Homily – February 18th, 2024 – First Sunday of Lent

Homily – February 18th, 2024 – First Sunday of Lent

On Ash Wednesday we celebrated, as we do each year, a rite called the “Imposition of Ashes.” It sounds like throwback language the Church used long ago, yet there is something to this word. An imposition is something imposed on us that seems unfair or something that makes an unwelcomed demand on us. The boss asks you to do more at work without necessarily increasing your salary is an imposition. It’s an unwelcomed demand and doesn’t seem fair. Impositions are ...

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Fr Phil

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Homily – February 14th, 2024 – Ash Wednesday

Homily – February 14th, 2024 – Ash Wednesday

Almost all the Scripture readings we hear at liturgy, we hear only once every three years. One of the exceptions to this pattern is the Ash Wednesday readings; we get them every year. From it, we hear that Jesus is all for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and thinks we should be, too. However, he warns against parading these classic Lenten disciplines before others. Perhaps he saw too much of this in the Pharisees of his time and how far their ...

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Fr Phil

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Homily – February 11th, 2024 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily – February 11th, 2024 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In both the first reading and the gospel, we have references to leprosy. That first reading, from the book of Leviticus, speaks about the consequences of being diagnosed with leprosy. The consequence is that lepers had to wear torn clothes, had to let their hair become disheveled, had to live outside the camp, and had to announce in a loud voice when approaching others, “Unclean, unclean!” Those where some of the consequences of living with leprosy, but the deep pain ...

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Fr Phil

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Reflection – February 11th, 2024 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection – February 11th, 2024 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Law Enforcement

There are many levels of interpretation for today’s readings. The first reading is from Leviticus, chapter 13 verses 1 and 2, then 45-46. The Book of Leviticus is part of the first 5 books of what used to be called the “Old Testament” (as opposed to the New Covenant created by Jesus at the last Supper). Those first five books were cobbled together in Babylon by all the different leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel, thrown together and ...

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Agnes Beirne

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Homily – February 4, 2024 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily – February 4, 2024 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As always, a little bit of context might help us enter into these Scripture readings. In the Mediterranean world, the world where Jesus walked the earth, the world where all our books of the Bible emerged from—in that world every gift carried the expectation of a gift in return. However, don’t think of it as a tit-for-tat world where you only return a favor to those who have shown you favor, or where you only love those who have shown ...

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Fr Phil

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Reflection – February 4th, 2024 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection – February 4th, 2024 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Breaths of Life

Patience is not one of my virtues.  Lack of it is probably one of my more glaring faults.  While I have spent much time in my life praying for patience, persuaded to continue to do so by a priest friend when I was about to give up (or run the risk, he felt, of losing my trust in God’s willingness to respond to our prayers 😊) that particular prayer has not, as yet, been answered. 

The first reading ...

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Ellen Bennett

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Homily – January 28th, 2024 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily – January 28th, 2024 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wow, the people who were in the assembly that day must have had some interesting conversations when they left the synagogue and headed for home.  This was not your typical sabbath gathering with just the usual prayers and hymns and message from the rabbi.  As I read and thought about today’s gospel, there were a few questions that came to mind and if you will indulge me, I would like to share these questions with you.

When you come to church ...

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Mark Mahoney

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Reflection – January 28th, 2024 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection – January 28th, 2024 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Teach Us Something New

“Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”   
~Isaiah 43:18-21

Think back for a moment on the teachers you have encountered in your lifetime. Were there teachers you still remember today as “good” teachers?  What do you think made them a good teacher? Were they an authority on an issue or topic? Did you find their ...

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Trevor Droesbeck

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Homily – January 21st, 2024 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily – January 21st, 2024 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A common thread from the three Scripture readings we just heard from, is that they are all “call stories”; someone is being called by God. And, like all Scripture stories, they are not just stories about people during Biblical times, but they are speaking to us here and now. In the first story, God calls Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance to them. In the second reading, Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians says ...

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Fr Phil

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Reflection – January 21st, 2024 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection – January 21st, 2024 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word

From the first century onward, the Church (the people of God) has always insisted on the importance of gathering on Sunday. Early Church documents attest to Christians gathering on the Day of the Lord to break bread and give thanks in remembrance of Christ. Each Sunday was, and still is, considered “Little Easter” since the Resurrection of Christ is the central event in our faith. Moreover, we believe it is the Risen Lord ...

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Fr Phil

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