ponderings on life and faith
Here is where I have posted some of the homilies and reflections given over the years. Some also have an audio track …… I hope you find them helpful. Enjoy!
Who do you say that I am? In every age since the first followers of Jesus made their profession of faith in him, men and women of faith have had to come to terms with who Jesus is and what Jesus means to them. Christians of every age have had to answer the question: “Who do you say I am?” and each generation […]
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the […]
Sometimes when we look at night into the vastness of the stars in the sky, we can get a sense that the universe we live in is so immense that we can’t help but feel small and insignificant. Even our solar system, as vast as it is, is but a grain of sand in an […]
Today is the memorial of the Immaculate heart of Mary. Because of her willingness to put her total trust in God, despite how unbelievable it was that she would be asked to be the mother of the Messiah, Mary’s love and trust in God becomes a model for the way we should love God,for the […]
Sometimes we can read into a scripture text something that is not there. It may simply be a matter of missing the significance of key words or phrases, and failing to heed their cues. Regardless, we miss the point that the author is trying to make and substitute another lesson – one which may not be bad […]
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to Peter, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” How human it is for us to compare ourselves to others and to want to tell their stories as if we knew their minds….. In […]
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. (John 16.27) There is a profound message for you and me in today’s scripture. It is the core truth of our faith, and it is this, simply this …… the Father loves me. It’s the kind of […]
Jesus said to his disciples, “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you. […]
This Sunday’s readings are all about shepherds. I am reminded of a Lenten retreat I gave in 2015 in Newmarket and in 2018 in Toronto, which focused on that theme. In particular, it reflected on the words of Marty Haugens hymn “Shepherd me O God” which begins…. Shepherd me, O God, Beyond my wants, Beyond my fears, […]
How fitting that the Gospel this weekend comes precisely while we are entombing ourselves – not as an act of burial, but as an act of love so that we might slow down the spread of the covid-19 virus and help save the lives of those most susceptible to becoming seriously ill. And since I […]
Homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isn’t that what many parents have said to our children as they grew up?Make Good Choices.. Our readings today … if fact, ALL of the readings at Mass today are centered around the theme of making wise, good choices. Sirach —- I love Sirach – […]
In Father Efren’s homily last week, he mentioned something that, quite frankly, touched me so deeply that I found it hard to focus on the rest of his homily. In the course of his reflection, he talked about our need to stretch our minds and hearts and learn to love again. To stretch our minds and hearts […]
The whole world before you, O Lord, is like a speck that tips the scales, and like a drop of morning dew that falls to the ground. But you are merciful to all, for you can do all things, and you overlook people’s sins, so that they may repent. Lord, you love all things that […]
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you. Like you, I have heard this Gospel many many times. Its about faith and mustard seeds. […]
Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be […]
Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and […]
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us […]
homily [C] 13OT Its comfortable here at the pulpit, at this time in the Mass. You know what is about to happen …. the Gospel has been read, the Homily is next, you hope its good and pray its short. Maybe some of you have even tried to guess the topic. Its comfortable for Me […]
Third Sunday of Easter [C]. John 21.1-19 John always has deeper spiritual meanings in his Gospel writings. Written almost 70 years after the resurrection, John had seen the impact of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection over a number of generations …. and hence his insights are rich and profound. This is particularly true of today’s readings …. so lets take […]
It was a dark night in April back in 1973. The Vietnam War was just coming to an end. Richard Nixon said “I am not a crook” and the Watergate scandal was just beginning – as was the construction work on the CN tower. Trudeau was the Prime Minister. The Old one -not the kid. OPEC was just […]
