Homily from the The Resurrection of the Lord, The Mass of Easter Day

Get up and do what you can.

We know that darkness is real. And death is real. But darkness and death are not the end. There are some things that never die...Faith...Love...the Promise of eternal life.

John 20:1-9

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord?s Passion

This is not the end of the Story, but it had to happen for the Story to go on.

The Passion of Christ is not the end of the Story, but we must pause and reflect on it. It is the lens through which we see: What love looks like when it costs everything, what sin looks like when we can see the wounds, and what mercy looks like when it refuses to give up.

John 18:1?19:42

Homily from Holy Thursday, Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

He loved them to the end.

One of the characteristics that marks modern man is that we find ourselves angry at God. In fact, we are so angry that we would be willing to hurt God if we could. Yet, God is invulnerable. He cannot be hurt. Still, God chose to step into this world and love us...while making Himself vulnerable.

John 13:1-15

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.

Thank God ahead of time.

We often put off joy and praise and peace. We are tempted to be preoccupied with wanting to be "there" or wanting to be "done" with whatever we are working on or whatever we are doing. Yet, as Catholics, we are called to be "here". We can best live "on the way" when we don't wait to thank God; when we thank God before we are "there". We can thank God right here.

Luke 22:14?23:56

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Lent.

We run out of all hope...and then Jesus.

The Dead End is a necessary place of the way. The location where we run out of our own skill and our own strength and find ourselves completely unable to move forward on our own. In the midst of the dead end...and then Jesus.

John 8:1-11

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

To look like Jesus, we must learn how to live in the Presence of the Father.

When it comes to our relationship with the Father, too often it is marked by hiding our hearts or avoiding His gaze. But we must learn how to live like Jesus, who remained in the Father's Presence at all times and with profound trust.

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

We all want peak moments, but growth happens in the Valley.

Why do we walk through valleys? What good is life in the valley? Is it only a negative? Is it always a punishment from God? Or could the valley be necessary?

Luke 13:1-9

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

A big life is a series of small crossroads.

Life happens at the crossroads. Life is also a series of small crossroads that might seem insignificant, but add up to a life of beauty and meaning...or a life potentially wasted.

Luke 9:28b-36

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

The only way out is through.

As we enter into the desert, the desert takes away the things we tend to trust in...the things we use as comforts and crutches...and we are led through the "training place" to the place of being able to live like Christ.

Luke 4:1-13

Homily from the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Silence reveals our hearts and silence trains our hearts.

As we enter into the place of training, we realize that there are certain things that reveal the condition of our hearts...trial, tribulation, speech, and silence. But we need to consciously enter into these if we are going to know ourselves and be trained in the way of Christ.

Luke 6:39-45

Homily from the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Love those who deserve it. And those who don?t.

Jesus gives us a commandment that existed from the beginning: we are to love those who deserve it. This is justice. Jesus goes on to teach us and even greater love: mercy.

Luke 6:27-38

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

We live in this life, but we live for the next life.

Jesus turns our fears and our hopes upside down...because through the Resurrection, Jesus has turned the world upside down.

Luke 6:17, 20-26

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There are two requirements: Be available and be willing to try.

There are times when the future is so uncertain and so unknown that we hesitate to move. But since we know that God is with us, He has a call on our lives, and His grace is active...we can take the next step without fear.

Luke 5:1-11

Homily from the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

Do what you know, where you are.

What is the Greatest Thing you will ever do? What if the Greatest Thing is not something you accomplish, but who you become?

Luke 2:22-40

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You've been given a great work, and must not come down.

Since you have been made on purpose, there are two ways to live: on purpose and off purpose. But if a person has been made to be great and set apart for a purpose, why would they ever choose to live off purpose? The common culprits are distraction, forgetting, comparison, and living a shadow mission.

Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Why be great?

A powerful goal in life is to be great. To be able to say, "I am good at this" regardless of comparison, but with an eye towards real excellence. At the same time, even when we have a goal and have a plan, we all need to be motivated by WHY.

John 2:1-11

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord.

You've been claimed at the lowest point.

The Baptism of the Lord is a mystery. The mystery of how Christ comes into contact with the water...and it does not change Him; He changes it. This is the pattern from this moment on: Christ comes into contact with us, claims us, and changes us.

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord.

There is something powerful about optimism.

Optimistic people are more likely to be risk takers and more likely to have a positive view of life. But optimistic people also have to have something stronger than mere "wishful thinking" to lean on when their own strength runs out.

Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

When we know God's will, we must respond with "yes".

There are truly horrible and troubling things that can happen in each one of our lives. And yet, at every moment, we have the opportunity to respond in faith and love. Our response of trust can be summed up in one word: "Yes".

Luke 2:16-21

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Make it your ambition to live a quiet life.

In a world where so many people live their lives "on display," the Holy Family shows us what it is to live a quiet (and meaningful) life.

Luke 2:41-52

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas).

The one who has gratitude has enough.

At the moment we get to stand before the Lord face to face, what will the automatic and overwhelming response be? Will it be a word of love? Of contrition? Or will it be two words that summarize everything that could be said to the God who has used everything to get us ready to stand before Him?

John 1:1-18

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Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

I'm not going to fear what I don't know, I am going to trust who I do know.

We can wait in excitement and joy...we can also wait in fear. We fear the dark and might fear death for the same reason: the unknown. We can fear the unknown in the afterlife and we can fear the unknown of our own inner life. God's mercy leads us to a place of trust.

Luke 1:39-45

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Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent.

How can we see the Lord face to face til we have faces?

We tell ourselves so many stories. Some of these stories are true and some of them are not. One challenge we have is to tell true stories...about ourselves and about the Lord. In order to be able to see the Lord face to face, we will need to know ourselves and some before God as our true selves.

Luke 3:10-18

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Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

God will bring the work He has begun to completion.

We can do so many things in the Christian life that are important. But if we miss the most important aspect of following Christ, our lives will be incomplete. We are called to love...and yet we do not have it in us to be able to love the way we need to. Thankfully, God meets us in our need and our lack and supplies us with all we need.

Luke 3:1-6

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Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

We are made to see the Lord face to face...but are we ready for that?

Advent is a time to prepare to see the Lord face to face. We are preparing to have the ability to stand before the Lord. But we often find ourselves reluctant to be seen because we are afflicted and affected by shame. How do we move forward and allow the Lord to deal with our shame?

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

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Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The Mass is the fuel for our life in the world...and our life in the world is an extension of the Mass.

The words, "The Lord be with you" are meant to prepare us for great things...dangerous things. When we hear them at the end of Mass, they prepare us to bring what we've done at the altar out to the world.

John 18:33b-37

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Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

At Mass, you are not in the bleachers. You are on the field. You are in the game.

We are kingdom priests. But do we know what we are saying? Do we know what we are praying?

Mark 13:24-32

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Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is truly right and just...worship sets us free.

Does God need our worship? He does not. But we do. Worship sets us free from slavery and opens us up to love.

Mark 12:38-44

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Worship is not about what we get, but about what we can give.

When it comes to Mass, we often complain that we "don't get anything out of it". Is that what Mass is about? Is that what love is about? Or is love (and worship) about what we can give?

Mark 12:28-34

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The heart of worship is sacrifice.

We know that the sacrifice of Jesus once-for-all is the moment that saves us. It is possible to be present to this moment and offer that one sacrifice now.

Mark 10:46-52

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

A thing is worth what someone is willing to sacrifice for it.

How do we know what a thing is worth? When it comes to God, do we know how to worship Him?

Mark 10:35-45

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God's Word is living and active.

In order to understand our lives clearly, we need to know The Story. In order to know The Story, we need to become familiar with the Bible.

Mark 10:17-30

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God has called us here. God is with us here. God will not leave us here.

Marriage will always be a challenge. But there is a way to move forward in this challenge that brings greater peace and joy. There are no guarantees other than "I will not leave" and "God will not leave".

Mark 10:2-16

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Restriction is the first step towards freedom.

God is good. God wants all of us to have the fullness of life and of joy. God wants all of us to have HIM. But there are things that suffocate joy. There are things in our lives that rob us of God. There are things that we choose to keep in our lives that strip us of freedom. And Jesus calls us to be ruthless in how we approach those things.

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Not all ambition is bad.

Every good thing that we have in our lives we most likely have because an individual (or group of individuals) wanted to do something great. Jesus warns us of the dangers of wanting to be first. James warns us about selfish ambition. But is every desire to be great or to do great things wrong?

Mark 9:30-37

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our answer makes a difference.

We are presented today with the single most important question any of us will be asked and all of us will have to answer: who do you say that Jesus is?

Mark 8:27-35

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Love the person in front of you.

It is easy to walk through life and feel invisible. Like you don't matter. Like you have nothing to offer. But when we are seen by Christ, all of that has the potential to change. And then we can begin to see that we are called to love the person in front of us who has nothing to offer.

Mark 7:31-37

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It's the least you can do.

We are made to strive. We are made to pursue the ideal. But we also need to know what the minimum is. We also need to know: What is the least I can do? (And still give the Lord access to my heart!)

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Do not miss your turn.

There are times in our lives when we have the opportunity and the ability to make a decision that will change the direction of our lives. Joshua issued this invitation to the people of Israel as they entered the Promised Land and we are issued the same invitation. We must decide for ourselves whom we will serve.

John 6:60-69

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Let praise go up first.

There is something that every Christian can do at every moment and in every situation...that most of us forget to do. Or we fail to do it. God has called us to offer praise at all times.

John 6:51-58

Homily from the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Body and soul in Heaven.

The fact of the Assumption is the greatest reminder that all those who have died in Christ are meant to rise with Christ. All of us will get our bodies back and we will rise on the Last Day; some to the Resurrection of Glory and others to the Resurrection of Shame.

Luke 1:39-56

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

What does a"win" look like?

There are times when we accomplish our goals...and then we still feel that there ought to be something more. There are times when "winning" is just as empty as "losing". In those moments, we have the opportunity to step back and ask what we are shooting for. These are the moments we can ask "what does a 'win' look like?"

John 6:41-51

Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There are four kinds of vision...one is the most helpful.

We all want to see the world accurately. But most often, we fall into the blindness of being shortsighted. Then we want foresight so that we can know what will happen. Or hindsight so that we know what we've lived through. But God calls us to a newer sight. One that helps us get out of the desert by going through the desert.

John 6:24-35

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Give the first fruits and gather the fragments.

We are given two commands in this weekend's readings: to give the first fruits and gather the fragments. Our temptation, however, is to do the opposite; to give the fragments and gather the first fruits. In order to have a heart like Christ, we must become givers.

John 6:1-15

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

A person cannot be excellent without rest.

Human beings are made in God's image. We are also made for love, for labor, and for leisure. Since the Fall, these gifts have become distorted in our hearts and we have to fight for the ability to love well, to labor well, and even to leisure well. But we must strive to rest well if we are going to be the people God has made and redeemed us to be.

Mark 6:30-34

Homily from the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Does God have permission to say "I want it back?"

We are all living on borrowed time. And borrowed gifts...and borrowed strengths... Everything we have has been loaned to us from God. At some point, God will interrupt our lives and will ask for His gifts back. He will interrupt our lives and ask for us to return all that has been entrusted to us. Will we be free enough to say "Here it is. I hope that the way I used it glorified You."?

Mark 6:7-13

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God can be glorified through our wounds, not merely in spite of them.

We all experience brokenness. We all experience God's love through a broken lens. And yet we do encounter them in this way.

Mark 6:1-6

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Sacraments are God's presence and power...do we let them change us?

We continually come into contact with the living God in the Sacraments. But we often leave our encounter with the Sacraments the same as when we arrived. If we are open to what God wants, we are surrendering to His will.

Mark 5:21-43

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Rebellion, Resentment, or Rejoicing.

We are called to surrender to God's will. But how do we surrender? Is it a matter of feeling or is it a matter of something else? Surrender is an active, dynamic thing. And it is the opposite of rebellion and resentment.

Mark 4:35-41

Homily from the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Courage is the willingness to do God's will on your own accord.

We find ourselves in a place where we face uncertainty and difficulty. And yet, we are called to nonetheless move forward with courage. We walk by faith and not by sight. We choose to trust in God's Word more than our fears.

Mark 4:26-34