Homily for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Of all of Jesus’ parables, this is the only one in which one of the characters is named. Usually, the fact that they aren’t named is an invitation to the audience to take the place of one of the characters in the story. If the …
The Father’s Embrace
Homily for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in ordinary time, Year C. When I was growing up, it was not uncommon to see someone holding up a sign at a football game with the words “John 3:16” written on it. Even today, if you were to ask a representative sample of Christians to share a bible verse …
Following Christ into Battle
Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. One of my favorite moments in a movie or a TV show is when a leader gives a rousing and inspirational speech. This could be a coach before the start of the game, a head of state in the aftermath of a great conflict, or …
The Beauty of Humility
Homily for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. When I was in high school, my least favorite science class was chemistry. So, when I went off to college, I decided to pursue a degree in computer engineering—the kind of engineering, I thought, that involved the least amount of chemistry. I would have to …
Gateway to Heaven
Homily for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. In the late 1970s, a small unit of the United States military was established to investigate the possibility of using psychic abilities for counterintelligence efforts. This secret group, known as the Stargate Project, focused on people who could engage in “remote viewing,” the ability, purportedly, …
Beatles, Raiders, and Rosary
Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption, Year C. One of the most painful experiences in life is to feel like there’s no one you can talk to. If there’s no one you can turn to in times of trouble, you’re more likely to feel lonely and isolated. You’re also more likely to feel that …
Eyes. Stance. Alignment. Assignment.
Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. One my favorite sports to play as a kid was baseball. And although my coaches tried me out in different positions, my favorite position to play was center field. As a centerfielder, I didn’t always get a lot of action. But I was always ready …
Harmonizing Love and Fear
Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. If we were to go back to the Garden of Eden, to our first parents, Adam and Eve, we would discover that they existed in state of perfect harmony: harmony with God, harmony with each other, and harmony with the rest of creation. They also …
The Supersubstance
Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Fr. Gereon Goldmann was not yet a priest, but was preparing to become one, when World War II broke out in Germany. Soon after, he and his fellow seminarians, despite their chosen vocation, were drafted into the German army. Faced with a difficult moral dilemma, …
Samaritan Sacraments
Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. It sometimes comes as a surprise that I’m not naturally a people-person. I’m in the people business, after all, and so sometimes it’s assumed that I’m naturally gifted for that kind of work. But that’s definitely not the case. From the time I was in …
Isaiah Forty-Three 