Homily recordings move ...

Effective today and moving forward, the audio recordings of my Sunday and Holy Day homilies will be posted on our parish website rather than on this blog. We recently (two days ago!) launched a redesigned parish website that now allows mp3 files to be uploaded and posted directly to the site rather than going through a third party. I hope to return this blog to more regular reflections moving forward, but to find homily recordings, visit here:

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church - Homilies

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Jeremiah 20.7-9 Psalm 63 Romans 12.1-2 Matthew 16.21-27

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

We can be faster, higher, and stronger – not in comparison to others, but through the grace of God, in reaching for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Liturgical Catechesis Homilies

Over the past several months, I have preached an ongoing series of homilies on liturgical catechesis in preparation for the implementation of the English translation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, coming to Catholic churches in the United States on November 27, 2011. These homilies have not dealt with the Roman Missal directly as much as they have been on the liturgy in general, helping us understand and appreciate the Mass more and more. Below are collected links to audio (mp3) recordings of all of these homilies. They were recorded at Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in New Albany, Indiana, and include the gospel reading of that day along with the homily itself. As we begin to make final preparations for the implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, my hope is that we can continue to explore the beauty and richness of the Mass in the life of the Catholic Church.

The Mass as Source and Summit of our Faith (8th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)

The Structure of the Mass: The Pattern of Emmaus (Third Sunday of Easter, Year A)

The Sign of the Cross (Ascension of the Lord, Year A)

The Penitential Act (First Sunday of Lent, Year A)

The Breaking of the Bread (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)

The Blood of Christ (Holy Thursday, text only - no audio)

The Final Blessing (Second Sunday of Lent, Year A)

Liturgical Hospitality (Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A)

The Trinity and the Liturgy (The Most Holy Trinity, Year A)

The Eucharist Stays the Same (The Body and Blood of Christ, Year A)

Full, Conscious, and Active Participation in the Mass (19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)

The Richness of the Roman Missal (21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)

The Richness of the Roman Missal

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 22.19-23 Psalm 128 Romans 11.33-36 Matthew 16.13-20

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily, part of a series of liturgical catechesis in preparation for the implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

Same Mass ... Different Words ... Deeper Meaning

Tearing Down Walls

Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 56.1, 6-7 Psalm 67 Romans 11.13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15.21-28

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

Fifty years ago Saturday, a concrete wall covered with barbed wire was erected in the middle of Berlin, Germany. For almost thirty years, this wall separating communist East Germany from democratic West Germany was a symbol for the whole world of the deep divisions that had been created by different views of power, government, economy, and even religion. And even though the wall was toppled over twenty years ago, there are still deep divisions in our world – new ways that we continue to separate ourselves from one another. From the violent reaction to a multi-cultural Norway to the famines in Africa that widen the gap between the poor and the rich, the starving and the well-fed – it might seem like that the literal and figurative walls of separation are growing longer, higher, and stronger all over the world.

Our challenge and our call as Christians is to recognize where these walls exist and find a way around them. Scripture could not be any clearer … in Isaiah, “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples;” … in Romans, God shows his mercy to all people, Jew and Gentile; … in Matthew, Jesus recognizes the faith of a foreign woman, greater faith from this outsider than from many of the insiders he had encountered. Our Church is a catholic Church, which means that it is universal – for all people – because God is for all people. Regardless of politics, or convenience, or economy, or personal preference – our challenge and call as Christians is to be a people that has no divisions, a people that welcomes everyone, a people that does not create walls to keep people out, or to keep people in. Because God does not build walls; He tears them down. God doesn’t separate people based on income, race, or country of origin; He brings people together. And we must do the same thing.

Participating in the Mass - Body, Mind, and Spirit

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
1 Kings 19.9a, 11-13a Psalm 85 Romans 9.1-5 Matthew 14.22-33

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

What does it mean to participate in Mass? – say the responses, sing the music, pay attention to what’s going on? When we come to the Mass, we are called to participate fully, consciously, and actively. Why? Because it’s the best way we know to encounter God.

The Breaking of the Body of Christ

Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 55.1-3 Psalm 145 Romans 8.35, 37-39 Matthew 14.13-21

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

When we're broken, Jesus doesn’t necessarily put all the pieces back together; sometimes he does, but sometimes he refashions the pieces and forms them into something new, something that we never would have imagined before.

Solomon and Harry Potter

Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
1 Kings 3.5, 7-12 Psalm 119 Romans 8.28-30 Matthew 13.44-52

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

The greatest temptation of the modern world is believing that we can conquer death on our own – that we don’t need God and we don’t need anyone else. The ultimate message of the Harry Potter books and movies is that love wins, and the love of family and friends is the only thing that is lasting in life. The Christian gospel takes that one step further – God is love, and the one who shows us ultimately what it means to have sacrificial love is Jesus Christ.

Listening to the Wisdom of God

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Wisdom 12.13, 16-19 Psalm 86 Romans 8.26-27 Matthew 13.24-43

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

We are so inundated with information, that this information starts to shape how we think – act – live. And if the information we see and hear and absorb day after day is filled with hatred, judgment, division, and stubbornness – well, then we’re going to start thinking and acting and living the same way. How can we sort out the wheat from the weeds – truth from fiction – good from evil?

Seeds, Soil, and the Sower

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 55.10-11 Psalm 65 Romans 8.18-23 Matthew 13.1-23

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

Where do you fit into this parable? Are you like the seeds? Or are you like the soil, and if so, what kind of soil? Or are you like the sower?

The Eucharist Stays the Same

Homily for The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year A
Deuteronomy 8.2-3, 14b-16a Psalm 147 1 Corinthians 10.16-17 John 6.51-58

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

There is one thing that has always been at the heart of the Mass, no matter the language, the time, or the place –bread and wine are taken, blessed and consecrated, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to become the Body and Blood of Christ – the Bread of Life and the Cup of Eternal Salvation. It is this Eucharist that has strengthened and supported the Church each and every day since Christ gave it to us. The same Eucharist that has become present at every Mass in every place in every time.

Paying Attention to the Trinity

Homily for The Most Holy Trinity, Year A
Exodus 34.4b-6, 8-9 Daniel 3 2 Corinthians 13.11-13 John 3.16-18

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

Especially if you’re not used to the Catholic Mass, it’s almost like the Church has designed the Mass knowing that people’s minds wander, that we get distracted, that we might even be bored, and that chances are pretty good that at least once during each and every Mass we go to, we’re going to be caught not paying attention.

The Holy Spirit and Change

Homily for Pentecost Sunday, Year A
Acts 2.1-11 Psalm 104 1 Corinthians 12.3b-7, 12-13 John 20.19-23

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

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift
To keep us grounded
To help us navigate the waters of change
To help us adapt
To strengthen us
To reassure us
To give us hope
To guide us in the right direction

The Sign of the Cross

Homily for the Ascension of the Lord, Year A
Acts 1.1-11 Psalm 47 Ephesians 1.17-23 Matthew 28.16-20

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

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

When we walk into a church and use holy water to mark ourselves with the sign of the cross, we’re supposed to remember that we have been baptized – each of us, individually. And then when the Mass begins and the priest leads the assembly in making the sign of the cross, he uses the name of God in which we were baptized – the formula Jesus himself gave us as he ascended into heaven – the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And once again, we’re supposed to think about baptism.

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Witnesses, not Spectators

Homily for Easter Sunday, Year A
Acts 10.34a, 37-43 Psalm 118 Colossians 3.1-4 Matthew 28.1-10

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


If you believe the news these days, the most important thing going on in the world is the upcoming royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Now, I don’t always believe the news, and it seems to me that there are many more pressing issues in our world than a spectacularly planned display of pomp and circumstance in Westminster Abbey. But for whatever reasons, royal weddings have always captured the hearts and imaginations of people all over the world. And it’s hard to ignore all the hype.

One official this week talked about the attitude of people who watch or take part in the royal wedding. He said, “We have to be witnesses in an active sense: the kind of witnesses who really support what's going on. To be a witness is more than to be a spectator, and I hope that'll be part of people's experience at the time of the wedding.” (Archbishop Rowan Williams, quoted in Episcopal News Service, www.episcopalchurch.org) And believe it or not, today’s celebration of Easter should about the same thing.

It’s so easy for us Christians to be spectators. It’s so easy for us to look at things like the death and resurrection of Jesus, even saying that we believe in them, as if we’re watching TV or a movie; we think for a moment about Jesus, then we move on with our lives. It’s so easy for us to hear the commands to love one another and think, I really should do that, and sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. It’s so easy for us to come to church, sit and stand and kneel, maybe sing along on some of the songs, watch what’s going on in the sanctuary, and then go back to our daily lives, and nothing’s changed. We’re spectators, not witnesses.

Think of what it would have been like if Peter and Mary Magdalene and all the others had only been spectators at the resurrection, watching what happened, and then getting back to their lives. We certainly wouldn’t be here today. But they weren’t spectators – they were witnesses. A witness tells other people what they saw. Peter and Mary Magdalene were so transformed by witnessing the resurrection of Jesus that they spread the good news – they ran to tell people about it. And those people told others, who told others, all the way to us today who heard about the resurrection through someone else.

It’s probably true that the royal wedding will get more news coverage this week than any Christian celebrations of Easter. But what really matters is what happens in personal relationships and in people’s hearts, not in the media. We can be witnesses to what we have seen and heard today – witnesses to new life through Jesus Christ – witnesses to a God who loves us more than we can imagine – witnesses to love and forgiveness and peace in a world desperately in need of God. And that witnessing will really transform the world.