8/31/25 Freedom and Joy

Homily from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy CrossThe sign of our shame has become the symbol of our hope. The Cross of Jesus is God's answer to our guilt. The Cross of Jesus is God's answer to our lack of trust. The Cross of Jesus is God's answer to evil. Mass Readings from September 14, 2025:Numbers 21:4b-9Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38Philippians 2:6-11 John 3:13-17

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Whenever there is something of value that we desire, we have to ask these two questions. Jesus gives the conditions for discipleship. He gives us the very "cost" of being His disciple. The condition is: He must be FIRST. He must be loved before all others. Mass Readings from Septemeber 7, 2025: Wisdom 9:13-18b Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17Philemon 9-10, 12-17 Luke 14:25-33

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Humility is nothing other than acknowledging and living the truth. Humility is not pretending to be someone other than we are. It is neither pretending to be better nor pretending to be worse than we are. But is the freedom and the joy of living the full truth about ourselves. Mass Readings from August 31, 2025: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a Luke 14:1, 7-14

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Discipline isn't the point, but it is the path. God calls us to develop the potential He has given us by leaning into the discipline He is calling us to. Who is it you want to be? What do you want to be true about you? Mass Readings from August, 24, 2025:Isaiah 66:18-21 Psalm 117:1, 2Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 Luke 13:22-30

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Villains and Heroes are made out of the same stuff. We are not surrounded by villains and heroes, we are surrounded by ordinary people. And every one of us, by our daily choices, can become a villain or hero. Mass Readings from August 17, 2025: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18Hebrews 12:1-4 Luke 12:49-53

Homily from the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary God had no backup plan after Mary. The Assumption of Mary is the reality that Our Lady was taken up entirely into Heaven. This is, in some ways, the fulfillment of her entire life. Since she belonged totally to God, she was brought totally to God. Mass Readings from August 15, 2025:Revelation 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 1:39-56

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Without obedience, there is no faith. Followers of Jesus want to grow in faith, but do they understand what it is to live by faith? Mass Readings from August 10, 2025: Wisdom 18:6-9 Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 Luke 12:32-48

Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Remember you will die. Remember you have died. We are called to live a new life. But we cannot live a new life until we have allowed our old life to die. We need to remember that we will die in the future. Christians also have the chance to remember that we already have died. Mass Readings from August 3, 2025: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-14 and 17Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Luke 12:13-21

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The battle of prayer. Every one of us knows that we ought to pray. But not all of us know how. In addition, not all of us know that prayer can often be a challenge...it is a battle. Mass Readings from July 27, 2025: Genesis 18:20-32 Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8Colossians 2:12-14 Luke 11:1-13

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Do it for the love of Jesus. We all have a lot to do. We may even be tempted to resent all that we have to do. But if we do it for the right reason, even the most difficult tasks take on new power and new purpose. Mass Readings from July 20, 2025: Genesis 18:1-10 Psalm 15:2-5Colossians 1:24-28 Luke 10:38-42