Homilies For This Week
Homily Archive
Sunday of
Week 18 in Ordinary TimeMt. 17:1-9
Sometimes we think of saints as super-human, near-perfect, people. But were they really like that? They were special people, certainly, but human nonetheless and heirs, therefore, to the same...
Our God Is A Gentle God
Year A
Sunday of
Week 19 in Ordinary Time1 Kings 19: 9. 11-13
Today's reading from the First Book of Kings presents us with the prophet Elijah who, like us, learnt from personal experience that life sometimes can be difficult and discouraging. Anyone who has...
Sunday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeMt. 15:21-28
Jesus had gone to the district of Trye and Sidon because He was tired and wanted, for a little while, to escape the pressing demands of His ministry. Saint Mark’s account of this event says, “He...
Keeping Commandments Is Not Enough
Cycle II
Monday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeJudges 2:11-19 & Mt. 19:16-22
Of all the peoples in the world God chose the Israelites and set them apart to be His very own nation. How could they ever be so ungrateful to turn away from Him and worship alien gods? Their...
How Foolish It Is To Play God
Cycle II
Tuesday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeEz. 28:1-10 & Mt. 19:23-30
The greatest sin is to try to make yourself God. This is what the ruler of Tyre did. He did not worship the Creator of Heaven and Earth - but himself! Having amassed piles of gold and silver he felt...
Lessons For Anyone In Authority
Cycle II
Wednesday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeEz. 34:1-11 & Mt. 20:1-16
Ezekiel heavily criticizes the leaders of Israel. He compares them to bad shepherds who are cruel to their sheep. They abuse their authority, by only taking care of themselves, ignoring the plea of...
Thursday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeEz. 36:23-38 & Mt. 22:1-14
The people of Israel went into exile because they defiled the Promised Land by their sinful deed - they broke the covenant with Yahweh and worshipped idols. God decided to take the initiative,...
Do We Think Of God As A Friend?
Cycle II
Friday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeEz. 37:1-14 & Mt. 22:34-40
The remarkable vision of the dry bones recorded by Ezekiel took place in Babylon where the conquered Israelites were in exile. The people felt that their nation was as good as dead, like the bones of...
Saturday of
Week 20 in Ordinary TimeEz. 43:l-7 & Mt. 23:1-12
The Jews were living in exile. They felt that they were a people very near extinction. But Ezekiel promised that God would restore them to their homeland and their temple. He used the image of...
Are You Proud Of Your Church?
Cycle II
Monday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time2 Thess. 1:1-5, 11-12 & Mt. 23:13-22
We hear people brag about how well their children are doing at school, how much they enjoy driving their sports car, how beautiful is their garden and how wonderful are their holidays. There is...
Tuesday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time2 Thess. 2:1-3 & Mt. 23:23-26
Problems in their church prompted St Paul to write his second letter to the Thessalonians. Many members of it were preoccupied with the second coming of Jesus and certain self-styled experts in...
Be Not Like The Pharisees
Cycle I
Wednesday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time2 Thess. 3:6-10, 16-18 & Mt. 23:27-32
Some of the Thessalonians were so convinced that Jesus would come very soon that they gave up working. They thought if Jesus' second coming is imminent what was the point of ploughing, sowing and...
Thursday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 1:1-9 & Mt. 24:42-51
In the port of Corinth, which was known as 'Sin City' around 50 AD, St Paul founded a Christian community. He admitted that he approached his work with trepidation because of the city's moral...
Friday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 1-17-25 & Mt. 25:1-13
The city of Corinth was a cosmopolitan centre in the first century, similar to places like today’s London or New York. There was some influence of Greek philosophy but the people were worldly wise...
Are We Using Our Talents For God?
Cycle II
Saturday of
Week 21 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 1:26-31 & Mt. 25:14-3
In a first class hotel the prime table goes to those people who give the head waiter a handsome tip. That is not God's way. In an expensive department store the person who is smartly dressed, and who...
Monday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 2:1-5 & Lk. 4:16-30
In his preaching Saint Paul did not resort to the philosophical rhetoric of his day. He was but a tent maker who spoke a simple message relying on the power of the Spirit, not human ingenuity. The...
Tuesday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 2:10-16 & Lk. 4:31-37
In how many different languages is Mass said around the world every day? And what language does God use when He speaks to us as individuals? It is not any human language, in fact, for He speaks to us...
Wednesday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 3:1-9 & Lk. 4:38-48
The fact that factions had developed among the Christians of Corinth made Saint Paul very unhappy. One reason for the division was their attachment to the human ministers of the Gospel whether to...
God Knows Better Than We Do
Cycle II
Thursday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 3:18-23 & Lk. 5:1-11
Each of us can sympathise with Peter in today’s Gospel reading. He was a professional fisherman who knew the waters of the lake and the suitable times for fishing. But having done everything right...
Friday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 4:1-6 & Lk. 5:33-39
Our modern world lays great importance on status and titles but Saint Paul showed himself to be a true follower of Jesus - by his lack of concern for how others viewed him. How he wanted to be known...
To God Be The Glory
Cycle II
Saturday of
Week 22 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 4:6-15 & Lk 6:1-5
It was natural for Saint Paul to take an interest in the Church at Corinth for the Christians there were his converts. He had spent some time with them, teaching them all that he himself had learnt...
Monday of
Week 23 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 5:1-8 & Lk. 6:6-11
Immoral behaviour was condemned by Saint Paul in very harsh language. He had learnt that a member of the Church was openly living with his stepmother, an incestuous relationship forbidden even in...
Tuesday of
Week 23 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 6:1-11 & Lk. 5:12-19
A difficulty among his Corinthian converts is dealt with by Saint Paul in today's First Reading. He is not at all happy to witness Christians having recourse to the civil authorities. Such matters...
Are We Living For The Future?
Cycle II
Wednesday of
Week 23 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 7:25-31& Lk. 6:20-26
The portion of Saint Paul's letter to the Christians at Corinth which is in today's liturgy makes very strange reading. From this some people have gained the impression that he had little time for...
Love Solves All Problems
Cycle II
Thursday of
Week 23 in Ordinary Time1 Cor. 8:1-7, 11-13 & Lk. 6:27-38
The first century Church at Corinth was struggling to establish itself in a predominantly pagan environment. Animals were sacrificed to pagan gods, and afterwards the meat was consumed at temple...
