 View Page StatsSee who's visiting this page. |
Some Requests "So we can get off to a good start, I would like to make three requests regarding participation in Mass - and one request concerning food..." (July 5, 2009 - Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B)
For Your Love and Fidelity "Today I want to say a broader - and perhaps deeper - word of thanks. Many people have given me gifts - without realizing how great those gifts are..." (June 28, 2009 - Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B)
Who Calms Storms "President Lincoln was moving toward that awareness as the war neared its end. As a young man, Lincoln saw God as a distant figure - uninvolved in human life and history. The great storm - the Civil War - made him reflect more deeply..." (June 21, 2009 - Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B)
What Have I Given You? "One of the students, a second grader, expressed it best. He said, 'The greatest time I will always remember is...'" (June 14, 2009 - Corpus Christi, Body & Blood of Christ)
Purpose of Our Existence "Mary can help us realize the purpose of our existence...Above all she wants you to know her Son, his Father and the One who overshadowed her." (June 7, 2009 - Trinity Sunday)
The Soul's Most Welcome Guest "In his wonderful book, Mary, Mother of the Son, Mark Shea has a short reflection on The Coming of the Holy Spirit..." (May 31, 2009 - Pentecost Sunday)
What Good-Bye Means "Saying good-bye is one of the most painful things in life. Even if we have the good hope of seeing each other again, to say good-bye reminds us of the final separation that all of us must face. Again, I think of my dad..." (May 24, 2009 - Ascension of the Lord)
A Physical Relationship "Sometimes people say that we have lost our sense of spirituality. I say the opposite: We have lost our sense of physicality. How else could we see being male or female as something accidental...?" (May 17, 2009 - Sixth Sunday of Easter)
Because We Keep His Commandments "We cherished other things more than children. We did not honor paternity and maternity. Instead we embraced contraception and abortion - and now we are suffering the consequences..." (May 10, 2009 - Fifth Sunday of Easter)
Basics of Salvation "Buddha, Mohamed, Confucius - they all have there place in history, but only one person can save us, Jesus...'" (May 3, 2009 - Fourth Sunday of Easter)
The God of Our Fathers "It is true each one of us must have a personal relationship with Jesus, with God. How else could we relate to him than as persons? But personal does not mean that we are isolated individuals...'" (April 26, 2009 - Third Sunday of Easter)
The Eighth Day "At the Hour of Mercy, Fr. Pavone will lead the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It is a powerful pro-life prayer for 'mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of embryonic stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning and euthanasia...'" (April 19, 2009 - Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday)
Eternal Life Begins Now "As pastor, God has given me a huge responsibility: for the salvation of each person in this parish. I read a humorous story about a pastor who took that responsibility very seriously. To seek the lost sheep, he would even go to the taverns..." (April 12, 2009 - Easter Sunday)
He Learned Obedience "You might ask where a fourteen-year-old boy got such courage. Another martyr, not from Mexico, but from Germany, gave an explanation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German pastor and theologian said, 'Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.'" (April 10, 2009 - Good Friday)
Join the Nearest Household "Only one person showed up for Sunday Mass! The young man took his usual spot in the back of the church and made the Mass responses the best he could. Afterward the young man asked the priest if it was hard saying Mass in an empty church..." (April 9, 2009 - Holy Thursday)
God's Justice "As I was reflecting on St. Mark's account - especially on the part played by St. Peter - an anecdote from the Civil War came to my mind. Although it is humorous, it has a serious point..." (Palm Sunday, April 5, 2009)
A Matter of Life Or Death "But then an illness strikes. Ivan Ilyich believes he can overcome it - like he has overcome every other obstacle. As we would say, he is a fighter..." (Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 29, 2009)
The Beauty of Humility "She said, 'Come on, admit it. Am I not the ugliest woman in France?' Oscar Wilde made a profound bow and said..." (Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 22, 2009)
A Jealous God "How do we understand God's jealousy? Let's start by looking at human jealousy. A little bit of jealousy can be a good thing..." (Third Sunday of Lent, March 15, 2009)
A Glimpse of the Mystery "Dr. Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International, tells a dramatic story about a woman who glimpsed the mystery of her unborn child..." (Second Sunday of Lent, March 8, 2009)
Knee Mail "You may have heard about a way of communicating even better than e-mail. It is called knee-mail..." (First Sunday of Lent, March 1, 2009)
Don't Waste This Crisis "We are like a man waking from a binge. Most of us feel a strange headache, a sense of disorientation - on account of the economic meltdown..." (Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009)
No Forgiveness for Darwin "This year - 2009 - you will hear a lot about Charles Darwin and his book "The Origin of Species." He published it 150 years ago - on November 24, 1859. How should we as Christians (and specifically as Catholics) participate in this commemoration?" (Seventh Ordinary Sunday, Year B, February 22, 2009)
The Power of Compassion "The existence of so much evil and cruelty made Stevenson wonder if God really exists. All of his doubts came together when he first met a leper..." (Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year B, February 15, 2009)
Entrusted With a Stewardship "Many years ago, in England, three men were pouring into a trough a mixture of water, sand, lime and other ingredients. A passer-by asked them what they were doing..." (Fifth Ordinary Sunday, Year B, February 8, 2009)
Free of Anxiety "God could use any of us to speak a word that brings liberation. An example: You may have heard of Dr. Alveda King - Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece. In the 70's she had received two abortions..." (Fourth Ordinary Sunday, Year B, February 1, 2009)
Repent and Believe "I hope that nobody here thinks that the economy, health care and world peace are the most important things..." (Third Ordinary Sunday, Year B, January 25, 2009)
Chosen with Care "Everyone knew that no one but Clark Gable could be Rhett Butler, but who should play Scarlett O'Hara? David Selznick considered a few dozen actresses to perform the Southern belle. Finally he made a surprising selection..." (Second Ordinary Sunday, Year B, January 18, 2009)
The Power of Baptism "This does not mean that a baptized person will automatically become a saint. Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin both received the sacrament. The person who turns from his baptism has a greater potential for evil..." (Baptism of the Lord, January 11, 2009)
A Glimpse of the Mystery "Since reading about Blessed Luis Maga�a's life, I have had questions about what happened to his wife Elvira and their two children: Gilberto who was about one year old and Maria Luisa who would be born five months after her dad's death..." (Feast of the Epiphany, January 4, 2009)
Three Lessons for the New Year "The first lesson regards our relationship as men and women. Pornography has greatly distorted that relationship. Pornography has always existed, but in the last few decades it has become a tidal wave - and it affects all of us..." (Mary, the Mother of God, January 1, 2009)
The Dignity of Marriage "With so much confusion (and outright distortion) on the meaning of marriage, this is a good moment to review the basics..." (Holy Family Sunday, December 28, 2008)
The Tiny Footsteps of Jesus "To begin this Christmas homily, I would like to tell you about a girl who wanted a special gift - the greatest gift anyone could ask for..." (Christmas, December 25, 2008)
The Greatest Boast of our Race "One of the good things we can do this time of year is help our fellow Christians see the important role of Mary. I heard about a priest who did this in a somewhat amusing way..." (Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2008)
Too Serious to Take Seriously "When the person blows on the candle, it goes out - but then the flame suddenly pops up again. Our lives are like that. Death appears to end one's life, but we will immediately re-appear before God. You cannot extinguish a human soul..." (Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2008)
Sins of Impatience "Fornication, adultery, pornography, cohabitation and contraception are sins of impatience. Rather than respecting God's plan for marriage and human sexuality, a person wants it all and he wants it now. As a society - for about fifty years - we have been experimenting with cohabitation (living together) and contraception (birth control)..." (Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2008)
The Diagnosis "A Democrat and Republican were having lunch together. The Republican was taking the Democrat to task. "You guys," he said, "are ruining the country..." (First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008)
First Fruits "On Christ the King Sunday we affirm that Jesus is the key to creation and human history. St. Francis de Sales makes a helpful comparison..." (Christ the King Sunday, November 23, 2008)
Take a Step "People will find money for what is important to them. A few years ago, during an economic decline, Americans spent thirteen billion dollars for cosmetic surgery. It is not a sin, but..." (Thirty-third Ordinary Sunday, November 16, 2008)
Worth Fighting For "When all is said and done, there is only one thing truly worth fighting for..." (Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, November 9, 2008)
Baptized Into His Death "Bob could also talk openly about his struggles and need for forgiveness. On his shoulder he has a tattoo that shows a man in a state of exhaustion being held up by the Lord..." (All Souls Day, November 2, 2008)
An Aspect of Love "We are made for Love, to receive love and to show love to others. That's why we're here. That's our purpose. And it has very practical consequences - including the political kind..." (Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday, October 26, 2008)
Render Unto Caesar "Archbishop Chaput explains that he wrote the book because a friend asked him to do it. His friend is a young attorney who ran for the Colorado General Assembly on the Democratic ticket..." (Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Sunday, October 19, 2008)
He Leased It to Tenants "It is hard to read today's parable and not think about our nation's financial mess. The parable describes greed, reckless ambition and astounding mismanagement...'" (Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday, October 5, 2008)
Two Paths "Today's readings speak about two paths: One leads to sadness, isolation, impotence, rage - and death. The other path leads to purpose, communion, serenity, power - and life...'" (Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Sunday, September 28, 2008)
They Thought They Would Receive More "The candidate said that middle class includes people earning up to $150,000 a year. All of a sudden I was thinking, 'One hundred fifty thousand dollars. I am far from earning that...'" (Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Sunday, September 21, 2008)
The Center of Human History "Then the men fell on one knee, removed their helmets or hats and prayed quietly. The sight of five hundred men kneeling before a bare cross made a deep impression on the native people..." (Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2008)
He Died in the Trenches "At the age of 61, Pope Benedict XV asked Father Ratti to leave his scholarly pursuits and become papal nuncio to Poland. Three years later, Pope Benedict died and the cardinals elected Achille Ratti to succeed him..." (Twenty-Third Ordinary Sunday, September 7, 2008)
Not Spiritual, But Religious "When I pray, I am beset by distractions...I am more sensual than spiritual and I have to keep bringing my mind back. Bishop Sheen used to tell about the saint who encountered a man that claimed he could pray with no distractions..." (Twenty-Second Ordinary Sunday, August 31, 2008)
Three Unavoidable Questions "There are three questions that no thinking adult can avoid. Everything depends on how a person answers them..." (Twenty-First Ordinary Sunday, August 24, 2008)
Help Me, Lord "I don't know about you, but today's Gospel contains my most common prayer. I pray it more often than the Our Father..." (Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, August 17, 2008)
For the Sake of My Own People "President Harry Truman gave a good lesson when he visited Mexico in 1947. He paid a visit to the monument of the Ninos Heroes - the six adolescent boys who died defending the Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican-American War..." (Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 10, 2008)
Come to the Water "The story is told about four men adrift on the Atlantic Ocean near the equator. They were so thirsty that they were trying to squeeze moisture from the pieces of canvas on their small lifeboat..." (Eighteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 3, 2008)
All Things Work for Good "Her parents could have said, '23 is enough,' and no one would have said they lacked generosity. Still, if they had not had their twenty-fourth child, they would have deprived the world of a remarkable saint..." (Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, July 27, 2008)
Allow Them to Grow Together "What Jesus says about the weeds and wheat also applies to our souls. Not that we should tolerate sin in our lives, but we need to recognize that the same energy behind some bad habit can be an energy for good. Let me illustrate..." (Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 20, 2008)
Power of the Seed "We live in a world where people are hungry - some physically hungry, but many more starving spiritually. Instead of receiving something that will nourish them, they are getting the equivalent of junk food. Think about how we have come to accept abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation, birth control, in vitro fertilization, gambling and pornography..." (Fifteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 13, 2008)
Not Debtors to the Flesh "I mention the national debt in order to make a comparison. Along with the all the good things we have received as Americans, we have inherited a debt. Similarly, along with all the good things we have received as human beings, we have inherited another debt..." (Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 6, 2008)
Year of St. Paul "This weekend we inaugurate the Year of St. Paul. We are doing it to commemorate the 2000th birthday of the great apostle. It is a birthday worth celebrating..." (Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, June 29, 2008)
The Ugly Truth "When I hear about the sudden death of someone close to my age - like Tim Russert - I have to admit that it makes me think. Is there some part of my life that I am foolishly trying to hide from the Lord? I cannot judge Tim Russert. He seemed like a good man and a good Catholic..." (Twelfth Ordinary Sunday, June 22, 2008)
A Firm, But Compassionate Father "Today I would like to tell you about a father who had an unruly son..." (Eleventh Ordinary Sunday, June 15, 2008)
Like Spring Rain "Hoping for a miracle, they asked the priest to go with them to the top a hill and offer a Mass. The priest admits that he was a little embarrassed because the people's faith was so much greater than his, but he accepted their invitation..." (Tenth Ordinary Sunday, June 8, 2008)
Be My Rock "They asked him, 'Didn't you shake with fear when you were hanging on that rock?' 'Yes,' he replied, 'but the rock didn't.'" (Ninth Ordinary Sunday, June 1, 2008)
Who May Receive Communion? "Since one is Democrat and the other Republican, clearly the bishops are not acting in a partisan manner. Still, the bishops' action surprised some people. What business, they ask, do the bishops have telling someone they should not receive Communion?" (Corpus Christi Sunday, May 25, 2008)
Family as Origin and Goal "The Thrill of the Caste is much more than a manual for young people. Dawn keeps her eye on what ultimately matters - the relationship with God that involves every other good relationship...." (Trinity Sunday, May 18, 2008)
Double Gift "Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit on two different occasions. Why does he do that? St. Augustine has an interesting response to the question..." (Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008)
Ascension Quotes "Moses brought out of Egypt a timid nation, and in the space of forty years trained it to be full of valor for the task of conquering the promised land; Christ in forty days trains his apostles to be bold and patient instead of cowards..." (Feast of Ascension, May 4, 2008)
Not Leave You Orphans "One orphan girl stands out: Francisca. Her mom died in childbirth and her dad could not take care of her, so he entrusted his tiny child to the Vincentian Daughters of Charity..." (Sixth Sunday of Easter, April 27, 2008)
A Virgin Path "Pope Benedict's visit to our county could not help but evoke comparisons with his predecessor...The difference between these two pontiffs underscores the fact that each of us must come to Jesus by a particular path..." (Fifth Sunday of Easter, April 20, 2008)
Door We Never Opened "In a haunting poem, T.S. Eliot speaks about a 'door we never opened...'" (Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 13, 2008)
The Incorruptibles "While visiting the sick, Pier Giorgio contracted a disease that killed him at the age of 24. In 1981 - almost six decades after his death - they exhumed his body as part of the canonization process. A surprise met them..." (Third Sunday of Easter, April 6, 2008)
Reconciliation "At first I did not want his apology. The man had committed the crime of vehicular assault and property destruction. Moreover, children were in our group when he assaulted us..." (Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy, March 30, 2008)
His Will Is Our Peace "Dante asks her if the souls on this lowest sphere aren't perhaps a little bit unhappy, maybe they yearn for a higher place in heaven..." (Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008)
According to Your Word "This does not mean we merrily continue to sin - anymore than we should thoughtlessly pollute the ocean and the atmosphere. What we need to do is.." (Good Friday, March 21, 2008)
Grandma, Can I Wash Your Feet? "One of my favorite memories of my mother was when my college-age niece asked her, 'Grandma, can I wash your feet?'" (Holy Thursday, March 20, 2008)
Your Will Be Done "The monk's words shocked the king, but he obeyed and became one of the fairest rulers in Europe..." (Palm Sunday, March 16, 2008)
Overcoming Power of Death "Robert Schuman could easily have given in to the power of death - as did many people who turned cynical after the horrors of World War II. But he did not..." (Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 9, 2008)
Small Gesture with Enormous Promise "Su-Chin calls out, 'Your baby has a beating heart - it can feel pain - and it has fingernails!' At the word 'fingernails,' Juno turns around and says, 'Really?'" (Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 2, 2008)
Why So Dissatisfied? "Cardinal Ratzinger observed that 'politicians of all parties take it for granted that they need to promise changes.' He notes that there is 'a deep and prevailing sense of dissatisfaction precisely in those places where prosperity and freedom have attained hitherto unknown heights...'" (Third Sunday in Lent, February 24, 2008)
Visit of Fr. Peter West (Second Sunday in Lent, February 17, 2008)
The Devil is a Logician "G.K. Chesterton said, 'Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do.' The tragic life of Bobby Fisher illustrates that saying..." (First Sunday in Lent, February 10, 2008)
When You Give Alms "The force of material riches attracts us and they can easily become an idol. If that happens, we cut ourselves off from God..." (Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008)
Maybe Yes, Maybe No "Many years ago a man received a magnificent horse. All his neighbors came to admire the horse. They said to him, 'you are the luckiest man in our village.' The man replied, 'Maybe yes, maybe no'..." (Fourth Ordinary Sunday, February 3, 2008)
When John Had Been Arrested "An aggressive segment of our society wants to re-define marriage. Part of their strategy involves intimidating Christians by accusing us of teaching hate. In one case, they brought a lawsuit against a bishop..." (Third Ordinary Sunday, January 27, 2008)
Why Does Human Life Have Value? "Washington state has a former governor who considers his life so worthless that he wishes to end it. But he does not want to do it by jumping off a bridge or taking an overdose. He wants to implicate the rest of us and the medical profession in his suicide..." (Second Ordinary Sunday, January 20, 2008)
Road to Sanity "As he lay in bed, the window appeared to expand until it reached the floor. He heard a mocking voice in his mind saying, 'What if you threw yourself out of that window?'...'" (Baptism of the Lord, January 13, 2008)
Where the Sun Is "Carl Sagan said, 'we are star stuff.' That is a poetic phrase and it is true as far as it goes...'" (Epiphany of the Lord, January 6, 2008)
A Fresh Start "This breakdown was dramatically symbolized by what happened here in King County on Christmas Eve. A young woman, together with her boyfriend, coldly murdered her parents, her brother and sister-in-law and their two small children...'" (Mary Mother of God, January 1, 2008)
Honor Your Father and Mother "In today's first reading, Sirach gives some strong motives for honoring one's father and mother...'" (Holy Family Sunday, December 30, 2007)
No More Fear and Hiding "The singer Johnny Cash tells about spending Christmas of 1974 with the famous evangelist Billy Graham. At one point, Billy Graham said, 'Let's call Richard Nixon and wish him a Merry Christmas...'" (Christmas Homily, December 25, 2007)
Merry Christmas, Mary "It used to be that we Catholics placed great emphasis on Mary while our Protestant brothers and sisters tended to ignore her. That is changing - and sometimes Evangelical Christians remind us about Mary's important role..." (Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2007)
Do Not Complain "We have to protect our children from negativity regarding the Mass. We can start complaining about the music or the homily or - God forgive us - about fellow parishioners. In the process we miss the incredible gift Jesus wants to give us..." (Third Sunday of Advent, December 16, 2007)
Am I Not Your Mother? (Homily for Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2007)
That We Might Have Hope "Pope Benedict uses a striking example to illustrate the meaning of Christian hope. He tells about an African girl named Josephine Bahkita..." (Second Sunday of Advent, December 9, 2007)
Under Her Motherly Care: "One night Dominic was praying alone in the chapel of his monastery. He saw the heavens open with Christ in the center and the Blessed Virgin Mary next to him. As St. Dominic looked around, he began to weep bitterly...." (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2007)
Homily for Anniversary Mass of Deputy Steve Cox (December 2, 2007)
Not in Promiscuity and Lust: "Crystalina tells about when she was a teenager, how she loved to attend parties. Sometimes the parties got out of hand and she would come home feeling sad, empty, used - even dirty..." (First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2007)
Life & Death of a Thief: "It is appropriate that today we have the Gospel of the Good Thief. He illustrates that, with Jesus, it is never too late to make a new beginning..." (Christ the King Sunday, November 25, 2007)
The Power of Gratitude: "Something about the title intrigued me: A Complaint Free World? How is that possible? The book lays out a plan for people to stop complaining and start enjoying life..." (Thanksgiving Day Mass, November 22, 2007)
Night and Day We Worked: "St. Paul tells us that he worked 'night and day.' You and I might be tempted to say, 'Well, good for him.'..." (Thirty-Third Ordinary Sunday, November 18, 2007)
Put God First: "Once a lady asked a priest to help her with the family budget. It was an unusual request, especially since the priest (like your pastor) was not that good with finances..." (Thirty-Second Ordinary Sunday, November 11, 2007)
A Little Man With a Lot to Teach Us: "Zacchaeus did the only logical thing. He responded to generosity with generosity..." (Thirty-First Ordinary Sunday, November 4, 2007)
The Cry of the Poor: "We may even think that we are the winners in a Darwinian struggle for survival - and supremacy. That is all baloney..." (Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday, October 28, 2007)
The Manly Task of Intercession: "Regarding intercession we have to be honest. The battle is not going well. Many of us priests - and many other men- have let down our arms..." (Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Sunday, October 21, 2007)
Show Yourselves to the Priests (Twenty-Eighth Ordinary Sunday)
The Greatest Power (Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday)
Why Was the Rich Man Condemned?: "The rich man had everything, but he did not have God. The poor man lacked everything, but he had God. Jesus makes it clear who was better off. When I go to Peru tonight, I want to bring not only your financial help..." (Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Sunday, September 30, 2007)
The Best of a Bad Situation: "The dishonest steward reminds us of something that is deep in our Catholic tradition. Back in the fourth century St. John Chrysostom said..." (Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Sunday, September 23, 2007)
Never Give Up: "During dark years Winston Churchill rallied the British nation - and free men everywhere - to stand against Nazi barbarism. It is said, however, that he gave his most famous speech not during World War II, but afterwards..." (Twenty-Fourth Ordinary Sunday, September 16, 2007)
Reinvent Yourself: "Recently I have been reading Reinventing Yourself by Steve Chandler. As in his other books, Chandler addresses an important issue: How to stop being a victim and start taking ownership of one's life...." (Twenty-Third Ordinary Sunday, September 9, 2007)
The Beauty of Humility: "It is a beautiful thing when a great man humbles himself. Sir James Simpson is an example of an eminent scientist who was also a humble Christian. There are other examples..." (Twenty-Second Ordinary Sunday, September 2, 2007)
Depart From Me: "Hell is a real place - and you or I could wind up there. That is the bad news. Now, I also have some good news..." (Twenty-First Ordinary Sunday, August 26, 2007)
Baptism of Anguish: "A college drop-out named Marcus Wayne Chenault entered their church and shot his wife. When asked why he did it, Chenault replied: 'Because she was a Christian and all Christians are my enemies.'" (Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, August 19, 2007)
Salvation and Damnation: "Perhaps you have heard that the Irish are famous for answering a question by asking another question..." (Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 12, 2007)
Vanity of Vanities: "It used to be that the most popular gift for a girl graduating from high school was a car or a vacation. Today the most popular gift for a high school graduate is cosmetic surgery..." (Eighteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 5, 2007)
Why I Believe God Exists: "I believe in God because he answers prayers. If you wonder whether God really exists, try prayer..." (Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, July 29, 2007)
Being in the Lord's Presence: "Pope Benedict is calling us to a more reverent celebration of the Mass. The examples of Abraham and Mary can help us achieve that goal..." (Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 22, 2007)
The Good Pagan and The Good Samaritan: "In spite of not having an apparent belief in God, the good pagan seems more compassionate, fair and loving than those who engage in religious practices. He may even be aware of his superiority to religious folk: 'I don't need to go to church to do the right thing. Those church goers are a bunch of hypocrites...'" (Fifteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 15, 2007)
Stepping Out: "President Lincoln was an unpretentious and humble man. Some thought him a weak leader, but he was one of the greatest leaders this country has known. ..." (Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 8, 2007)
True Freedom: "Many people consider that pornography is not that big of a deal. However, it can have terrible consequences. Let me give you an example..." (Thirteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 1, 2007)
Fearfully, Wonderfully Made: "The genome is like a vast string of unpunctuated letters--long enough to fill 13 sets of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Shakespeare said, 'What a piece of work is man!' Or as today's Psalm says: we are fearfully, wonderfully made..." (Nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24, 2007)
Rejoice, You Just: "David thought he had gotten away with murder. He would soon learn differently..." (Eleventh Ordinary Sunday, June 17, 2007)
Our Daily Bread: "What the Pope Benedict says (in his book Jesus of Nazareth) very much ties in with today's Gospel..." (Body and Blood of Christ, June 10, 2007)
Hope Does Not Disappoint: "Those things are great and in some way they might be part of heaven, but this Sunday we learn what will actually make us happy..." (Trinity Sunday, June 3, 2007)
With You Always: "You may have seen the headlines which proclaimed that abstinence education does not work. According to some studies, abstinence education did little to help young people delay sexual activity until marriage..." (Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2007)
Separation of Church and State: "In recent weeks a television pundit has been criticizing church leaders for speaking on various social issues. He accuses them of being 'hell-bent on ignoring the separation of church and state...'" (Ascension of The Lord, May 20, 2007)
The Father Will Love Him: "When the priest got near the hut, a man ran out, 'Padre, padrecito,' he exclaimed, 'I knew you would come.' Surprised, the priest asked how he knew that..." (Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 13, 2007)
They Appointed Elders: "In Greek the word for elder is 'presbyteros' - and it does not necessarily mean 'old man.' The presbyter could be some quite young like Timothy..." (Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 6, 2007)
The Time of Great Distress: "Our society seems to be more frazzled, less courteous. Archbishop Brunett told about the insulting, hateful letters he received after writing an op-ed defending traditional marriage..." (Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 29, 2007)
I Am Going Fishing: "Like St. Peter, Blessed Teresa was a person of action. There is an even deeper parallel. St. Peter kept at it, in spite of the cold, dark night. Since Mother Teresa's death, people have been amazed to learn that she faced a long, cold night..." (Third Sunday of Easter, April 22, 2007)
A Drop in the Ocean: "Angelica, that drop represents all your sins, all your imperfections and all your frailties. Throw it in the ocean..." (Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday, April 15, 2007)
I Have Been Baptized: "A university professor named Dr. Phillip Cary told it in order to explain what Christians mean by justification - how the resurrection bring forgiveness of sins. The story begins with a tragedy..." (Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007)
He Took Our Suffering to Himself: "The fact that an artist can make a chocolate figure of Christ crucified - and give it the cute title My Sweet Jesus - shows how our society does not connect even with the human reality of Jesus' crucifixion..." (Good Friday, April 6, 2007)
The Passover Lamb Must Be Eaten: ""But, of course," thought Rosalind, "the Passover Lamb must be eaten." That insight led her to investigate the claims of Catholic Church about the Eucharist..." (Holy Thursday, April 5, 2007)
What Do We Have To Offer God?: "Tomorrow is the second anniversary of death of Pope John Paul II. Perhaps no man in the last century had more to offer God in terms of accomplishments..." (Passion (Palm) Sunday, April 1, 2007)
Neither Do I Condemn You: "Abortion, I am convinced, is the deepest wound in our society - and in our Church..." (Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 25, 2007)
Confession of Sins and New Creation: "People sometimes tell me they are worried they may not have made a good confession, that there was some sin they did not confess or did not confess properly. When that feeling overcomes us, it is good to remember the younger son..." (Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 18, 2007)
What is His Name?: "Jehovah Witnesses ask this question: 'Do you know the name of God?' That is not a bad question..." (Third Sunday of Lent, March 11, 2007)
Chosen: "As a help to understanding today';s reading, I ask you imagine this situation: A movie director is producing a great epic, like Gone with the Wind or Roots. Before him he has spread out pictures of young men..." (Second Sunday of Lent, March 4, 2007)
More Powerful than Satan: "Perhaps you saw on the news a study by researchers at the University of California San Francisco. It showed that sexual involvement of any kind can harm a teenager." (First Sunday of Lent, February 25, 2007)
Exercise of Holy Desire: "In his Tract on the First Letter of John he stated: 'The entire life of a good Christian is in fact an exercise of holy desire...'" (Ash Wednesday, February 21, 2007)
Two Ways to Avoid Judgment: "This method requires great effort, but it does work - sometimes even in extreme circumstances. An amazing example has emerged from the life of Ronald Reagan." (Seventh Ordinary Sunday, February 18, 2007)
Not Taught But Caught: "Middle-ranking civil servant, single, Catholic, 43, immaculate past, from the country, is looking for a good Catholic, pure girl who can cook well, tackle all household chores, with a talent for sewing and homemaking with a view to marriage as soon as possible. Fortune desirable but not a precondition." (Sixth Ordinary Sunday, February 11, 2007)
Before the Grandeur of God: "Once a young boy asked the pope: How can we know God exists, if we cannot see him?" (Fifth Ordinary Sunday, February 4, 2007)
We Are Doing It For Someone: "Well then," said Mother Teresa, "They are not missionaries. They are not proclaiming Christ. They are doing it for something, but we are doing it for Someone."(Fourth Ordinary Sunday, January 28, 2007)
If the Lord Gives a Burden: "I had a disturbing dream while I was in Peru..." (Third Ordinary Sunday, January 21, 2007)
That Sacred Jest: "The story is told about a priest who spent weeks preparing his Christmas homily. By Christmas eve he had it carefully written out. But the priest was nervous and - as was his custom - he took a shot of whiskey to calm his nerves..." (Christmas Homily, December 25, 2006)
Only the Mother of Jesus?: "An insider's book on the presidency of George W. Bush illustrates the very limited role a mother has today. According to the book, Barbara Bush was quite concerned that her son would get involved in a war with Iraq...." (Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 24, 2006)
To Be a Happier Priest: "Today, on my 35th Anniversary, I am feeling enormous gratitude for the gift of the priesthood - and I am asking myself how to be a happier priest, so that I can serve you better. St. John gives one important way..." (Third Sunday of Advent, December 17, 2006)
The Affection of Christ Jesus: "The devil appears to have the winning side, but at a certain point, Screwtape admits to his nephew that their enemy (God) is not be underestimated. Almost in exasperation, Screwtape says: 'We must never forget what is the most repellent and inexplicable trait in our enemy; He really loves the hairless bipeds.'" (Second Sunday of Advent, December 10, 2006)
Under Her Motherly Care: "He saw the heavens open with Christ in the center and the Blessed Virgin Mary next to him. As St. Dominic looked around, he began to weep bitterly. The Lord asked him why he was so sad." (Feast of Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2006)
Patience: "Tertullian wrote wonderfully about patience, but he himself had a terrible time practicing the virtue. Toward the end of his life, he grew impatient with the human weakness of the Church and he joined a charismatic sect..." (First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2006)
I Am the Alpha and the Omega: "She looked at her dad and said, 'you don't treat me like a daughter. You treat me like a pet. I am not your pet.' The man was so stunned he did something he had not done in a long time. He prayed..." (Christ the King Sunday, November 26, 2006)
Thanksgiving and Salvation: "On this Thanksgiving Day, I would like to take a closer look at that process of salvation. From our Scripture readings we can see that salvation has two parts. The first part, we can say, is gold; the second part is silver..." (Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2006)
Patience: (First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2006)
God's Election and Human Choice: "A few years back Princess Anne of England visited the Smithsonian Museum. As part of her tour, Astronaut Neil Armstrong showed her a space suit used for the moon landing..." (Thirty-Third Ordinary Sunday, November 19, 2006)
God Gives It All: "I want to begin by putting your minds at ease. I am not going to ask you to tithe..." (Thirty-Second Ordinary Sunday, November 12, 2006)
Men Have Forgotten God: "For many people removing God is a vital step to a bright future, especially as we embark on a new revolution based on biological engineering. Others - including Solzhenitsyn - are not convinced the future is so bright..." (Thirty-First Ordinary Sunday, November 5, 2006)
Get Yourself in Trouble: "The first step might surprise you, but I want you to think about it. The first step toward finding God is to get yourself in trouble. As Peggy Noonan notes, that is not so hard..." (Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday, October 29, 2006)
Vaulting Ambition: "Saints Behaving Badly tells about some unlikely characters who became canonized saints. One was a man named Hippolytus...Things came to a head when Pope Zephyrinus died in 217 A.D. Hippolytus considered himself the logical candidate for pope, but you can probably guess who was elected instead of him." (Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Sunday, October 22, 2006)
Prudence: "Jesus teaches the deeper meaning of prudence: not just being cautious to avoid dangers, but being ready to sacrifice everything to gain eternal life..." (Twenty-Eighth Ordinary Sunday, October 15, 2006)
What God Has Joined: "Because this teaching (the indissolubility of marriage) is so hard to live, it has been the subject of much confusion. I would like to clear up three common misunderstandings..." (Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday, October 8, 2006)
Whoever Is Not Against Us: "Whoever is not against us is for us. We saw that approach lived out in a remarkable way by an Italian religious sister. Her name was Sister Leonella Sgorbati..." (Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Sunday, October 1, 2006)
The Desire for Wealth: "Time magazine recently did a cover story on the question: Does God want you to be rich? Jesus gives the answer today..." (Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Sunday, September 24, 2006)
The One Way to Happiness: "The man in the middle had this sign above his head: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Fidus realized he was standing before the boy he had met many years before..." (Twenty-fourth Ordinary Sunday, September 17, 2006)
A Man Who Heard the Lord: "Tom told her he had started going to daily Mass during his lunch hour because he felt God was calling him to something. He didn';t know what it was, but said that it would affect many people and it had something to do with the White House..." (Twenty-third Ordinary Sunday, September 10, 2006)
The March of Folly: "Emergency Contraception will protect male predators. This is particularly the case with teenage pregnancy. According to various studies, between one half and two-thirds of minors who get pregnant..." (Twenty-third Ordinary Sunday, September 10, 2006)
Virtue: "Either we strive for excellence, that is for God - or we wind up spiraling downward. We have to make a choice: heaven or hell. There is no middle ground called Okay or Good Enough..." (Twenty-second Ordinary Sunday, September 3, 2006)
A Defining Moment: "Finally a young man named James Madison stood up and stated the obvious: You cannot form a nation based on each one defending their own turf..." (Twenty-first Ordinary Sunday, August 27, 2006)
What is a Body?: "If you go to a college dictionary - the kind they display in libraries - you will find some thirty definitions of the word body." (Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, August 20, 2006)
Not Despair, But Repair: "He thought his life was a failure and he only wanted to sleep, to lose consciousness and die." (Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 13, 2006)
The Son of Man: "Politically, he was the most powerful man in the world, yet he used a humble title. That is the case with Jesus, only in an incalculably greater sense." (Feast of The Transfiguration, August 6, 2006)
Some Left Over: "Scientists estimate we currently have anywhere from two million, up to a hundred million species - and even that enormous quantity represents less than a single percent of the species in earth's history." (Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, July 30, 2006)
Come Away: "St. John Vianney spent hours before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When people asked him what he was doing, he said, 'I look at Him and He looks at me.'" (Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 23, 2006)
No Money in Their Belts: "Ken Lay enjoyed many luxuries, but like everyone else, he could not take his money with him. At the same time thousands will say, 'Ken Lay took my money with him.'" (Fifteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 16, 2006)
How Jesus Handled a Put Down: "The Navarre Bible translates the word 'carpenter' as 'craftsman.' Jesus probably did not build homes. He was a craftsman, a person who works in a shop joining wood together to make stools or tables." (Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 9, 2006)
When God Seems Distant: "George MacDonald said: 'As cold as everything looks in winter, the sun has not forsaken us. He has only drawn away for a little...that we may learn that we cannot do without him.'" (Thirteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 2, 2006)
Out of the Storm: Pope Benedict stood before the site of the most apalling storm in human history. In visiting the concentration camp of Auschwitz, the Holy Father responded in a manner similar to Job: "In a place like this, words fail. In the end, there can only be a dread silence." (Twelfth Ordinary Sunday, June 25, 2006)
Language of the Body: "In response to those who would make the union of two men or two women equal to the union of a man and woman, we have naturally focused on procreation and child-rearing. That is clearly true, but there is something deeper: the language of the body." (Corpus Christi, Body & Blood of Christ, June 18, 2006)
Back to the Basics: "We need to know the foundation for God's love, why he loves us and how we participate in that love. This Sunday we return to basics..." (Trinity Sunday, June 11, 2006)
He Testifies to the Truth: "People seem ready to believe almost anything about Jesus - except what he said. A few years ago a high school English teacher wrote a novel based on the premise that Jesus was an ordinary guy who had a girl friend and that together they had a daughter from whom descended a line of French royalty. ..." (Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2006)
Whoever Believes and is Baptized: "Early Christian writers attest to the necessity of baptism for salvation. An ancient document called The Shepherd of Hermas states..." (Ascension of the Lord, May 28, 2006)
In This Is Love: "In his first encyclical (Deus Charitas Est, God is Love), Pope Benedict goes a long way toward recovering the meaning of love. The encyclical contains three somewhat surprising moves." (Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 21, 2006)
Dependence and Freedom: "Before her husband achieved sobriety, he was like one more child. Now she had to step back and let him take more responsibility for the family. Al-Anon helped her greatly. She discovered her own true freedom in relation to a husband who was becoming more responsible." (Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 14, 2006)
The Leaders We Deserve: "Bishop Sheen once addressed the increased corruption in American society. He compared the corruption to the foam we see on the surface of a liquid. What we often don't notice is that the foam is the result of thousands of tiny bubbles deeper down." (Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 7, 2006)
Is Life Worth Living?: For the Gnostics, Judas was not a traitor, but a hero because he hastened Jesus' death. The Gospel of Judas portrays Jesus saying to Judas, "But you will exceed all of them for you will sacrifice the man that clothes me." (Third Sunday of Easter, April 30 2006)
Mercy in Action: "It was not Karl Marx who invented the principle: 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.'" (Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23 2006)
Peering into the Tomb: "For Malcolm Muggeridge that 'one last look at the coast' was like staring into the empty tomb. He began to ask himself the most important questions: Could the claims about Jesus really be true? ." (Easter Sunday, April 16 2006)
The Hour of Divine Mercy: "Picking up his little son, Gilberto, he embraced him. His wife Elvira, who was pregnant with their second child, he enveloped in his arms and gave a final kiss. Then he walked to the main square of Arandas and asked the general to allow him to take the place of his brother." (Good Friday, April 14 2006)
A New Friend at the Banquet: "He also helped found a group dedicated to all night adoration of Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament. One might think that such a young man would become a priest, but he realized that his vocation was marriage." (Holy Thursday, April 13 2006)
Body and Blood: "Most of us reacted in horror to the murder of six young people here in Seattle. For many it revealed a world they did not know existed where teenage girls and adult men are together in all night parties, often with alcohol and drugs. During the week they use the Internet to post provocative messages and pictures of themselves which anyone can access." (Palm (Passion) Sunday, April 9 2006)
Your Judgment on the World: Sin often hides behind a smoke screen. Destroying ones tiny child is called ';reproductive freedom.'; Numbing ones senses and breaking another person's heart is called ';partying.'; (Fifth Sunday of Lent, April 2, 2006)
A Passion Which Transforms: One of our neighboring churches had this message on their billboard: ';God so loved the world';that he did not send a committee.'; (Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 26, 2006)
Focus Your Anger: A Catholic psychiatrist once told me, ';Anger is a good emotion. Use it.'; Focusing anger is something like the Grand Coulee Dam. (Third Sunday of Lent, March 19, 2006)
Trust: "A while back I was curious to find out which person in the Old Testament was mentioned most often in the Catechism. I thought it would be Moses..." (Second Sunday of Lent, March 12, 2006)
Sir, Go on the Other Side: "On this First Sunday of Lent, I want to tell you about the conversion of a scientist named Niels Stensen. You may not have heard about him, but after I tell you his story I think you will agree that he deserves to be better known." (First Sunday of Lent, March 5, 2006)
Back to the Basics: "Our culture has so much guilt around food that I am afraid of adding to that guilt, making you feel bad about eating a Big Mac or a plate of linguini. We should certainly enjoy food and the conviviality that often accompanies a good meal. Nevertheless we also must find a place for fasting." (Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2006)
The Days of Her Youth: "In the New Testament you will find at least thirty-four examples of kneeling in prayer, including of course Our Lord himself. By no means is kneeling limited to prayer of repentance, but includes petition, gratitude, intense worship and even one example of kneeling during an emotional departure ceremony. " (Eighth Ordinary Sunday, February 26, 2006)
Forgiveness of Sins and Communion: ';A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession.'; On reading this, one will naturally ask: What is a grave sin? (Seventh Ordinary Sunday, February 19, 2006)
He Touched the Leper: "An early Christian writer named Gregory of Nazianzus described leprosy in vivid terms." (Sixth Ordinary Sunday, February 12, 2006)
Eros and Agape: "Pope Benedict explains the difference between two Greek words: eros and agape. Eros, he says, referred to ';that love between a man and woman which is neither planned nor willed, but somehow imposes itself upon human beings';'; Agape, on the other hand, was the word which the New Testament writers preferred to describe the new relationship between Christ and his disciples." (Fifth Ordinary Sunday, February 5, 2006)
The Unclean Spirit Came Out of Him: "He is known as the ';master of the human heart'; on account of his penetrating psychological insights, but he had great difficulty mastering his own emotions. A ';demon'; which afflicted him was a gambling addiction." (Fourth Ordinary Sunday, January 29, 2006)
Time Is Running Out: "The officers selected three prisoners, blindfolded them and tied them to posts. Dostoevsky watched in horror as the firing squad loaded the rifles and pointed them at his comrades." (Third Ordinary Sunday, January 22, 2006)
Your Body Does Not Belong to You: "Before Paul introduced them to Christ, they had built their lives around sensual pleasure. But it did not bring them happiness, only heartbreak and despair." (Second Ordinary Sunday, January 15, 2006)
When Worlds Collide: "Before explaining the significance of the Magi';s gifts, I would like to refer to a humorous Christmas card I received. It imagined what would have happened if the Magi had been Three Wise Women..." (Epiphany of The Lord, January 8, 2006)
The Lord Bless You: "The apostle Barnabas, who was a Levite, undoubtedly gave many people that blessing. St. Francis, himself a deacon, used those words to bless others." (Mary, the Mother of God, January 1, 2006)
An Ivory Horn: "To Lucy he gave a bottle with a liquid strong enough to heal wounds. Peter received a sword and shield for the coming battle. And to Susan, Father Christmas gave an ivory horn which brings help in time of trouble." (Christmas, December 25, 2005)
The New Eve: "The child who first enters that parallel world is a little girl named Lucy. A faun asks her, ';Are you a daughter of Eve?';" (Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2005)
The Secret of Happiness: "Leon Bloy said, ';Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.'; The joy in question is not necessarily a bubbly feeling. In former times, they understood happiness differently than we do today." (Third Sunday of Advent, December 11, 2005)
Unmasking Sin: "After his conversion, it took him a few years to muster the courage to make an auricular confession to an Anglican priest. About his first confession, he wrote, ';It was the hardest decision I have ever made.';" (Second Sunday of Advent, December 4, 2005)
Prepare Yourself: "The gunman pointed his pistol at Walker and ordered him to hand over his money. Walker responded, ';Go ahead and shoot...';" (First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2005)
Howard Hughes vs. Dostoevsky: "The girl saw him and ran up to him, ';Poor unfortunate men,'; she said, ';in the name of Christ, take this.'; And she place in his hand a kopek - a small coin, one hundredth of a ruble. Dostoevsky said that he treasured that kopek for a long time..." (Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2005)
The Last Enemy: "Others know about Omaha Beach from history books or from movies like Saving Private Ryan. At an incredible cost the Allies captured a tiny piece of territory. Yet it became the beachhead for an ever expanding conquest..." (Christ the King, November 20, 2005)
Time, Energy and Money: "The amount of time, skill, pain and money expended on cosmetic surgery is enormous. Last year, we Americans spent around thirteen billion dollars on those procedures..." (Thirty-Third Ordinary Sunday, November 13, 2005)
Why They Did Not Share: "In the parable we hear about wise virgins who did not share their oil with the foolish ones. They seem a little bit selfish until we understand what Jesus is really talking about...." (Thirty-Second Ordinary Sunday, November 6, 2005)
Have We Not One Father?: "He took the money home to his mother who placed it in her lap, explaining that she would be happy if he gave a tenth of it to the Lord. He did and from that day, Rockefeller tithed every dollar he earned..." (Thirty-First Ordinary Sunday, October 30, 2005)
A Harsh and Dreadful Thing: "When Dostoyevsky says that love in action is harsh and dreadful, he means that it requires a radical giving of oneself. That gift of self was illustrated in a TV documentary on the Civil War..." (Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday, October 23, 2005)
God Owns It All: "Whatever you entrust to God will acquire a lasting value. A married couple in our diocese gave a beautiful testimony to this..." (Twenty-Ninth Ordinary Sunday, October 16, 2005)
Taste for God: "The horrible thing is that, by some process, they have built up a series of tastes which cannot be satisfied at that wedding feast. And they have failed to develop the one taste which matters..." (Twenty-Eighth Ordinary Sunday, October 9, 2005)
Have No Anxiety At All: "He felt like he had been let out of dungeon into the sunlight. He went on to found one of the most successful retail businesses in our country. You have probably heard of him. His had a somewhat funny name: James Cash Penney." (Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday, October 2, 2005)
Unspeakable Love: "Oscar Wilde went to prison for a crime that the Victorians called ';gross indecency.'; From his trial comes the phrase: ';the love that dare not speak its name.'; (Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Sunday, September 25, 2005)
Day Laborers: "Often young people will ask me how they can discover their calling in life. They wish that God would slip an envelope under the door." (Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Sunday, September 18, 2005)
The Power of the Cross: "With the unflinching eye of an investigative reporter, Raymond Arroyo recounts painful details of her childhood. Rita Rizzo (the girl who would become Mother Angelica) had a wandering father who abandoned her at an early age." (Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2005)
He Remembers Their Sins in Detail: A columnist, assuming that the Archdiocese was trying to mitigate the accusations, wrote, ';What difference does that make? Does the fact that it happened thirty years ago excuse what was done?'; (Twenty-Fourth Ordinary Sunday, September 11, 2005)
Love and Do What You Like: "When I was a seminary student back in the sixties, I often heard this quotation from St. Augustine, ';Love and do what you like.';... However, I never met anyone who read it in context." (Twenty-Third Ordinary Sunday, September 4, 2005)
Get behind me, Satan!: "We will not receive an offer so diabolical as the one Peter proposed to Jesus. Still, temptations will come. A few weeks ago a man made an astounding offer to our nation." (Twenty-Second Ordinary Sunday, August 28, 2005)
The Two Keys: "If you examine the Vatican flag, you will observe that one key is shiny yellow while the other has a light gray hue. Why is one key gold and the other silver?" (Twenty-First Ordinary Sunday, August 21, 2005)
Culture Shock: "Cross cultural put-downs '; whether intended or not '; can do great damage. They have a way of entering a group';s lore; they are then brought up again and again to justify suspicion and resentment. In this case, however, the outcome was different." (Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, August 14, 2005)
Lord, Save Me, I Am Drowning: The Italians have a legend about the blackbird. When winter ends, it sings, ';It is Spring now. I no longer need God.'; (Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday, August 7, 2005)
Why is the United States Rich?: "Theories range from Darwinism, which posits the superiority of Northern races, to Marxism, which analyzes structures of injustice, to neo-capitalism, which seeks to remove market restraints, to old fashioned Calvinism, which identifies hard work, early rising, thrift, marital fidelity, etc. as signs of divine election..." (Eighteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 31, 2005)
The Pearl of Great Price: "His health, never great, suffered a severe blow when thieves attacked the parish, killing the sacristan and his wife. Robbing the rectory, they also threatened ';Padre Giovanni'; with burning him alive." (Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, July 24, 2005)
Distinguishing Wheat from Weeds: "Basil appealed to Pope Damasus to visit them: 'I have come to see the visit of your mercifulness as the only possible solution to our difficulties.' Basil saw the pope as the touchstone of orthodoxy." (Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 17, 2005)
The Word Embodied in the Church: "Was it just a coincidence that modern science developed in a largely Catholic milieu, or was there something about Catholicism itself that enabled the success of science?" (How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization Thomas E. Wood, Jr, Ph.D.) (Fifteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 10, 2005)
The Real Revolution: "With this lofty vision, Christians effectively countered the plagues which worried Augustus: divorce, abortion, infanticide, contraception and the homosexual lifestyle." (Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday, July 3, 2005)
Welcome Same-Sex Partners?: "In the bulletin of a local parish, the pastor wrote about the importance of welcoming all. Then he told about conversations with two different people who had same-sex partners." (Thirteenth Ordinary Sunday, June 26, 2005)
A Bishop's Hidden Life: "Seminarian Joe Tyson came in and began making sandwiches. At that time the future bishop was as skinny as a pole, but I knew even he could not eat that many sandwiches. ';What are you doing?'; I asked." (Twelfth Ordinary Sunday, June 19, 2005)
Labor Shortage: "In a passage that perhaps contains a bit of humor, Pope Gregory the Great spoke about the need for laborers in Lord';s harvest..." (Eleventh Ordinary Sunday, June 12, 2005)
The Desire for Revenge: "Actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Clint Eastwood have made fortunes from movies which follow a simple formula..." (Tenth Ordinary Sunday, June 5, 2005)
Reverence for Eucharist: "We might imagine that a drawn out Sign of Peace will attract people, especially the young, but it will not. Jesus creates community; when we try to do it on our own, it becomes hollow." (Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, May 29, 2005)
Alone Again: Aristotle...spoke about a social instinct which has been ';implanted in all men by nature.'; The man who has no need of others, who feels sufficient for himself, ';must be either a beast or a god.'; (Trinity Sunday, May 22, 2005)
The Greatest Unused Power: Once an American had a visitor from England. He wanted to show his guest the marvels of our country, so he took him to Niagara Falls. ';Come,'; he said, ';I will show you the greatest unused power in the world.'; (Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2005)
There the Action Lies: "In the play Hamlet, King Claudius had murdered his brother so he could seize the crown '; and marry his sister-in-law. At one point, he attempts to pray in order to gain forgiveness for what he has done." (Ascension of the Lord, May 8, 2005)
Why Benedict?: "He was a dropout who came from noble Roman society and did something bizarre, something that later turned out to be the ';ark on which the West survived.';" (Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2005)
Three Kinds of Men: "These people have got rid of the tiresome business of adjusting those rival claims of Self and God by the simple expedient of rejecting the claims of Self altogether." (Fifth Sunday of Easter, April 24, 2005)
A Good Shepherd: "Alone in the world, he made the resolution to give himself totally to God. He thought he would do so by studying literature, perhaps becoming an actor. But the Lord made it clear he was to become a priest." (Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 17, 2005)
Nor Did His Flesh See Corruption: "Like the first bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul guided the Church fearlessly. The final words he addressed to the faithful were, ';I am happy and you should be happy too. Do not weep. Let us pray together with joy.'; He knew that, as St. Francis had said, death is our sister." (Third Sunday of Easter, April 10, 2005)
The Grandeur of God: "These facts, which science has discovered, make me wonder about the Fact which under girds them. If they are each so marvelous, what must He be?" (Second Sunday of Easter, April 3, 2005)
Transformation: "A man who made a remarkable journey from despair to hope was the famous actor and producer, Mel Gibson." (Easter, March 27, 2005)
The Conversion of Barabbas: She explained to me that they favored cloning for therapeutic purposes, but that they would never clone for reproduction. I asked her what she meant by ';reproduction.'; (Good Friday, March 25, 2005)
Our True Companion: "Five others were Christians and they made arrangements with the rest of the prisoners so that they could be near Bishop Van Thuan. When lights went out at 9:30, the Bishop quietly said Mass and distributed communion to the Catholics." (Holy Thursday, March 24, 2005)
A Week to Remember: "As the man';s life was drawing to an end, his family gathered around the sick bed. He knew none of them. His wife placed a small crucifix in his hand. At first he seemed puzzled..." (Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005)
Joining Body with Soul: "I walked into a somewhat large room with a table in the middle. On it was a body covered by a white sheet." (Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 13, 2005)
Seeing and Knowing: "During the February 22 episode of the NBC-TV sitcom, ';Committed,'; two non-Catholics are mistakenly given Holy Communion at a Catholic funeral Mass." (Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 6, 2005)
The Scent of Water: "Usually we picture the Samaritan woman as young. Considering her marital history, she was probably no spring chicken." (Third Sunday of Lent, February 27, 2005)
A Confrontation with Evil: "On Good Friday a group in Seattle will stand before a particular evil of our society: the utilization of human embryos for scientific research." (Second Sunday of Lent, February 20, 2005)
The Temptation of Sloth: "In the world sloth calls itself tolerance; but in hell it is called despair. It is the accomplice of every other sin and their worst punishment. It is the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing..." (First Sunday of Lent, February 13, 2005)
Less Noise, More Light: "Abraham Lincoln received a large amount of bitter '; and often contradictory '; criticism. To his critics he told a story about a traveler who got caught in a terrible thunderstorm." (Fifth Ordinary Sunday, February 5, 2005)
The Pagan vs. Christian Happiness: "while rich food, money, sexual activity, mastery over others, and so on, can lead to pleasure, those things do not necessarily bring happiness." (Fourth Ordinary Sunday, January 30, 2005)
The Kingdom Is At Hand: "What is the Kingdom of God? This Sunday I am going to tell you direct: It is the Catholic Church." (Third Ordinary Sunday, January 23, 2005)
A Painful Secret: "She was one of the finest Christian writers of the twentieth century, but, for over three decades, Dorothy L. Sayers kept a painful secret." (Second Ordinary Sunday, January 16, 2005)
With Whom I Am Well Pleased: "The tsunami pulled a woman out to sea. She managed to climb onto some floating debris and kept herself alive by chewing the branches for moisture." (Baptism of the Lord, January 9, 2005)
A Powerful River: "the message is not so much to get busy as to get relaxed..." (Epiphany Sunday, January 2, 2005)
Keep Out of His Way: "This year I received a special Christmas gift. It came from a parishioner who is a fireman...." (Mary, Mother of God, January 1, 2005)
The Most Diverse Family: "Almost all of our children have read the Harry Potter books or seen the movies about his adventures. For sure, they attract children because they describe an enchanted world where a boy gets back at those who bully him. But on a more fundamental level..." (Holy Family Sunday, December 26, 2004)
A Christmas Poem: "The young priest kept the poem to himself for two years. Shortly before Christmas, he showed it to a friend named Franz Guber. Franz provided a melody. You have no doubt heard of the poem..." (Christmas, December 25, 2004)
Joseph, Do Not Be Afraid: "Modernity assumes it was because he thought her guilty of adultery, but the typical view in antiquity understood the text to mean he was afraid of her sanctity '; as a pious Jew would be afraid to touch the Ark of the Covenant." (December 19, 2004)
The Messenger: "We have a problem this year. The Third Sunday of Advent '; Gaudete Sunday '; falls on December 12, which is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe." (December 12, 2004)
A Perfect Game: "If Mary';s life were a golf game, you would have to say her score is eighteen." (Feast of Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2004)
The Leopard, the Lion and the Wolf: "Dorothy Sayers explains that these categories of sin were associated with the three stages of life '; lust with youth, pride (self-conceit) with the middle years and avarice with old age." (December 5, 2004)
The Night is Advanced: With a picture of a smiling man holding a lovely child, the ad invites co-eds to give the ';precious gift of life.'; (November 28, 2004)
To Sneer or Not to Sneer: "Typically the sneer will not only insult the other person';s intelligence, but also their motivation. In our post-election animosity we have heard plenty of sneers. For example..." (November 21, 2004)
Facing the End of Life: "The Holy Father has clarified that food and water cannot be considered extraordinary means and that they should not be withheld from a dying person. Dr. Janet Smith has explained this papal teaching very clearly, but has also discussed the kind of dilemma it presents in modern medicine." (November 14, 2004)
Take Courage: The great English evangelist, John Wesley, stated it starkly, ';When I die if I leave behind me ten pounds...you and all mankind [may] bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a robber.'; (November 7, 2004)
Astonished Gratitude: "Cardinal Ricardo Vidal told a touching story about a priest who recognized that unparalleled gift." (October 31, 2004)
Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner: "Those who have participated in a Twelve Step recovery program know the importance of examining ones conscience. The fourth step involves making ';a searching and fearless moral inventory'; of oneself..." (October 24, 2004)
A Significant Battlefront: "The candidate in question went even further. He claimed that the United States Constitution guarantees the right to abortion, that is, the taking of the life of an unborn child. Therefore, he said, it is okay to take public funds and use them to pay for abortions." (October 17, 2004)
Two Classes of Men: "a movie came out which humorously depicted that division of humanity. Titled What About Bob?, it stars Richard Dreyfuss as a psychologist who has everything..." (October 10, 2004)
The Greatest Power: "Some of you have probably toured the Oregon Caves National Monument. The guide leads visitors through a narrow passage which opens into an enormous cavern. From the roof of the cavern dangles something that looks like twisted branches with no leaves." (October 3, 2004)
He Dined Sumptuously: "Gluttony is a sin we avoid talking about. This is unfortunate because it is a particular temptation for us today - and I am not just referring to those who are overweight." (September 26, 2004)
Is the Pope Na';ve?: "the young man's reaction - when you think about it - was almost comical. Here you have someone reared in a comfortable U.S. surburb saying that the pope is na';ve." (September 19, 2004)
A Veneer of Forgiveness: "Everyone admired his humble confession and the story inspired millions of people. However, over the summer he was accused of a sin the public just could not stomach." (September 12, 2004)
Who Can Know God's Counsel?: "People have often asked me how I received my vocation to the priesthood. I will recount it to you today because it relates to our Old Testament and Gospel reading." (September 5, 2004)
Arrogance and Vainglory: "When Christians speak of pride as the head and root of all sin, they are referring to arrogance and vainglory. It is against this sense of pride that Sirach and Jesus are fighting in today's readings." (August 29, 2004)
Wide Road to Hell and Narrow Path to Life: "As is the case in today's Gospel, Dante helps clear up a misconception about who winds up in Hell or Heaven. Many suppose that Hell contains the sinners, the bad people, while Heaven has those who do good." (August 22, 2004)
An Introduction to Mary: "Io';s incredible energy comes not from itself, but from its proximity to Jupiter. Likewise, Mary';s wellspring of grace come from her closeness to Jesus." (August 15, 2004)
No Hurry: "In America a very high percentage of us believe that God exists. And a majority also believe that the devil exists. What we don';t seem to believe in is our own mortality." (August 8, 2004)
Midsummer Day's Wake-Up: "Holocaust suvivor Victor Frankl attested to this in his book Man's Search for Meaning. And Peter Kreeft notes that depression and suicide are more common in countries like Sweden and Denmark where citizens are well provided for." (August 1, 2004)
Persistence Pays: ';Well, I can understand Father Bloom giving in to a persistent request. But is God so easily swayed? Is he swayed at all? Doesn';t he know exactly what we need even before we ask?'; (July 25, 2004)
Five-Legged Dogs: "Who has time for Jesus if they focus their whole attention on reheating leftovers? But no matter how busy one gets, those things will never satisfy." (July 18, 2004)
Oil and Wine Over His Wounds: "The U.S. Senate will debate the Federal Marriage Amendment this week and might vote as early as Wednesday. The best short statement I have read was by Fr. Richard Neuhaus. " (July 11, 2004)
The Wealth of Nations: "We are in an election year '; and according to the polls, most people will make their decisions on the basis of how the economy is doing. Our bishops are telling us something different..." (July 4, 2004)
Two Approaches to Jesus: "Christianity is not just a book of culture or an ideology, nor is it merely a system of values or principles, however lofty they may be. Christianity is a person..." (June 27, 2004)
Take Up Your Cross Daily: "People today have a harder time communicating with each other. Instead of really trying to listen, they often just react..." (June 20, 2004)
Communion for Kerry?: "Should John Kerry receive Communion? And, if he comes forward, should a priest give the Sacrament or just a blessing? " (June 13, 2004)
I Was There: "With the passing of Ronald Reagan this weekend it seems an era has come to an end..." (June 6, 2004)
A Man Open to the Holy Spirit: "If Stephen Langton had only written this one hymn, he would deserve remembrance. However, he did something more..." (May 30, 2004)
Forgiveness - In His Name: "Her smile was not innocent, but sadistic. She was participating in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners." (May 23, 2004)
An Intimate Conversation: "The restaurant gradually became quieter and quieter until the two men were the only ones talking..." (May 16, 2004)
Necessary to Undergo Many Hardships: "On January 11 a car struck Fr. Benedict Groeschel, throwing him about ten yards. Sustaining multiple injuries, he spent nearly two months on a respirator. A reporter asked him what it was like." (May 9, 2004)
The Father and I Are One: "In his book The Holy Reich (Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945) Richard Steigmann-Gall argues persuasively that the Nazis did not reject Christianity, but reinterpreted it to fit their own ideology." (May 2, 2004)
Obey God Rather Than Men: "He can espouse these positions with equanimity '; and still claim to be Christian - because he has the same understanding of conscience as a dissenting theologian, a follower of Archbishop Lefebvre or a pro-abortion Catholic politician. In the final analysis, each one is obeying men rather than God." (April 25, 2004)
God Loves Honest Skeptics: "A recent case in point is The Da Vinci Code. The novel is great fun. I enjoyed it immensely. However, the problem is that some people (including the author) have taken seriously its account of Christian origins." (April 18, 2004)
Ready for Combat: "I don';t want to spoil the movie for anyone who has not yet seen it, but I can say this: Gibson has an understanding very similar to that of Melito - the Risen Jesus is ready for combat." (Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004)
Why Did Jesus Have to Die?: "Newspapers reported that some even went to the police to confess crimes of burglary and murder. A Norwegian neo-Nazi named Johnny Olsen, after watching the Passion, admitted to bombings he had done in the 90';s." (Good Friday, April 9, 2004)
A Girl's Heroic Holy Hour: "The girl came back each night, spent an hour in prayer and received Jesus by picking up a sacred host with her tongue. The thirty-second night, after consuming the final host, she made an accidental sound, awakening a soldier..." (Holy Thursday, April 8, 2004)
The Passion of the Christ: "The early Christians would not have gathered a passion narrative if they thought everything ended at the tomb. It would simply have been too heartbreaking '; like remembering a parent';s final agony." (Palm Sunday, April 4, 2004)
Filled With Joy: St. Thomas Aquinas said, ';No man can live without joy. That is why one deprived of spiritual joy goes over to carnal pleasures.'; (March 28, 2004)
The Reproach of Egypt: "At the height of the clergy sex abuse scandal, Fr. Corapi was in an airport. Recognizing him as a priest, someone came up and spit on him." (March 21, 2004)
Primary Purpose of the Church: "On March 1, the California Supreme Court ruled that Sacramento';s Catholic Charities must offer prescription contraceptives in its employee health insurance. If this judgment is upheld, the Church will face this dilemma: What comes first '; her teachings or her works of charity?" (March 14, 2004)
They Spoke of His Exodus: "The movie also shows devils in the guise of young boys. To see innocence suddenly change into hideous cruelty is a shocking depiction of evil. I advise parents to see it first themselves and then decide if they wish to take their children." (March 7, 2004)
The Temptation of Spirituality: "The Nazis saw themselves as elite, spiritual men '; and so they were. The devil is a pure spirit, much more spiritual than us, but he is always ready to assist those who wish to enter the higher realms of spirituality...grace pulled Mel Gibson back from the brink. He produced The Passion as a personal testament..." (February 29, 2004)
Dealing With Guilt: "The Bible presumes we come to God with a burden of guilt, like a condemned man walking to the gallows." (Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2004)
You Will Not Be Judged: "Confused and hurt, Maria Giuseppa kept an embarrassed silence. Some townsfolk brought to her rumors against Padre Pio';s accusers." (February 22, 2004)
Invisible Cats: "For us as Christians, same sex marriage has no more reality than an invisible cat. The people of course are real, but what they believe in simply does not exist." (February 15, 2004)
Not Worthy: "Jennie Bishop has written a children';s book called The Princess and the Kiss. It is not about changing a frog into a prince, but rather the great value of the first kiss." (February 8, 2004)
Love is a Decision: "Martin Luther King dreamt of the day when people would judge others not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." (February 1, 2004)
God';s Weak Ones: "Since then some forty million unborn children have been put to death. If we were to observe a second of silence for each one of them, it would last fifteen months." (January 25, 2004)
We';re Eating Grass!: "A Far Side cartoon shows a group of cattle grazing in a field. Most of them have their heads down, munching away. However, one cow has her head lifted up, eyes wide open in a startled expression..." (January 18, 2004)
Most Shocking: "As director of movies such as Edward Scissorhands, Bettlejuice and Mars Attacks, Tim Burton knows something about weirdness. However, he had an experience which topped anything he depicted in his films..." (January 11, 2004)
The Last Man: "C.S. Lewis noted that if this process develops to its logical conclusions, we would eventually arrive at a point where one generation could perfectly determine the characteristics of the next." (January 4, 2004)
Signs of Hope Among Teenagers: A recent Gallup Poll showed that young people are significantly more pro-life than adults. According to the poll, ';most U.S. teens (aged 13 to 17) do not consider abortion to be morally acceptable, and most also believe that it should only be legal under specific circumstances, if at all.'; (January 1, 2004)
**********
What is a Homily? (Four Purposes of the Catholic Homily)
EWTN Daily Scripture Readings and Homilies (Real Audio)
The Usual Homily (A Parody) "The important thing is to get in touch with yourself, get comfortable with and accept yourself just the way you are. When Jesus said to repent, he meant to stop all that negative thinking. As today's Gospel states..."
Simple Catholicism receives citation in Daily Kos! (Caution: contains reference to a private body part)
|