A New Heaven and a New Earth
Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday, May 15, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a, 34-35 Audio Recording Today I’m going to speak to you about my two most favorite topics: GOD’S LOVE and HEAVEN. In our gospel, Jesus tells the disciples during the Last Supper that he will be leaving them in a little while. He has some...
The Christian Family: Tips for Growing in Holiness
My talk at the KDCCW convention on Thursday April 28, 2022: Download a PDF of my talk here Here's an excellent resource on praying as a family from the Dominican Sisters in Nashville. I discovered this book after giving my talk.
Which One Are You?
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Sunday, April 10, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14—23:56 Video Recording Audio Recording Dear friends in Christ, after hearing today’s readings, think about where you see YOURSELF in them. Who do you identify with? Are you a member of the crowd who cheered...
Jesus is God
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Thursday, April 7, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; John 8:51-59 As we reflect on today’s gospel, we may wish to consider this question…who is Jesus and what does this mean for us? The last straw for the Jews in this encounter with Jesus is that he not only claimed to know Abraham personally, but that he took for...
The Prodigal Son: Repentance and Forgiveness
Fourth Sunday in Lent Sunday, March 27, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Audio Recording In this season of Lent the Church emphasizes our need for repentance and forgiveness in its selection of readings. Today, Jesus shocks those gathered around him listening to this parable. They were tax collectors,...
“Share Our Joy!” Campaign
Over the past several years I've come to know Cardinal Justin Rigali as an advisor of sort for the use of his iPhone and iPad. I've also had the privilege of assisting him in the conversion of the audio recordings of hundreds of his homilies over the years, migrating them from cassette tape to mp3 files. We've published some of them on his podcast channel and on his Facebook page. I...
A.S.K. and It Will Be Given to You
Thursday of the First Week in Lent Thursday, March 10, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8; Matthew 7:7-12 Audio recording How often have we heard today’s Gospel passage and said to ourselves, “God didn’t give me what I asked for. He did not answer my prayer for (fill in the blank).” When we are discouraged in this way, remember that...
We are Forgiven AS we Forgive Others
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, February 20, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38 Audio / Video Love Your Enemies We know that God is just, and that final judgment is coming for each person. As St. Paul put it: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,...
Father / Daughter Dance 2022
Every year Knights of Columbus Council 5207 at the Cathedral puts on a father/daughter dance on or around Valentine's Day. My wife Christine (Volunteer Balloons) prepares a nice photo backdrop and I shoot the photos of Dad and his lovely daughter(s). Here's the link to this year's photo shoot, hosted on Google Photos. You are free to download and use any or all of these images for non-commercial...
Christ’s Healing Touch
Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time Thursday, January 20, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13; Mark 3:7-12 Audio recording The Gospel today gives us a glimpse into the life of Christ, into his fame, which was spreading everywhere. The people of all these small towns had to come to know of Christ little by little, and had only a...
To Jesus Through Mary
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday, January 16, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 Audio Recording The Wedding at Cana In today’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah tells us how much God the Father delights in us, members of his Church, members of the body of his only begotten Son. He compares us to a precious...
We Are Called to Love
Wednesday after Epiphany Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 John 4:11-18; Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; Mark 6:45-52 Audio recording Today’s first reading speaks to us of the most important characteristic of a Christian person, the characteristic of love. There is so much to unpack here, much more than we have time for now. I’d like to encourage you to spend some time...
Love of the World
Thursday, The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas Thursday, December 29, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10; Luke 2:36-40 In today’s first reading, John encourages us to be strong in our faith. He reminds us that our sins have been forgiven and to remember that the word of God is within us and, as a result, we have truly conquered the evil one. After...
Ready for Christmas?
Fourth Sunday of Advent Sunday, December 19, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses Micah 5:1-4a; Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 Here we are at the Fourth Sunday of Advent with Christmas less than a week away. How well have we used this Advent season to prepare for Christmas? Has this time been business as usual for us, or have we slowed down to reflect on...
Jesus: Born to Die to Rescue Us From Death
Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Thursday, December 16, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Isaiah 54:1-10; Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b; Luke 7:24-30 Audio Recording Today’s first reading contains Isaiah’s prophesy, some 700 years before the coming of the Messiah, that God would not forget his bride, the people of Israel, who endured testing and exile because of their...
Doing the Father’s Will
Thursday of the First Week of Advent Thursday, December 2, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Audio Recording Without getting into the theological weeds about what is necessary for one to enter heaven, there are essentially four things necessary for us to be CERTAIN of our salvation. This is contrary to the teaching of...
Advent: Time for a Wake-Up Call
First Sunday of Advent Sunday, November 28 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Audio Recording Happy New Year! Advent begins today, the time when the Church celebrates the beginning of our new liturgical year. Advent is a season of hope, anticipation, and preparation for the coming of Our Lord. It...
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 25, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Sirach 50:22-24; Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19 Audio Recording The poor lepers in today’s gospel were forced to live in isolation from their fellow men. They also suffered the misery of the skin disease itself. In addition to their emotional and physical suffering, nine of...
Redemptive Suffering and Service
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, October 17, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45 Today’s gospel reading sheds light on the great value of suffering and service. Jesus asks James and John, who want the positions of honor in his coming kingdom, if they are willing to drink the cup he drinks and be...
Persistent Prayer and The Rosary
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary Thursday, October 7, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Malachi 3:13-20b; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Luke 11:5-13 Whenever the Jewish rabbis repeated one concept three times with three different words, it was a sign of EXTREME EMPHASIS. This is what Jesus does in today’s gospel. He uses TWO parables – the sleeping friend and the fish/egg vs. snake/scorpion – to...
Whose Wisdom Do You Choose?
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, September 19, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalm 54:3-4, 5,6 and 8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37 Audio Recording In today’s second reading, James presents two types of wisdom. The wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. Then he describes the results of each type. First James speaks about the wisdom from below, which...