My homiletic preparation has been influenced by Pope Francis. I prayerfully prepare the homily under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who is the Doer and I am the instrument. In so doing, I focus on one major theme, which guards against wandering and freely associating. The spotlight is on the Lord, not on me the homilist. In terms of length, the sweet spot seems to be 8 minutes, no more than ten. Preaching is a lot like drilling for oil: if you haven’t struck oil at 8 minutes, stop drilling! Finally, I try to address the “so what” factor: i.e., given what has been
preached regarding the Lectionary readings, especially the Gospel, now what? A good faith-filled homily must inspire the assembly to action; otherwise, it’s just a lecture.
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…
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,…
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 to fulfillment in the Messiah. All the fragments of history are gathered together in him. …
god always astonishes
3rd Sunday of Advent (A); December 14, 2025 Is 35:1-6a,10. Ps 146. Js 7:5-10. Mt 11:2-11 Deacon Jim McFadden Our Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Advent is taken from the 11th chapter of Matthew, where we’re moving right in to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which occurs in the middle of Matthew’s Gospel. …
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…
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…
“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…
Jesus, lord of our lives
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe; 11-23-2025 2 Sm 5:1-3. Ps 122. Col 1:12-20. Lk 23:35-43 Deacon Jim McFadden Today we come to the end of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel from Luke presents the kingship of Jesus as the culmination of…
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…
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…
waiting for the lord
All Souls Day; November 2, 2025 Wis 3:1-9. Ps 23. Rom 5:5-11 Jn 6:37-40 Deacon Jim McFadden The Psalmist has a beautiful refrain when he writes, “I wait with longing for the Lord, my soul waits for his word. My soul looks for the Lord more than sentinels for daybreak” (Ps 130:5-6). When you…
“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…
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…
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…
waiting in the silence
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); October 5, 2025 Hb 1:2-3; 2:3-4. Ps 95. 2 Tm 1:6-8,13-14. Lk 17:5-10 Deacon Jim McFadden The prophetHabakkuk is having a really bad day. His life and that of is historical situation is falling apart with political intrigue, rampant idolatry that once again had engulfed the small kingdom…
Who is on your doorstep?
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); September 28, 2025 Am 6:1a,4-7. Ps 146. 1 Tm 6:11-16. Lk 16:19-31 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s Responsorial Psalm reminds us that God, “the maker of heaven and earth,” upholds the anawim, Old Testament code for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan—the most marginalized in a kinfolk society. …
what’s your plan?
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); September 21, 2025 Am 8:4-7. Ps 113. 1 Tm 2:1-8. Lk 16:1-13 Deacon Jim McFadden The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel is about a shrewd, dishonest steward, who was charged to watch after his master’s goods, but instead ripped him off by squandering his property. He is about…
why did the father permit the crucifixion?
The Exaltation of the Cross; September 14, 2025 Nm 21:4b-9. Ps 78. Phil 2:6-11. Jn 3:131-7 Deacon Jim McFadden In 1988 there was a beautifully crafted drama film about twin brothers, Dominick and Eugene. Dominick played by Tom Hulce just off his sterling performance in Amadeus, has an intellectual disability due to an accident…
A slap in the face
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); Sept. 7, 2025 Wis 9:13-18b. Ps 90. Phlm 9:10,12-17. Lk 14:25-33 Deacon Jim McFadden This Sunday’s Gospel from Luke is really hard to take. Jesus—the one we associate with love fully incarnate—is telling the crowd, is telling us, that we must hate people. Not just anyone, but our…
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