Homilies

Holy Thursday
March 20. 2008

Tonight we begin a three-day celebration of the Lord’s passover from death to the risen life. These three days are at the center of the entire liturgical year.
Our sacred rituals of this Thursday, Friday and Saturday draw us into the mystery of Christ’s passing over to the risen life. This mystery is not just about Christ’s passing over to a new life. It is also our own mystery of passover.
So it is fitting that we celebrate it carefully and with love.

Palm Sunday
March 16, 2008

Lent is a journey of conversion. This Lent we have journeyed with Jesus into his desert retreat. We followed him to the top of a mountain where we watched him become transfigured in glory. We walked with him to the well where he met the woman, and then to the city where he cured a blind man. Last week we watched while Jesus called the dead Lazarus to come forth from his tomb.

4th Sunday of Lent,
March 9, 2008

The gospel invites us to enter the story, so that the sacred words can touch our hearts. So we must find where we fit into the story, and listen to Jesus speaking personally to each of us.

Where are we in today’s gospel story. We are Lazarus who has died and is buried. There are many ways that we can die and get buried. Besides the death of the body, our heart and spirit can also loose its life and get buried in darkness. Perhaps we find ourselves in a spiritual darkness today by a life of hatred, lies or violence.

Father Tom’s Homily
3rd Sunday of Lent
February 24, 2008

In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus speaks to us with the words, “Come and see.” With these words we are invited into a deeper faith in him.
In the second chapter we accompany Jesus and his disciples to a wedding feast of Cana. As was the custom of Jewish wedding celebrations, Jesus joined with all the guests in the music and dancing. We were among those guests. Jesus changed the water into wine and our ordinary lives into a dancing celebration of our wedded relationship with God.

Father Tom’s Homily
2nd Sunday of Lent
February 17, 2008

Perhaps you have noticed that the official Church has often been on an orthodoxy alert – measuring one’s place in the Kingdom of God by certain verbal formulas.
Granted, theological formulas are important, but correct thinking is not the faith.
Jesus said that God’s Kingdom is not for the clever and powerful, but for simple children.

We often think of our Christian faith as the adherence to a given set of beliefs and rules.

Father Tom’s Homily
1st Sunday of Lent
February 10, 2008

In Matthew’s gospel the story of Jesus’ 40-day retreat in the desert followed by the temptations compares him with Moses, who lead the people on a journey out of slavery to the Promised Land. Jesus is the new Moses who leads us to the Promised Land..
Jesus’ baptism recalls Moses crossing the Red Sea. Jesus’ 40 days in the desert is a reflection of the 40 years Moses and his people spent in the desert.

Ash Wednesday - Homily
February 6, 2008
Father Tom Royer
As we are marked with ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that our
journey is heading toward death, when our bodies turn to ashes. On
Easter we will be washed clean in baptismal waster to remind us that
Christ meets us at death to accompany us on our journey to eternal
life.

Miércoles de Ceniza - Sermón
6 de febrero del 2008
Padre Tom Royer
En el día del Miércoles de Ceniza, la marca de la ceniza en la frente nos
recuerda de nuestra travesía hacia la muerte, cuando el cuerpo se convertirá

Father Tom’s Homily
4th Sunday
February 3, 2008

Jesus’ life and teachings had many puzzling contradictions.
He was himself a contradiction. The gospel story we read on the Feast of the Presentation (Feb 2) tells of the old man Simeon holding Mary’s infant in his arms and prophesying, “He will be a sign that will be contradicted (he will set up a standard that many will attack)” (Luke 2:34)

Father Tom’s Homily
3rd Sunday
January 27, 2008

Today’s gospel begins by telling us that John the Baptist was arrested. Have you ever noticed how many disciples of Jesus were arrested? Not just in Jesus’ time, but throughout the history of the Church. It seems that many of them were outlaws. Jesus himself was arrested, tortured and executed. Being in prison was common among our spiritual ancestors.

2nd Sunday (Remembering Romero)
January 20, 2008

In today’s 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah calls the Messiah, “a light to the nations.” In our 2nd reading, St. Paul says that those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, are called to be holy.” In the gospel reading, John testifies after he has baptized Jesus, that “he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
If we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we are called to be holy (Isaiah) and to be light to others (St. Paul).