Mary, Mother of the Church
Monday after Pentecost Gen 3:9-15,20. Ps 87. Jn 19:25-34 Deacon Jim McFadden As Vatican II was coming to a close, St. Pope Paul VI bestowed upon Mary the title of Mother of the Church, which is celebrated on the…
Category: Homilies
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A Family Affair
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); October 6, 2024 Gn 2:18-24. Ps 128. Heb 2:9-11. Mk 10:2-16 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s readings offer reflections on humanity’s unitive relationship with God, one another, and the created order—all of which obtain in the Holy Mass: we are meant to be together! The readings also show an…
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What’s at Stake?
26th Sunday of O.T. (B); September 29, 2024 Wis 2:12,17-20. Ps 54. Jas 3:16-4:3. Mk 9:30-37 Deacon Jim McFadden Last Sunday we reflected upon the basic question of ‘whom do we serve?—which entails the spiritual struggle of making the transition from the Ego-Drama (self-worship) to the Theo-Drama (worship of the one true God). This…
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We Are All Called to Metanoia
Eccl 11:9-12:8 Ps 90. Lk 9:43b-45 Deacon Jim McFadden During the ‘60s, folk-singer Jim Croce, who unfortunately died a premature death in a plane crash, sang a song, Time in a Bottle, in which he intoned, “I’ve looked around enough to know that you are the one I want to journey through time with.” Though…
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Do you have faith in Jesus? Then serve!
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time; September 22, 2024 Wis 2:12,17-20. Ps 54. Jas 3:16-4:3. Mk 9:30-37 Deacon Jim McFadden Sometimes during the public ministry of Jesus, the Apostles come across as clueless. The Gospel account from Mark begins with the Second Prediction of the Passion in which Jesus teaches and tells his disciples that…
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The Messiah: The Things of God
24th Sunday in O.T. (B); September 15, 2024 Is 50:5-9a. Ps 116. Jas 2:14-18. Mk 8:27-35 Deacon Jim McFadden We know this scene well: Jesus is the area of Caesarea Philippi and asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mk 8:27). After the report of the common consensus, he probes further…
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Do We Hear the Word of God?
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); September 8, 2024 Is 35:4-7a. Ps 146. Jas 2:1-5. Mk 7:31-37 Deacon Jim McFadden In this Sunday’s Gospel passage (Mk 7:31-37), we have the episode of the miraculous healing by Jesus of a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. The evangelist Mark begins his narrative…
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Faith that Touches the Heart
22nd Sunday in O.T. (B); August 31-September 1, 2024 Dt. 4:1-2,6-8. Ps 15. Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27. Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Deacon Jim McFadden In the beginning of my teaching career, I worked with a dear colleague, a consecrated religious sister who had a huge sign that went from end of the classroom to…
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“Master, to whom shall we go?
21st Sunday in O.T. (B); August 25, 2024 Jos 24:1-2a,15-17b,18b. Ps 34. Eph 5:21-32. Jn 6:60-69 Deacon Jim McFadden Today, we bring to closure our extraordinary Eucharistic discourse, which has been our focus for the last several weeks as we’ve pondered the precious revelation of the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. Previously, Jesus had…
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The Incarnation and The Eucharist
20th Sunday of O.T. (B); August 18, 2024 Prv 9:1-6 Ps 34 Eph 5:15-20 Jn 6:51-58 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s Gospel (Jn 6:51-58) is in many ways the climax of the discourse given by Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum after he had fed thousands of people with the five loaves and two fishes the…
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Encounter and Transformation
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B); August 11, 2024 1 Kgs 19:4-8. Ps 34. Eph 4:30-5:2. Jn 6:41-51 Deacon Jim McFadden God is always present, always available which we’re reminded in Deuteronomy 4: “For what great nation is there that has gods to close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us…
homilies
the other guy
Pentecost Sunday (A); May 24, 2026 Acts 2:1-11. Ps 104. 1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13. Jn 20:19-23 Deacon Jim McFadden When I was a boy in the very distant past, the 3rd Person of the Trinity was referred to as the…
our faith is increased by the Lord’s Ascension
Ascension of the Lord (A); May 17, 2026 Acts 1:1-11 Ps47 Eph 1:7-23 Mt 28:16-20 Deacon Jim McFadden For the last two Sundays, we reflected upon Jesus Farewell Discourse which was his last will and testament; there, the nucleus of…
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