Month: February 2017

This homily is on Matthew 6:24-34.

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus repeats what is probably God’s favorite message in the Bible: “Do not be afraid!”

Think of the times when God showed up for the first time before his prophets–or when He sent His angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation, or to Joseph in his dream, or even to that flock of shepherds on the very first Christmas night.

There are claims that this phrase–or its equivalent–occurs 365 times in the Bible–one for each day of the year!

This homily is based on Matthew 5:38-48.

Did you flinch when you just heard the Lord say, “Love your enemies”? My theory is that, if you didn’t, it’s probably because you didn’t hear what he’s trying to tell us today. Or, you didn’t really think of your enemies.

“Who is my enemy?” you might ask.

This homily is based on Matthew 5:17-37.

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord raises the bar beyond our usual moral comfort zones. It’s not enough that we don’t commit murder, he tells his listeners. Treating others with anger is sin enough. It’s great that we’re not committing adultery, he continues. But the bad news is, just nursing lust in our heart already makes us virtual adulterers.