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September 2018

September 15, 2018

‘Believe in something’: Homily for September 16, 2018, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A couple weeks ago, Nike set out to sell some sneakers. The result ended up...

September 02, 2018

‘What is the Catholic Church? Just look around’: Homily for September 2, 2018, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last week, I found myself in a small Vietnamese restaurant in midtown Manhattan, sharing a...

August 2018

August 18, 2018

’A terrible week to be Catholic’: Homily for August 19, 2018, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thursday, I found myself in Maryland for a family funeral. One of the first people...

July 2018

July 28, 2018

‘I am Catholic’: Homily for July 29, 2018, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My homily students know this piece of advice I always give them: even if you...

July 14, 2018

The faith of the huntsman: homily for the funeral of Gary Wenzel

Last Saturday morning, my brother-in-law, Gary Wenzel, died suddenly after suffering a heart attack. He...

July 08, 2018

‘This is the moment for us to be prophets’: Homily for 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I'm not preaching this weekend, but found myself re-reading my homily for three years ago...

July 01, 2018

Death doesn’t win: Homily for July 1, 2018, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

His name was Gerald Fischman. When I first met him, we were both students at...

June 2018

June 23, 2018

We are better than this: Homily for June 24, 2018, Nativity of St. John the Baptist

This past week, as we’ve watched the news unfolding on our southern border, we’ve been...

June 16, 2018

‘We are people of the mustard seed’: Homily for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As I mentioned on Corpus Christi, in smallness there is greatness. And Sunday's scripture reminds...

June 02, 2018

In smallness there is greatness: Homily for June 3, 2018, Corpus Christi

Last week, the New York Times had an essay by a man who is not...

May 2018

May 26, 2018

Go with God: Homily for May 27, 2018, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Years ago, I was in Los Angeles for business for CBS, and they put me...

May 10, 2018

Defying gravity: Homily for Ascension Thursday

From the vault, my homily for Ascension Thursday 2015: This glorious feast of the Ascension—one...

April 2018

April 13, 2018

Christ with us: Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter

I'm not preaching this weekend, but here's something from the vault: my homily for this Sunday...

March 2018

March 30, 2018

Behold, the wood of the cross: Homily on the Seven Last Words

Without question, it is the most infamous public execution of all time. No death has...

March 28, 2018

Pass it on: Homily for Holy Thursday 2018

There are some events in history that prove to be pivot points. You look back...

March 28, 2018

Beautiful: Cardinal O’Malley’s Chrism Mass homily

The cardinal archbishop of Boston last night spoke of the "four kisses" a priest bestows:...

March 24, 2018

He did it for us: Homily for Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018

We’ve been hearing it again and again the last several days: “I can’t believe it’s...

March 17, 2018

Seeing Jesus in Ohio: Homily for March 18, 2018, 5th Sunday of Lent

As most of you know, last week marked the one-month anniversary of the massacre at...

March 03, 2018

‘We are all the woman at the well. We thirst.’

From the vault, from one of my favorite homilies, about one of my favorite Gospels:...

November 2015

November 04, 2015

“Why are you standing there looking at the sky?”

“In Matthew’s gospel, before Jesus ascends, he tells them, very simply, ‘Go therefore and make...

October 2015

October 31, 2015

Homily for November 1, 2015: All Saints Day

When I’m doing a baptism, the first question that is asked in the ritual is: “What...

October 31, 2015

Homily for November 1, 2015: All Saints Day

When I’m doing a baptism, the first question that is asked in the ritual is: “What...

October 24, 2015

Homily for October 25, 2015: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last week, as I was walking home from work, heading up Third Avenue, I saw...

October 24, 2015

Homily for October 25, 2015: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last week, as I was walking home from work, heading up Third Avenue, I saw...

October 19, 2015

When a prison cell became a cathedral: a lesson on Eucharist from Francis Xavier Nguyn Van Thuan

Planning to address the children of my parish as they prepare for their First Holy Communion, I...

October 19, 2015

When a prison cell became a cathedral: a lesson on Eucharist from Francis Xavier Nguyn Van Thuan

Planning to address the children of my parish as they prepare for their First Holy Communion, I...

September 2015

September 26, 2015

“Go out and meet others where they really are, not where we think they should be”

From Pope Francis’s homily Friday night at Madison Square Garden: Big cities…conceal the faces of...

September 26, 2015

“Go out and meet others where they really are, not where we think they should be”

From Pope Francis's homily Friday night at Madison Square Garden: Big cities...conceal the faces of...

September 14, 2015

“At the cross her station keeping…”

My parish, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, traditionally celebrates its feast day tomorrow, the feast...

September 14, 2015

“At the cross her station keeping…”

My parish, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, traditionally celebrates its feast day tomorrow, the feast...