Homilies
Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11; Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
…from your Pastor’s Desk – Happy Gaudete Sunday! Gaudete Sunday happens every year on the third Sunday of Advent. Back in the 1900’s, when most of us were born – up until the early 1960’s – the words were in Latin: “Gaudete, iterum dico vobis, ‘Gaudete.'” Which means; “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, Rejoice! And so, this Sunday is still called “Gaudete Sunday.” …
Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalms 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8
…from your Pastor’s Desk – Advent To-Do List – People ask me what they can ‘do’ during Advent to make it more meaningful. Lent has pretty clear-cut things, but Advent – not so much. In that light here is a practical Advent ‘To-Do-List. …
Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7; Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37
…from your Pastor’s Desk – Setting the Stage for Our Advent Journey – Today is the first day of the new Church year. It is also the first day of Advent. Advent is the 4 week period before Christmas when the Church celebrates the first coming of Christ and anticipates His second coming. …
Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17; Psalms 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28; Matthew 25:31-46
…from your Pastor’s Desk – The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – This Feast Day is enhanced by asking and answering a few questions: Who is Jesus? What does He mean in your life? We call Him Messiah or Christ. Do those words mean anything to you personally? We call Him Savior, Redeemer and Lord. What effect does this have in your life? …
Sunday’s Readings: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30 OR 25:14-15, 19-21
What Is Entrusted Us – The Gospel parable is about a man entrusting his servants with his property, and the point it makes concerns the need for fidelity in caring for what belongs to the master. God our master has left us with the earth, not to do with it what we want but to care for it even as we live off its abundant riches. …
Sunday’s Readings: Exodus 22:20-26; Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10; Matthew 22:34-40
…from your Pastor’s Desk – Halloween – Secular or Sacred? – October 31rst is Halloween. Many people, especially Christians, dismiss Halloween for what it has become. Fact is though; we are the ones who invented it, or rather, in ancient days ‘converted it’ as we did many other pagan festivals. Halloween is an ancient festival with roots in Celtic pre-Christian times. …
Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalms 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Matthew 22:15-21
…from your Pastor’s Desk – MISSION-MINDED? – “…so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides Me.” —Isaiah 45:6
Today is World Mission Sunday. The second collection this weekend is for the Missions. …
Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalms 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 OR 22:1-10
…from your Pastor’s Desk – The First Reading says that the Lord of hosts will provide a feast for His people, a feast of choice wines and rich and juicy food. Rich food is the kind that our culture warns us against. …