Inclusion
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on August 5, 1990
Readings: Isaiah 55: 1-3; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21
This week’s Gospel is the famous story of five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. In this account, his disciples suggest that Jesus disperse the crowd of 5,000 because they couldn’t feed them. But Jesus objects and says, “There is no need for them to disperse. Give them something to eat themselves.” All were fed and many of us, over the years, have marveled at the miracle. But in today’s homily, Fr. Healy asks us to consider the possibility that Jesus was showing us that if we share what we have with our brothers and sisters, there will be plenty for all.
6th Sunday of Easter
4th Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on May 6, 1990
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 36-41; Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10
Again today we hear about the Good Shepherd and his sheep. Fr. Healy invites us to wonder why that one sheep might have left the flock. Could the flock have made it impossible to fit in? But in this day’s readings, we hear that Jesus is the gatekeeper. Others do not the have the right to keep some of the sheep out of the flock. Therefore, we have a responsibility to be like Jesus and always welcome others, and perhaps especially, the one sheep that has wondered off because of how the flock treats him or her.
3rd Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on April 25, 1993
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.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 66: 18-21; Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13; Luke 13: 22-30
Originally delivered on August 27, 1989
Fr. Healy begins his homily with a funny story about the Holy Ghost Fathers. He reminds us that in today’s gospel, we are called to see everyone as part of the family of God. This is the vision of Jesus. Everyone is in, especially those that perhaps we would want to count out. Fr. Healy then brings the message to the current time by discussing the issues and laws that seem to count some people out. As followers of Jesus, therefore, we must stand up against those things that hurt our brothers and sisters.
