Welcome

 These are text versions of the sermons I have prepared for the Sundays of the calendar year. I am a Catholic priest of the diocese of Gaylord (Michigan), ordained in 1997. 

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Second Sunday of Easter [B]

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  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10). Two of the wit
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Passion Sunday [B]

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  PASSION SUNDAY Because we are in the “B” cycle, this year’s Passion reading will come from the Gospel of St. Mark. Last year, with cycle “A,” we heard St. Matthew’s account. Next year, observing cycle “C,” we will hear from St. Luke. If you are wondering about St. John, we spend time in his Gospel every year, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter. As for Mark, his Gospel bears a resemblance to both Matthew and Luke. These are called the “Synoptic Gospels,” because they appear to be synchronized around a common body of source material. We find plenty in the way of similarities, but we also find peculiarities---elements that are unique to each of the Synoptics. For example, with regard to Mark’s version of the Passion, attention is called to a particular young man who panics as the authorities come to arrest Jesus. He, likewise, very nearly gets apprehended, but they manage only to grip the hem of his tunic. The unnamed disciple slips out of his garment and runs off into the
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