Homilies

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 28, 2025

Here is an interesting clue to get to the message Jesus sends us today in this familiar story (Luke 16:19-31): he doesn’t mention a single good deed done by Lazarus in his whole life to deserve to go to heaven. Nor does he mention anything very bad done by the rich man, who was feasting every day, to wind up in hell.  The first thing that jumps right out at us is the fact that Jesus is addressing the “Pharisees” among us. (Luke 16: 19)  The Pharisees were notorious for two things: their love of money (Luke 16:14) as a sign of God’s approval of their good

Homilies

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 21, 2025

Perhaps the biggest risk we run is settling into a day-to-day rut, cruising along without anxiety about our eternal salvation.  Thankfully, Jesus jolts us with this eyebrow-raising parable (Luke 16:1-13)   Before getting into the specifics, let me add to that spiritual jolt by repeating what the Lord God swears by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done! (Amos 8:7)  God reserves the brunt of his divine wrath for those who take advantage of his darlings, the poor.  He will deal in a stunning, merciless way with t

Homilies

Homily for The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 2025

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.    It must be the biggest oxymoron of all ages: the slapping together of two ideas that clash because they are the opposite of each other.  The two words that our Catholic Church slaps together are “exaltation” and “cross.”   Maybe some of us don’t see the problem yet: it must be because we got so used to the sight of crosses and crucifixes everywhere.   To get the full impact of this oxymoron, let one try to say: “exaltation of the guillotine” or the “exaltation of the gallows or even

Homilies

Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 7, 2025

What must interest us directly is to see why, in this eucharistic gathering, the Lord Jesus brings up once again the harsh conditions for being his disciples of the 21st century. (Luke 14:25-33)  We ought to keep in mind that our Lord is still on “his way to Jerusalem.”   Thankfully, the real number of those who come after Jesus carrying their cross is large, even though their climb of mount Calvary goes mostly unnoticed to the eyes of this distracted and self-absorbed world.  However, nowadays too, the setting includes great crowds travelin

Homilies

Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 31, 2025

We must keep in mind that the original setting depicts an itinerant rabbi by the name of Jesus, who is invited to a formal dinner into the house of a prominent and influential Pharisee to honor him as equal and as equal to the other invited guests.  What ensues, instead, is something so appalling that it goes a long way in explaining why Jesus had to be eliminated from the religious and political scene of that time.  Jesus acts in an extremely rude and uncalled-for way, even by the standards of our much more tolerant western society that loves casual and

Homilies

Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 24, 2025

Today, too, we are facing the uniqueness of the Gospel: some pages are extremely comforting, other very challenging, unsettling, even scary.   Here are two unsettling samples: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. Lk 13:24  Then, he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' Lk 13:27  After realizing the seriousness of these two statements, as believers, we should all say: let us accept the challenge; let the unsettling

Homilies

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 17, 2025

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. (Matthew 11:29) Contrast it with the opening statement of today’s gospel: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Luke 12:49)  Or take “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) And contrast it with this statement also from today’s gospel: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

Homilies

Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 10, 2025

By the time his gospel was available, Luke was writing to the grandchildren of those who physically saw Jesus.    The enthusiasm and the expectation of their grandfathers and fathers must have faded away, replaced by lukewarm piety, resignation, aloofness, and a matter-of-fact attitude, which covered all areas of their life.  Thus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Luke set out to rekindle in them the original faith and trust of their forefathers.  In his gospel, Luke pointed out repeatedly that Jesus came to serve and to give his life in ranso

Homilies

Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 3, 2025

Apparently, this misguided man, who asked Jesus’ assistance as an impartial judge (Luke 12:13-21), had been living anxious years sustained doggedly by the conviction that a favorable share of the inheritance would have solved most of his problems, and made him happy and care-free.  However, with a terse warning Jesus exposes the fallacy of such a belief.    Even a fair arbitration would have deepened the rift which the prospect of money had already created between him and his brother.  He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as y

Homilies

Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 27, 2025

One morning, the disciples must have gotten up earlier than usual and observed Jesus from a distance while he had been in intimate conversation with the Father.  That sight must have been more magnificent and more awe-striking than any sight they had ever seen.  Unable to contain their wonderment, they eagerly asked him: “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)  Incredible as it sounds, due to our inability to pray, we have a lot to learn about prayer: In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness