by Fr. Bob Glynn, S.J.

I’ve noticed that Father Xavier does something rather clever. It’s too clever for me. But I’m going to take a little riff on this, which is he gives you the takeaway at the end of Mass. I’m just so happy I’m almost at the end of Mass that I would never think of this. But I’m going to give you one word to remember at the beginning of the homily, all the way through so that you remember the homily. So this is a very important word. I want you to listen carefully. The word is Albania. All right. Now please keep that in mind.

by Fr. Xavier Lavagetto, O.P.

They were on the shores of the Galilee. Plenty of open spaces, yet they stood side by side, cheek by jowl. They were literally “pressing on” Jesus. No wonder Jesus commandeered a boat to sit and speak. It’s hard to talk, harder yet to be heard if you’re being mobbed.

“Isn’t This God’s Son? God’s Daughter?”
by Fr. Dominic DeLay, O.P.

Isn’t it baffling how quickly Jesus’ hometown goes from amazed to murderous? I’m not surprised they get upset after he insults them and tells them he wasn’t sent for them. But there’s something that happens between their amazement and his insult: They say, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

by Fr. Bob Glynn, S.J.

At the height of the pandemic—I don’t think we’re at the height of it right now—but at what I thought was the height of it, when we had closed the university, and I was still doing, you know, my ministry from home remotely and I put together sort of a, a routine for myself because otherwise I feared what I might do with the day.

by Fr. Xavier Lavagetto, O.P.

Can you see “the eternal within the everyday?” (K. Rahner) Can you read between the lines of everyday goodness and beauty, and catch a glimpse of God’s kingdom? … Now that is really seeing!

“Merry Baptism”
by Fr. Dominic DeLay, O.P.

Are you confused that we’re still celebrating Christmas? And that we’re doing it with an adult Jesus, celebrating his baptism? Actually, the church has a long history of also celebrating Jesus’ water to wine miracle at the wedding at Cana as part of Christmas. His birth, the visit of the magi, Jesus’ baptism, and his action at Cana are all manifestations or epiphanies or theophanies of God.

by Fr. Bob Glynn, S.J.

Six years ago, I was seated in the provincial’s office in Los Gatos, California, the Jesuit provincial. The good thing was, I was not in trouble. The thing that was going to happen was I was going for my last stint in Africa. And I knew that they would be my final two years. And so we were just going to talk about maybe what might be ahead.

“Meet me at Mary’s Place”
by Deacon John Kerrigan

Bruce Springsteen’s album “The Rising” appeared on the scene just about twenty years ago. Its theme: the 2001 September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Springsteen hoped that his songs might capture the enormity of what had happened to the people of this country and begin to heal their grief.

“A Spiritual Infrastructure Proposal”
by Fr. Dominic DeLay, O.P.

Are you impressed with the list of dignitaries: the emperor Tiberius Caesar, the governor Pontius Pilate, King Herod and his fellow tetrarchs Philip and Lysanias, and the high priests Annas and Caiaphas?

by Fr. Xavier Lavagetto, O.P.

Pilate must have thought he had entered fantasyland. He represented the might and the majesty, the power and the glory of Rome, and before him stood Jesus alone, abandoned and bloodied. Pilate knew he sounded absurd when he asked: “Are you the King of the Jews?”…