Homilies

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Second Sunday of Easter, Year A

Scripture Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47; First Letter of Saint Peter 1:3-9; Gospel According to Saint John 20:19-31 We are still celebrating the Passover of Christ, his Resurrection from the dead, and today the Gospel shows us Christ in the midst of his...

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Each year on the Sunday before Easter, Christians around the world celebrate and commemorate what is traditionally called Palm or Passion Sunday, when we recount the events leading up to the betrayal, crucifixion and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This...

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Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:14-45 It is nearly Palm Sunday and Holy Week, but not quite yet! We are entering the fifth Sunday and week of Lent and the Gospel passage assigned for this Sunday brings us face to face with death, the death of a...

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Fourth Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Readings: First Book of Samuel 16:1-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 The color of the vestments worn today is rose, a reminder for us to rejoice, for we are half way through the Lenten journey and our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The traditional...

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Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Readings: Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1- 8; John 4:5-42 A precious commodity anywhere, and certainly in New Mexico, is water, something many of us perhaps take for granted. For the gift of water, we are always grateful. Saint Francis of Assisi went so far as to call it,...

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Second Sunday of Lent, Year A

Scripture Readings: Book of Genesis 12:1-4; Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy            1:8-10; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 17:1-9 I like to call the second Sunday of Lent “Transfiguration Sunday,” for its focus on that great mystery in the life of Christ...

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First Sunday of Lent, Year A

Scripture Readings: Book of Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Romans 12-19; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 4:1-11 Each year the Church gives us this season of Lent to renew our intention of living more completely for Christ. Lent is a word in English that is related to...

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Ash Wednesday

Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Joel 2:12-18; Second Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Gospel According to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. The readings for Mass today set the tone for the entire season of Lent which we now begin. Keep in mind the word “Lent” comes from the same...

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Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A

Scripture Readings: Book of Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18; First Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48 Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Liturgical Season of Lent, is just three days away. The three Scripture readings given to the Church on this Sunday before Lent offer...

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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Scripture Readings: Book of Sirach 15:15-20; Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 2:6-10; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 5:17-37 Christians believe, rooted in the words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, that Christ came into the world to fulfill the Law and the...

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FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Scripture readings: Isaiah 58:7-10; First Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16 Listening to the scripture lessons for this Sunday, we hear a message that is clearly about being concerned, as followers of Jesus, for the good of others. In our day and age, when money can...

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Time A 

Readings: Isaiah 8:23-9:3; First Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-33 These first Sunday’s of Ordinary Time we are being called to reflect on the beginnings of Jesus' public ministry. In today's Gospel account, John the Baptizer, who had boldly announced the...

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Solemnity of the Epiphany

Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6; Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 2:1-12 The Solemnity of the Epiphany, literally the “manifestation” or “showing” of the Lord Jesus Christ to the nations, is...

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January 1st: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Scripture Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 The shepherds who “went in haste to Bethlehem,” as directed by the angel, can be understood as the whole human race seeking Jesus. The quick response of the shepherds to seek the new-born Lord is the...

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Christmas Midnight Mass

So much can and should be said at Christmas Midnight Mass, but who can say it best and the most eloquently? Not I, I willingly admit. But listening to the many texts, especially from Sacred Scripture during the holy Seasons of Advent and Christmas, I have been struck...

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Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A

Scripture Readings: Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14; Letter to the Romans 1:1-7; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 1:18-24 Christmas Day draws near, just a week from today. People are shopping, cooking, cleaning, sending cards and gifts, and trying to breath a sigh of relief...

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Third Sunday of Advent, Year A

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10; Letter of James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 We are now very close to celebrating the Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity, Christmas Day, on December 25th. The Lord is very near and is coming quickly, as the Liturgy of the Church keeps...

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Second Sunday of Advent, Year A

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12 A fundamental emphasis of the Season of Advent each year is to welcome Jesus, who came in time, who will come at the end of time, and who comes to us every day: in Sacred Scripture, in the Sacraments of...

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An Advent Reflection

We began the holy season of Advent this past Sunday and a new Liturgical Year has begun. The message we will be hearing throughout Advent is this: prepare your hearts, for our God is sending a Savior, Emmanuel, a name which means, God-with-us. The firm conviction that...

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— The Rule of St. Benedict

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