Fr Tom’s Homilies
By Father Martin Ganeri, O.P. In the ancient Catacombs in Rome the early Christians painted many scenes from the Bible and one of the most frequently represented is that of Noah and the Ark. The Catacombs were places of burial and places of sanctuary for the early Christians in the dark days before the toleration … [Read more…]
Purple is an odd color. Purple is a mixture of red with blue. Red – like red clay – is an earthy color. Blue – like the sky – is a heavenly color. So purple is the perfect color for both Advent and Lent: – Advent: because heaven and earth are united when … [Read more…]
Crossing social barriers can be dangerous. We see this today in the Gospel when Jesus meets a leper. Leviticus laid down strict rules for dealing with contagious diseases like leprosy. The leper must be isolated from society and his loved ones until there was a cure. Jesus acknowledged that it was necessary to have official … [Read more…]
By Father Leo Edgar, O.P. You can’t help feeling sorry for the man. Despite all his protestations and prayers, God seems to be ignoring his requests! Why, I wonder, does the Church introduce us to Job’s suffering so early in this year’s Liturgical Calendar, and so close to the beginning of Lent in ten days … [Read more…]
In the Gospel, Mark gives us an account of Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. What was important for Mark here was not so much what Jesus actually taught, but that He taught with authority. There are, of course, different kinds of authority. Teaching with authority could simply mean speaking well or speaking with self-confidence, like … [Read more…]
Today’s reading point us to consider God’s call and the necessary immediacy of our response. They begin with the journey of Jonah through Nineveh. According to the reading, Nineveh was a very large city. But the Ninevites didn’t need to hear Jonah’s prophecy for three days. After a single days walk they repented. In the … [Read more…]
By Father Colin Carr, O. P. One of the greatest gifts we can give to another person is our ears. If people could listen to each other the world would be a safer and healthier place. But it’s dangerous to listen: you will be invited to share pains as well as joys; you will be … [Read more…]
On this final Feast of the Christmas Season Mark begins his Gospel in the desert, where John baptizes and where Jesus will be tested by Satan. The desert is a place at the fringes of social order, neither town nor country. But when John comes preaching repentance the normal is turned inside out: Mark tells … [Read more…]
We are just a few short days into our new calendar year, and perhaps already any resolutions we might have made have already fallen by the wayside. Yet our desire for change and a better future as we begin a new year is perfectly understandable. After all, without a desire for growth and development, what … [Read more…]
Children and teenagers, among others, have a very keen sense of justice. Or, perhaps more precisely, they have a very keen sense of injustice; they can be quick to lament “it’s not fair” should they perceive a wrong. “Life’s not fair” is the typical reply. Family life is not fair. Was it fair that Christ, … [Read more…]