If I ever meet St. Peter after I die, I want to ask him a question. “What was it like to walk on water? Is it like walking on jello, or do you feel like a buoy marker? What is it like to walk on water during a storm with waves? What do you do?...

The post Gospel-Homily for Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Before I was ordained, I made a retreat. Let me introduce you to the staff. The first priest was a recovering alcoholic. They didn’t know what to do with him so they stuck him in the retreat house. The second priest on staff suffered burnout from years of ministry. All he wanted to do was...

The post Gospel-Homily for Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

We All Have Pearls, But Do We Have One of Great Value? My mother has been gone for over 15 years. I wonder what it would be like if I could have her back for a whole day. I would show her all my pearls. I would take out my I-phone and show her all...

The post Gospel-Homily for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Good line to remember during hard times: “I’m Sticking with It.” During the Boston sports championship run, I approached one of our seminarians from New York and asked him how the Knicks were doing. He let out a painful moan. Then I asked about the New York Giants. He told me that they only won...

The post Gospel-Homily for Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

I have a modest vegetable garden in pots on the roof, including seven tomato plants, some parsley, basil, and peppers. The plants talk to me. Not with words, of course, but by revealing their struggles to me. When I see a few yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant, it tells me it needs...

The post Gospel-Homily for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

“Yard By Yard, Life Is Hard. Inch By Inch, Life’s A Cinch” My cousin and I were on a roof job together. My uncle, who was on top of the roof, yelled down for us to start bringing up the roof shingles. I reached down and shouldered an 80lb bundle and started up the two-storied...

The post Gospel-Homily for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The Magic of the Heart. A doctor told the parents that their child would be born with permanent defects and recommended termination. The parents came to me for advice. I told them that there would be sacrifices. Yet, I am not sure how or why it works, but when you open your home and heart...

The post Gospel-Homily for Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Our family cat was the most cantankerous pet I ever saw. I would try to get its attention and say, “Here, kitty, kitty, just want to say hi,” and it would bolt. I think I know where she got her bad disposition. My mother used to pick up the cat, give it a bear hug,...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Election. Check it out–no money, no training, and no degree from Harvard Medical School, and the 12 Apostles are to go out and cure the sick. How is that possible? They were elected–chosen by the Lord. Let’s say you were elected to be the mayor of the city. Immediately, you will have an office, a...

The post Gospel-Homily for Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Annuals or perennials: that is the question. I always planted annuals because they are beautiful and they flower all summer. The problem with them is that they die at the end of the season, so you have to go to Home Depot or a nursery to buy a whole new batch and replant them. It...

The post Gospel-Homily for Solemnity of The Body and Blood of Christ (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.