Prepare!
A Homily for the First Sunday of Advent Sunday, November 27, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 Audio Recording Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the first Sunday of a new liturgical year for the Church. A time of new beginnings as we turn our attention to the coming of our Lord and...
The Kingdom of God: Already, But Not Yet
Homily for Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Thursday, November 10, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Philemon 7-20; Psalm 146:7, 8-9A, 9BC-10; Luke 17:20-25 When will the Kingdom of God come? Today’s question by the Pharisees to Jesus. And what is his answer? Already, but not yet. He tells them that “The Kingdom of God is among you” Isn’t this amazing! The...
Mass with Cirque Italia
Homily for Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Friday, November 4, 2022 Cirque Italia Mass under the Big Top at Westtown Mall in Knoxville Philippians 3:17—4:1; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5; Luke 16:1-8 I was able to arrange a Mass for some of the faithful of the Cirque Italia circus family, celebrated as a bi-lingual Mass by Fr. Pete Iorio of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Alcoa....
The Fire of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Homily for Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Thursday, October 20, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Ephesians 3:14-21; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19; Luke 12:49-53 Audio Recording What is the fire Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel? The fire he brought to the earth and desires to see blazing? It is the fire of charity that burns for us and for all of God’s creation...
Praise God, Always and Everywhere!
Homily for Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Thursday, October 13, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Ephesians 1:1-10; Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6; Luke 11:47-54 Audio Recording Today's homily is based on our first reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. Today's Psalm also speaks to the importance of praising God. Here is the text of the first reading...
Christian Gratitude
A Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Sunday, October 9, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass 2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19 Audio Recording Today our readings are calling us to reflect on something that is critical for our spiritual wellness and growth - the virtue of GRATITUDE. In ancient Israel, nothing was more pitiable...
Wedding Homily
I had the privilege of presiding at a wedding on Saturday. Here's my homily: Good afternoon. It’s so good for us all to be here together today to celebrate Robert and Tess being joined together in Holy Matrimony, one of the seven sacraments of the Church. A sacrament is simply a visible sign of an invisible reality, a special grace God will give them to strengthen and bless their lives together...
Our Unimaginable Christian Identity
A Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Sunday, September 18, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13 Audio Recording I believe an important lesson from today’s Gospel reading is that Jesus is always telling us, not just HOW we should behave, but WHO we are. He is communicating our true IDENTITY in...
Illogical? Possibly. Pointless? Think Again!
Homily for Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Thursday, September 1, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 Corinthians 3:18-23; Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6; Luke 5:1-11 Audio Recording Have any of you watched The Chosen? This is a video series about the lives of the apostles, the Pharisees and others living at this time that imagines how their daily lives might have been...
The Rescue Project
A year ago I read an amazing book at the recommendation of my beloved wife Christine. I was on my way to Franciscan University for a week-long retreat with 125 priests, deacons and seminarians. I listened to the audio book, Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel, narrated by its author Fr. John Riccardo, founder of the Acts XXIX apostolate. The book was life-changing for me...
Detachment and Generosity
A Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Sunday, July 31, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21 Audio Recording Over 20 years ago my wife, Christine, and I left the corporate world to start our own business. This business was one that required a great deal of travel. So...
Reserving Judgement: We Are All a Work in Progress
Homily for Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Thursday, July 28, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 146:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6AB; Matthew 13:47-53 In today’s gospel reading Jesus speaks of the final judgement in a parable. As fishermen, many who first heard these words of Jesus were very familiar with the scenario he described. In their daily work, the...
Building a Post-Roe America
The following was shared with me by my Spiritual Director, a holy priest in the Diocese of Knoxville. An excellent overview with links to resources to help faithful Christians understand and articulate the importance of the Supreme Court's ruling in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization case. Wednesday, 22 June, 2022, was the feast day of Saint Thomas More (+1535), the patron...
The Healing Power of the Eucharist
Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday, June 19, 2022 - Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17 Audio Recording Happy Father’s Day! Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi. It is the feast day in which...
Christian Love and Unity
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Lent Thursday, June 2, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; John 17:20-26 Audio Recording In today’s Gospel we hear the very last words of Jesus recorded by John before his passion begins in the Garden of Gethsemane. This high priestly prayer is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus found in the Gospel...
Stubborn Attitudes as a Stumbling Block
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Thursday, May 19, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Acts 15:7-21; Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10; John 15:9-11 Audio Recording Christ’s love for Christians is a reflection of the love the Three Divine Persons have for one another and for all men: “We love, because He first loved us”. The certainty that God loves us is the source of Christian joy, but it...
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,...