Sacrament of Confirmation

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sacrament of Confirmation

June 23, 2024
Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church
Roanoke, Texas

Job 38:1, 8-11
Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
2nd Corinthians 5:14-17
Mark 4:35-41

Our first reading from the Book of Job presents a dialogue between Job and the Lord God in which the Lord conveys to Job that He, the Lord God, has power over the elements of the sea. The sea carries with it the symbolism of chaos and disorder that randomly disturb human beings. The Lord conveys to Job that He, the Lord, says to the chaos of the sea, “Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled.” In our Gospel, Jesus manifests His Divinity to His disciples by exercising such power over the sea. Yet, Jesus reveals more concerning the nature of the Father’s sovereignty over creation, a sovereignty that belongs also to Jesus as the Son of God.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Confirmation

January 22, 2023
Holy Family of Nazareth Parish
Vernon, TX

1 Kings 3:4-13
Psalm 127
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 5:1-12

The prophecy of Isaiah is meant to be a consolation for the people of Galilee who were conquered by the Assyrians and sent into exile. It expresses hope that God will bring light to their darkness and return them from slavery to freedom. Saint Paul also speaks about the darkness that the Corinthians face, which is their inability to find unity and harmony. They contribute to this darkness by placing their personal opinions above the truth of the faith that unites. They have rejected the Communion and fellowship of the Church and have replaced them with factions and cliques.

Homily for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 21, 2022
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Hillsboro, TX

Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Ephesians 5:21-32
John 6:60-69

When someone asked Jesus if only a few people would be saved, His answer was not immediately very comforting. “Try to come in through the narrow gate; many will try but few will be strong enough.” He says the master of the household doesn’t seem to recognize those who stand outside knocking, even though they had been his companions. And the wailing and grinding of teeth that awaits those outside the door is not a pretty thought. Their love for sin has made them to become unrecognizable to God because they have become what they love: sin.