Sunday, May 29, 2011

The Spirituality of Travel

Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 8.5-8, 14-17 Psalm 66 1 Peter 3.15-18 John 14.15-21

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily.

Would you like to take a trip to Samaria? It’s Memorial Day weekend – summer is here – which means it’s time to travel – to take a vacation – to visit family and friends – to get away from it all – or, if you’re not planning on going anywhere, then someone is surely coming here – to visit you, or to visit your town, your church, your local park. But would you like to join Peter and John on their trip to Samaria, or do you have your own plans?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Heaven on Earth

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 6.1-7 Psalm 33 1 Peter 2.4-9 John 14.1-12

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily.

We have a long way to go – as individuals and as a human race. But the more each of us can follow Jesus – the way, the truth, and the life – the more earth will be like heaven, and the more ready we will be whenever that day comes and Jesus comes back to take us to the place he has prepared.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Bible Guarantees It

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 2.14a, 36-41 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2.20b-25 John 10.1-10

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So what do we know for sure? What is guaranteed? That Jesus is Lord. That he is life and resurrection, the way and the truth. That he gives us his Body and Blood. That he died and rose from the dead for our salvation. That the world will know his followers by the love they show one another; the proud will be punished; but God forgives our sins. And we know for certain that the Lord will come again.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Pattern of Emmaus

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 2.14, 22-33 Psalm 16 1 Peter 1.17-21 Luke 24.13-35

This homily is part of an occasional series of homilies on liturgical catechesis in preparation for the implementation of the English translation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily.

If we say that the Last Supper was the first Eucharist, then what happened on the road to Emmaus and in that city close to Jerusalem was the first complete Mass as we know it today. Because the Mass is not just about receiving communion, although that is its high point. The Mass has a structure – an order – a ritual – that we see for the first time in a Christian context on the road to Emmaus.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Sitting in Front of the Resurrection

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter, Year A
Acts 2.42-47 Psalm 118 1 Peter 1.3-9 John 20.19-31

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily.

The Christian story is a story told in the image of a frail, elderly man – unable to walk on his own – sitting in the shadow of the resurrection, a reminder that death has been conquered – pain and sorrow have been vanquished – sin has been destroyed – now, in this life, and in the life to come. We may not be able to see it clearly, but this we believe – because God himself has promised us.