03/23/25 The Place of the Way: The Valley

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. We get the behavior we are willing to tolerate. There are times when we need to establish boundaries...even with the people we love. Even as Christians, we need to choose and clearly communicate what we are able to or willing to tolerate. Mass Readings from May 11, 2025: Acts 13:14, 43-52 Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5Revelation 7:9, 14b-17 John 10:27-30

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter To be restored, we must revisit the place of ruin. When we are called to move on, we may need to revisit the places in our lives that need healing in order to allow the Lord to change our future. Mass Readings from May, 4th, 2025: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19

Homily from the Second Sunday of Easter, Sunday of Divine Mercy Five words that can change your life. Life is filled with change and uncertainty. But there is one thing that is stable and unchanging. Mass Readings from April, 27, 2025:Acts 5:12-16 Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 John 20:29

Homily from the The Resurrection of the Lord, The Mass of Easter Day Get up and do what you can. We know that darkness is real. And death is real. But darkness and death are not the end. There are some things that never die...Faith...Love...the Promise of eternal life. Mass Readings from April, 20, 2025: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 John 20:1-9

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion This is not the end of the Story, but it had to happen for the Story to go on. The Passion of Christ is not the end of the Story, but we must pause and reflect on it. It is the lens through which we see: What love looks like when it costs everything, what sin looks like when we can see the wounds, and what mercy looks like when it refuses to give up. Mass Readings from April, 18, 2025: Isaiah 52:13—53:12 Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1—19:42

Homily from Holy Thursday, Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper He loved them to the end. One of the characteristics that marks modern man is that we find ourselves angry at God. In fact, we are so angry that we would be willing to hurt God if we could. Yet, God is invulnerable. He cannot be hurt. Still, God chose to step into this world and love us...while making Himself vulnerable. Mass Readings from April, 17, 2025: Isaiah 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18.1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. Thank God ahead of time. We often put off joy and praise and peace. We are tempted to be preoccupied with wanting to be "there" or wanting to be "done" with whatever we are working on or whatever we are doing. Yet, as Catholics, we are called to be "here". We can best live "on the way" when we don't wait to thank God; when we thank God before we are "there". We can thank God right here. Mass Readings from April 13, 2025: Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24.Philippians 2:6-11 Luke 22:14—23:56

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Lent. We run out of all hope...and then Jesus. The Dead End is a necessary place of the way. The location where we run out of our own skill and our own strength and find ourselves completely unable to move forward on our own. In the midst of the dead end...and then Jesus. Mass Readings from April 6, 2025: Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126:1-6Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. To look like Jesus, we must learn how to live in the Presence of the Father. When it comes to our relationship with the Father, too often it is marked by hiding our hearts or avoiding His gaze. But we must learn how to live like Jesus, who remained in the Father's Presence at all times and with profound trust. Mass Readings from March 30, 2025: Joshua 5:9, 10-12 Psalm 34:2-72 Corinthians 5:17-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. We all want peak moments, but growth happens in the Valley. Why do we walk through valleys? What good is life in the valley? Is it only a negative? Is it always a punishment from God? Or could the valley be necessary? Mass Readings from March 23, 2025: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Psalm 103: 1-4, 6-8, 111 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9