Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
In the Sunday Gospel, the Lord Jesus speaks of crosses and crowns. The apostles have only crowns in mind, but Jesus knows the price of the crown. So, He must teach them and us that crowns—the things we value most—come only through the cross. It may help to review the context of this Gospel. Jesus …
Continue reading “No Cross, No Crown – A Homily for the the 29th Sunday of the Year”
In this Sunday’s Gospel there is a certain tension between legitimate freedom and truths we must insist upon. We also have a lot to learn in sorting out friends and foes. I. Foe or Friend? – The text begins, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we …
Continue reading “Of Friends and Foes: A Homily for the 26th Sunday of the Year”
Many often think of exorcism only in relation to driving out demons from possessed people using ancient prayers. But, truth be told, we all have afflictions, oppressions, temptations and other negative thoughts and drives that are influenced by demons. Such influences may be direct and personal, but there are also sources of error and negativity …
The Gospel this Sunday amounts to a summons to faith by Jesus. He is summoning us to faith in Himself and in the truth He proclaims about His presence in the Holy Eucharist. Last week’s Gospel ended with Jesus declaring that He was the bread come down from Heaven. This Sunday’s Gospel opens with His …
Continue reading “Believe What Jesus Says – A Homily for the 19th Sunday of the Year”
All of the readings in this Sunday’s Mass speak of human desire. In the first reading, the Israelites in the desert are hungry, so are the people by the lakeside with Jesus in the Gospel reading, and in the Epistle, St. Paul warns of deceitful desires. In all these passages, God teaches us that our …
The readings at daily Mass this week are from Exodus and say that Moses wore a veil to cover the afterglow of God radiating from his face. In most traditional Catholic settings, we think of the veil as something a woman wears as a sign of traditional modesty. In this sense most of us consider …
Continue reading “What Is the Significance of the Veil Moses Wore?”
The Gospel this Sunday speaks to us of the priority of personal prayer. In last week’s Gospel, Jesus sent the apostles out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom. Now they return, eager to report their progress and the graces they encountered. As Jesus listens, He urges them (perhaps because they are so overjoyed) to …
Continue reading “Four Teachings on Personal Prayer – A Homily for the 16th Sunday of the Year”
One of the biggest reasons why most Christians have difficulty evangelizing effectively is that most lack the requisite freedom and simplicity of life to carry forth the task consistently and coherently. In Sunday’s Gospel, the Lord offers some counsel on what is required for effective evangelization. As we read a Gospel like this, it is …
Continue reading “Five Fundamental Freedoms for the Christian Evangelizer”