Homilies

Homilies Given at Mass and other Celebrations

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PUTTING ADVENT BACK INTO CHRISTMAS

Homily – 2nd Sunday of Advent
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Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Christians declare “Put Christ Back Into Christmas”.
Fr. Bill preaches on how we can put ADVENT back into Christmas.

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“Call No One Father” – Here we go again!

Homily – 31st Sunday of the Year – A
Matthew 23:1-12

Father Bill addresses the command of Jesus to “call no one on earth YOUR Father”, as well as the places in the Gospel when Jesus calls out the Pharisees and Sadducees and appears to bemoan the “heavy burdens” associated with the Law of God.

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“SEPARATION OF CHURCH & STATE” – Rendering Unto Caesar

Homily – 29th Sunday of the Year – A
Matthew 22:15-21

The United States has a particular approach to the “Separation of Church and State”. Fr. Bill explains how this country understands this doctrine, how it was incorporated into the nation’s Founding, how we get it wrong today, and how it perfectly expresses Jesus’ admonition to “render to Caesar…”

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A CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

PARABLE OF THE 2 SONS & THE 4 CHILDREN

Homily – 26th Sunday of the Year – A
Matthew 21:28-32

What is the disposition we have regarding living and worshipping as Christians? Fr. Bill preaches on Christ’s Parable of the Two Sons and the Jewish Passover Parable of the Four Children and speaks of how Christians in general and Catholics in Particular can examine and adjust the dispositions from which we all approach our calling to live and worship as followers of Christ.

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DARTH VADER is CATHOLIC!!

Famous Converts to Catholicism
Homily – 25th Sunday of the Year
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Matthew 20:1-16a
The Workers in the Vineyard

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard tells how different “workers” joined up at different times of the “day”. Fr. Bill preaches how some are born Catholic, while many become Catholic as Converts at different times of their lives, from childhood to the death bed. Who are some of the more famous people who we may or may not know, have converted to Catholicism. Some of them might surprise you.

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THE MANDATE TO FORGIVE

It’s Not an Off Switch
(Parable of the Unforgiving Servant)

Homily
24th Sunday of the Year – A
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Matthew 18:21-35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant illustrates Jesus’ command to forgive “seventy-seven ” times. Fr. Bill preaches on the difficulty of this unclassified Mandate from Jesus, what it means, and how we go about the process of Forgiveness.

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FRATERNAL CORRECTION – Are We Called to “Judge”

Homily
23rd Sunday of the Year – A
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Ezekiel 33:7-9
Matthew 18:15-20

No one wants to be labeled as “Judgmental”. However, Jesus may want his followers to be just that. Fr. Bill preaches about what Jesus presents in the Doctrine of Fraternal Correction, and what he expects of his Disciples in their task of “Admonishing the Sinner” (Spiritual Work of Mercy #3)

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WHAT WOULD JESUS SAY? – How to Think as God Does

Homily
22nd Sunday of the Year – A
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Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

Jesus admonishes St. Peter saying, “you are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do”. Fr. Bill preaches on ways we fall into thinking about our faith in God by Human Standards and ways in which we can think more like God, using God’s standards.

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“GO FORTH AND SAY NOTHING TO ANYONE!”

Why Did Jesus Tell His Disciples to Remain Silent?
Homily – 21st Sunday of the Year – A
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Matthew 16:13-20

On numerous occasions Jesus tells the recipients of his miracles to say nothing to anyone. Fr. Bill discusses possible reasons why in light of Jesus’ subsequent question, “Who do people say that I am?”

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WAS JESUS RACIST? – God’s “Exclusion” Policy

St. Paul and Jesus’ Encounter with the Canaanite Woman
Homily – 20th Sunday of the Year – A
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Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28

There are clear distinctions between peoples in the Bible. Both Jesus and St. Paul play upon those distinctions, sometimes in shocking ways. Fr. Bill talks about how God has an “Exclusion Policy”, but not exclusively for Exclusivity. Watch his homily to hear God’s strategy for evangelization utilized by Jesus and St. Paul in which exclusivity is an essential tool.