Traversing Emmaus

Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church (evening Mass), Gladstone, Qld.

"One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small room on the roof, and put him a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp; whenever he comes to us he can rest there.’ One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay down. He said to his servant Gehazi, ‘Call our Shunammitess. Tell her this: This time next year... you will hold a son in your arms.’ (cf. 2 Kings 4).

"For it is you, O Lord, who are the glory of their strength; by your favour it is that our might is exalted; for our ruler is in the keeping of the Lord; our king in the keeping of the Holy One of Israel." (cf. Ps 89).

"Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus." (cf. Rom 6).

"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘... Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward. If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’..." (cf. Mt 10).

Artwork: an image of Jesus inviting his followers to the way of the Cross, generated using the Wonder app.

Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Mt Larcom, Qld.

"One day when he came, he retired to the upper room and lay down. He said to his servant Gehazi, ‘Call our Shunammitess. Tell her this: “Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us, what can we do for you? Is there anything you would like said for you to the king or to the commander of the army?”’ But she replied, ‘I live with my own people about me.’ ‘What can be done for her then?’ he asked. Gehazi answered, ‘Well, she has no son and her husband is old.’ Elisha said, ‘Call her.’" (cf. 2 Kings 4).

"Happy the people who acclaim such a king, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who find their joy every day in your name, who make your justice the source of their bliss." (cf. Ps 89).

"... we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again." (cf. Rom 6).

"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.'..." (cf. Mt 10).

Artwork: "Crucifixion and Saints" by Annibale Carracci, (c. 1583).

Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in St Peter Chanel Church, Tannum Sands, Qld.

"One day as Elisha was on his way to Shunem, a woman of rank who lived there pressed him to stay and eat there. After this he always broke his journey for a meal when he passed that way. She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God. Let us build him a small room on the roof, and put him a bed in it, and a table and chair and lamp; whenever he comes to us he can rest there.’..." (cf. 2 Kings 4).

"I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens." (cf. Ps 89).

"When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death..." (cf. Rom 6).

"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.'...." (cf. Mt 10).

Artwork: "Cena in Emmaus" by Pontormo, (cf. 1525).

Homily for the First Martyrs of the See of Rome, on the 100th Birthday of a good friend named Frank, delivered in the Chapel of St Vincent's Aged Care, Bardon, Brisbane, Qld.

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to him, '... I will make a Covenant between myself and you. You on your part shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation...' Abraham bowed to the ground, and he laughed..." (cf. Gen 17).

"See how the Lord blesses those who fear him... May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life!" (cf. Ps 128).

"After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.’" (Mt 8:1-4).

Artwork: "Departure of Abraham for Canaan" by Francesco da Ponte, (c. 1510-15).

Homily for Wednesda in the Twelft  Week in Ordinary Time, delivered in the Star of the Sea Parish Office Chapel, Gladstone, Qld.

"It happened that the word of the Lord was spoken to Abram in a vision, ‘Have no fear, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great... Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants’ he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified... Now as the sun was setting Abram fell into a deep sleep, and terror seized him; the sun had set and darkness had fallen..." (cf. Gen 15:1-18).

"Be proud of his holy name, let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice. Consider the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face." (cf. Ps 105).

"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.’" (Mt 7:15-20).

Artwork: an icon of Saint Irenaeus, by Χρήστος Ν. Λιόνδας, (20th Century).

Homily for Tuesday in the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, delivered in the Star of the Sea Parish Office Chapel, Gladstone, Qld.

"Abram was a very rich man, with livestock, silver and gold. Lot, who was travelling with Abram, had flocks and cattle of his own, and tents too. The land was not sufficient to accommodate them both at once, for they had too many possessions to be able to live together... Lot chose all the Jordan plain for himself and moved off eastwards. Thus they parted company: Abram settled in the land of Canaan; Lot settled among the towns of the plain, pitching his tents on the outskirts of Sodom." (cf. Gen 13).

"The just will live in the presence of the Lord." (Ps 15).

"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces. So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’" (cf. Mt 7:6-14).

Artwork: an image of Saints Cyril of Alexandria and Teresa of Avila, generated using the Wonder app.

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered (at the evening Mass) in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"Jeremiah said: the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me see... for I have committed my cause to you." (cf. Jer 20:10).

"Lord, in your great love, answer me." (cf. Ps 69).

"Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift." (cf. Rom 5).

"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell... if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’" (cf. Mt 10).

Image: an image a master at prayer, generated using the Wonder app.

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered (at the morning Mass) in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld.

"Jeremiah said: I hear so many disparaging me, ‘“Terror from every side!” Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall, ‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we will master him and take our revenge!’ But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me see... for I have committed my cause to you." (cf. Jer 20:10).

"It is for you that I suffer taunts, that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons. I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me. This is my prayer to you, my prayer for your favour. In your great love, answer me, O God, with your help that never fails: Lord, answer, for your love is kind; in your compassion, turn towards me. The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. Let the heavens and the earth give him praise, the sea and all its living creatures." (cf. Ps 69).

"Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned." (cf. Rom 5).

"Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows." (cf. Mt 10).

Image: an image of many sitting round a table discussing faith, "being synodal", generated using the Wonder app.

Homily for four the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, delivered for the community of St John the Baptist Primary Catholic School, Gladstone, Qld.

"Islands, listen to me, pay attention, remotest peoples. The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name. He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified...'" (cf. Is 49).

"For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation." (cf. Ps 139).

"To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John..." (cf. Acts 13).

"The time came for Elizabeth to have her child... and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy. Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished... All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered." (cf. Lk 1).

Artwork: an icon of Saint John the Baptist surrounded by saints and angels and fellow Christians on the way, generated using the Wonder App.

Homily for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, delivered in St Mary's Church, Ubobo, Qld.

"You yourselves have seen what I did with the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own for all the earth is mine. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation." (cf. Ex 19).

"Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock." (cf. Ps 100).

"Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God..." (cf. Rom 5).

"These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge." (cf. Mt 9-10).

Artwork: an image of a priest and a pastor discussing Scripture in heaven amongst the sheep, generated using the Wonder app.