Challenge
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on November 15, 1992
Readings: Malachi 3:19-20; Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21: 5-19
We live with earthquakes, famine, war, and all sorts of tragedies. We needn’t fear the future because we are living in hell already. We also have the ability to bring the Risen Lord into our lives right now. We are not being scared by God by the darkness in our society or lives, but rather, we are told that we, each and every one of us, can bring lightness to the world. We are reminded that life is indeed short, no matter how long we are here on Earth. Time is precious. We must act now to make our lives meaningful, by helping others and bringing God’s light to the world. We are called to bring our deepest passion to the struggle, the struggle for justice and truth in a very cruel and unjust world, without nurturing a personal need for a tangible success. We must trust in God to triumph and to give it meaning. Each moment of our lives is a sacred grace. Our witness counts.
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52
Originally delivered on October 23, 1988
Today, we are asked to consider what God is saying to us in this week’s readings. In this first reading we hear what will be given to the chosen people. Then, the gospel tells of a public healing of a blind man. We must struggle in our imperfection and wrestle with our conscience to try to bring about the kingdom of God in our midst. If we look at the present reality with the vision that God provides in the scriptures, then we will begin to agitate with our imperfect criticism to bring the world more in line with Jesus’s plan for the world. We may be walking in blindness, but we must remember that Jesus is always with us. What do we want Jesus to do for us? Do we want to see?
Baptism of the Lord
Readings: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7; Acts: 10:34-38; Mark 1:7-11
Originally delivered on January 10, 1988
On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Fr. Healy invites us to reflect on what it means to us to be initiated into an exclusive club of some type. What about our initiation into the Church? Indeed, everyone is welcomed into the Body of Christ. To be a member of Christ’s Church, we are called to look outward, embracing our sisters and brothers. To be a Catholic is to be a part of the world. We are called to work to bring the vision of Christ to our world.
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.
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on February 5, 1989
Readings: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8; Corinthians 15:1-11 or 15:3-8,11; Luke 5:1-11
In this week’s Gospel, we hear Jesus tell us to push beyond our security to take a chance on Him and to enter into the work of the Gospel. For each person hearing this message, it is a unique experience. Perhaps god is speaking to us to tithe unto the Lord and to take seriously His challenge to let go of our need for security.
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.
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44
Originally delivered on November 10, 1991
Fr. Healy begins this homily with a family story of his Aunt Kate. In this Gospel from Mark we hear how to live, and not live, a religious life. Indeed, we are called to give, like the widow, from our “substance” rather than just what is comfortable. We are therefore challenged to allow ourselves to respond to human situations not from what is practical, but what our hearts tell us to do. Are we giving from our substance? If so, then we never have to fear how it looks to more practical people. We are already forgiven by God, but are we living as though we’ve heard Jesus’s message that our actions toward our sisters and brothers in need?
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
Originally delivered on October 20, 1991
In today’s homily, Fr. Healy reminds us that the not only does God exist, but that God loves us as we are. Jesus became human, and as it says in the second reading, he was tempted but never sinned, and yet, we are always forgiven. Indeed, Fr. Healy passionately insists that God doesn’t just have love and mercy, but is love and mercy. And yet, we are not able to merely rest on that love because, as we hear in the gospel, we also have a responsibility to care for our sisters and brothers. We are called to let go of earthly things (e.g., money and power) and be servants to others until everyone in the family has a fair share of God’s blessings.
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Wisdom 2:17-20; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37
Originally delivered on September 18, 1988
In this week’s Gospel, we hear that to be first we must be last and be servant to all. We hear today of a massacre in Haiti for the priest, Fr. Aristide, confronted those in power over the obvious injustices. When we say that we walk with Jesus, what are we saying and what does that mean that we will do to stand up for our hurting sisters and brothers? We are reminded that even the disciples argued about who was the greatest among them, just like we can get caught up in our own issues of prestige. And yet, we are called today to put that aside and really follow Jesus in being the servant to everyone. If not by us, then by whom? If not now, when?
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 50: 4-9; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8:27-35
Originally delivered on September 11, 1988
We are asked if we would have liked to be in Peter’s shoes to be the first person to say to Jesus, “You are the Messiah.” But then a few minutes later when Peter when Peter said what being a Messiah meant, he was called Satan. We must each be ready to answer the question about who we think Jesus is. Perhaps we might rephrase the question to be “Why have we gone to church today?” Is it because of Jesus? For comfort, community, or consolation? What about to be challenged and confronted?
Weekly Homilies 