I did not give a homily the weekend of March 18th, so you’ll just have to wait for one more week to hear my voice again. God bless and have a wonderful week!
Works In Progress
4th Sunday of Lent
I can name plenty of ways that I would be able to grow and improve; I know plenty of areas in my life that could use some more attention and strengthening; I am a work in progress. And Lent is about opening myself to be changed and transformed by God, because God wants to work on me as well! God wants to make me a better me, to make me into the person He has created me to be – both for myself and others. Paul says in our second reading that we are God’s “handiwork”. May our Lenten practices and resolutions open us up to the ways that God wants to work on our lives and transform them for the better!
Yes’s and No’s
3rd Sunday of Lent
Every time we say “yes” to something, we’re at the same time saying “no” to lots of other things. When we say “yes” to someone in marriage, we’re saying “no” to all of the other people we could possibly spend our life with. When we say “yes” to having kids, we’re saying “no” to lots of our freedom and comfort…and sleep. When we say “yes” to God, when we decide to enter into a relationship with God, that means we are also saying “no” to lots of other things. But for the sake of that relationship, those “no’s'” are entirely worth it! I’d invite you today to rethink how you see the rules, regulations and practices God asks of us in the Bible and through the Catholic Church. Maybe all these little “no’s” are actually beautiful (sometimes inconvenient and difficult, but beautiful) ways that we can live out our big “yes” to God.
Back Up and Running!
A number of people approached/called/emailed me over these past weeks asking something along the lines of, “Am I doing something wrong? I can’t get on your website or listen to your homilies.” My answer: “No, you aren’t doing anything wrong. I can’t get onto my website either!” The site was down for a number of weeks, but I’m happy to announce that it is back up and running! I have posted below below all of the homilies you may have missed (I was sick one weekend in there, forgive me). I’m glad to be a part of your life again!
Faithful to The Covenant
2nd Sunday of Lent
In our first reading this weekend we hear the seemingly troubling story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Certain situations in our lives, too, can make it seem like God is distant, cruel or mean. Yet, in the end, this story proves God’s trustworthiness and faithfulness. Jesus believed in the Father’s trustworthiness and faithfulness, even it led him to crucifixion and death…but that crucifixion and death led to the resurrection and eternal life for all of us! Today let us thank God for his faithfulness to us, and ask that we might, through this journey of Lent, become more faithful to Him and more trusting of His ways.
Lenten Resolutions
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We are about to enter into the Lenten season. Lent is an opportunity to encounter God in a new way, to pause the distractions in life and focus on those things that matter most. As you consider what your Lenten resolutions will be, I have a few suggestions: ADD something to your days for the Lord, do something POSITIVE that will provide you with opportunities to encounter Jesus, give God the space, time and attentiveness He needs in your life to speak to you. Don’t just give up chocolate this Lent. DO something that will bring you closer to Jesus; GIVE God the time to transform you!
How to Share Your Faith
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Paul felt an obligation to preach the Gospel…but he can’t be the only one. Every Christian, as a follower of Jesus, is called to be a light in the world, to share with others what God has done for them. So how? How do we share our faith in a way that is attractive but not pushy, engaging but not offensive? I have a few ideas, and I’ll share them in this homily. Today’s young adults and students are a different generation who require a different way of hearing and experiencing the Gospel – let’s be willing to speak a language they will understand!
Overcoming Anxiety
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Paul says in our 2nd reading: “I should like you to be free of anxieties.” That would be pretty nice…but how on earth are we supposed to do that?! Paul’s life gives us an answer.
Daydreams
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
God speaks to us every day. Yet, if we’re not careful, we can miss the Lord’s voice or mistake it for someone or something else. The Mass is a particular hour each week when God speaks directly to us – do we know what His voice sounds like? Or are our minds sometimes distracted by all the other things going on in our lives? Samuel is being called by God in our first reading…but he mistakes the voice of God for the voice of another person. It’s not until the fourth time God calls his name that Samuel finally says, “Speak, Lord, you servant is listening.” It might take us a few tries, too, but let’s start making Mass a time when we spend our energies not on daydreams, but focusing on what God has to say to us that week: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
I Saw The Sign
Epiphany
Today three wise men/three kings/three magi arrive at the place where Jesus was born after following the sign of a star. The presence of these three non-Jewish kings reveals that God is not only calling the Jewish people but ALL people of the world to believe in and follow His Son Jesus. God’s sign was a star; presumably everyone could see it. So why is it only these three wise men who followed that star? Was everyone else just too busy? Were they so caught up in life that they didn’t even notice the sign? We encounter three different kinds of people in the Gospel today: those who don’t notice the sign, those who notice the sign but don’t follow it, and those who notice the sign AND follow it. This week: What are the signs God is placing in your life (what are the stars)? And when you see a sign, do you follow it?