To Give Thanks is a Gift
Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 23, 2023 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 While we celebrate this national holiday of Thanksgiving just once a year, we should each have an attitude of gratitude every day of the year, even when the circumstances of our lives may be incredibly...
Keeping Our Oil Flasks Filled
A Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, November 12, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass Wisdom 6:12-16; Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 Audio Recording Our Gospel today emphasizes that we are wise when we spend our time in preparation for our death, for the Second Coming of Christ, and for the wedding feast of heaven. We are warned...
The Grace of Final Purification: Purgatory
A Homily for The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) Thursday, November 2, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40 Yesterday’s Solemnity of All Saints, one of the most glorious solemnities within the Church, gave us an opportunity to celebrate and rejoice in the fact that there are countless people who have...
God’s Holy Fire
A Homily for Thursday in the Twenty Nineth Week in Ordinary Time Thursday, October 26, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Communion Service Romans 6:19-23; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Luke 12:49-53 I’d like to share with you today a reflection from one of my favorite sources of daily reflections on the Gospel. The website is called “My Catholic Life!” It’s chock full of inspirational materials, prayers,...
Do You Serve Sin or Righteousness?
A Homily for Wednesday in the Twenty Nineth Week in Ordinary Time Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Communion Service Romans 6:12-18; Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8; Luke 12:39-48 Let’s take a look at today’s first reading. Paul is painting a black-or-white picture of the human situation: either one lives in service to sin and remains in spiritual bondage, or one lives in obedience...
Faith and Works
A Homily for Thursday in the Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Thursday, October 19, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Romans 3:21-30; Psalm 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab; Luke 11:47-54 Protestants and Catholics have long butted heads over the meaning of Paul’s teaching in these verses in today’s first reading. Luther and his followers, on the basis of Rom 3:28, (For we consider that a person is...
The Most Holy Trinity
This is the presentation I used to teach the Holy Ghost RCIA class about the Trinity last night. Click the slide below to download the PDF of my Keynote presentation. My last slide is a light-hearted summary video from Catholic Central on YouTube, embedded below.
Don’t Be Anxious
A Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, October 8, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43 Audio Recording While many preachers today will be sharing their reflections on the parable of the vineyard found in today’s Gospel reading, I’d like to reflect on the 2nd reading from the Letter of...
Praying for the Election of a Bishop
A Homily for the Election of a Bishop Sunday, September 10, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Isaiah 61:1-3a; Psalm 89:4-5, 21-22, 25 and 271; Ephesians 4:11-16; John 15:9-17 Audio Recording Today’s Mass is a special Mass offered for the Election of a Bishop, specifically a Bishop for the Diocese of Knoxville. You have just heard the special readings for this Mass proclaimed; readings...
Wedding Homily for Cameron and Tara
I was blessed to assist at the wedding of Cameron and Tara today and to preach the homily. They are a lovely couple and it was truly a privilege. Audio Recording Readings: Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 128; Ephesians 5:2a, 21-33; Mark 10:6-9 Good afternoon. It's so good for us all to be here together today to celebrate Cameron and Tara being joined together in Holy Matrimony, one of the seven...
The Importance of Daily Prayer
A Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, August 13, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a; Psalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33 Audio Recording Today's Gospel reading takes place immediately following what we refer to as the Feeding of the Five Thousand, that incredible miracle where Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish to...
Saint Lawrence: Role Model for Selflessness
A Homily for Thursday in the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Feast of St. Lawrence Thursday, August 10, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9; John 12:24-26 Audio Recording Welcome to our Chesterton Academy students, parents and faculty! It’s good to have you here with us today to celebrate this holy sacrifice of the Mass. In today's Gospel...
Do Catholics Have a “Personal Relationship” with Jesus?
A Homily for Thursday in the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Thursday, July 28, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b; Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; Matthew 13:10-17 Audio Recording Imagine what it would have been like if you were among those who saw Jesus walk the earth and heard Him preach with your own ears. What a gift! Jesus points out to His closest disciples...
Three Keys for Living Our Christian Faith Well
A Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, July 9, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30 Audio Recording Today’s gospel reading gives us three important keys of our faith to reflect upon and put into practice. The first is that God hides the deepest truths from the wise - or we might say...
The Holy Trinity is Revealed as Love
A Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday, June 4, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18 Audio Recording Today is Trinity Sunday, the day when Mother Church asks us to contemplate what is perhaps the most difficult idea of our faith. My hope is that I will be able to help us all connect...
The Hidden Christ
A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter Sunday, April 23, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35 Audio Recording In today’s gospel, after his resurrection, Jesus joins two of his disciples on the road as they make the long seven mile walk from Jerusalem to their home village of Emmaus. When Jesus asks them what...
Nefarious Movie
Recently I've been inspired to learn more about the reality of spiritual warfare and particularly about the nature of exorcisms. One of my new favorite podcasts, "U.S. Grace Force", featured Fr. Carlos Martins in January, where I learned about his podcast called "The Exorcist Files." In this podcast Fr. Martins re-enacts and discusses many of the real case files from exorcisms he has been...
Spiritual Blindness
A Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Lent Sunday, March 19, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Psalm 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Ephesians Eph 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 Audio Recording Today’s gospel is a long one, isn’t it? There’s a lot going on here. It’s MUCH MORE than a story of a PHYSICAL MIRACLE of Jesus giving a blind man his sight. It’s about how all of us need to...
Indulgences
Indulgences are one of the most misunderstood and controversial teachings of the Church, but they are also a great gift of God's mercy and grace. The Church came under fire in the early 1500's for its abuse and selling of indulgences. This was one of the major issues Martin Luther had with the Church, which he described in his Ninety-five Theses, considered to be a primary impetus of the...
Forgiveness
Homily for Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent, Cycle A Tuesday, March 14, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Daniel 3:25, 34-43; Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9; Matthew 18:21-35 Audio Recording In today’s gospel Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus gives a short answer, telling a parable to make sure his answer is understood. In the parable God is the king,...
Being Holy and Perfect
A Homily for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday,February 19, 2023 Holy Ghost Church – 10:00 Mass Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48 Audio Recording Video Recording Can you believe that Lent begins this Wednesday?! That’s right, Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of this annual season of repentance and...