March 26, 2023 A few minutes ago, in the prayer that opened our time together today, we prayed to be unbound and set free (not to be twisted in spiritual and personal knots). The old burial customs of the ancient peoples wrapped our bodies in strips of cloth. There were no such things as caskets. Continue reading “V Sunday of Lent: “There is more to life! Come out of the tomb.””
Tag Archives: Hope
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus invites us after a shockwave to put our ingenuity to work, to walk through positive possibilities with the help of others who will appear
9/18/22 We have to work. We need a job that is fair and pays well. We need money. We need a career which fulfills our life. We need relationships that complement and fulfill ourselves as human beings. We need values. We set priorities. We need our families and our human relationships. We need to beContinue reading “28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus invites us after a shockwave to put our ingenuity to work, to walk through positive possibilities with the help of others who will appear”
Fifth Sunday of Easter: “Love one another as I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples.”
June 15, 2022 You may or may not have noticed that our Church tradition, both in its Sunday Scripture readings as well as weekdays has featured the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation – during this Easter Season. The Book of Revelation was put together by a very old John, the GospelContinue reading “Fifth Sunday of Easter: “Love one another as I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples.”“
Fifth Sunday of Lent: “Dying once is sufficient…”
April 3, 2022 This is where we begin, this earth; but this is not where we end. While Jesus resuscitates Lazarus for a time, Lazarus will die. The gospels make no mention of Lazarus again. The very first words of Jesus today are: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for theContinue reading “Fifth Sunday of Lent: “Dying once is sufficient…”“
St. Ignatius Church Penance Service: “Help us to love, O God, as you love”
(Editor’s note: This is pure Father Richard Mangini. This is why he is so beloved. Love over fear, every time.) April 2022 I am not a great fan of whipping ourselves to death because we are human beings that fail. I believe that God is always present to us in our lives, in our hearts,Continue reading “St. Ignatius Church Penance Service: “Help us to love, O God, as you love”“
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
January 1, 2022 Growing up in the early 1940s, we were taught more about Mary and devotions to her than we were taught about Jesus – in my catechism classes at least. Over the centuries, our Catholic Church created a goddess-like cult for Mary. She was much more approachable than Jesus, it seemed, and equallyContinue reading “Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God“
Christmas Day: “Christmas is about loving people”
December 25, 2021 Perhaps, you would think that it should be very easy to give a homily on Christmas Day, but it isn’t for a priest. Why? Because there is so much to talk about or because everything is like a distraction and blur. Like we worry over saying something that is meaningful and thatContinue reading “Christmas Day: “Christmas is about loving people”“
II Sunday Advent: Is everything falling apart, or is God creating something new with our help and his inspiration?
December 5, 2021 What is the liturgical year that Fr. Robert keeps talking about – its ending or its beginning? It is a way for us to help focus our spiritual attention, to focus the time that we give to God, a way to deepen our sense of how God is present to us inContinue reading “II Sunday Advent: Is everything falling apart, or is God creating something new with our help and his inspiration?“
33rd Sunday: Finding calm in today’s world
November 14, 2021 Do you remember the 1922 story of Henny Penny, called Chicken Little, who believes the world is coming to end? “The sky is falling!” The phrase features prominently in the story. Actually, the sky is not falling but Chicken Little gets so worked up and believes that it is. So the storyContinue reading “33rd Sunday: Finding calm in today’s world“
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: What Brings Meaning, Joy and Hope to Our Lives?
eaOctober 31, 2021 Same ole, same ole, love God, love your neighbor! Each one of us has “sort of” figured it out for ourselves. Most of us have put some kind of personal limits as to what it means or how far we are willing to go. So, who is God? Is it as simpleContinue reading “31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: What Brings Meaning, Joy and Hope to Our Lives?“
Harvest and Hope 