In the city of Milan, in the year 386 A.D., a young man named Augustine stood on the precipice of a decision that could change the course of Western history. Raised in the backwaters of the Roman empire, he had made it to the height of society as a speechwriter for the Roman emperor, becoming […]

Read more "“Tomorrow, or Today?” — Sermon for the II Sunday of Advent, A.D. MMXXV"

          [A friend of mine dreads the sermon for the First Sunday of Advent. It’s the most busy and hectic time of the year, and now they’re going to pile something “spiritual” on top of my never ending to-do list! They’ll give us the impossible task of fighting the secular and materialist spirit of Christmas, […]

Read more "Prayer and Child-like Love — Sermon for the I Sunday of Advent, A.D. MMXXV"

            At age 17, Francisco de Borja, son of the wealthy Duke of Gandía, was called to the court of Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor – the most powerful man in the world. His father had obtained for him the prestigious post of chamberlain to Charles’s beloved Queen, Isabel. After twelve […]

Read more "“Meditating on Death” — Sermon for the XXXIII Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXV"

“The temple of God, which you are, is holy.”           The normal Ordinary Time Sundays are interrupted once again today. Last Sunday, it was by the austere commemoration of All Souls. Today, it is a joyful interruption, although one with which we are less familiar. The anniversary of the dedication of the Major Papal, Patriarchal […]

Read more "“Real Belonging” — Sermon for the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, A.D. MMXXV"

            A woman had just died of cancer at age 41. Her son, daughter, and sister were there. I did my best to console them, to bring the light of God’s mercy and love into their sorrow. I had been there before, in the same hospital, perhaps in the same room in the oncology wing, […]

Read more "“Raging Against the Dying of the Light” — Sermon for All Souls, A.D. MMXXV"

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me.” Peter Kreeft is a well-known Catholic apologist who has taught philosophy at Boston College for sixty years. He regularly asks his students to reflect on: “Why would God let you into heaven?” […]

Read more "“Sins can be forgiven?” — Sermon for the XXX Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXV"

“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?”           Our Lord urges us today to persistence and perseverance in prayer. We probably have all experienced times when this kind of faithfulness is difficult, when God does not […]

Read more "“The Rosary and Perseverance in Prayer” — Sermon for the XXIX Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXV"

“Please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD.”           Faith begins in wonder, because faith is nurtured by perseverance, perseverance is nurtured by gratitude, and gratitude begins in wonder. That’s where we ended last Sunday. Today, […]

Read more "“Gratitude, Wonder, and Roots” — Sermon for the XXVIII Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXV"

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”           It is easy to get discouraged hearing these words. Just when we think our faith is small and insignificant, and when the Apostles go the […]

Read more "“Faith Begins in Wonder” — Sermon for the XXVII Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXV"