Category: HOMILIES

This homily is based on Matthew 13:1-23.

Reading the familiar Parable of the Sower this morning reminded me of one of the last Tears for Fears songs.  It’s called “Sowing the Seeds of Love.”  Written by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the song was No. 8 in the Billboard Charts in 1989.  Some critics claim the song is a rip-off of “I Am A Walrus,” but most do acknowledge it as a tribute to the Beatles.

As in other TFF songs, the lyrics are not easy to understand, but the refrain is a dead giveaway:  “Sowing the seeds of love.  Anything is possible when you’re sowing the seeds of love…”

This homily is based on Matthew 11:25-30.

The words of our Lord today is a loud and clear invitation to me:

“Dethrone yourself!” he tells me.

It’s a tough invitation. It’s simply against our DNA to “dethrone ourselves.” We all have a need for honor and social approval. The only problem is, sometimes we get carried away, and honor and social approval become addictive drugs, and before we know it, we find in ourselves a black hole for affirmation and approval.

This homily is based on Matthew 10:37-42.

This morning while praying over the Gospel, a line I’ve become so familiar with took on a slightly different meaning.

“Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

This homily is based on Matthew 10:26-33 for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There used to be a time when the question you’re asked is: “How is your self-worth?” Now, I suspect, the more relevant question is: “How is your selfie-worth?”

Today’s Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus reminds us how much more seriously God takes something we take so much for granted:  what it means to “take flesh,” to “wear skin.”  Sometimes, especially when our bodies fail us, we can’t help wishing them away.