Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family, Year C. As you were listening to the gospel just now, you might have said to yourself, “Wow, Jesus has grown a lot since yesterday! Yesterday he was just a baby; now he’s twelve years old.” Those of you who are parents probably feel the same way …
Month: December 2021
Christmas: A New Hope
Which Christmas movie is the greatest? Some say a classic like It’s a Wonderful Life or Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Some say a more recent movie like Elf or The Polar Express. Some say, quite controversially, that Die Hard is the greatest Christmas movie. But in my opinion, unsurprisingly, the greatest Christmas movie of all time is Star Wars: A New Hope. The events of Star Wars: A …
Responding in Haste
Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C. One of the things you’re often asked to do in seminary, is to tell your vocation story—your story of how God called you to be a priest. And because you’re asked to do this so often and in so many different contexts, you have different versions …
The Path to Spiritual Joy
Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year C. “What gives you joy as a priest?” This is a question which people often ask me. Besides “Chick-fil-A,” people are often expecting me to say “baptisms” or “weddings” or perhaps “celebrating Mass.” And that’s true, all of these things bring me joy. But what people are …
Isaiah Forty-Three 