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 ...
Continue Reading →
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 ...
Continue Reading →
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 ...
Continue Reading →
Homily – January 14, 2024 – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
I’m going to make a generalization which I think is true. It is that everyone, who has ever come into our lives—even for the shortest amount of time—has made a contribution to who we have become. Even someone who was a bad example, indirectly, set us on a path to become the opposite of what they are. So, there is learning in the negative. There is much to be learned ...
Continue Reading →
The Miracle of Ordinary Time
Today is the second Sunday in ordinary time. For much of my life I’ve thought of ordinary time as the “boring time” in the church year, the space holder between the important events. Today I am struck by the fact that ordinary time is the time of infinite possibility. Ordinary time is the time immediately after the creation, the birth, the resurrection, the pouring out of the Spirit. Ordinary time is the time when we are ...
Continue Reading →
While away in Ottawa last week, and staying with my youngest brother, Todd, he introduced me to a wonderful show called Fake or Fortune. It’s been airing in Britain for about 12 years and has to do with art. (Europeans, in general, have much more of an appreciation for art than we, North Americans, do). I’ve just seen a couple of episodes, but I’m already hooked. The show deals with ordinary people, like ourselves, who have a piece of art ...
Continue Reading →
Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. We celebrate the revelation that Jesus was born as the Son of God. Today’s Gospel illustrates this revelation through the story of the three Magi ( Wise Men) who travelled to visit Jesus following His birth.
“There ahead of them went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ...
Continue Reading →
Mary, A Model of Faith
Talk about a jampacked weekend. Sunday we are celebrating Epiphany, and then right back to church on Monday to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. I would like to use this reflection to focus on Mary, and what a model of faith she is for all of us. The Solemnity of Mary, from the church in Canada’s pointof view, carries a great deal of importance as it is one of only twoholy ...
Continue Reading →
While baby showers have been around for a long time, gender reveal parties have only existed for less than 20 years. If you don’t already know, a gender reveal party is a party held during pregnancy to reveal the baby’s sex to the expectant parents’ family and friend, and sometimes to the parents themselves. To me, the real excitement is looking into the face of the newborn child…that’s the real reveal. There’s nothing more beautiful and nothing more mesmerizing than ...
Continue Reading →
At every Eucharistic celebration you have ever participated in, you heard the priest say during the Eucharistic Prayer, “The Mystery of faith.” “Mystery” refers to God’s eternally conceived but hidden plan. In other words, God had, and still has, a plan, a purpose in mind for everything and everyone, including you. That plan, that Mystery, is not given in a single moment, but it unfolds over time, a long period of time. We couldn’t handle the entire mystery of our ...
Continue Reading →