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2nd Sunday of Easter
Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Peter 1:3-9; John 20:1931
Originally delivered on April 26, 1987
In this week’s Gospel, the Risen Jesus appears to the disciples, but Thomas was not present and only believed when Jesus appeared to Thomas and showed him His wounds. Just like us, Thomas had his doubts. And yet, the words that Thomas proclaimed to Jesus were powerful, “My Lord and my God.” In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear that the apostles provided for one another based on their individual needs. Indeed, we must be there for our brothers and sisters. When we search for the Risen Christ, do we find those in need or are we only aligning ourselves the oppressors? We are, in fact, called to be the sign of the Risen Christ in our deeds. Through all of these trials, like Thomas, we will have our doubts, but we must persist because Jesus will be with us.
Easter
Readings: Genesis: 1:1-2.2; Genesis 22:1-18; Matthew 28:1-10
Originally delivered on April 15, 1990
We are joyful today because the Easter people know that God’s strength and triumph is greater than any death. We will experience and taste death in countless ways, but we will persevere because of our God. We are encouraged to see our Easter blessings even in the depths of our despair.
Passion Sunday
Readings: Isaiah 50: 4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27, 66
Originally delivered on April 8, 1990
How can we understand those that called for Jesus’s death? How are we like them? Like them, do we think that we are doing the right thing? Or do we shrink at the thought of standing up for what we know is right? That is, what are our motivations for what we do? Indeed, part of the human condition perhaps, is that we are not always at our best. But, we must pray to God to be accepting of our human limitations and that we may have more courage to stand up for a cause that makes the world better.
5th Sunday of Lent
5th Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on April 1, 1990
Readings: Ezekial 37: 12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45
In today’s readings, we are reminded that God can restore life. We are reminded that through Jesus, there are no human experiences from which God can’t restore us. He reflects on the life of Sr. Thea Bowman whose example shows us how to answer the call for new life. Furthermore, Fr. Healy reflects on the events in Sri Lanka and South Africa. He urges us to risk our own lives so that life may be more full, more real for our sisters and brothers in our communities and around the world. But first, we must believe.
4th Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 25, 1990
Readings: Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 19-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
If only we could see as Jesus sees. In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the blind man due to his faith. Though he used the example of physical healing, in this reading, we are shown that Jesus has already given us the gift of vision to see the world as God sees. In our own time, we have prophets, such as Archbishop Oscar Romero, who have had the vision, in the depths of their beings, to experience the plight of the poor.
3rd Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 18, 1990
Readings: Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19-26, 39, 40-42
Through Jesus, who offers us the water of eternal life, we are asked to struggle with creation, turning bad things to good, and making deserts into fruitful places by making water available to our thirsty sisters and brothers. In Jesus’ conversation with the Samarian woman, we are given an example of our calling to be involved in and be sensitive to the thirst of others, despite our differences and whatever those differences may be.
2nd Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 11, 1990
Readings: Genesis 12:1-4; Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9
In this week’s Gospel, Peter, James, and John see a glimpse of God’s glory as Jesus was transfigured before them. Sometimes each of us also need to see a glimpse of God to keep us going, doing the work commanded by Jesus to care for our sisters and brothers to bring about His kingdom here on earth for everyone. May we each take a moment to reflect on how we’ve seen Jesus in the work and love of others, but then allow their example to propel us to take action ourselves.
1st Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on February 28, 1993
Readings: Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19; Matthew 4:1-11
We all struggle with a God who is love and mercy who also permits pain, suffering, and evil within His creation. But through Jesus, we know that we are redeemed. In spite of and in the midst of all the meanness, madness, and idiocy of human behavior, we are loved and forgiven for our shortcomings.
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on February 21, 1993
Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48
In this homily, Fr. Healy retells the tragic story of the fire that struck his family’s home and its aftermath for the family. We are reminded that we must always forgive unconditionally. Although this is very difficult, we have examples of parents, including those of Jesus, whose children were killed by others. We are called to forgive just as Mary and Joseph forgave. In today’s readings we are also given encouragement to forgive. In Leviticus, we hear the Lord say to Moses, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God. am holy. You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.” Then, in the second reading, Paul says to the Corinthians that we are temples of a holy God. We are challenged to let go of our hurts so that we might truly forgive.
Epiphany
Originally delivered on January 4, 1987
Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
In this homily on the Feast of the Epiphany, we hear that that most important line from the three readings is “God’s secret plan, as I have briefly described it, was revealed by the Spirit to the holy apostles and prophets. It is no less than this: in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are now co-heirs with the Jews, members of the same body and sharers of the promise through the preaching of the gospel.” As co-heirs, we must ask ourselves if we’ve also accepted the responsibility of sacrificing what we could have to ensure that our sisters and brothers have a place at the table? Welcoming all, but especially the refugees and other foreigners, like the wise men were welcomed by the baby Jesus, is what we are called to do as Christians.
