Month: February 2021

February 28, 2021

This weekend I am serving the Maronite Community in Tequesta, FL

Genesis 22, 1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18 + Psalm 116 + Romans 8, 31-34 + Mark 9, 2-10

As disciples of Jesus Christ today, we are not much different from our apostolic ancestors. We would like to take the short-cut, but the path to glory goes over this hell of Calvary. Those who choose the will of God over their own will have no way of escaping the humiliation of service, the sufferings of love, and the death not only the death to self-will, but the reality of death for our bodies which may sometimes come painfully and slowly. Yet, we can and must find hope as Jesus did at that moment. … more »

February 21, 2021 At St. Peter & St. William Churches in Naples, FL

Genesis 9, 8-15 + Psalm 25 + 1 Peter 3, 18-22 + Mark 1, 12-15

It was the very first week of February when I spent a full day with this Gospel text preparing for this moment. I gave some serious thought to speaking before the Gospel rather than at his usual time, but I thought it might get everybody confused and then distracted. It would have been my way of trying to hear these verses without the influence of Matthew and Luke. They give all kinds of details about the desert experience with powerful images and dialogue between Jesus and the devil. … more »

February 17, 2021 At St. Peter & St. William Churches in Naples, FL

Joel 2, 12-18 + Psalm 51 + 2 Corinthians 5, 20 – 6, 2 + Mark 6, 1-6, 16-18

Using a word that has its origins in the vocabulary of theater, “mask”,Jesus warns us against being hypocrites.In simpler terms, he tells us to take off our masks so that there is no difference between the inside and the outside. With these ashes today, we turn our lives inside out, and what is hidden inside comes to the surface.

What all of us find inside is a lot of debris. It needs to be cleaned out allowing the mercy of God to find a place that is too often crowded with guilt, resentment, and sometimes, anger. … more »

February 14, 2021 At St. Peter & St. William Churches in Naples, FL

Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46 + Psalm 32 + 1 Corinthians 10, 31-11,1

Mark 1, 40-45

There are two things to remember as we listen to this Gospel with open hearts, because Jesus has something to say to us today. We have to remember that people in the days when Jesus believed in a theology or a system of reward and punishment. It is a system that is quite nice for those who think of themselves as “blessed” because of their privilege, good luck, or good health. It’s not such a good system for anyone who is sick or who has had string of bad luck. … more »

February 7, 2021 At St. Peter & St. William Churches in Naples, FL

Job 7, 1-4, 6-7 + Psalm 147 + 1 Corinthians 9, 16-19, 22-23 + Mark 1, 29-39

There is a characteristic of Jesus that is a unique element as Mark records the ministry of Jesus. It’s that constant fast-paced movement of Jesus and the crowds who are always chasing around after him. Already in just 29 verses of Chapter one, we hear that Jesus needed to sneak away quietly from everyone by getting up early, but even Simon and his companions track him down. One of the reasons he keeps moving on is to escape those people who are after him because he’s become a celebrity. … more »