2015 Homilies

PDF Icon Lectionary 2014-2015 – Cycle B

Video thumbnail click to play video of December 6, 2015 - 2nd Advent

December 6, 2015 - 2nd Advent

Luke begin his account with the exact time of John's baptizing. He does this for a reason - he's asserting that it's history (not made up mythology.) The homilist reminds us that it's also a gift from God for which we should be be thankful.

1st Reading: Baruch 5:1-9Psalm: 126 2nd Reading: Phillippians 1:4-6, 8-11Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6
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Video thumbnail click to play video of November 29, 2015 - 1st Advent

November 29, 2015 - 1st Advent

The homilist states that during this season of Advent we will be focusing a what we as individuals and as a community can do to make God's "Kingdom come" We start by being "hopeful". We are a hopeful that the world has a purpose, that God will fulfill His promises, that after 14 billion years, Evolution till recycle itself and give us freedom. We can't count on these things but we can be hopeful.

1st Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16Psalm: Psalm 252nd Reading: 1 Thes. 3:12-4:2Gospel: Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Video thumbnail click to play video of November 22, 2015 - Christ the King

November 22, 2015 - Christ the King

The pastor talks about the archdiocesan "planning process" which is a high-brow assessment of who can be merged, what can be closed, and who can be double staffed. It starts off with a questionnaire. The pastor encourages everyone to complete the questionnaire, either the paper and pencil variety that the ushers handed out during announcement time, or online (those parishes which do not show a sizable group of correspondents are sure to be targeted) - a first step in what promises to be a grueling process.

1st Reading: Daniel 7;13-14Psalm: 932nd Reading: Revellation 1:5-8Gospel: John 18:33-37
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Video thumbnail click to play video of November 15, 2015 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2015 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

It's very close to the end of the liturgical year - when all the gospel writers turn their attention to the "End of the World." This is scary stuff coming from Jesus. But he came into the world preaching the Good News. Now it's our turn to preach the "Good News." What attitude should we take about the End of the World? The homilist suggests we do what Jesus said, "Watch and wait for we know not the hour..." In the meantime we carry on preaching the Good News.

1st Reading: Daniel 12: 1-3Psalm: 16, Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope...2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:1-14,18Gospel: Mark 13: 24-36
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Video thumbnail click to play video of November 8, 2015 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time           \

November 8, 2015 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time \

The story of Peter's mother-in-law. She was sick and Jesus made her well. And she "served" them Sabbath dinner Peter's mother in law is a poor widow - like the one in today's gospel. These two poor widows "got it" - who Jesus was, where he was from, and what His mission is. They are the only two in the whole gospel who "get it." And they serve as bookend to Mark's gospel.

1st Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-26Psalm: 1462nd Reading: Hebrews 10:15-23Gospel: Mark 13:24-36
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Video thumbnail click to play video of November 1, 2015 - All Saint/souls Day

November 1, 2015 - All Saint/souls Day

In the litany, we ask the heroes that have been canonized - as well as our parent, grandparents, and in some cases a spouse or a child - to pray with us and for us. In God's eyes, we are one big family....

1st Reading: Isaiah 25: 6-9Psalm: 272nd Reading: I Cor. 15: 20-28Gospel: John 14:1-7
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Video thumbnail click to play video of October 26, 2015 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 26, 2015 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The closing miracle in Mark - the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man whose faith saved him. This is the exact opposite of the first blind man story that bookends this gospel. In that one, Jesus had to spit on the man TWICE before he regained his sight. In this miracle story, the cure is instantaneous.

1st Reading: Jer. 31:7-9Psalm: 1262nd Reading: Heb. 6:19 to 7:25Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
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Video thumbnail click to play video of October 18, 2015 - 29th Sunday in Ordibary Time

October 18, 2015 - 29th Sunday in Ordibary Time

The end of the public ministry in Mark- Next week we begin the "road to Jerusalem" where Jesus gives up His life life for his followers. Each of the portions of the central ministry are very similar - each has a prediction of the passion, followed by an non-understanding response, followed by some more teaching. The difference between power and authority - "power" says I'm in control, you'll so it my way whereas "authority" says T\this is the way I see it, how can you help me out?

1st Reading: Isaiah 53: 10-11Psalm: 33 2nd Reading: Heb; 4-12 to 5-10Gospel: Mark 10: 32-4 5
Video thumbnail click to play video of October 11, 2015 - 28th Sunday inOrdinary Time

October 11, 2015 - 28th Sunday inOrdinary Time

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  The gospel today is about the rich your man whom Jesus invited to join him.  But the rich your man could not do it; he had too many "things."  How about us?  What "things" come between us and the God who should be above all else?

1st Reading: Wis 7: 7-11Psalm: 902nd Reading: Heb 4: 12-13Gospel: Mark 1-: 17-30
Video thumbnail click to play video of September 27, 2015 - Feast of St. Vincent

September 27, 2015 - Feast of St. Vincent

The Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, our patron.  Incidentally, the pastor is back today from a short hospital stay because of pneumonia.  He is preaching at the 9:30 liturgy while Fr. Ray Martin celebrates mass with us.

1st Reading: Isaiah 45: 4-7Psalm: 852nd Reading: Acts 3: 32-35Gospel: Luke 10: 25-37
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September 20, 2015 - 25 Sunday in Ordinary Time

Catecatical Sunday. This is the day  we celebrate and commissio0n the many adults in the community who undertake to form the y0uth of  our parish.  As an aside, the pastor was taken to the hospital this morning.

1st Reading: Wis 2:12Psalm: 542nd Reading: James 3: 16 - 4: 3Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
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Video thumbnail click to play video of September 6, 2015 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 6, 2015 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Fr. Ray Martin is this morning celebrant while Fr. Lawrence is on vacation.  Isaiah tells us in the first reading "to rely on God" even when everything has been taken from us.  "Rely on God."

1st Reading: Is 35:4-7Psalm: 1462nd Reading: James 2:1-5Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37
Video thumbnail click to play video of August 16, 2015 - 20th Sunday in  Ordinary Time

August 16, 2015 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The second Sunday of the great Sermon on the Euchrist. It's structured the same as the first verse and it begins and ends wiht the same words only this is about the sacrament whereas last Sunday's was about the Word. The pastor recommends that the congregation use these verses as a "lectio divina" - a good place to start a meditation.

1st Reading: Proverbs 8: 1-6Psalm: Psalm 342nd Reading: Ephesians 5: 15-20Gospel: John 6: 51-58
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Video thumbnail click to play video of August 9, 2015 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 9, 2015 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Theis the first Sunday of the great Sermon on the Eucharist. It is like the next verse - it is structured the same with the same opening and closing words. Only this is about the Word and the strength we can draw from it.

1st Reading: 1 Kings 19; 4-8Psalm: Psalm 342nd Reading: Ephesians 4: 30-5: 2Gospel: John 6: 41-51
Video thumbnail click to play video of July 26, 2015 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 26, 2015 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

It is the Sunday after vacation Bible School - a "Kid's lit Sunday." The Children enact the gospel - which is from John, the story of feeding the 5,000 with two fish and 5 barley loaves and collecting the left-overs in 12 wicker baskets. In ordinary thinking, we would call this a miracle. The homilist says, according to John, this is not a miracle, but a "sign."

1st Reading: 2 Kings 4: 42-44Psalm: 1452nd Reading: Eph. 4: 1-6Gospel: John 6: 1-22
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Video thumbnail click to play video of July 19, 2015 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 19, 2015 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The gospel is the opening of John's gospel "In the beginning was the Word..." which shows to ALL creation came with the Word. The first reading is the covenant with Noah, the FIRST covenant, before the covenant with Abraham and the great covenant with Moses. We can embrace this covenant or turns our backs on it. We alone, as the conscious part of Creation, can trash this planet like no other species. The Holy Father, in his recent Encyclical, "Laudato Si", says "Stop that!"

Video thumbnail click to play video of July 12, 2015 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 12, 2015 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

"We're all in this together." The homilist recommends that you find a duck, a fish, some part of nature - and watch it. Slow down the hectic pace we are living and it will tell you that we are all praising God who is loving us all into creation.

1st Reading: Amos 7: 12-15Psalm: Psalm 982nd Reading: Eph. 1: 1-23Gospel: Mark 6: 1
Video thumbnail click to play video of June 28, 2015 - 13 Sunday in Ordinary time

June 28, 2015 - 13 Sunday in Ordinary time

†he homilist choose to preach on the first reading - from the book of Wisdom which was written in Greek around 150 years before Christ (the "Appocrypha", books written in Greek, are on the left side of the tabernacle in Our Altar bible). It is an attempt to reconcile Jewish theology with Greek philosophy which was language and the reasoning of culture in those days. This particular passage deals with Death.

1st Reading: Wis. 1:13-15: 2: 22-24Psalm: 302nd Reading: 01 Cor. 8: 9:13-15 Gospel: Mark 5: 21-43
Video thumbnail click to play video of June 21, 2015 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 21, 2015 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Encyclical Sunday. The much-anticipated Encyclical on the Environment (Laudato Si') by Pope Francis was released this week. The pastor spends this homily praising the work and encouraging his listener to READ it- all 65 pages of it (it's on our website - www.stvchurch.org). According to the pastor (who has read the document) The Pope lapses into poetry on occasion as well as science (the document was thoroughly vetted by scientists before it was published.) It's not a "Summer read" - it's a do it NOW!

1st Reading: job. 38: 1, 8-11Psalm: 1072nd Reading: 1 Cor 5: 14-17 Gospel: Mark 4: 35-41
Video thumbnail click to play video of June 7, 2015 - Corpus Christi

June 7, 2015 - Corpus Christi

The Body and Blood of Christ - the last of the post Easter-season feasts. According to some contemporary theologians Christ's Body is becoming the whole of creation - the whole universe is heading to an omega point.

1st Reading: Exodus 24: 3-888Psalm: 1162nd Reading: Heb 9: 11-15Gospel: Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26
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