Category: Homily

Jesus and Twitter

Homily

Is Jesus Part of Our Social Network? – Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

Our youngest daughter is playing in her very first Hoopfest this weekend, so I went online to find out when she was playing and what bracket she was in, and I noticed there was a place where you could follow particular teams. You register with your email address, type in the name of the team, click the follow button, and you’ll get updates about how well the team is doing in the tournament. Technology has made following other people very easy but it might also cause a bit...

Kissing Jesus' Feet

Homily

Do You See This Woman? Homily for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

First let me wish a happy Father’s Day to all the dads here today; we remember in our prayers those fathers who are deployed overseas, and we also remember and pray for the souls of those fathers who have passed away, especially in the last year. For those that are here, I hope that you and your families have a great weekend and really get to celebrate. That’s one thing that St. Peter Parish is really good at–celebrating. Just a few days ago, an amazing team of parishioners,...

We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

Homily

We Didn’t Start the Fire: Homily for Pentecost Sunday

[Note: I gave this homily about five years ago but didn’t realize I hadn’t posted it to my blog until a friend brought it up in a conversation today after Mass. When I went to find it I realized it was missing and decided to finally post it.] On this Solemnity of Pentecost the red vestments are reminiscent of the fire that descended on the disciples. We see this color more and more in our own lives as the weather heats up and the fire season begins. Last...

The Voice Logo

Homily / Music

The Voice – Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – Year C

Some of you might be familiar with a reality TV show called The Voice that’s been on for a few seasons. Contestants come on stage one at a time and sing to three [actually four] judges whose backs are turned. Based solely on the sound quality of the singing voices and their potential, the judges try to choose the most promising contestants to continue on in the competition. There’s something compelling about a distinctive voice. The music industry is filled with great voices from many different genres and...

Glory Days

Homily

Glory Days – Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent – Year C

Some of you may know a Bruce Springsteen song from 1984 called “Glory Days.” In the song, Springsteen sings about a group of middle-aged friends sitting at a local bar longing for “the good ol’ days,” the glory days. The days when you could blow a fastball by a hitter. The days when all the boys’ heads would turn when you walked by. The glory days. You can imagine these friends sitting together drinking, maybe unhappy with the way their lives have turned out, frustrated at unfulfilled dreams,...

Disneyland Castle

Friends / Homily

Of Kingdoms and Happy Places – A Funeral Homily

Today I gave my first funeral homily. I never expected it would be for someone so close. To my colleague and friend, Mary Feezell. Readings: Wisdom 3:1-6 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Mark 10:13-16 Some people call it “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Others call it “The Magic Kingdom.” Anyone who knew Mary, or who looked at the memory table as we walked in, knows that Mary loved Disneyland. If Mary wasn’t telling you about the trip she just took to Disneyland, she was telling you about the next trip...

Jean Valjean

Books and Reading / Homily / Movies / Spirituality

Les Misérables and the Transfiguration: Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent

The Academy Awards are this weekend, and normally they don’t hold much interest for me, but this year I’m pleased to say that one of my old friends is nominated for a major award. I’ve been teaching the novel Les Misérables for almost twenty years and it has become a steady companion to me each Lent as the eighth graders and I read it at this time every year. The latest movie of the novel is a film version of the Broadway musical starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway,...

Ceramic Squirrels

Homily

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

I wonder how many of us have hidden in the back corner of the storage closet somewhere, a collection of wedding gifts that didn’t quite match our personalities. The set of ceramic squirrels, that yogurt maker, the 3D picture of horses? We welcomed the gifts graciously, and then promptly put them away. Maybe we bring them out when the people who gave them to us comes to visit, but then they goes back in the closet and continue to collect dust. In the gospel today, the young newlyweds...

Family / Homily

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family – Year C 2012

Today is the feast of the Holy Family, and as we look at the gospel reading today we might be reminded of another story, a similar story, a more modern story. A story of a family taking a long trip during the holiday season who suddenly realize they’ve left their young son home alone. I’m speaking of course of the 1990 John Hughes movie Home Alone, where young Kevin McAllister is sick of being bullied by his older brothers and sisters, tired of being ignored by his parents,...

nativity scene

Homily

Homily for the Christmas Vigil Mass for Children – Year C 2012

God Is With Us! Quite a few firsts in this homily: first homily without a full text in front of me first time preaching at a liturgy for children first Christmas homily first time using the lapel microphone first homily away from the ambo and walking around http://traffic.libsyn.com/stpeter/SP-2012-12-24a.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Advent Wreath

Homily

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent – Year C 2012

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry? Last weekend Brenda and I took the girls out to do some Christmas shopping and we ended up at a local sporting goods store looking at boots, hats and gloves. And as we made our way up the stairs to the second floor we saw a young boy, probably five or six years old, trying to hide behind the winter coats. He had obviously had enough of Christmas cheer, and was ready to go home. And his mom looked to...

The Road Ahead

Homily

Homily for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B

Driving lessons and the end of the world Today’s readings speak to us of the end of the world and of the signs that it is near. As we watch the news after hearing these readings proclaimed, we might begin to think that these are the days Jesus was referring to when he talked about the tribulation. The east coast is recovering from Hurricane Sandy, the Middle East is struggling to keep peace, other parts of the world are dealing with the aftermath of earthquakes. I have to...