Text prepared for the Holy Thursday Homily in St. Paul’s Church, Thursday April 13th, 2017.This special Mass of the Lord’s Supper brings us into the unique experience of encountering Jesus among the settings and experiences which he went through, 2000 years ago. On the day he celebrated the Last Supper, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. …
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The Creed of the Catholic Church
This Lent I am preaching about the Creed of the Church: the Creed that we name after the 12 Apostles, and the Church that those 12 Apostles started with the authority from Jesus himself. (Those homilies are recorded here.) Too many times I have said the Creed at Mass without thinking. I know the full …
The Immaculate Conception
Christmas songs are abounding here in the second week of Advent. Omitting some background story, I committed myself to explaining, according to the Catholic faith, what is lacking in a particular popular Protestant Christmas song. I really don’t have to do much to analyze the lyrics of Mary Did You Know,because Fr. Geoff Horton has already …
Abortion, Prayer, and Social Action
“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). While Scripture permanently reminds us, with these words of St. James, that it is not enough just to believe that something is true without actualizing that faith concretely, we can in fact focus centrally on what it is we believe. Indeed we need, every now and then, to …
Priesthood and Fairness
One particular year I attended a preparation day and rehearsal for our deanery confirmation. Our time with the confirmandi and their sponsors began with informal small group discussions about living the faith, and the Catholic faith in general as seen from the viewpoint of the sacrament the youth were about to receive. People were encouraged …
The 7 Gifts in Luke 14
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What is Wrong with my Catholic School
Two years ago there was a popular article shuffling about social media for Catholic Schools Week. It gave me reason to write my own reflections “why I support my own catholicschool.” All that I said there still holds, and I still support my own Catholic school, as a pastor, spiritually, morally, financially. But as time …
Gratitude
Are you grateful? Do you have any favorite Scriptures which you associate with gratitude? One of my projects for the next week is compile some Scripture quotes, both old favorites and new discoveries, which show that gratitude is not just a nice consequence of a Christian life (the icing on the cake), but is essential …
Because this Sunday our parish hosts Pre-Cana
10 Points on Prayer for Engaged Couples1. Prayer is not private. You may think, “this is something between me and God. My fiancé prays too. But it is too private. We don’t pray together.” Stop thinking that way. If you are married God will indeed judge the eternal salvation of your soul partially on the …
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Holy Thursday and Lay Holiness
Below is my homily from Holy Thursday 2016. Go love like Christ loved. Fr. Naples Holy ThursdayThe Mass for Holy Thursday has two options that I have never seen implemented. First, the celebrant or community can opt not to do the washing of the feet. Secondly there may be an offertory “for the poor” with …
Ubi Petrus VT 