Cycle C
2nd Sunday of Advent
Originally delivered on December 8, 1991
Readings: Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6,8-11; Luke 3:1-6
We are challenged to let the martyrs in El Salvador to make us wonder how well we receive the Gospel to level the mountains and fill up the valleys. Are we answering the call to our own prophesy? Furthermore, we are reminded that the goal of the prophet is not to always be right, but rather, to be be sincere to our conscience. The words of today’s Gospel should be our encouragement because we will see the glory of our God.
1st Sunday of Advent
Originally delivered on December 1, 1991
Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28,34-36
Today we are reminded that when we gather for Eucharist, we are indeed a family with all that being family entails. On this first Sunday of Advent, we are reminded that we cannot rest, waiting for our Lord, when our sisters and brothers are still hurting.
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on October 12, 1986
Readings: Kings 5:14-17; Paul to Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19
There is no doubt about it — God can cure all human suffering, but His use of power is limited to opportunities to encourage our faith. The Scripture tells us that for the foreigners, God was willing to heal them, in order to help us to increase our faith and believe more in the Lord. We are called to grow in faith each day. We are reminded that in 1986, the similarities between lepresy and AIDS were so evident. Then, and now, we are called to be loving to all people just as Jesus loved the ten lepers in today’s Gospel. Our God is not merciful, but rather God is Mercy. In His image, we are called to bring love and compassion to all those suffering with human afflictions.
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today we hear the homily on the Prodigal Son. In the first reading, we hear of a vindictive God, ready to send fire down to the sinners. But in the Gospel, we hear from Jesus that God is indeed love and mercy. How many times must we hear this parable to let it sink in? How differently might we see ourselves if we trusted Jesus? If we were set free of our self-doubt and fear, how different we would be to our brothers and sisters. Delivered on the eve of the 1992 election, Fr. Healy speaks of the importance of the parable for that time where some were raised up by putting others down. In light of this parable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, how do we rationalize our actions that hurt others?
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on September 6, 1992
Readings: Wisdom 9:13-18; Paul to Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
We are reminded of the importance of reviewing the readings each week in preparation for the anticipated Mass. In the first reading, our plight is defined: how will we ever live our lives so that we are doing God’s will? In the second reading, we hear about Paul and his prudence and in the gospel, we hear of Jesus’s desire for us to be both passionate and practical. Fr. Healy talks about the challenge that we each face in pursuing something passionately, but still with the need to be practical and prudent in doing so. What is God’s will versus our will? That is exactly our struggle.
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on August 2, 1992
Readings: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21
In today’s liturgy, we’re given a standard from Jesus by which to live. While it’s easy to focus on sexual sins, Fr. Healy reminds us that greed, at the expense of our brothers and sisters, is perhaps overlooked as part the standard by which we should live. In the gospel itself, Jesus refuses to get involved as arbiter of a man’s dilemma. Rather, he puts it back on us to figure out when he says, “Avoid greed in all its forms. A man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.” In other words, be dead to things and alive to God, passionate for His people without distinction among our brothers and sisters. We are called to include everyone in the family of God. Indeed, we must struggle within ourselves to determine if we are sharing our riches among our brothers and sisters.
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Genesis: 18:22-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13
Originally delivered on July 30, 1989
In this week’s readings, we hear about Sodom and Gomorrah. Through this story, we learn that we can talk to God, despite our sins. In the today’s Gospel, Jesus says tells us how to pray. Indeed, He wants us to forgive, just as He has forgiven us already. That’s the spirit in which we should pray and the spirit in which we should live. But, we must embrace this in our lives and make the message our own.
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on July 2, 1989
Readings: Kings 19: 16-21, Paul to the Galatians 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9: 51-62
In today’s homily, which begins with Fr. Healy singing an anthem, we hear of an oppressed people that risked everything for freedom. In today’s readings, Paul says that “It was for liberty that Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time! My brothers, remember that you have been given freedom that give free rein to the flesh. Out of love, place yourselves at one another’s service.” And furthermore, it says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Fr. Healy passionately states that this law of love, must triumph all other laws enacted by others. Indeed, this law of freedom and love is both liberating and frightening. Through a series of present-day challenges, we are challenged to view those issues through the lens of love and personal conscience. Our freedom hinges on our faith and responsibility to others.
Weekly Homilies 