Fr. Mike Homilies

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. In His final moments on earth, our Rabbi teaches us one of the greatest lessons of Bet Midrash: how do we face the worst possible realities of life? Do we resist reality? Do we avoid addressing what scares us? Or do we do what Jesus did? Do [...]

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Jesus wept. Why does Jesus weep in the face of the death of Lazarus? He weeps to silence the Great Lie. He weeps because He loves. He weeps in order to teach us to weep. Mass Readings from March 26, 2023: Ezra 37:12-14 Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 [...]

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The disciples ask Jesus whose fault it is that the man was born blind. So many of us have a tendency to ask the same question: "Whose fault is this?" While that is a natural question, it is not always a helpful question. There is a better question [...]

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. We are constantly facing the temptation to define people by their group or by their shame. Jesus reveals that, while He knows the group and knows the shame, He sees the person...the individual...and calls them by their name. Mass Readings from March 12, 2023: Exodus 17:3-7 Psalms 95:1-2, [...]

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent. Jesus, the Prototype, reveals His prayer to the Apostles. Every rabbi would teach his disciples how to pray, but Jesus is able to give His disciples something that no other rabbi could offer. Jesus prays as the Beloved Son…Jesus teaches His disciples to pray as beloved children who [...]

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent. We will face trials and temptations throughout our lives. When we follow and study Jesus our rabbi, we learn how to face temptations the way he did. Mass Readings from February 26, 2023: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 Psalms 51:3-6, 12-14 and 17 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11

Homily from Ash Wednesday. There are so many circumstances in life that are beyond our control. We can easily feel powerless as we realize that we cannot control all outcomes. Christ's words in the Gospel might look like giving up, but they are something vastly different...and far more hopeful. Mass Readings from February 19, 2023: [...]

Homily from the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are so many circumstances in life that are beyond our control. We can easily feel powerless as we realize that we cannot control all outcomes. Christ's words in the Gospel might look like giving up, but they are something vastly different...and far more hopeful. Mass Readings [...]

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are so many circumstances that are beyond our control. But no matter the situation, one thing that cannot be taken away from a person made in God's image is the freedom to choose how one responds to those circumstances. Our hearts can be enslaved in any [...]

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. So many of us have a fear of being different. We would prefer to be like everyone else. But we cannot afford to be the same as everyone else. Not because we are better, but because the world needs what Christians have: Jesus Christ. Mass Readings from [...]