Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News

Homilies

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

November 2019

November 16, 2019

The persecuted: Homily for November 17, 2019, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

His name was Ramesh Raju. He was a 40-year-old building contractor, husband and father who...

November 03, 2019

Noticing those others miss: Homily for November 3, 2019, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we celebrate Mass this evening, we mark the end of our observance of All...

October 2019

October 31, 2019

Practicing Catholics: Homily for the Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 2019

On a brisk April morning 11 years ago, I made my one and only trip...

October 26, 2019

Work in progress: Homily for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There’s an old joke: New York will be a great city — if they ever...

October 22, 2019

The many Nazareths of St. John Paul

In 2011, my parish offered a special Mass to celebrate the first feast of Blessed ...

October 20, 2019

‘I kept alive by praying’: Homily for October 20,2019, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

"My stronghold was my faith." His name is Sigitas Tamkevicius and he may be one...

October 05, 2019

Homily for Respect Life Sunday: ‘Every life bears the thumbprints of the Creator’

This weekend, we mark Respect Life Sunday. Here's part of my homily for this Sunday...

August 2019

August 24, 2019

Keeping balance, living with grace: Homily for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have a mission priest at my parish this weekend, so I won't be preaching....

August 15, 2019

‘A living house for the Lord’: Homily for August 15, 2019, Solemnity of the Assumption

Imagine for a moment the map of Italy. On the back of “the boot,” along...

August 03, 2019

‘Teach us to number our days aright’: Homily for 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We spend so much of our lives trying to get what we really don’t need...

July 2019

July 20, 2019

Anxious and Worried About Many Things: Homily for July 21, 2019, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

If you’re feeling tired this Sunday morning, it may be for other reasons besides the...

July 13, 2019

‘Who Is My Neighbor?’: Homily for July 14, 2019: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Who is my neighbor?” We look around this morning and see those around us in...

July 06, 2019

‘Peace to This Household’: Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I'm on vacation and traveling through scenic Virginia this weekend. But here are a few...

June 2019

June 21, 2019

Corpus Christi: ‘It Is Astounding to Consider What Bread Can Become’

A few thoughts from my first Corpus Christi homily, from 2007: When I was young...

June 15, 2019

Three Candles, One Light: Homily for June 16, 2019, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

This weekend, we mark “Trinity Sunday,” the celebration of one God in three persons. Theologians...

June 08, 2019

The Feast That Never Ends: Homily for June 9, 2019, Pentecost

This Sunday, we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit, and the great birthday of...

May 2019

May 04, 2019

How Jesus Is Revealed: Homily for May 5, 2019, 3rd Sunday of Easter

Several years ago, my wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One...

April 2019

April 17, 2019

‘Why Was This Beauty Built?’: Homily for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Tonight, in this church named for Our Lady, many of us are thinking of another...

April 12, 2019

‘Our Future in Our Hands’: Homily for Palm Sunday

A homily from The Vault: We have just heard the climax of the Greatest Story...

March 2019

March 05, 2019

Each of Us Is a Work in Progress: Homily for March 6, 2019, Ash Wednesday

Last weekend, I was walking up 72nd Road, here behind the church, and passed the...

February 2019

February 03, 2019

A more excellent way: Homily for February 3, 2019, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is there any scripture passage more familiar than that reading from Paul’s letter to the...

January 2019

January 12, 2019

In the deep water: Homily for January 13, 2019, The Baptism of the Lord

Why did he do it? It’s a question that often pops up when we hear...

December 2018

December 31, 2018

Resolutions: Homily for January 1, 2019, Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Earlier this month, Google Surveys asked 1,000 people what their resolutions were for 2019 –...

December 16, 2018

Bambinelli Sunday: Homily for December 16, 2018, Gaudete Sunday

Well, this was different. Before Mass today, one of the priests was casting about for...

December 07, 2018

The woman of ‘Yes’: Homily for December 8, 2018, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

It probably began like any other day. There were prayers to be said. Chores to...

December 01, 2018

Strike a match: Homily for December 2, 2018, 1st Sunday of Advent

Hearing this Sunday’s Gospel, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a mistake. It...

November 2018

November 10, 2018

The widow’s ‘might’: Homily for November 11, 2018, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

We never learn her name. We never find out where she comes from, what she...

November 01, 2018

‘Blessed are they who mourn’: Homily for November 1, 2018, All Saints Day

“Blessed are they who mourn.” How striking it is to hear these words right now....

October 2018

October 31, 2018

‘Some things, thank God, don’t change…’

This is from my homily for All Saints Day in 2012, delivered in the days...

September 2018

September 29, 2018

We are called to be prophets: Homily for September 30, 2018, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Friday afternoon, the political reporter Robert Costa put it succinctly. He sent out a message...