We return this week to Sunday Mass in “Ordinary Time”. The decoration of the church and the priest’s vestments will be in green, and the first reading of the Mass will be connected to the Gospel. This week we might think however that the reading from Kings on Elijah and Elisha contradict the Gospel but that is far from the case, indeed the possible contrast reminds us of a great truth.

 We take up our readings from St Luke today from where we left off before Lent. The disciples have acknowledged that he is, at very least, the Messiah and Jesus has told them that he must suffer and die in Jerusalem. They have reluctantly given at least intellectual assent to this and now Jesus is going to Jerusalem for his death and resurrection. Luke calls this “his time for being taken up”.

Continue reading “Homily – 13th Sunday Ordinary Time (Fr. Smith)” →

Monsignor was supposed to celebrate this mass today, but this would be his fourth mass for the weekend.

And I got back early, so I volunteered to celebrate, but I did not prepare a homily.

And as and as you know, there is nothing more dangerous than an old man without a script.

You weren’t supposed to laugh at that, but I in a sense do have one.

I was up in Cooperstown this morning. a couple who attends mass at the seven – they used, they sit right over there when they’re here.

Continue reading “Homily – Corpus Christi (Fr. Smith)” →

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, referred to as the feast of Corpus Christi. It is also Father’s Day, and it is also June 19th. Three things coming together in one day.

But as we listen to the scripture, I think what we see in the second reading from today is how Paul shares with the people, what has been handed down, what has been passed on from him to others to the community of faith. And it is the recollection of what took place. The Last Supper. Jesus, as part of that Passover meal that he was celebrating with his disciples.

Now he took the bread, blessed it and gave it.

“This is my body” and how he took the wine and gave it and said, “This is my blood.”

In a sense, beginning the tradition of the Eucharist right then and there.

And you might say, well, why? Why was he doing that? What was the implications with his action at that point?

Continue reading “Homily – Corpus Christi (Msgr. LoPinto)” →

Some of the most satisfying experiences of my life have been in community organizing but I must admit that I was never a first-rate organizer.  Nonetheless I was invited to meetings for which, by most measures, I was not qualified to attend. I eventually realized that it was because I had some grounding in Catholic Social Teaching and it was thought important to have it represented, I agree and discovered that what we as Catholics have to offer is that our teachings are based on our understanding of the Trinity. The Trinity affects every aspect of our view of society, but we will only look at two: where do human rights come from and how should they be implemented? But first let us look at why we need to start with Trinity. 

The Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity tells us that all we know of God is that he exists in relationship and that those relationships are sustained by love. “To be” and “to love” are the same. (#1, see below) The Church asks us to look at our own lives, are we not formed by who we love, by our own relationships? The Catholic insight is that because of the Trinity this is not a primarily psychological or sociological insight but a theological and metaphysical one. The universe reflects its creator, and its central reality is that we exist as humans because we can form loving relationships. (#2, see below) 

Continue reading “Most Holy Trinity – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

Today’s gospel reading may sound familiar. It was read the week after Easter. I did not want to repeat myself too much so I reread my homily for that day. This is not for the faint of heart. There was something wrong with it and it was at first hard to define exactly what that was. The interpretation of the scriptures was fine, the examples were good and phrasing acceptable. But then I remembered a quip by the famous British Catholic wit G K Chesterton. When asked by a newspaper to answer the question what is wrong with the world. He answered, “I am what is wrong with the world.’ What is wrong with that homily? I am what was wrong with that homily.

Continue reading “Pentecost – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

We began this week with a senseless killing of a man on a subway many of us use, going to brunch, which many of us do. It continued with the murder of young children and their teachers in a school in Texas. This is after the racially motivated killings in Buffalo the week before and the background violence of the suicides of working-class white men and gay teens of all colors. There is a dispiritingly futile debate on why this is and what can be done. Can we as Christians add something beyond echoing the horror? 

I think we can, and St. John today shows us both what we have to offer and why we may not do it. But before we get to St. John, let us look at St. Paul and then what we mean by love.

Continue reading “7th Sunday of Easter – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

When I made my first will as a young priest, I was asked if I wanted to add a testament. It took a moment to realize that the lawyer wondered if I had any words of wisdom to impart. I did not and alas still do not, but others have both in American history and in the Bible. We have been reading the most famous biblical example for the several weeks at Mass. It is usually called the Farewell Discourse, but it follows the form of a classic testament.  

These were given by a teacher or patriarch to those whom he is leaving behind. It includes the announcement of departure, final instructions, warnings about the future and advice about potential dangers. The most important section was, then, as now, his legacy to those he left behind.  What would comfort and support his family or followers? That was what the disciples were waiting for, and we hear it today. 

Continue reading “Homily – 6th Sunday of Easter (Fr. Smith)” →