Month: August 2020

This homily is based on Matthew 16:21-27.

A few years ago, I watched a film called “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.”  I expected a full-blown horror movie in the tradition of other Exorcist movies, complete with all the scary special effects like 360-degree head turns, shaking beds, and lots of vomiting.  Instead, to my disappointment, with the exception of a few scenes, the movie wasn’t all that scary.  It wasn’t even really a horror movie, strictly speaking, since the scary parts were relegated to flashback scenes.  To my surprise—but pleasant surprise—the film turned out to be a religious movie in disguise; in fact, it turned out to be a deeply moving and spiritual experience.

This reflection is based on Matthew 16:13-20.

In our Gospel reading, our Lord conducts an informal two-item survey of sorts among his disciples. The survey has two similar-sounding but significantly different questions.

The first question is: “Who do people say that I am?” And the second: “Who do you say that I am?”

While the first question immediately elicits responses, the second one leaves the disciples stumped and speechless–until Simon Peter, as usual, blurts out his answer.

This reflection is based on Matthew 15:21-28.

Today’s Gospel story offers us an untypical portrait of Jesus–and an unwelcome one as well. A distressed Canaanite woman approaches the Lord and requests His healing for her sick daughter. “Have pity on me!” she cried out. “My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

This homily is based on Matthew 14:13-21.

Like many of you, once in a while I would lapse into what I call the “quarantine state of mind.” It happens perhaps twice a week when in the midst of all this working from home, I sense them approaching–those pesky questions I’ve tried so hard not to think about all week.

It begins innocently enough: “How much longer will this last?” And then before I know it, the questions turn darker: “So what’s the point? What’s all this for anyway?”