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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Sermon For Trinity Sunday

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  TRINITY SUNDAY [C] We are prepared to observe Trinity Sunday. But are we prepared to go that extra step? Are we prepared to actually celebrate the Trinity? It’s expected of us. But it’s not easy, getting excited about the Trinity. It’s not just a doctrine; it’s something dense; it’s a profound mystery. How do you penetrate the mystery of one God being revealed in a Trinity of three Persons? Perhaps we should begin by picking up a Bible.  Now that your Bible is open, you find yourself being introduced to our God; you’re being introduced to him in the Book of Genesis. You will notice right away that he is a rather busy God. Busy in what way? He’s being an artist. He’s doing what artists typically do: he’s creating. He stands back, he admires his creation, and he pronounces it as “good” (Gen. 1:31). This episode doesn’t resolve all of your questions, but at least it’s a start.  Later on in the Bible, we will arrive at a particular juncture. St. Paul refers to it as “the ...
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Second Sunday of Easter [C]

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  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER [C] The Peter we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. We can say that, after a number of false starts, he is now beginning to blossom. If he comes into contact with you, then you will be able to expect a positive result. In fact, according to the Book of Acts, even if he walks past you, the effect of his shadow will produce a meaningful impact (5:15). If only you could have a St. Peter enter into your life. You’ll be satisfied even if he simply walks on by.  A vagrant finds himself being passed by. He is stationed at a street corner, selling flowers. Some of the pedestrians walk on by, refusing to offer anything in the way of acknowledgement. Others stop long enough to stuff a dollar or two into his donation jar, but they continue on, not bothering to take one of his flowers. The point comes, however, when an actual customer steps forward. It’s a businessman, who opens his wallet, deposits a sum of money, and then picks up one of the flowers. He a...
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16th Sunday of Ordinary Time [B]

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16TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [B] It’s the middle of the night and a baby is crying. Within moments the mother is there, tending to her child. Never mind the fact that the mother was in bed. Never mind the fact that she had put in a long day and was really looking forward to some badly needed rest. This very reasonable desire on her part is being set aside for the sake of a larger priority. She’s being true to her nature. She’s willing to set aside her reasonable desires for the sake of her calling, for the sake of her motherhood. We encounter this phenomenon in “Morning Song,” a poem written by Sylvia Plath. The poem portrays a mother crawling out of bed to comfort her crying child. She does this because it’s all part of the motherhood profile. She’s simply being faithful to her vocation, to her calling.  Notice the sequence of events in this weekend’s Gospel. Jesus and his disciples have been hard at it; they’re feeling the need for some down-time. However, the crowds are proving ...
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