Category: Homilies

  • The Holy Family Were Refugees

    The Holy Family Were Refugees

    The  Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; 12-28-2025 Sir 3:2-6.  Ps 128.  Col 3:12-21.  Mt 2:13-15, 19-21 Deacon Jim McFadden        On this first Sunday after Christmas, the Liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth.  We are very accustomed that every nativity scene shows the infant Jesus together

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  • a God who gathers

    a God who gathers

    ,

    Christmas (A)  ; 12-25-2025 Is 52:1-7.  Ps 97.  Heb 1:1-6 .  Jn 1:1-18 Deacon Jim McFadden          Christmas celebrates God’s overwhelming desire to be united with us.  Sometimes we wonder, why does he bother?  He’s perfect—he doesn’t need anything since he is the great I AM.  The Psalmist wondered the same thing, when he intoned,

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  • HERE I AM

    HERE I AM

    Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; 12-08-2025 Gn 3:9-15,20.  Ps 98.  Eph 1:3-6,11-12.  Lk 1:26-38 Deacon Jim McFadden          Today’s  readings present us a stark choice.  In the first reading from the book of Genesis, there is a man, who, at the very beginning of his origins, says “no” to God.  And, in the Gospel reading

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  • John the Baptist Doesn’t put up with duplicity

    John the Baptist Doesn’t put up with duplicity

    2nd Sunday of Advent (A); December 7, 2025 Is 11:1-10.  Ps 72.  Rom 15:4-9.  Mt 3:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden        On the second Sunday of Advent, Matthew calls us to encounter the intriguing figure of John the Baptist, a gritty, down-to-earth, ‘in your face’ prophet.  The text says that John “wore a garment of camel’s

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  • “Turn your swords into plowshares

    “Turn your swords into plowshares

    1st Sunday of Advent (A); November 30, 2025 Is 2:1-5.  Ps 122.  Rom 13:11-14.  Mt 24:37-44 Deacon Jim McFadden          The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of our preparation for the celebration of Christmas.  Today’s readings offer us a vision, which suggests that Advent is a time of hope and challenges.  This vision

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  • My own special possession

    My own special possession

    33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); November 16, 2025 Mal 3:19-20a.  Ps 998.  2 Thes 3:7-12.  Lk 21:5-19 Deacon Jim McFadden          “And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my own special possession…and I will have compassion on them”  (Mal 3:17):  these words come to us from the last page of the

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  • why be catholic?

    why be catholic?

    The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica; 11-09-2025 Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12.  Ps 46.  1 Cor 3:9c-11,161-7.  Jn 2:13-22 Deacon Jim McFadden          Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which was dedicated by Pope St. Sylvester in 324 who was the 33rd pontiff (314-335).  Sylvester honored the episcopal seat of the pope as the bishop

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  • “He beat his breast”

    “He beat his breast”

    30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); October 26, 2025 Sir 35:12-14,16-18.  Ps 34.  2 Tm 4:6-8; Lk 18:9-14 Deacon Jim McFadden        The Old Testament passage from Sirach 35 in our first reading summarizes the recurrent biblical conviction that God gives special consideration to the prayers of the oppressed and needy and those who seem

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  • Pray always and stick with it!

    Pray always and stick with it!

    Ex 17:8-13.  Ps 121.  2 Tm 3:14-4:2.  Lk 18:1-8 Deacon Jim McFadden          Today’s Gospel concludes with a troubling question that Jesus poses to us: “…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (LK 18:8b).  While Jesus is referring to the 2nd Coming, he’s also saying to us right here, right

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  • Just say “thank you”

    Just say “thank you”

    28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); October 12, 2025 2 Kgs 5:14-17.  Ps 987.  2 Tim 2:8-13.  Lk 17:11-19 Deacon Jim McFadden        Someone once said that “By the time you turn 75 years of age, the only words that should come out of your mouth is “thank you!”  Being over that age group, I’d

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homilies

The Holy Family Were Refugees

The  Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; 12-28-2025 Sir 3:2-6.  Ps 128.  Col 3:12-21.  Mt 2:13-15, 19-21 Deacon Jim McFadden        On this first Sunday after Christmas, the Liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family…

a God who gathers

Christmas (A)  ; 12-25-2025 Is 52:1-7.  Ps 97.  Heb 1:1-6 .  Jn 1:1-18 Deacon Jim McFadden          Christmas celebrates God’s overwhelming desire to be united with us.  Sometimes we wonder, why does he bother?  He’s perfect—he doesn’t need anything since…

History is Going Somewhere and it rhymes

4th Sunday of Advent (A); December 21, 2025 Is 7:10-14.  Ps 24.  Rom 1:1-7.  Mt 1:18-24 Deacon Jim McFadden             As we enter into the 4th Sunday of Advent, let us remember that salvation history has a trajectory which comes…