for they become your character, watch …
“Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?” These are the words of Wind in His Hair to Dances with …
This homily was given on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the death of Msgr. Luigi Giovanni Guissani, founder of the Communion and Liberation movement. Msgr. Guissani considered personal …
One of the blessings of living in Kansas is that we get all four seasons here. Spring and Fall always seem to be too short, and this winter seems to …
I’m used to being asked questions about the faith. I like answering questions. But this last week, I got one that was totally unexpected. I was teaching a class for …
In the famous movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his knights come to an ominous confrontation at the Bridge of Death. In order to cross, they …
In 587 B.C., God allowed his chosen people to be taken into exile in Babylon. They had been spiritually far from him for some time. In exile they learn their …
Football fans can be crazy. Yet this is the kind of enthusiasm God is asking of us, because he is crazy about us. He’s our biggest fan.
Peace be with you! Or, as we would say in Latin, Pax vobiscum! Pax is the Latin word for peace. On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the …
There is a lot going on in the liturgy for this first day of the year. It’s the civil new year, a world day of prayer for peace, the eighth …