The two most important feasts of the liturgical year, Easter and Christmas, are both preceded by periods of preparation. The four-week season of Advent helps us to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. And the six weeks of Lent help us prepare for the new life available to us through Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection, which is called the Paschal Mystery. As Catholics, we take preparation very seriously. In the life of an adult Catholic, there is a ti

Welcome to Lent:  the 40-day period for spiritual renewal that the Church gives us every year.  A time to look at our lives and change what needs to be changed, so we can be more like Christ. So let’s say I want to save $400 over a period of 40 days. . .   Since I can’t go out and get a part-time job, something would have to change; I would have to spend less and save more in order to gain $400 in savings.  It can be done if I’m willing to change. Or let’s say  I want to buff

Good stewards are those who receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them with others lovingly, and return them with increase to the Lord. What can this week’s readings teach us about stewardship? Our Gospel from Matthew recounts what we know as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. . . It is the first of 5 teaching sections of Jesus which St. Matthew gives us in his Gospel. This Sermon on the Mount comes pretty early on in Jesus’ public ministry, as it is co

Welcome to the beginning of Catholic School’s week.  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that having a Catholic School in our parish is one of God’s gifts to us, and I will get back to this toward the end of my homily, although what I have to say between now and the end, is not unrelated. . . As I was looking at the line-up of Scriptures for these 6 weeks of Ordinary Time before Lent begins, I decided I wanted to take these Sundays to talk about something very central to our fa

One of the blessings of being Catholic, one of the “perks” if-you-will, is that our Church gives us  lots of things.  These things come in all shapes and sizes.  We get crosses and crucifixes and prayer cards, and chalk…!  We get the Communion of Saints to imitate, and we can ask them for prayers.  We get palms and statues, and ashes on a Wednesday that begins the season of Lent, a mere six weeks away. . . We get candles to remind us of the light of Christ, incense to symboli

My name is Melchior, my friends just call me Mel, and I am one of the three you call wisemen who paid the newborn king in Bethlehem a visit. . . bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I want to tell you a little about that experience. . . And this is how I will begin: Billions and billions of them dance across the night sky, diamonds in the darkness, points of light against a canopy of endless black. They have shone for ages and ages, lending their glow to the ni

A wise old Benedictine priest once told me in spiritual direction years ago: “There will be days in you life as a priest when everything from the pressures of work, to tiredness, to depression, to distractions, to flat-out laziness, will make it difficult for you to pray. But no matter what, always try to pray at least one sincere, focused Our Father every day.” Jesus gives us no more perfect prayer than the Our Father. And the priest was right, there are days when that’s

Pope Leo 13th, not our current Pope but the one before him, in 1892, called for a long celebrated feast of the Holy Family in some dioceses, to be observed throughout the universal Church on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany.  He saw this feast as a possible antidote to the troubles plaguing the family in an increasing industrialized  world.   Pope Leo worried that capitalistic employers worried about their profits,  might not keep in mind the good of the working man’s soul and h

It had been a long journey,  all those many miles and many cold nights from Nazareth to Bethlehem. . .  All because a Roman emperor wanted to know how many subjects he had control over,  so as to be sure he was getting his share of the taxes due him from this backwater land of Galilee. And to arrive at the city of David, Bethlehem, only to find there was no room in any inn,  anywhere??  Only a stable filled with straw and animals which was somehow to become a fitting place to

For generations, the people of Israel were waiting for a Messiah, someone to turn the world inside out and upside down. Then along came Jesus.  Was he the one?  John the Baptist certainly wanted to know, and so he sent his disciples to simply ask Jesus: 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?' Jesus responds in a way that says the proof is in the pudding. Look what I have done; the blind whom I touch see, the lame walk.  Lepers are cured.  The deaf can

Today's feast can always be a bit confusing.  Because this feast of the Immaculate Conception is about MARY's conception and teaches that from the instant she began to exist inside her mother, Anne, she was holy, filled with God's grace, and therefore without sin. The confusion comes because the Gospel reading is always about JESUS' conception -- read for one reason because there are no Scripture stories about Mary's conception -- but more importantly read because it confirms

Last year, on the first Sunday of Advent, we heard from St. Luke’s Gospel, “do not become drowsy and let the coming of the Lord catch you by surprise. Be vigilant at all times.” Next year, on the first Sunday of Advent, we will hear from St. Mark’s Gospel: “Be watchful. Be alert! You do not know when the Lord will come.” And this year, on this first Sunday of Advent, we hear from St. Matthew’s Gospel: “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. So be prepar

I know today is a tough day for some of us, but not all of us.  In fact, some of you just coming to Mass and thinking it’s just another Sunday might not even know what I’m talking about. But for those of us still grieving the loss of someone (especially if it’s been a recent death) you were probably already aware that today is the feast of All Souls. It’s one of those days that only falls on a Sunday once every seven years or so, and so usually when celebrated during the wee

On behalf of myself and Fr. Garry Richmeier, who I know would really, really like to be here and the leadership of this parish: Fr. Don Farnan, who also could not be here – and Pat Marrin and the parishioners of St. James on behalf of Bishop Johnston, and the Deacon community of our diocese I wish to extend to you, most of all Nata, Our deepest and sincerest sympathies on the loss of your husband, Ross.  For 58 years as a couple, you enjoyed your good times and bad times and

There was an old monsignor who got moved from a parish in small town to a large parish in the city.  He retained his old habit of unlocking the Church at 6 in the morning, in spite of the daily Mass not being until 8:00 o’clock. It only took a few days before there was a man who was waiting for him ever morning bright and early at 6 who then stayed for the Mass. Curiosity got the best of him, and after a few more days, he asked the man who he found out was named John, “John,

There is the old saying:  the devil is in the details, but let’s adapt that a bit to say that grace, too, is in the details, because there are a few details we might miss in today’s Gospel if we aren’t paying attention  that brings added meaning to this encounter Jesus has. Like: “As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.” Most of us should remember that Jews who want to remain ritually pure had nothing to do with Samaritans in Jesu

Perhaps it is because the Apostles drew similar conclusions as us after hearing Jesus tell his parable about the rich man and Lazarus:...

One of my all time favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption. I hope you are familiar with this story of life inside a fictitious Maine...

There was a word that occurred in the Gospel nine times today. I don’t know if you noticed the repetition, but the word is steward: one...

There were many things that 8 year old Noah liked to do. He liked to shoot hoops with his friends during recess at school. He likes to...