At the heart of Jesus' instructions to his disciples about "fraternal correction" is the fundamental reality that if they are to nurture to maturity the infant church following his return to the Father, then they must understand the profound communion that binds them to him and one another. Without that communion, they would be just another "fraternal organization".  

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community, Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Peter goes from "hero" to "zero" in just six verses! Last Sunday, he proclaimed Jesus as messiah and Son of God and this Sunday he remonstrates with Jesus not to follow the way of suffering and death his Father has given to him. Peter clearly hits a major nerve in Jesus, causing him to snap at Peter: "Get behind me, Satan!" It is not so difficult to identify just what that nerve is and why in that moment, Peter was a satan for Jesus. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community, Cuenca, Ecuador. 

"Who am I?" is one of the preeminent questions young people ask themsleves as they work their way through adolescence and young adulthood. It is a question that Jesus would never have thought to ask himself for his identity was clear in his own mind and heart. But he does ask it of his disciples who are still working through what they believe and know of Jesus. Simon's bold answer is what Jesus needs to anoint him as the "Rock", Petrus, of the church that will carry on his mission after he returns to the Father. As did the early church, so we too continue to hold tight to this Rock and its ministry of unity and true faith. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecudador.

"A Canaanite woman" is all we know about the extraordinary person who engages Jesus in today's gospel story. Those few words tell us a lot about her and why she receives what seems to be a cool reception from Jesus and his disciples. In reality, she turns out to be a model of great love and great faith. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

No one gets through life without a storm or two. Both the great prophet, Elijah, and Jesus' lead apostle, Simon Peter, face great storms in today's Liturgy of the Word, but the stoms of nature were only signs of greater storms going on within them. The Lord touches Elija with a gentle breeze and a whisper. Jesus saves Peter with that same whisper made flesh as he extends his hand to the sinking Peter. And so it is with the Lord; he speaks to us and touches us most especially in the greatest storms of our lives. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Today's story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in Matthew's Gospel can lead people to focus on the "math" of the moment: "how did he multiply all that?". But the full story leads us away from an abracadabra moment to something much deeper: beginning with the death of John the Baptist and continuing through Jesus' return to the desert to his profound compassion for the hunger and thirst of the great crowd that has come to him, this is a story of self-giving love. It is a Eucharist story. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

The very mention of the name, "Solomon", brings with it an immediate association with the precious gift of wisdom. Young Solomon's request of God for this gift as he takes on the heavy burden of being king after the passing of his father, the great King David, is a surprising, but lovely petition as he asks the Lord God for "an understanding heart." Would we make the same request of the Lord? 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, EC. 

It is a strange expression: "It is all going to hell in a handbasket." Who knows where it comes from or why a "handbasket" is involved, but the pessimism is something we do well understand. When we look at the state of the world with objective eyes, a profound pessimism about our future as a race seems obvious. Yet, the Scriptures today give us an alternative view: not thin optimism nor rose-colored glasses, but a profound hope founded in God's capacity to bend human history towards himself. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

An often-asked question of priests is what is your favorite thing to do as a priest? It is not-so-easy to find an answer because there are so many things priests like doing! One of the most tender things we do is anoint the sick with the simple gestures of laying hands on the ill person and anointing their forehead and palms of their hands with the Oil of the Sick. It is curious that the Gospel reading most often used in the rite is not a healing story, but today's Gospel reading from Matthew. The Church chose wisely in using Jesus' words: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened..." and even more so, "Take my yoke upon you..." Let us reflect a bit on that "yoke" of which Jesus speaks...

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador

How doe one measure the value of a simple glass of water? For most, it costs us less than a penny, but for the thirsty, it's worth is more than all the treasures of the world. As a gift of hospitality to the thirsty, it is a blessing to the recipient and to the giver...a blessing of God. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador.