We in Brooklyn Heights are experts in nonverbal communication. Living here requires communicating with dogs and babies. After 5 years on Sidney place, I am proud to say that I have mastered puppy and infant and progressing nicely with dog and toddler. It is amazing how effectively both groups can express basic instincts most particularly hunger without saying a word. A dog will look at you with the saddest eyes and an infant after a few warning signs will start crying. As we emerge from Covid we have seen that many people have discovered that they are hungry but are not certain for what and don’t have the language to express it. Luckily, St John wishes to teach us this language.

Continue reading “18th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

The section from Mark’s Gospel last week brought us up to the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. This week we continue this story, but we switch to St. John’s gospel. St. Mark is the shortest gospel and in order to have readings until the end of the year we need to supplement them with St. John for this month. This is the easiest place to do this. The multiplication of the loaves and the fish is the one miracle which can be found in all 4 gospels. That itself is very important. None of the gospel writers could conceive of the church without the Eucharist. We need to ask ourselves this month: can we? 

Continue reading “17th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

Many of us hear the scriptures only at Mass and thus in relatively short sections. The Sunday gospel readings are designed to be heard over a 3-year cycle it is often difficult to see how one weeks reading relates to the former or next passage or indeed the entire Gospel. This is particularly true with Mark, and we will need to locate where today’s reading falls in his gospel to see how to bring it to life in today’s world. 

Last week Jesus sent his disciples on mission. Most of us would have found his timing inauspicious. For several chapters that we read for several weeks Jesus moved from one triumph to another. He cured the sick, cast out demons even raised the dead. He seemed unstoppable but then he went home to Nazareth, and he could do almost nothing. He was rejected by his own people. It was then that he sent out his followers. We will see today that he calls them apostles, Greek for one who is sent. They performed many miracles and preached the good news of repentance and forgiveness. They too seemed unstoppable. 

 Today Jesus stops them. He greets them on their return but before we look at that should remember that the lectionary, the book of the scriptures which we use in church, skips over the story of the death of John the Baptist.  

Continue reading “16th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

Good morning, everyone.

Great joy to be with you here at the 11:15 mass and plus there’s even a greater joy that we get to welcome Sister Lilia, who’s here from the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, who will be speaking to us in a few moments about the important missionary work that she does and give us a window into really the challenges that exist with our brothers and sisters in other places around the world, just taken by the fact that when Jesus gives authority to the disciples or really to anyone, to anyone who is a missionary disciple, it comes with a certain type of cost.

Now, this is kind of a little surprising because usually when we think of people who have authority, they have somehow earned it, meaning that they have the proper amount of education, the proper amount of skills.

They may even have a certain type of social status or financial status that gives them street creds, credibility to have authority over others.

Continue reading “15th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Gribowich)” →

Many Christians believe that if we knew Jesus in the flesh, we would have immediately understood him and believed in him. We would certainly not join the crowd that cried for his execution nor his disciples who abandoned him to the cross. I am not certain about myself, and Mark is skeptical about everyone. Let’s see why. 

We find Jesus today on a roll. Last week we saw him cure the sick and raise the dead. Before that he cast out demons, cleansed lepers and performed a host of other miracles. He taught the first parables and calmed the sea itself. What could stop him? His own people. 

Continue reading “14th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Fr. Smith)” →

The people who seek Jesus out in today’s gospel were surprised to find themselves at Jesus’s feet.

They were there because they were desperate. In that desperation, they would try anything or anyone and give up anything.

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

The first reading in this morning’s liturgy comes from the Book of Job, one of the more interesting and challenging books in the Jewish scripture.

And this selection that we listen to is from a dialog that’s going on between Job and God, has been terribly afflicted as he has lost family, possessions and is in great physical distress.

And so Job questions God as to why these things are happening to him.

Continue reading “12th Sunday Ordinary Time – Homily (Msgr. LoPinto)” →