May 2013
12 posts
9 tags
HOMILY for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (C)
Prov 8:22-31; Ps 8; Rom 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
When St Paul went to Athens he noticed an altar to an unknown god (Acts 17:23). And when it comes to the Holy Trinity, it might seem to many people that we’re also gathered around the altar of an unknown God today. For isn’t it all a bit of a contradiction? Three in one, and one in three? And...
5 tags
HOMILY for Saturday 7th Week per annum (I)
Sir 17:1-13; Ps 102; Mark 10:13-16
God the Holy Trinity is essentially relational, and the relationship of Jesus Christ to God the Father is, from all eternity, that of Son; a relationship of child-hood. Hence, as the noted 20th-century theologian Von Balthasar put it, Jesus is “the archetypal Child who has his abode in the Father’s bosom”. So, we...
8 tags
HOMILY for Thursday 7th Week per annum (I)
Sir 5:1-8; Ps 1; Mark 9:41-50
Jesus speaks in very dramatic language, employing hyperbole, to highlight the great damage that scandal does. Our translation of today’s Gospel doesn’t quite convey this, because the phrase translated as “causes you to sin” is really rendered from the Greek skandalon (cf Mk 9:42-47). And this carries the sense of an action...
7 tags
HOMILY for Tuesday 7th Week per annum (I)
Sir 2:1-13; Ps 36; Mk 9:30-37
The disciples were afraid and fearful, and so, they did not understand Jesus’ talk about being arrested, killed, and rising again from the dead. So that, when these things took place, they fled for fear. They feared the Cross, persecution and suffering to such an extent that they were too afraid to even ask Jesus what he...
7 tags
HOMILY for Pentecost Sunday (C)
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 103; Rom 8:8-17; John 14:15-16. 23-26
Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church, and so, we tend to think of it as commemorating something new, as marking a beginning, a birth. But in fact, if we consider what the Jewish feast of Pentecost, also called the feast of the First Fruits, was about, we can look at it differently. Pentecost...
8 tags
HOMILY for Thu 7 of Easter
Acts 22:30. 23:6-11; Ps 15; John 17:20-26
One of the characteristics of friendship is that friends share important aspects of their life with one another and reveal things about themselves to one another. So, Jesus has said that he calls us his friends because he makes known to us all that he has heard from his Father (Jn 15:15). And that is what he is doing in...
6 tags
HOMILY for Wed 7 of Easter
Acts 20:28-38; Ps 67; John 17:11-19
There seems to be, even among Catholics, a contemporary tendency toward agnosticism about God and the articles of faith, because it is thought that the truth about God and faith cannot be known with certainty. So, to make dogmatic statements of faith would be arrogant because we cannot really say what is true. And yet, today,...
4 tags
HOMILY for the Feast of St Matthias
Acts 1:15-17,20-26; Ps 112; John 15:9-17
preached during a Mass with the Confirmation & First Communion of a student
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit” (Jn 15:16). For the Lord chose us even before we were born, he called us into being, and then, in our baptism and confirmation he appointed us...
5 tags
HOMILY for the Feast of the Ascension
Acts 1:1-11; Mark 16:14-20
First preached at an Extraordinary Form Mass
in St Birinus’, Dorchester-on-Thames on 2 June 2011
Today is a day of paradoxes. It is a day of sorrow at the Lord’s departure from this earth, but also of great joy because he has gone into heaven to prepare a place for us. As the Preface puts it: He “was lifted up into heaven...
6 tags
HOMILY for 7th Sunday of Easter (C)
Acts 7:55-60; Ps 96; Apoc 22:12-14. 16-17. 20; John 17:20-26
One word recurs in our readings today: glory, from the Latin gloria. But what, really, do we mean by glory? Usually, I think this word evokes light, brilliance, and splendour. And these are related to the Greek word for glory, which is doxa. But if we look at the Scriptural origins of glory from...
9 tags
HOMILY for the 6th Sunday of Easter (C)
Acts 15:1-2. 22-29; Ps 66; Apoc 21:10-14. 22-23; John 14:23-29
The Holy Spirit is called the parakletos, the One-Who-Is-Called-Alongside you and me. He stands beside us, as our friend, but also as our counsellor and advocate. The language being used here is deliberately legal, and one calls to mind a courtroom situation in which we stand accused....
April 2013
18 posts
7 tags
HOMILY for the Feast of Pope St Pius V
Acts 14:19-28; Ps 144; John 14:27-31
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you” (Jn 14:27), says the Lord in today’s Gospel. And some might say that the pope we remember today, an Italian Dominican friar, wasn’t a man of peace. After all, Pope Pius V is remembered in England for excommunicating Elizabeth I and releasing Catholic subjects of their...
5 tags
HOMILY for the Feast of St Catherine of Siena
In 1970, Pope Paul VI did an unprecedented thing. He declared not one but two women saints to be Doctors of the universal Church, and we celebrate the feast of one of those women today: the lay Dominican saint and mystic, Catherine of Siena, who is also patroness of Europe.
St Catherine lived in the turbulent 14th-century when there was much...
8 tags
HOMILY for the 5th Sunday of Easter (C)
Acts 14:21-27; Ps 144; Apoc 21:1-5; John 13:31-33a. 34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (Jn 13:34). The last time we would have heard these words in the Liturgy would be on Maundy Thursday in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, just before the Gospel account of Jesus...
7 tags
HOMILY for Sat 4 of Easter
Acts 13:44-52; Ps 97:1-4; John 14:7-14
“Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (Jn 14:13f). For many people there can be something disturbing about this statement. Because how often have we asked, begged, and prayed for something, and nothing seems to happen? Our prayer, it...
9 tags
HOMILY for Fri 4 of Easter
Acts 13:26-33; Ps 2; John 14:1-6
There can be so many things that trouble and disturb us: exams, job prospects, relationships; worries about the future and about what we’re called to do. Many people wonder about what is the right thing to do, and about their vocation in life. In a sense, Thomas articulates our fears when he asks: “How can we know the way?” How...
8 tags
HOMILY for the Feast of St Mark
1 Pt 5:5-14; Ps 88; Mark 16:15-20
A roaring lion is unlikely to successfully stalk and surprise its prey but lions do roar in the evening to proclaim their territory. So, in comparing the devil to a roaring lion, perhaps St Peter has in mind the devil roaring as he prowls around in the darkness of sin, proclaiming that sinful humanity belongs to him. After all,...
6 tags
HOMILY for 4th Mon of Easter
Acts 11:1-18; Ps 41; John 10:1-10
In the Old Testament, God is referred to as the Shepherd of Israel (cf Ps 80:1, Eze 34). But the notion that the one God favours one nation, one people, and sets them aside to make them holy is gradually expanded to include all of humanity, both Jews and non-Jews; Jew and Gentile alike. Hence, in today’s First Reading, St Peter...
6 tags
HOMILY for 4th Sunday of Easter (C)
Acts 13:14. 43-52; Ps 99; Apoc 7:9. 14-17; Jn 10:27-30
It’s been so blustery lately that if you’re withdrawing money from the cash machine you need to be careful to hang on tight to the cash. A few days ago, I saw someone lose his grip and the wind snatched the notes away, and they were blown out of his reach! So, we need to keep a firm hold, particularly...
6 tags
HOMILY for St Agnes of Montepulciano
Acts 9:31-42; Ps 115; John 6:60-69
The name ‘Montepulciano’ makes me think of wine because when I was in my early teens I remember touring the vineyards of Tuscany with my parents, and being told that the wine from the town of Montepulciano, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was especially fine – not that I was allowed to taste any of it! And today we...
5 tags
HOMILY for the 3rd Mon of Easter
Acts 6:8-15; Ps 118; John 6:22-29
St Stephen is described as being “full of grace and power”, as speaking with a “wisdom” that could not be bettered, and he also “did great wonders and signs”. St Luke, in his Gospel, says similar things about Jesus, whose surpassing wisdom was evident in the Temple when, as a boy, he taught the scribes; who also performed...
7 tags
HOMILY for 3rd Sunday of Easter (C)
Acts 5:27-32. 40f; Ps 29; Apoc 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
The Resurrection is a new beginning, and so, today’s Gospel is like a flashback. We’re back at the beginning by the sea of Tiberias in Galilee and Simon Peter, James, John, and others are there fishing; just as it was when Jesus first called them to follow him. And they did, and what a journey it had...
6 tags
HOMILY for the 2nd Fri of Easter
Acts 5:34-42; Ps 26; John 6:1-15
Today we’re faced with one of the most challenging responses of the apostles: they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name” (Acts 5:41). Can we say the same? Would we rejoice to suffer insults, shame, humiliation etc for the sake of Jesus? Or do we try our best to avoid even being known as...
8 tags
HOMILY for the 2nd Wed of Easter
Acts 5:17-26; Ps 33; John 3:16-21
St Luke’s sequel to his Gospel, the Acts of the Apostles, is told with great momentum and energy. Because the main protagonist, although often invisible, is the Holy Spirit who inspires the first Christians. From the very beginning until today, it is the Spirit who directs the apostolic activities of the Church, and no...
9 tags
HOMILY for 2nd Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:12-16; Apoc 1:9-13. 17-19; John 20:19-31
It sometimes appears that there are many reasons for one to be fearful. One only needs to read the newspapers, and one can feel the surge of fear, and perhaps, not a little anger, rising – the threat of nuclear aggression from North Korea; the fragile economy and the financial squeeze on millions of people...
9 tags
HOMILY for Easter Saturday
Acts 4:13-21; Ps 117; Mark 16:9-15
Faith is never something just personal and private. It is always communal and relational, and so, we see today that faith in the resurrection requires that we trust the eyewitness account of another; believe in the testimony of other people. But it seems that this might involve believing the sort of people one might not usually...
5 tags
HOMILY for Easter Thursday
Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8; Luke 24:35-48
Today’s Gospel raised fascinating theological questions for the Fathers of the Church and for medieval theologians concerning whether the risen Jesus really ate, i.e., digested and derived nutrition from the broiled fish. After all, Christ’s resurrected body does not really need nutrition since it is immortal, so why would he need...
7 tags
HOMILY for Easter Wednesday
Acts 3:1-10; Ps 104; Luke 24:13-35
The journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus is one we’re all making, and each of us is at a different stage of the journey. It’s a walk from despair, doubt and despondency to a life-giving faith, resurrected hope, and evangelical joy. And at every point along this journey, whether we are lost in sadness and confusion or inflamed with...
7 tags
HOMILY for Easter Monday
Acts 2:14. 22-33; Ps 15; Mt 28:8-15
Redemption is allowing ourselves to be found by God. And he can only find us if we’re not hiding from him. Like the women who ran out of the tomb, we too, have to leave the cold dark tomb of doubt, of shame because of sin, of falsehood – all these entomb us and hide us from God. But when the women run out of the tomb, the risen...
March 2013
23 posts
2 tags
5 tags
HOMILY for Easter Sunday (C)
Acts 10:34. 37-43; Ps 117; Col 3:1-4; John 20:1-9
Tomorrow is the first of April, and poor Mary Magdalene could be forgiven for thinking that someone had just played a slightly-off-colour (and early) April Fools’ prank on her! For in the dark of the early morning, she’d gone to the tomb of Jesus to find that the monumental stone had been removed, and, worse...
4 tags
HOMILY for Wed in Holy Week
Isa 50:4-9; Ps 68; Matt 26:14-24
“The love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10), St Paul says to St Timothy. Over the past few days, we’ve glimpsed that this may have been Judas’ main problem. He was entrusted with the common purse but he’d been embezzling the money, thus betraying the trust of the community. He was entrusted with Christ’s friendship...
6 tags
HOMILY for Mon in Holy Week
Isa 42:1-7; Ps 26; Jn 12:1-11
One of the practical tasks of Holy Week is to find people who will agree to have their feet washed on Maundy Thursday. And the irony is that those who agree will often wash their feet with perfumed soap before coming to Mass that evening! Why? Because they whole community is going to see them!
But if we think about it, there is...
5 tags
HOMILY for Fri in Week 5 of Lent
Jer 20:10-13; Ps 17; John 10:31-42
There has been much praise of Pope Francis’ warm personality and his evident care for the poor and marginalized. Only yesterday it was announced that the Holy Father will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, not in his cathedral or in St Peter’s, but in Rome’s juvenile detention centre. And he will...
7 tags
HOMILY for Thu in Week 5 of Lent
Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 104; John 8:51-59
Three things happen to Abraham in today’s First Reading. Firstly, God chooses him, and makes a covenant with him. We might say that God gives Abraham his word. But, the tendency is to think of a covenant as just a contract. After all, when we make a contract we give someone our word, we promise to fulfill a certain...
2 tags
Thank you...
… to the benefactor (K.P.) who so generously had three books sent to me and my community from my Amazon Wish List. You will be remembered at the altar this evening.
5 tags
HOMILY for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph
2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Psalm 88; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matt 1:16, 18-21, 24
In recent days, the virtue of humility has been mentioned frequently, especially with regard to Pope Francis and his patron saint, Francis of Assisi. And today, as the Pope officially began his ministry, we celebrate the Solemnity of the saint of humility, St Joseph....
7 tags
HOMILY for Mon in Week 5 of Lent
Dan 13:1-9. 15-17. 19-30. 33-62; Ps 22; Jn 8:12-20
In this fortnight before Easter, which is still sometimes called Passiontide, the readings have changed in mood. We are emerging from the themes of wilderness and journey, from exhortations to repentance and penitential acts to focus on God’s work of saving grace through the Passion of Jesus Christ. In other...
4 tags
HOMILY for the 5th Sunday of Lent (C)
Isa 43:16-21; Ps 125; Phil 3:8-14; John 8:1-11
This, it seems, is the only instance in which the Word of God writes. Or does he? Although our translation says both times that Jesus “wrote with his finger on the ground” (Jn 6b, 8), in fact the Greek words are slightly different, so that we could say that Jesus was, at first, doodling or drawing with his...
5 tags
HOMILY for Fri in Week 4 of Lent
Wisdom 2:1,12-22; Ps 33; John 7:1-2,10,25-30
Why does Jesus go to Jerusalem secretly, “not publicly but in private” (Jn 7:10)? It’s not for fear of being killed although today’s readings heighten the tension and hostility towards Christ as we approach Passiontide. Nevertheless, Jesus openly teaches in the Temple right in the middle of the week-long feast of...
5 tags
HOMILY for Thu in Week 4 of Lent
Exodus 32:7-14; Ps 105; John 5:31-47
Several things might have struck us about our new Holy Father last night. Firstly, he chose his papal name in honour of St Francis of Assisi, a universally popular saint who appeals to Christians and non-Christians alike. A saint renowned for his love of holy poverty, simplicity and austerity of life, humility and a zeal...
8 tags
HOMILY for Wed in Week 4 of Lent
Isaiah 49:8-15; Ps 144; John 5:17-30
God, who is pure Act, does not ever rest because he sustains the universe, and holds all that is in being. If God ever rested, so to speak, all existence would cease! Hence, the rabbis understood that the language in Genesis about God resting on the Sabbath is just a figure of speech; an encouragement for humanity to rest...
4 tags
HOMILY for Mon in Week 4 of Lent
Isa 65:17-21; Ps 29; John 4:43-54
The first miracle at Cana is well-known. Our Lady, a mother, intervenes and Christ, at first reluctant, performs his first sign and changes water into wine. The servants witness this miracle happening, and when others see the sign, they believe in Christ. The second miracle, however, is less well-known but there are...
5 tags
HOMILY for the 4th Sunday of Lent (C)
Josh 5:9a. 10-12; Ps 34; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3. 11-32
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them…” (Luke 15:3) In response to the murmuring of his detractors, Jesus tells three parables of things lost and found: a sheep, a coin and two sons. Each ends with rejoicing and celebration when the lost is restored, and this is fully...
7 tags
HOMILY for Sat in Week 3 of Lent
Hos 5:15–6:6; Ps 50; Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisee raises himself up while simultaneously putting others down. This is typical human behaviour whenever we compare ourselves to other people, and it’s easy for any of us to fall into that trap. Many have been publicly doing so in response to recent events affecting our Archdiocese. But, if we must compare ourselves...
8 tags
HOMILY for Fri in Week 3 of Lent
Hos 14:2-10; Ps 80; Mark 12:28-34
As the crocuses paint the Meadows with spring colour, and the spring flowers behind the altar bud forth, and the gentle rain soaks into the ground, we know that spring is approaching. Hosea uses the image of the return of spring as a sign of God’s love; it is a sign of hope. Ever faithful, no winter of human sin can be an...
6 tags
HOMILY for Thu in Week 3 of Lent
Jer 7:23-28; Ps 94; Lk 11:14-23
“Others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven” (Lk 11:16). Just as in the wilderness, when Jesus encountered Satan and was tested, so the same Greek word is used again here; Jesus is being tested, tempted, not alone and in a secluded place, but now among the crowds, presumably in a town. And this is not the last time...
4 tags
HOMILY for Mon in Week 3 of Lent
2 Kings 5:1-15; Ps 41; Lk 4:24-30
A classic medieval logical argument for God is that God is ‘That-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought’, which becomes paraphrased and misunderstood by many, as ‘the greatest being we can possibly imagine’. Hence, God is typically envisaged as being big, powerful, super intelligent: the super hero to beat all other super...
