Haiti

2nd Sunday of Advent

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Originally delivered on December 6, 1992

Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

In today’s homily, we are invited to take a mountain view.  We are challenged to go from the comfortable to someplace new from which to gain a new perspective. We hear in the the first reading of Isaiah’s vision of what might be although it seems as if his vision can never happen.  We are reminded that this vision can only be possible after we hear, respond, and commit ourselves to justice among our sisters and brothers. Are we waiting for God or others to do justice before we commit and act for justice?  What if people, because of us, stop dreaming?  Today, we’re invited to go to the mountaintop, get a new perspective, and then bring about a little less injustice in our world through our actions.

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8th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Readings: Sirach 27: 4-7; Corinthians 15: 54-58; Luke 6:39-45

Originally delivered on March 1, 1992

In today’s homily, we are reminded that listening and discerning is a difficult yet unending task that we are called to do.  Of course, we must be wary of liars, or intentional deceivers, but we must also be wary of those that speak untruths, but believe what they espouse.  We must test everything against the divine measure: does this resonate with the message and deeds of the Son of God.  May truth always be the treasure in our heart.

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Originally delivered on February 9, 1992

Readings: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8; Corinthians 15:1-11 or 15:3-8,11; Luke 5:1-11

Although we are not worthy, we are called to be the Good News. In today’s Gospel, we hear that Peter is moved by the power of Jesus and then became a fisher of men and women.  Each of us, although unworthy, are called by God to use our talents in our vocation. We are reminded of the examples of Rep. Mickey Leland and Fr. Antoine Adrien who answered their calls to work towards ending hunger, poverty, and unjust government arrangements.  We are called to speak out and challenge the injustices that we see in our local communities and in the world.  Originally delivered in 1992, the issues of Haiti and healthcare are passionately given to us as examples of injustices that we can do something about.  Ironically, perhaps more than then, these issues and injustices still exist today. We aren’t worthy but we are forever called by Jesus  to do something.

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Originally delivered on January 19, 1992

Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5; Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-12

How will Isaiah’s words, “I will not be silent” propel us into action? In likely his most passionate homily, Fr. Healy reminds us to add our voices on behalf of the poor, especially those in Haiti, to bring about justice. We are reminded in this powerful homily of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s words: “We know through painful experience, that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, but demanded by the oppressed…the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be…”  We are asked to use our unique gifts from God, whatever those gifts might be, to be extremists to ensure that everyone will have a place at the table, making the prophesy of the Gospel come true.  We are each called.  How will we respond to that calling?

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Baptism of the Lord

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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. 

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Originally delivered on July 18, 1993

Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

In the first reading from the book of Wisdom, we are reminded of God’s unconditional forgiveness and compassion for us. How much do we hold onto the hurts that we’ve experienced?  But today, through the infusion of the Holy Spirit, we are asked to let go of these hurts, as God forgives us.  In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to think of people as crops and weeds — the good and bad — and to pour our energy not into pulling weeds.  We should focus on ourselves and let God sort out the wheat from the weeds.  We are called, therefore, to be loving, compassionate, and forgiving as Jesus is to us. We are reminded of the courage of the six Jesuits killed in El Salvador in 1989, the debate of gays in the military, and the situation in Haiti as current events happening in 1993 that challenge us to not judge others lest we, one day, be judged by others to be a weed rather than the wheat.

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2nd Sunday of Easter

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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.

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Easter

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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.

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Pentecost

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Originally delivered on June 7, 1992

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Paul to the Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Fr. Healy reminds us that we have already received the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps not in the wind or the fire, but in the light and life of the diversity of our sisters and brothers.  Indeed, there are people throughout the world waiting for the fire within us to make a difference in their lives.  He reminds us of political events in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Thailand, Cambodia, China, and Haiti where people are waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit.  The message of Pentecost is not to be still and wait for God to save, but rather that we must be fire on the earth.

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5th Sunday of Easter

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Originally delivered on May 17, 1992

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 14: 21-27, Revelation 21:1-5, and John 13:31-33, 34-35

In this week’s Gospel, we hear the story of the Last Supper, and specifically, how Judas missed it because he was too interested in the money that he was to receive for betraying Jesus. At each Eucharist, we are invited by Jesus to dedicate ourselves to others, just as Jesus dedicated Himself to us. We are asked how we are loving our sisters and brothers, just as Jesus loved us.  We are challenged to ask ourselves how are we helping the people of Haiti, what are we doing to stop the continuation of capital punishment, or how we are changing the lives of anyone in need. 

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