Fr Tom’s Homilies
Together with Jesus, we enter Holy Week at Jerusalem. As Jesus and the disciples made their unique entry into Jerusalem, a festive and agitated crowd gathered to see the spectacle. Some people threw down their clothes, while others hacked down palm branches to spread before Jesus. Religious acclamations were shouted out. Yet, not long after, … [Read more…]
There is more to life than being well fed and having family, friends and nice things. If our life in this world never progresses beyond what we can touch and see, we might be described as people in their graves. Now, these graves might seem to be quite comfortable, but just ask Lazarus how comfortable … [Read more…]
Today a lighter tone is introduced into our Lenten season, where purple gives way to rose, and our more somber Entrance Antiphons are put aside, in favor of a call to rejoice. These are the unmistakable signs that we have reached Laetare Sunday, a little oasis in the midst of our penitential season, which has hints of … [Read more…]
The woman at the well is an unhappy woman because of her poor choices. Her name was Photina and she had two sons Joseph and Victor. She had lived with five different men over the years and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband when she met Jesus at the well. And her … [Read more…]
Saint Peter in a moment of revelation had publicly acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah and Savior. He could see himself as Christ’s right hand man in a thriving Kingdom of God. But then Jesus had added words which Peter did not want to hear. Jesus assured him of glory in a resurrection, but only … [Read more…]
At a monastery a younger monk asked an older monk, “How are you?” The older monk replied, “There is still a bit of the devil in me!” The response of the older monk may strike us as a bit odd – yet – it expresses a truth about all of us. There is still a … [Read more…]
It’s easy to be kind and loving towards those whom we like, to our family and friends, to those who are good to us. All this comes naturally. But Jesus expects much more of His followers. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to be good to those who harm us, to … [Read more…]
There is a difference between building a home and building a house. There is a difference between being faithful to a spouse and simply staying married to the same person. There is a difference between being a good driver and never having an accident. There is a similar difference between upholding laws and fulfilling the … [Read more…]
Doctors warn that too much salt is not healthy. Yet salt is a necessary thing and salt brings out the flavor of the food we are eating. Likewise, in winter everything can seem gloomy and dull on those endless gray days. But when the sunny summer days arrive we enjoy the light of the sun … [Read more…]
Saint Luke begins and ends his nativity narrative in the temple. The temple in Jerusalem was a huge complex set of buildings with hundreds of people living in many of these buildings. The Main building of this complex was of course the temple proper. This was a large tall rectangular building which was divided by … [Read more…]