Homily for the Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 26, 2021
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Fort Worth, Texas
1 Samuel 1: 20-22, 24-28
Psalm 84: 2-3, 5-6, 9-10
1 John 3: 1-2, 21-24
Luke 2: 41-52
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Church offers us this feast on the first Sunday immediately after Christmas because this mystery of family life is so important and very much essential to the mission of redemption of humanity given to Jesus by His Father in Heaven — a mission that He further entrusts to all of us as the Church to proclaim and to bring to fulfillment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom we first receive at Baptism.
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Homily for the Nativity of the Lord
Mass at Midnight
December 25, 2021
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Fort Worth, Texas
Isaiah 9: 1-6
Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
Titus 2: 11-14
Luke 2: 1-14
We listened moments ago to Saint Paul’s Epistle to Titus, “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.”
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Vespers for Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Seminarians of the Diocese of Fort Worth
December 20, 2021
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Fort Worth, Texas
Luke 18:8
“When the Son of Man comes to earth, do you think that he will find faith in men’s hearts?” This is the antiphon for the Canticle from the Epistle to the Ephesians that we have just prayed in our vespers. This question is asked by Jesus of His disciples in the Gospel of Luke. It is recorded at the end of His parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge.
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Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 19, 2021
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
Keller, Texas
Micah 5: 1-4a
Psalm 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10: 5-10
Luke 1:39-45
We began the season of Advent by listening to the words of Jesus that speak of the last things that are imminent signs before His second coming at the end of the world. “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Homily for the Third Saturday of Advent
Mass for the Saint John Paul II Shepherd’s Guild
December 18, 2021
St. Patrick Cathedral
Fort Worth, Texas
Jeremiah 23:5-8
Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19
Matthew 1:18-25
In Sacred Scripture, we see several instances where God chooses to reveal Himself and His plan for salvation through the dreams of human beings as visions of light amidst the cloudy darkness of the night: Joseph and his coat of many colors, the call of Samuel, the prophet Daniel, and in our Gospel today, Saint Joseph the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus.
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Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2021
St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church
Mansfield, Texas
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:10-18
Three groups of people ask John the Baptist the practical question about what they should do to prepare the way of the Lord for the coming of the promised Messiah. John addresses each of these groups specifically. His first response is to the crowd. He instructs them, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” His second instruction is to the tax collectors who are Jews but work as bureaucrats for the Roman Empire: “Stop collecting more than what is proscribed.” His third admonition is addressed to the Gentile soldiers of the Roman Empire: “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
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Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 8, 2021
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Fort Worth, Texas
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38
The Liturgy of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception takes us to the beginning of human history when original innocence was lost by our first parents through the sin of Adam induced by the temptation of the serpent and the collaboration of Eve.
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Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent
December 5, 2021
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Arlington, Texas
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6
We have just proclaimed the Gospel that reveals that “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
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Life on the Chrism Trail 
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