Readings: Wisdom2: 12,17-20; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37 Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler In the Gospel, Mark often portrays the disciples as slow. And dense. Today, Jesus is speaking about his upcoming death. For the second time. And they’re arguing about who among them is the greatest! When asked later about it, they are too embarrassed to say. Yet, if we’re honest,… read more →
Readings: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 8: 7,9,13-15; Mark 5:21-43Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan-Hetzler In the first of our beautiful readings today, Wisdom tells us, “God created all things that they might have being, and the creatures of the world are wholesome…” God is present in all of creation. And we are invited to… read more →
Readings: Acts 3:13-15,17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler Today’s gospel begins: “The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way…” Whoa! On the way? To where? And what took place? Like many of the Scripture passages excerpted for Mass, this statement needs context. Clopas and another disciple… read more →
Readings: Jonah 3:1-5,10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31;Mark 1:14-20Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler There is an urgency in all of our readings today, isn’t there? Jonah preaches “Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.” Paul writes “the time is running out…the world in its present form is passing away.” And, just before calling his… read more →
Readings: Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler How many of us are looking forward to the end of this pandemic? To returning to some semblance of normalcy? And it’s taking too long, isn’t it? Many of us have pandemic fatigue. Tempted to let our guard down. We weren’t… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28Click here to download a PDF of this homily.Click here to watch a video of this homily.Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler Two lines struck a chord with me as I reflected on our readings. The first was ,“Maintain justice and do what is right.” Isaiah is urging the Israelites to be sure everyone… read more →
Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36b-41; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler “I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” That line jumped out at me as I reflected on today’s readings. Abundant life. Isn’t that what we all long for? Especially in the midst of this… read more →
Readings: Sirach 15:15-20; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler “If you choose,” Sirach says, “you can keep the commandments…to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.” St. Paul says we are called to choose to live, not according to the wisdom of this age, but according to… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6a,10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler “Rejoice in the Lord always! And again, I say, rejoice!” Do the words of this Sunday’s entrance prayer seem a bit incongruous in light of the times we live in? How must the Israelites have felt, receiving Isaiah’s message? They had… read more →
Readings: Exodus 32:7-11,13-14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32Click here to download a PDF of this homily. Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler My first reaction to today’s Scriptures was that our God is a God of second chances! We were invited last week to choose to follow Jesus. To embrace costly discipleship. Today, our readings all reveal the costly love of our… read more →