Category Archives: homily

Lesser known legends of St Nicolas

Nikolai was born in Demre, Turkey, formerly known as Myra. Nikolai was born into a wealthy family, but he was orphaned at a young age and raised by monks at a local orphanage. When he came of age, Nikolai travelled … Continue reading

Posted in homily, story | Tagged | Leave a comment

Preaching peace unpeacefully

I preached peace anyway; the peace that passes understanding; the peace with which Jesus leaves us, although he spent a lot of time, too, promising persecution. I worry that this will not be received as good news. Continue reading

Posted in current events, homily, prayer | Leave a comment

Damien and Marianne of Molokai (and Robert Louis Stevenson of Scotland)

Jesus answered, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see:
that the blind see beauty, the lame leap for joy, the deaf are sung lullabies, the lepers are loved, a dead faith finds new life and poor souls have good news brought to them.
And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ Continue reading

Posted in homily | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Liturgy of the Palms and the Passion

Why did Jesus have to die?
Because none of us should be able to say to God, it’s ok for you; you got off easy. Try my life for a change. Or when we do, at least we will know that God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, is right there with us, saying yes, yes my child, I know. Continue reading

Posted in holy days, homily, sermon | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Epiphany: wise gifts

I wonder whether, in the clumsy and hurried packing of a small family with a small child, fleeing for their lives with the essentials and little more, listening over their shoulders for the alarm, the tramp of boots, the metallic … Continue reading

Posted in holy days, homily | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Christmas 2014

On Christmas Eve, we talked about miracles and the veil between heaven and earth rent by angel song and the birth of God, the love of God borne into the world by a baby. The next morning, wondering what to … Continue reading

Posted in holy days, homily | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Eve: love you to Bethlehem and back

There is a tradition that the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is a time for miracles. Beatrix Potter, who wrote the Peter Rabbit books, said that, it is in the old story that all the beasts can talk, … Continue reading

Posted in holy days, homily, sermon | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Healing the holidays homily 2014 edition: holding out on hope

Six months before the Angel Gabriel to earth came down, as the story goes, he was hanging out in Jerusalem, visiting with Zechariah. Zechariah and Elizabeth were much older than Mary – which is not to say that the young … Continue reading

Posted in homily | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poisonous legacies and new tongues

The basic hagiography of Francis Xavier goes something like this: Born in 1506 in the Navarre region of France, Francis met Ignatius of Loyola as a young man, and was greatly influenced by his friendship. Together, with others, they formed … Continue reading

Posted in homily, lectionary reflection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Good Friday 2014

With condolences to all victims of violence and their families. Last Sunday, a short while after the Passion Gospel was ended in churches across the nation, across the world, a man took a shotgun to the parking lot of a … Continue reading

Posted in holy days, homily | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment