Category: Homilies

  • We Need Sound and Wise Leaders

    8th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-27-2022 Sir 27:4-7.  Ps 92.  1 Cor 15:54-58.  Lk 6:39-45 Deacon Jim McFadden             There are different levels of spiritual development.  As the People of God, we hope that we are moving in the same direction as we strive to realize our destiny to be at-one with the Blessed Trinity

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  • We’re Called to be Happy, to be Blessed

    6th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-13-2022 Jer 17:5-8.  Ps 1.  1 Cor 15:12,16-20.  Lk 6:17,20-26 Deacon Jim McFadden             What does it mean to be happy?  What does it mean to be blessed.   How can they be found?  These are ground-floor, basic the ‘rubber hitting the road’ questions.  If we get them wrong, then we’ve

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  • If You Want to be Happy, be Merciful!

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    7th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-20-2022 1 Sm 26:2,7-23.  Ps 103 1 Cor 15:45-49.  Lk 6:27-38 Deacon Jim McFadden             The Sermon of the Mount, which may be construed as Jesus’ State of the Kingdom address, is in two parts:  (1) the Beatitudes, which describes what it’s like to live in the Kingdom of God

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  • Jesus Jumps into our Boat

    5th Sunday in O.T. (C); 02-06-2022 Is 6:18.  Ps 138.  1 Cor 15:1-11.  Lk 5:1-11 Deacon Jim McFadden                         One of my spiritual heroes is the Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who once wrote that Christianity without discipleship is cheap grace.  He walked the talk as he sacrificed his life in his resistance to the Nazi

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  • God Wants to Save Everyone

    4th Sunday in O.T. (C); 01-30-2022 Jer 1:4-5, 17-19.  Ps 71.  1 Cor 12:32-13:13.  Lk 4:21-30 Deacon Jim McFadden             Last Sunday’s liturgy had us look at the episode of Synagogue of Nazareth where Jesus reads a passage from the prophet Isaiah that reveals the true interpretation of who He is and in the end

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  • Baptism, Temptations, Homecoming

    3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); 01-23-2022 Neh 8:2-4a.  Ps 19.  1 Cor 12:12-30.  Lk 1-4; 4:14-21 Deacon Jim McFadden                         An operating principle that governed Jesus’ life is that he saw in others what he saw in himself.  In Buddhist literature there is a story where a soldier comes up to a Buddhist monk

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  • God Wants to Marry His People

    The Wedding Feast of Cana 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (C); 01-16-2022 Is 62:1-5.  Ps 96.  1 Cor 12:4-11.  Jn 2:1-11 Deacon Jim McFadden             St. Paul has compared the relationship between Jesus and his Church as that of a bridegroom and his bride (cf. Ephesians 5:22-23).  What that means is that God loves us

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  • Remember the Date of your Baptism!

    The Baptism of the Lord (C); 01-09-2022 Is 40:1-11.  Ps 29.  Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7.  Lk 3:15-22 Deacon Jim McFadden             Let’s begin the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord with a short quiz: first, an easy one: what’s your birthday?   I presume that nearly all of you got that one right!   Second, a more

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  • Struggle to See the Light

    The Epiphany of the Lord (C); 01-02-2022 Is 60:1-6.  Ps 72.  Eph 3:2-3.   Mt 2:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden             Today we celebrate the Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi, traditionally described as a trio based on the three gifts they brought as they came to the humble cave of Bethlehem.  The Church tells the story

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  • A God Who Gathers

    Christmas (C); 12-25-2021 Is 9:1-6.  Ps 96.  Ti 2:11-14.  Lk 2:1-14 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, “What are

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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…