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Cycle C - 2009-10 |
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Click here for Special Events talks |
Quotes from the homily |
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“Live in Christ Through Forgiveness” |
An aboriginal legend sets the tone for our reflection on the readings today. An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, “Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.” The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?” The Grandfather solemnly said, “The one I feed.” |
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At a Truth and Reconciliation conference in Calgary organized by past Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine, a speaker used the word forgiveness in his presentation. He was accosted after his talk by a rather hostile psychologist who was in the audience. This woman objected emphatically that the speaker should never have used the word forgiveness; that it does not belong in that process, that he was using it only because he was a Christian. ....... |
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“Called To Repent” |
Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote a book on death and dying in which she describes five stages that people go through when they are told that they have a terminal illness. Those five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Strikingly enough, anyone who genuinely repents of a defect of character they are made aware of will probably go through those same stages. |
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“Citizens of Heaven” |
For those who succeed in obtaining Canadian citizenship, it is a joyous occasion. It takes place at Rideau Hall in the presence of the governor general, Michael Jean, and usually makes the CBC National News that night. According to St. Paul, we have even more reason to rejoice, for we are citizens of heaven who must stand fast in Christ and live in hope and love. |
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“Let Go and Let God” |
A woman back from shopping was showing her husband the expensive dress she had purchased. When he asked her why she bought a dress she did not really need, she replied that she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her husband countered with the comment that she should have been like Jesus who told Satan to get behind him. She replied that she did that, and Satan whispered that it looked even better from behind, so she bought it! The readings this first Sunday of Lent invite us to Let Go and Let God. |
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“Ambassadors of Reconciliation” |
When former premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer, retired from provincial politics, he had another more prestigious role waiting for him. He accepted to become the Canadian ambassador to the United States. He moved from being a politician to being a diplomat. It was an upward career move to say the least, one many would envy. According to St. Paul, the rest of the world should envy us, because we are all diplomats, ambassadors of reconciliation. |
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“Beatitude People” |
The young boy travelled far from his home to study under a great teacher. When he met the wise old man, his first question was, “How long will it take me before I am as wise as you?” The response came swiftly, “Five years.” “This is very long time,” the boy replied. “How about if I work twice as hard?” “Then it will take ten,” said the master. “Ten! That's far too long. How about if I studied all day and well into the night, every night?” “Fifteen years,” said the sage “I don’t understand,” replied the boy. “Every time I promise to devote more energy to my goal, you tell me that it will take longer. Why?” “The answer is simple. With one eye fixed on the destination, there is only one left to guide you along the journey.” There is a saying that life is more about the journey than the destination. To become beatitude people we must make the beatitudes our way of life today. |
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“God Is Calling You” |
Scott’s experience fits in here. He was a workaholic too busy for his two sons. He always had excuses, and was hard on his sons. A tough disciplinarian, he tried to raise them the way his army father had raised him. One day he lost his job, became unemployed, and was even tougher on the kids. His wife suggested they pray, and she found a part time job. Now he was angry and confused - this wasn’t what he had prayed for..... |
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“Living Our Baptismal Prophetic Calling” |
Chittister gives an example of a time when she was class moderator at a school that was about to induct five students into the prestigious National Honor Society. The stakes were high, as the higher the students were on the list, the more opportunity they had of getting scholarships to the college of their choice. That year there were three girls and two boys in the order girl-girl-boy-girl-boy. When the names were revealed, she was startled to see that the list had been reversed to boy-girl-boy-girl-girl. .... |
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“Spiritual Nourishment or Anoxeria?” |
Some time back I had the occasion to visit a mental health center where I was introduced to a very attractive young lady who was suffering from anorexia. For some mysterious reason, she was starving herself, convinced that she was overweight, though she was not. Her obsession with not eating had brought her dangerously close to death many times. Apparently her case was so severe that even the medical people were losing patience with her. Her mother called me one day in a panic to tell me that a medical attendant had actually told her that if she did not improve they would put her in palliative care. |
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“Mary and the Thin Place” |
I believe that his faith in Jesus, his love for others and his years of suffering and pain had prepared him for death, and that the veil between this life and the next had become so thin for Louis that he simply slipped through that veil into eternal life without making a sound. This was an experience of that thin place for him and for us who journeyed with him. |
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“Beloved Sons and Daughters of God” |
At the western bishops’ retreat at Westminster Abbey in Mission, B.C. one year, homilist Bishop Gary Gordon, a graduate of that seminary, contrasted the cells of the abbey with the cells of a nearby prison. The difference is that the monks of the abbey have heard those words of being loved, allowing them to choose a life of prayer and solitude, in peace and joy, whereas the prisoners probably never did hear them, leading them to act out of anger and resulting in involuntary, painful and harsh confinement in their prison cells. What a difference faith, baptism and love makes. |
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“Responding to the Birth of Jesus”
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In the fall of 2009, a couple from the Sageeng First Nations won the largest single lottery prize ever in Canada. They went into seclusion for several days as speculation swirled about how they would spend the money. Predictions varied widely. Then slowly, as the days went by, we began to hear how they were helping out not just themselves and their family, but also the community. The husband was recovering from a stroke, so that was their first priority. But then there came reports of this couple creating community improvement work projects and bringing in new housing to their community. |
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“Journey into the Deeper Meaning of Christmas” |
This first reading ends with a very interesting and striking comment: So they shall put my name upon the Israelites and I will bless them. This comment brings to mind the naming ceremony of the First Nations in which an elder prays for 13 days to God our creator for the appropriate name to give a newborn child. This prayer connects with the 13 poles of the tepee and the teachings that go with each pole. |
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“There’s No Place Like Home” |
A proud father ran into an old buddy while he was taking a walk with his two kids. “How beautiful they are,” the friend remarked, “How old are they?” “The lawyer is 2,” the beaming father answered, “and the doctor is 4!” |
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“A New World Order” |
At least one American presidential candidate has run for office on the campaign promise that if elected he would bring about a new world order. Haughty dreams and high hopes notwithstanding, I think it goes without saying that no mere president, let alone a mere human being, is capable of that daunting challenge. Yet today’s celebration is precisely that – a celebration of one who did bring about a new world order for those who would believe in him – Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, whose birth among us two millennium ago we celebrate this day. |
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“Light For Our Darkness ” |
Fr. Rene Fumoleau in the NWT recounts a trip with an elder by car in the north when an elder compared believing in God to driving a car at night. One sets out to a destination unable to see further than the distance illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle. That inability to see far does not hamper the journey because the light of the headlamps goes ahead of the vehicle, allows one to proceed in the darkness all the way to the destination. The elder mentioned that faith in God gives us just enough light to live another day. |
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“The Joy of Doing God’s Will” |
These readings remind me of my late brother Louis who died of cancer in January of 2009 after a valiant four year battle. He was a quiet self-effacing man who lived in the farming countryside near the now extinct hamlet of Highgate Siding. His many virtues shine forth now, to those who knew him as much as when he was alive. He was honest to a fault, sometimes costing him financially. He had a keen sense of justice and fairness in his business dealings. His gentleness made him a beatitude person. He loved his wife and family passionately, and cared deeply for the less fortunate. |
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“Joyful, Transformative Love” |
I experienced a taste of this inner transformative power of the Spirit through prayer one day as a young priest in Beauval. It was Friday of a busy week, and I had just learned that a busload of grade eleven students from the Convent in North Battleford was coming up for a sports event and they wanted the local parish to help organize their stay. I felt a bit overwhelmed with everything on my plate but decided to be faithful to my hour of prayer despite all that there was to do. |
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Feast day of the
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A Jewish American man sent his son to Israel to study Judaism, but he came home a Christian. The father went to consult the local rabbi who told him that he too had sent his son to Jerusalem and he also came home a Christian. They both decided to pray to God for guidance and in the process of praying heard a voice from heaven that said, “Funny you should say that, I too sent my Son to Israel ...” |
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“Seeing Salvation” |
Someone who has caught this message and is sharing this experience is David Wells, a well known educator from England. He was keynote presenter at a Catholic Connections Conference some years ago in Saskatoon. Full of faith, joy and enthusiasm, his was a delightful power point presentation on the power of a life of faith in Jesus Christ lived to the full. At one point he shared an incident when he was watching his three kids playing in the back yard one day. His two boys were helping their little sister climb up a stump of a tree. They were wrapped up in having fun, laughing, being together, living life to the full. Then it hit him that this was a kingdom moment – as a parent this is as good as it gets. This is what it is all about – what life should be, and he was there to witness it. |
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“Celebrate a Triple-Header” |
Joe Mehan was an example of someone who lived his life fully as a triple header. A family man and dedicated teacher, he devoted himself to serving his community in a variety of ways. When he came down with Lou Gehrig’s disease, his faith kicked in and helped him and his wife Rena to journey through that time of suffering in an admirable manner. Instead of complaining, he trusted the Lord and resolved to live every day he had left to the full. When I visited him months before he died, he shocked me by asking me to preside at his funeral and assured me that everything was prepared and ready. Rena shared at his wake that as he lay dying, he would murmur, “God is good, God is good.” Joe is someone who celebrated the birth of Jesus throughout his life, looked forward with confidence to meeting Jesus after his death, and above all was open to the Spirit of Jesus coming to him each day of his life. He serves as an inspiring example for us. |
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Cycle B - 2008-09 |
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“Christ the Servant King” |
A wife heard her husband come back
into the house not too long after he had left. She said, “Hon, I
thought you were going to your lodge meeting.” “It was
postponed,” He replied, “The wife of the Grand Exalted
Invincible Supreme Potentate wouldn't let him attend tonight.” |
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“Shining Like Stars”
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Someone who had a very positive influence on my life is Archbishop Emeritus Adam Exner, former bishop of Kamloops, Winnipeg and finally Vancouver before he retired. As a spiritual director in Battleford, he had a constant stream of people coming to him for advice. As my spiritual director, he was the first one to hear my story, discern my need to work on my relationship with a member of my family, and suggested that I spend a month praying only with Isaiah 43:1-7, words that I dearly needed to hear at that stage of my life. At certain times later on in my ministry, especially in moments of personal crisis, he would listen to me and invariably come up with precisely the words that I needed to hear at that time. Would that we could all be as positive an influence on others as he was to so many. |
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“The Challenge of the Widow’s Mite” |
I saw that kind of faith-filled love in my brother Louis and his concern for his wife Judy and his kids as he lay dying of cancer. I experienced that kind of sacrificial love in the slums of Meru when I accompanied Bro. Harley Mapes OMI and the pre-novices on their regular Tuesday visit to the people who live there. Not only was I impressed by their courageous ministry to the slum people, but also by the generosity of the poorest of the poor who shared with us a meal of tea and rice for us as volunteers before we returned to the comfort of our home a four kilometre walk away. |
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“The Primacy of Love”
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Sometimes, young people can lead the way. Many years ago, a volunteer at Stanford Hospital in the States got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5 year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. The volunteer saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liz.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being so young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood. |
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Seeing with the eys of faith. |
Fr. Pat Martin is a legally blind priest who gave a retreat in Pine House, Saskatchewan some years back. He thanked God for his blindness because it brought him closer to God and helped him to see who God is more clearly. |
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"Giving on your life" |
In one of our communities recently, I met a young couple named Eric and Velma. Velma had been in an accident nine years earlier and was now a paraplegic in a wheel chair, able only to move her head and to talk. Eric had brought her to church, and then to the reception after confirmation. I marveled at how attentive he was to her, and how he was quietly feeding her like a child as he ate his own meal. In my conversation with them... |
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“Be Wise; Pray the Word; Let Go “ |
One day I commented to him that this practice of calling long distance everyday must get to be expensive. He replied very simply that it was not an expense, it was an investment. I was impressed by the conviction in his voice as he said that, and marveled at the wisdom his response showed. |
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“The Foundation of Marriage and Family Life ” |
What's it like to be your own boss? A businessman was asked. “I don't know,” he replied. “The police won’t let me park in front of my office. Tax collectors tell me how to keep my books. My bank manager tells me how much of a bank balance I have to maintain. Freight agents tell me how my goods must be packed. Customers tell me how my goods must be made and what the price should be. The union tells me whom I can employ and how and when I can employ them. And now I just got married.” |
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“Holiness and Justice – Keys to the Kingdom” |
A friend of mine who runs a surveying company is a good example of someone who lives the readings of today through personal holiness and a life of justice and loving service. He is a convert to Catholicism and strives to follow the teachings of the Church as best he can, along with a strong life of personal prayer. |
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“Freedom To Serve” |
I think of a university student in Saskatoon who remained silent when a fellow student unfairly criticized the Church in a class and how angry he was at himself for his lack of courage to speak up for truth. On the other hand, I think of a friend who had the courage to tell his brother they were leaving a stag party when a stripper was brought in to entertain the gathering. That was a courageous and righteous act and I was proud my friend for his courage to speak up and act. |
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“Living the Way of the Cross” |
A woman back from shopping was showing her husband the expensive dress she had purchased. When he asked her why she bought a dress she did not really need, she replied that she couldn’t resist the temptation. Her husband countered with the comment that she should have been like Jesus who told Satan to get behind him. She replied that she did that, and he said that it looked even better from behind! |
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“Faith Expressed through Love” |
Jean Vanier, son of the former governor-general of Canada and founder of L’Arche, has written a book entitled Becoming Human. In that book he writes eloquently how he discovered new depths of meaning and purpose in his life by living with the mentally challenged. That experience challenged his faith and helped it to grow. Here is how he puts it |
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“Religion From The Heart” |
After I was ordained a priest in 1974, I did a pastoral year out of Edmonton. Towards the end of that year, while I was waiting for my obedience from Rome, I applied to go to the Holy Land with a group from Newman Theological College. I had the time; it was not that expensive and would be paid by my father, and what an opportunity to enrich my ministry as a young priest. However, the Oblates at that time had a rule that we were not to make any overseas trip until after 25 years of ordination, so I was refused. I could hardly believe that the Oblate leadership at that time would go by outdated rules rather than see the value of such a trip. That, I believe, was my first real run-in with the shadow side of life lived only by the rules. |
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“The Journey into Deeper Faith” |
The goal is a Eucharistic faith, recognizing Jesus in the breaking of the bread, receiving him by means of Word and Sacrament, and being transformed by him into the Church, his Body, sent out to spread the Good News that the Kingdom of God promised to the ancients, is now here, present in His people. |
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“Making Love Real” |
My siblings and I would return from attending the one-room Whitecap school located in the hamlet of Highgate Siding, three and a half miles away from our family farm. The smell of fresh bread permeated the air as soon as we walked into the house. Gleaming loaves of fresh bread on the cupboard would greet our eyes as the aroma assailed our senses. We would put home-made butter on a slice of that bread and enjoy a taste of heaven. |
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"Transformative Fath" |
Thomas Keating, renowned monk and spiritual writer, claims that we have it all upside down. Many people in our society have a notion of God that comes from their childhood training, leaving them with a God who is judgmental, strict, demanding, distant and aloof, and whose love must be earned. The reality is just the opposite – God is almost too present to us, in so many ordinary ways, that we miss it and seek him in the sensational or the extra-ordinary. |
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“Fully Human and Alive” |
An ancient philosopher once wrote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Someone else once quipped, “The unlived life is not worth examining.” St. Iraneus took this further with famous quote: “The glory of God is man and woman fully alive.” |
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“Hungering for Justice; Thirsting for Love” |
In our own archdiocese, one of our priests has had to deal with an average of one suicide a month in one of the communities where he ministers. Another is very concerned about the deadly reality of gang violence in his community that led to the death of a youth just before Easter of this year. |
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“Meditation and Ministry – A Fine Balance” |
In summary, then, our ministry today must be rooted in a personal, intimate, prayerful relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ministry that flows out of this relationship with God is all about teaching faith and love, working for justice and bringing about reconciliation |
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“Called to be an Apostle” |
Most commentaries would say that there are four common elements at play here. First, it is God’s work, not their own. They are authorized by Jesus and empowered by him. There is a danger that ministry can be exercised for selfish purposes, to gain attention to one’s self, to one’s work, to be tainted by a kind of personal pride. The harsh reality is that one can do one’s own will in God’s name. |
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“Called To Be Prophets” |
Richard Rohr, another modern day prophet, shares this insight into being prophetic: “There are two ways of being a prophet. One is to tell the enslaved that they can be free. It is the difficult path of Moses. The second is to tell those who think they are free that they are in fact enslaved. This is the even more difficult path of Jesus.” |
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“Unconditional Faith” |
How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough to cope with unanswered prayer? |
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"Jesus in our boat" |
I had never prayed with my emotions like this before in my life. The emotional storm raged within me for an hour. On the one side, waves of fear, anxiety and depression would wash over me, pressing down on my spirit and pounding away at me like the surf against the shore. Then I would read and ponder the words of that passage again and from the other side,..... |
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Corpus
Christi “The Eucharist, Eternal Covenant” |
The Eucharist is God’s effort to covenant with us, to live among us, to love us, to invite us into communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is the least and the lowly who understand this best.
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“Make Disciples of All Nations” |
Are you familiar with the words kerygma and didache? Those two ancient Greek words describe the mandate that Jesus gives each one of us in today’s gospel: to evangelize and catechize; to make disciples and to teach them to live the Commandments of Jesus. |
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Living the Spirit |
“Who are those persons in those beautiful windows?” The guide told her that they were the saints. That evening, as the little girl prepared for bed, she told her mom that she knew who the saints were. “Well, who are they?” her mother wanted to know. “Saints are persons who let the light shine through them!” was her innocent reply. |
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“Bridging Heaven and Earth” |
Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension. What are we to make of this feast that marks the beginning of the end of the great season of Easter? |
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“The Commandments To Love” |
The Returning To Spirit program that has been spreading across western Canada is an example of a movement that is based on love. It teaches participants to deal with their past hurts rather than build up big stories around those wounds and carry anger through life. They learn ways to address their issues and then communicate their hurt to others with love as a way of letting go and moving on with their lives. |
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“Believe and Love” |
Love for others involves caring, selfless service and trust, sharing and fellowship. In the context of a family it means that parents especially must try to answer the emotional needs of the children to be loved, to belong and to be valued. They do that through expressed affection, presence, listening, spending time with, affirming and blessing the children, discipline and guidance. |
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“Shepherds of the Heart” |
I am convinced that the deepest need of our youth, indeed, of every human being, is to be loved, to belong and to be valued. If these needs are met by loving parents, supportive nuclear and extended families and welcoming churches, then our youth won’t need to resort to drugs to feel loved, to gangs to feel that they belong, or to indulge in pre-marital sex to feel valued. |
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“Living and Proclaiming Repentance” |
There is a House of Peace in Winnipeg where a number of priests go every day for a certain number of hours just to hear confessions and celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with all kinds of penitents who come there for that purpose. It is truly a place of peaceful joy, and the priests who volunteer their time there, like Oblate Fathers Dominique Kerbrat and Albert Lafrenière, are also a special joyful group. I have seen that joy in him when he sets out for that ministry, or returns from it, when I stay at the Oblate residence on Gertrude Street. It is this peace and joy that I desire for all of us in our archdiocese. |
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“The Common Good – A New World Order” |
Last week we saw the Easter event as a new creation, flowing from the words “morning of the first day of the week.” Today, one week after Easter, we listen to a gospel account that also took place one week after Easter. Those same words are used, “It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week.” Only now, we can see the Easter event as the beginning of a new world order, one based on a movement towards the common good. |
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“Lessons from the Linen Cloth” |
In today’s gospel, Mary Magdalene saw a stone rolled away and an empty tomb; she concluded that the body of Jesus had been stolen. She did not yet believe. At her word, however, Peter and John ran to the cemetery and went right into the tomb. We are told that John saw and believed. What did John see? |
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"Finding Jesus In Galilee" |
In The Holy Longing, Ron Rolheiser OMI wrote a moving dedication to Henri Nouwen that best captures Nouwen's 'imperfect' influence upon so many: "By sharing his own struggles, he mentored us all, helping us to pray while not knowing how to pray, to rest while feeling restless, to be at peace while tempted, to feel safe while still anxious, to be surrounded by a cloud of light while still in darkness, and to love while still in doubt. Nouwen embraced his crosses, carried them and allowed them to lead him to Jesus." His close friend Robert Jonas reminds us that "his ever-present accompanying shadow was there only because of the Light in which he walked." |
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"From Suffering Servant to Loving Servants" |
The papal preacher Fr. Cantalemessa offers an interesting observation here. He invites us to ask ourselves about this fact: Why were the women untroubled by the scandal of the cross? Why did they stay when everything seem finished, and when even his closest disciples had abandoned him and simply went back home? |
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Freedom to Serve |
John Bell of the Iona Community invited a black South African woman to share her story on television in England. She was running an orphanage for children whose parents had died of HIV/AIDS. Her love and commitment to these children was total and unconditional. Her words were simple and direct. He asked her what she would like to leave behind as her legacy. |
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"The Final Epiphany" |
We are not used to hearing the word "epiphany" used at the end of any gospel. We are more used to it being used in other gospels at the birth of Jesus. We think automatically of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem with gifts of gold and frankincense that identify the Christ child as king and priest. But then there is the mysterious gift of myrrh. Already at his birth, at this first epiphany, there is a hint of one who would suffer and die. |
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"Dying To Live" |
Think of your dark moments in the soil of your life. Sr. Rhea shared her burnout with a group. While teaching in the schools, she needed to be needed and volunteered for everything so she would feel good about herself, until she wore herself out and fell into a deep depression. At height of her depression, she could not work and was on sleeping pills which didn't help. She just couldn't do anything - she wanted a truck to run over her and end it all. She was totally ashamed of herself when told to see a psychiatrist. A spark of hope came before flying to Winnipeg. The small plane was icing up, and she was afraid of crashing, of dying. She realized that she wanted to live after all. |
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"Genuine faith in Jesus gives eternal life" |
Lana L. Comstock wasn't abused as a child. She just felt lonely, neglected and unloved. She doesn't think it was her parents' fault necessarily. She just wasn't a happy kid. Her family did not attend church. She had never even set foot in one. One morning, playing with a new pail and shovel, she dug up a shiny cross on which were etched the words "Jesus Christ is Lord." She wasn't sure what that meant. She never showed anyone the cross, but kept it hidden as one of her prized possessions, only taking it out when no one was around. To her, it wasn't just a cross; it was a sign. |
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Spring Cleaning of the Soul |
After the long months of snow and cold, many people can't wait to clean up the residue of winter - to house clean with doors open; to rake the yard, clean out garages, start preparing the soil for the garden, and burn all that needs to be burned. One can almost smell the smells of spring. Spring is also a privileged time to do some spring cleaning of the soul. The readings for this Third Sunday of Lent call us to not just clean up around us, but also to do some cleansing, healing work within us, some soul work. |
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"Lent, A Journey of Transformation" Mar 8th |
Jordan, the grandson of Ed and Angie Mihalicz in Beauval, was always interested in science. He had a pet Tarantula spider. One day he called his grandfather to look at his pet, as it seemed to be sick. The next time they checked on it, they were surprised to see what seemed at first to be two of them. Upon closer inspection, they realized that what seemed to be a sickly version of the healthy spider was really the skin or shell that it had cast off. The spider had molted and literally stepped out of its old shell into a new one. The spider had been transformed. |
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Live in the Kingdom March 1st |
A psychiatric nurse was told the lurid history of a certain patient who had committed a terrible crime, had served his time and now was sent to the hospital to die. He did not want anyone to know what he had done and could not believe that God could forgive his crime so he resisted any attempt at reconciliation. The chaplain tried to persuade him but he consistently refused. The nurse, however, showed him every courtesy... |
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"Lent - a Time of Repentance and Healing" Feb 25 |
A dishonest painter hired to paint a church building thinned his paint with water. As long as it didn't rain he would be okay he thought. That night there was a rain storm. He ran to the Church in the morning and saw that the paint was running down the walls and forming letters. As he got closer he could make out the words that read, "Repaint, you thinner, and thin no more!" |
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"Forgiveness - Jesus' New Thing" Feb 22 |
One of the most striking scenes for me in the movie The Passion of the Christ is the moment when Jesus meets his mother on the way to Golgatha. He is tired, bloodied, bent under the weight of the cross and barely able to walk when his mother appears silently before him. Jesus looks at her and says simply, "Behold, I am making all things new." |
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"The Three Legged Healing Stool" Feb 15th |
A man took out a $5 million insurance policy, slid his car off the road into a tree and claimed he was paralysed shoulders down. Insurance agents visited him, tried to get some physical response out of him to disprove it, but couldn't get him to move a muscle. Finally one told him they were sure he was faking, but that they had to pay him out since they couldn't disprove it. But then, what would he be able to do with it anyway, since he was paralysed? The man responded that he would ask a relative to put him on a stretcher, take him to Lourdes, and then they would see the biggest miracle they had ever heard of. |
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"Learning to be a Disciple" Feb 8th |
As Jesus was walking along one day, he came across a man crying and asked him what was wrong. The man replied that he was blind. Jesus laid hands on him; said "Be healed"; his sight returned and the man went away praising God. Later Jesus came across a second man who was crying and likewise asked him what was wrong. The man replied that he was crippled. Jesus laid hands on him; said "Be healed"; his limbs were restored and the man went away praising God. Finally Jesus came across a third man sitting by the road crying. |
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"Sharing in the Power and
Authority of Jesus" |
Nelson Mandela is an example of that kind of authority and integrity. He was imprisoned unjustly in South Africa for twenty fives years because of his struggle against apartheid. Yet upon his release, he more than any other person spoke of the need for forgiveness and power sharing with the very white people who imprisoned him. When he speaks of forgiveness and reconciliation, people listen to what he has to say because he has lived it firsthand. He has that kind of moral authority that commands attention. |
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"Change Your Belief System" |
Jesus had more trouble with good people than with sinners. Why? The hardest people of all to convert are the good, because they don't see any need of conversion. It's hard enough to get those who are ill to go to the doctor, but try getting those who are convinced they are well to go! Sinners who openly admitted they were sinners didn't cause Jesus the same trouble. |
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"Encountering Jesus" |
A pastor was getting ready to go on vacation. He had a few parting words for the congregation: “Every pastor should take a month of vacation every year. If the pastor is really good at his work, then that pastor needs a vacation. If the pastor is not really good at it, then the congregation needs a break!” |
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"New Creation; New Incarnation; New Exodus" |
The baptism of Jesus first of all signals a new creation. As the dove-Spirit hovered over the original chaos and drew order out of it, the dove-Spirit hovers over Jesus to indicate that, as Jesus comes up out of the water, a new creation is heralded into existence. This new creation will be victorious over the effects of sin upon the original creation, the most powerful effect being death itself. |
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"Follow That Star" |
Dear Lord three Things I Pray, to See Thee More Clearly, love Thee More Dearly, follow Thee More Nearly, day by Day |
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"Bless, Pray, Worship and Evangelize" |
NEW YEAR'S DAY The following true story, in a small way, touches on the spirit of this feast, Mary, the Mother of God. Bobby was a poor boy whose father had died and whose mother was struggling to raise the five children. He wanted to buy his mother a present for Christmas but had no money. While walking along dejected he found a dime and went to a flower shop as he knew his mother liked flowers. To his surprise and delight, the store owner told him that he just happened to have a dozen roses on sale for a dime - would he want those? |
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"Prophetic Marriage and Family Life" |
I dream of an archdiocese where every family would have a weekly family night consisting of a meal together, no TV, some prayer based on scripture, honest sharing of their lives and then some games. What a difference that would make to the quality of our families and the church in our archdiocese. |
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Celebrate or Experience |
Are you experiencing Christmas or
just celebrating it? |
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"Christmas in the Light of Easter" |
Tonight, Christmas eve, we listen to St. Luke's wonderful account of Jesus' birth. Luke puts into his version of this time-honoured story very significant details that make it a catechesis leading us to a more mature faith. St. Luke meditates on the events of Christ's birth in the light of his whole life, death and resurrection and the sending of his Spirit at Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. St. Luke already perceives in this child whose birth he writes about, the Messiah, Son of God and Risen Lord. |
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"Be a Beacon of Hope and a Light to the World" |
There is darkness in our communities, our country and our world. Even a moment of reflection brings up things like a rate of suicide among the First Nations 5 times the national average; family break-ups; neglected kids; addictions of all kinds; marriages failing; graft, misuse of public funds, dishonesty and corruption at all levels of government. Quebec is still trying to separate and there are cutbacks of social services. |
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"Believe, Change, Rejoice" |
Bro. Loreth, OMI, was strong man and great baker as a young Oblate brother, but in old age became quite cantankerous, especially when asked to do something that he didn't want to do, or go somewhere he didn't want to go. He thought that if he could find a good woman friend to be his companion, he would be happy and actively pursued relationships along that line which tried the patience of his Oblate superiors. |
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"Repentance - Key to the Kingdom" December 7th, 2008 |
A dishonest painter thinned the paint with water and painted a church. As long as it didn't rain right away he would be okay, he thought. That night there was a big storm. He ran to the Church in the morning and saw that the paint was running down the walls and forming letters. As he got closer he could make out the words and read, "Repaint, you thinner, and thin no more!" |
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"Biblical Waiting: Faith, Hope and Love" November 30, 2008
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Someone who lived like an expert gardener, who lived an Advent spirituality all his life, was Fr. Raymond Lemay. He joined the Oblates in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1945. After ordination, he spent 62 years ministering in the archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas until he became seriously ill and died October 24th, 2008 at the age of 90. There was little sadness and much joy during the prayers for him and the funeral celebration itself. That was because he was such a man of God in spite of his limitations. He was not a great preacher, nor a good cook, and though gifted with his hands, might not have been that great a mechanic. |
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Cycle A |
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Sun
34 |
Sun
33 |
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Feast
of the Dedication |
Sun
32 |
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Sun 31 |
Sun
30 |
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Sun
29 |
Sun
28 |
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Sun
27 |
Sun
26 |
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Sun
25 |
Sun
24 |
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Sun
23 |
Sun
22 |
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Sun
21 |
Sun
20 |
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Sun
19 |
Sun
18 |
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Sun
17 |
Sun
16 |
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Sun
15 |
Sun
14 |
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St
Peter & St. Paul (Sun 13) |
Sunday
12 |
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Sunday
11 |
Sunday 10 |
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Sunday 09 |
Corpus
Christi Sunday |
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Trinity Sunday |
Pentecost |
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Ascension
Sun 07 |
Easter
Sun 06 |
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Easter
Sun 05 |
Easter
Sun 04 |
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Easter
Sun 03 |
Easter
Sun 02 |
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Easter
Sunday |
Easter
Vigil |
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Good
Friday |
Holy
Thursday |
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Palm
- Passion Sunday |
Sun
Lent 05 |
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Sun
Lent 04 |
Sunday
Lent 03 |
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Sunday
Lent 02 |
Sunday
Lent 01 |
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Ash
Wednesday |
4th
Sunday |
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3rd
Sunday |
2nd
Sunday |
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Baptism
of the Lord |
Feast
of the Epiphany |
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New
Year's Day |
Holy
Family Sunday |
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CHRISTMAS
DAY 2007 |
CHRISTMAS
EVE HOMILY |
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Advent
4th Sunday |
Advent
3rd Sunday |
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Advent
2nd Sunday |
Advent
1st Sunday |
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CYCLE C |
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34th Sunday |
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33rd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
32nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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31th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
30th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
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29th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
28th Sunday
of Ordinary Time |
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27th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
26th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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25th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
24th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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23nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
22nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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21st
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
20th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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19th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
18th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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17th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
16th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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15th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
14th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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13th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
12th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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11th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
Corpus
Christi Sun |
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Trinity
Sunday |
Pentecost |
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Ascension
Sunday |
6th
Sunday of Easter |
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5th
Sunday of Easter |
4th
Sunday of Easter |
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3rd
Sunday of Easter |
2nd
Sunday of Easter |
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EASTER
SUNDAY |
EASTER
VIGIL |
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Palm
Sunday |
LENT
SUNDAY 05 |
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LENT
SUNDAY 04 |
LENT
SUNDAY 03 |
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LENT
SUNDAY 02 |
LENT
SUNDAY 1 |
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6th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
7th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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4th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
5th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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2nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
3rd
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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Feast
of the Epiphany |
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Feast of the Holy Family |
New
Years |
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Christmas
Eve |
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3rd
Advent Sunday |
4th
Advent Sunday |
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1st
Advent Sunday |
2nd
Advent Sunday |
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CYCLE B |
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32th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
33th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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30th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
31th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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28th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
29th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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26th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
27th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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24th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
25th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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22th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
23th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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20th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
21th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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18th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
19th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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16th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
17th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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14th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
15th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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12th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
13th
Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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TRINITY
SUNDAY HOMILY |
Body
& Blood of Christ |
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ASCENSION
SUNDAY |
PENTECOST |
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6th
Sunday of Easter |
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5th
Sunday of Easter |
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4th
Sunday of Easter |
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3rd
Sunday of Easter |
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2nd
Sunday of Easter |
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What this Ark of the New Covenant is all about? |
A youth summit was held in preparation for the Congress, and out of this summit came the idea of a symbol that would travel throughout the country, much like the World Youth Day Cross of 2003. The idea they came up with was the Ark of the New Covenant that would accomplish three objectives: catechesis about the Eucharist; fuller participation in the liturgy by the laity, and greater solidarity with the rest of humanity, especially the needy. In fact, the theme of this congress is: The Eucharist, the Gift of God for the Life of the World. |
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"Holding Fast to God's Word" |
Isn't that rather amazing, that the pre-Vatican II church that I grew up in did not encourage me to be immersed in God's word? Looking back now I realize that we were spiritually malnourished, starving ourselves spiritually, as cradle Catholics. |
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Homily
of the Ordination of |
Responding to this call from God, this man, Pawel, your relative and
friend, is now to be raised to the order of deacons. Consider
carefully the ministry to which he is to be promoted. |
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North Battleford, July 18th, 2006
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Joe's life has refreshed for me the three cardinal virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. ..... The fact that I am here today is also, I believe, a sign of Joe's close relationship of faith with God. After being named bishop, and as Joe's health deteriorated, I wondered if I would be able to keep my promise to preside at his funeral. |
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