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HOMILIES

WHAT IT TAKES TO TURN ASIDE

burningbush-smThis homily was delivered on 17 July 2013 based on the readings for the day (Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 and Matthew 11:25-27)

I think I had my first religious experience at the age of ten, and it came courtesy of Moses–or more precisely, Charlton Heston in the Cecil de Mille movie “The Ten Commandments.” I still remember the film’s most dramatic scene: Moses, towering over the Israelites, faces the Red Sea, spreads his arms before it, and as the most rousing soundtrack blares, the sky rushes into the waters and before you know it, the waters part, forming a wall on each side and a virtual highway for the fleeing Israelites. Remember this was before the era of Computer Generated Images.

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Xavier School

GRIT

This homily was delivered at the Grade 8 Thanksgiving Mass on 20 March 2013.

Grade 8This is my third graduation homily in a row, so I’m in serious danger of boring myself, so I thought I’d start today by playing a little game with all of you. It’s called “Stand if it’s you. Sit if it’s not.” In other words: If the statement applies to you, stand up. If it doesn’t, remain seated.

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Xavier School

PLUCK + GRIT+ HEART

This homily was delivered at the Thanksgiving Mass for the Grade 7 students on 19 March 2013.

pgh joseph

St. Joseph, whose feast we celebrate today, was a man of few words. For such an important person, we have no idea what he actually said. He left no writing, and the two gospel authors who mention him–Matthew and Luke–do not quote him at all.  As a result, we know very little about him besides his trade, his family tree, and of course, his relationship to Mary and Jesus.

But if we ever found ourselves in the situations he found himself in, I think we would have more than a mouthful! Just think:

He found Mary to be with child, and he was sure the child did not belong to him. And then an angel asked him in a dream to marry her anyway. When they went to Bethlehem and it was time for Mary to give birth to the so-called Son of the Most High, they couldn’t even find any decent room!

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HOMILIES Xavier School

#LifeAfterXS

This homily was delivered at the High School Graduation Mass for XS 2013 on 18 March 2013.

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For the past twelve years, each time I deliver the homily during a Graduation Mass, I have always secretly felt like an unofficial graduation speaker because when you think about it, the homily is really my last chance as the School Director to address the seniors and to give them some parting words of wisdom before we send them off to the world.

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Categories
HOMILIES

CONNECTION AND COMPASSION: KEY TO FORGIVENESS

adult

This homily was delivered at Mary the Queen on 17 March 2013.

Everyone loves a trick question, and today’s gospel reading is one: a trick question that’s also a trap. The scribes and Pharisees think they’ve come up with the perfect trap for the Lord. They drag a woman out into the public square and present to him a dilemma: This woman has been caught in adultery. According to the law of Moses, she should be stoned. What to do?

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