Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Why be great?

A powerful goal in life is to be great. To be able to say, "I am good at this" regardless of comparison, but with an eye towards real excellence. At the same time, even when we have a goal and have a plan, we all need to be motivated by WHY.

John 2:1-11

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord.

You've been claimed at the lowest point.

The Baptism of the Lord is a mystery. The mystery of how Christ comes into contact with the water...and it does not change Him; He changes it. This is the pattern from this moment on: Christ comes into contact with us, claims us, and changes us.

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord.

There is something powerful about optimism.

Optimistic people are more likely to be risk takers and more likely to have a positive view of life. But optimistic people also have to have something stronger than mere "wishful thinking" to lean on when their own strength runs out.

Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

When we know God's will, we must respond with "yes".

There are truly horrible and troubling things that can happen in each one of our lives. And yet, at every moment, we have the opportunity to respond in faith and love. Our response of trust can be summed up in one word: "Yes".

Luke 2:16-21

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Make it your ambition to live a quiet life.

In a world where so many people live their lives "on display," the Holy Family shows us what it is to live a quiet (and meaningful) life.

Luke 2:41-52

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas).

The one who has gratitude has enough.

At the moment we get to stand before the Lord face to face, what will the automatic and overwhelming response be? Will it be a word of love? Of contrition? Or will it be two words that summarize everything that could be said to the God who has used everything to get us ready to stand before Him?

John 1:1-18

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Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

I'm not going to fear what I don't know, I am going to trust who I do know.

We can wait in excitement and joy...we can also wait in fear. We fear the dark and might fear death for the same reason: the unknown. We can fear the unknown in the afterlife and we can fear the unknown of our own inner life. God's mercy leads us to a place of trust.

Luke 1:39-45

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Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent.

How can we see the Lord face to face til we have faces?

We tell ourselves so many stories. Some of these stories are true and some of them are not. One challenge we have is to tell true stories...about ourselves and about the Lord. In order to be able to see the Lord face to face, we will need to know ourselves and some before God as our true selves.

Luke 3:10-18

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Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

God will bring the work He has begun to completion.

We can do so many things in the Christian life that are important. But if we miss the most important aspect of following Christ, our lives will be incomplete. We are called to love...and yet we do not have it in us to be able to love the way we need to. Thankfully, God meets us in our need and our lack and supplies us with all we need.

Luke 3:1-6

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Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

We are made to see the Lord face to face...but are we ready for that?

Advent is a time to prepare to see the Lord face to face. We are preparing to have the ability to stand before the Lord. But we often find ourselves reluctant to be seen because we are afflicted and affected by shame. How do we move forward and allow the Lord to deal with our shame?

Luke 21:25-28, 34-36