Tagged: Gospel of Mark

Rembrandt - Christ Calming Storm

Homily

The Message of the Sea – Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I love a good historical novel about ships and sailing, especially stories set in the Napoleonic era, when England and France battled on the high seas. But, though my mom and dad were both in the Navy, I’m not much of a sailor myself. The first and only time I sailed on the ocean was twenty-five years ago, when Brenda and I took the ferry from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia, on our honeymoon. For a short period of time—only about 15 or 20 minutes— land was out...

Cloud Computing

Homily

Into the Cloud: Homily for the Ascension

On this Solemnity of the Ascension, the Scriptures describe Jesus as being lifted up into the cloud. We hear a lot about “the cloud” these days. We can put our documents in the cloud. Or we can keep our pictures in the cloud. We can even put our music and books in the cloud. It’s really convenient having our music or all of our books at our fingertips. But for many of us, switching to the cloud can be a difficult transition. We’ve probably got file cabinets full...

Luke Skywalker on Tatooine

Homily

On Lent and Avoiding the Star Wars Effect – Homily for the First Sunday of Lent 2015

Every year on the First Sunday of Lent, the gospel takes us into the desert where Jesus was tested for forty days. And we follow Jesus into the desert for these forty days of Lent so that our hearts can be transformed, so that we can be ready to enter fully into the Mystery of Easter. This means being careful of the Star Wars Effect. When the original Star Wars movie came out in 1977, every kid my age wanted to see it. It was the first movie...

Nasrudin's Donkey

Homily

Donkeys and Moonwalking Bears: Homily for the First Sunday of Advent – Year B 2014

There’s a video that’s been online for about five years now, that I like to show to my students. It starts in a big parking garage with two street basketball teams, one wearing white t-shirts and sweats, the other wearing black. As they stand there in one line, each team with its own basketball, the announcer’s voice begins, “This is an Awareness Test.” “How many passes does the team in white make?” A voice yells, “GO!” and suddenly the teams start running around, weaving in and out, passing...

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...

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...