Category: HOMILIES

ONE PENTECOST EXPERIENCE

This homily for Pentecost Sunday, based on Acts 2:1-11, was delivered at St. Agnes Church, San Francisco, and is my personal tribute to the late Fr. Jerry Martinson SJ (1942-2017).

Pentecost doesn’t always happen exactly the way it did that first time.

That first Pentecost, the disciples were waiting for the Holy Spirit as they huddled in that upper room, the same room where Jesus had promised to send them his Spirit. But nothing could have prepared them when the Spirit finally showed up in their midst. There was wind and fire and an explosion of languages. It must have been an extraordinary and unforgettable experience! That one event certainly shaped the rest of their lives and defined the history of the Church.

entecost

HOMILIES

THE LORD’S FOOTPRINT

This reflection on the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord is based on Matthew 28:16-20.

There is a special slab of stone found in the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. That rock has been revered by Christians for centuries since it is believed to bear the right footprint of our Lord right before he ascended to heaven (the half bearing the left is housed in a mosque). Hence, its name: the Ascension Rock.

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Tags Ascension, Matthew 28:16-20

HOMILIES

SUPERMAN, BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, ETC.

Post author By [email protected]
Post date May 21, 2017
7 Comments on SUPERMAN, BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, ETC.

This homily is based on John 14:15-21.

Here are names of famous people and characters. Try to guess what they have in common: Clark Kent. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Cinderella. Snow White. Wolverine. James Bond. Frodo Baggins. Luke Skywalker. Santa Claus. Harry Potter. Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort).

superman co

Tags John 14:15-21

HOMILIES

WHOSE ARE WE?

This homily, delivered at the Sta. Maria Catholic Church in Iloilo, is based on John 10:1-

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When you think about it, there are two important questions that we need to answer in our lives. The first question confronts us almost the moment we are born: “Who am I?” As we grow, we grapple to discover our identity and our gifts–what makes each of us unique–or as someone put it, “what makes me me.” But as we do so, we also at the same time shape our selves and our character, making decisions and taking actions that define who we are.

Tags John 10:1-10

HOMILIES

PAST PERFECT

This homily is based on Luke 24:13-35.

There are times in our lives when we think it’s best to pack up and leave. Things have gotten so bad, there seems no hope of recovery. The tunnel we find ourselves going through so long, the flicker of light at its end so dim, that we’re tempted to turn back.

The disciples in today’s Gospel reading have done just that. After the harrowing trauma of seeing their Master snatched away from them and crucified in the most cruel and humiliating fashion, they’ve decided it’s time to pack up and leave Jerusalem.

Tags Luke 24:13-35