Surround sound

A homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 28, 2026

2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a, Romans 6:3-4, 8-11, Matthew 10:37-42

A half-century ago, more or less, the music industry had what they thought was a genius idea: quadraphonic stereo. Their engineers devised a way to embed not one but two soundtracks into each side of a vinyl record groove: a main one, intended to be heard from the front speakers, and another, for more depth or richness, to be piped through a set of rear speakers.

Four unique sounds blending harmoniously in our heads.

Critics, or, more accurately, cynics, saw this technology as a scam to sell more amplifiers, speakers and higher-priced albums.

We have only two ears, they argued. Why do we need four channels of sound through four speakers?

After a while, however, consumers like us — led by musicians and filmmakers — couldn’t imagine not having front and rear speakers and subwoofers and headphones and earbuds, with far-off timpani or coyotes howling.

Ah, depth and richness. A spatial experience. From an artist — a source — we embrace, even cherish.

Continue reading Surround sound

Nite lite

A homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 21, 2026

Jeremiah 20:10-13, Romans 5:12-15, Matthew 10:26-33

There’s an interesting — some say controversial — new bedtime routine for parents of little-little ones. Among other names, it’s called “dark rooming,” and some moms and dads are tucking in their babies and toddlers in soundproof, pitch-black rooms.

Absolute silence. Absolutely lightproof. Isolation tanks, without the warm saltwater.

The dark-room believers say this sensory deprivation guarantees a deeper, sounder, dream-filled sleep and teaches their children not to fear the dark.

Perhaps.

Then again, many of us still sleep with night lights. (I raise my hand.)

Continue reading Nite lite

Almost there

A homily for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 14, 2026

Exodus 19:2-6a, Romans 5:6-11, Matthew 9:36—10:8

The other day, a motorcyclist was doing laps around a traffic circle on an older highway that crosses New Jersey’s waist like a belt. He — of course it was a he — zipped around the roundabout at least three times as I approached, and then he zoomed east through a small business district.

I caught up with him about a mile farther as he was lapping another circle. After these jumbo doughnuts, he headed west, as young men are advised to go.

The list of possible reasons for this biker’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is long and indeed wild. A real head-scratcher. What I take away, though, is that his journey was at least as important as his destination. If not more so.

Continue reading Almost there

To have and to hold

A homily for The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), June 7, 2026

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, John 6:51-58

We are tactile people. When we say, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” whatever “it” turns out to be, what we really mean is we’ll use all of our available senses to determine if something is real.

All five senses, if we’re so blessed, and a little bit of imagination, too.

That’s why, in the early days of Amazon.com and other online shops, many of us would visit traditional brick-and-mortar stores first to check out this item or that. To hold it, shake it, listen to it, smell it, maybe try it on for size. And then we’d whip out our smartphones or head home to our computers and order the item for delivery tomorrow for 30 percent less than the other guys were charging.

Because we saw it and felt it, we believed.

Which is why the Eucharist is such an extraordinary gift.

Continue reading To have and to hold

Unto Caesar

A rerun of some homilies for The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, May 31, 2026

Today’s readings: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, John 3:16-18

This weekend, I’m working at the polls for early voting in New Jersey’s 2026 Primary Election. On Friday, I saw a clergyman in Roman collar and cross wearing a John 3:16 cap. It was dually appropriate for casting a ballot and for this weekend’s “brand-name” Gospel.

I’m linking to three homilies from my archive. I’ll post something fresh next weekend.

Peace and blessings!

All in all: https://bill.zapcic.com/all-in-all 

Trio: https://bill.zapcic.com/trio

Proud to profess it: https://bill.zapcic.com/proud-to-profess-it

 

A better idea

A homily for Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026

Readings for the Mass During the Day

Acts 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23

Just for a moment, let’s imagine that today is the first Pentecost, and we are Christ’s disciples, all gathered together.

Which we are.

The Holy Spirit descends on us, and gives us … what? Tongues as of fire floating above our heads? Every one of us who ever learned “stop, drop and roll” would probably do our best to extinguish them before they set our hair on fire.

No, in 2026, we’d have little light bulbs over each of us, those little symbols of — DING! — I’ve just had a brilliant idea.

We’ve just been inspired.

Continue reading A better idea

Into the sunset

A homily for the Ascension of the Lord, May 17, 2026

Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20

When we think about any of our favorite character-driven movies, we realize the endings are almost always the same:

The hero or heroine leaves, or dies, after transforming the lives of the people they spent time with. And those people are sad, convinced they’ll never see that person again, yet glad to have known their friend and mentor.

Sometimes it’s the audience — us — who feel that.

Goodbye, Drs. Henry Jones and Henry Jones Junior. We’ll think of you every time we hear a trumpet play your theme.

Continue reading Into the sunset

Heel and heal

A brief homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 10, 2026

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, 1 Peter 3:15-18, John 14:15-21

Important stuff first:

  • Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and everyone who cares for people the way a mother does. I send you joy and deepest thanks, especially as I miss my long-deceased mom. 
  • Congratulations to the youngsters in our parish and all over the world who received their First Holy Communion this weekend, and throughout the Easter season. May you always feel the love of God at the center of your lives.

• • •

The other day, I heard a promo for an NPR program whose host intended to detail how having strict limits or rules or other constraints can actually enhance creativity.

She pointed to the story about how Dr. Seuss bet publisher Bennett Cerf $50 that he could write a book using a vocabulary of only 50 words. And we all came to like Sam I Am, even if we may disagree about “Green Eggs and Ham.” The meal, not the book.

Continue reading Heel and heal

Service

A homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 3, 2026

Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12

In early June 1973, barely 12 hours after flinging a mortarboard into the air on the lawn at CBA, I was about to wade into a newly dumped pile of steaming asphalt.

“All right, men, let’s git it!” Joe Romeo, the foreman, hollered, and we attacked the hot asphalt with our short-handled square-point shovels.

Within minutes, my new white T-shirt was transparent with sweat and my even newer Sears blue jeans were sliding down my skinny backside. I didn’t notice if my feet were hot in my boots as I danced through the blacktop, pretty much making a mess.

Then I felt a powerful hand yank me by my belt loops and toss me off the pile. “Get outta there,” Romeo growled. I snapped back, “What’s your problem, man? I’m working my ass off!”

He then said the words that shaped the rest of my life:

Continue reading Service

Patience

A homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2026

Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 2:20b-25, John 10:1-10

About 15 years ago, our front lawn was green and lush. For about three weeks. A legitimate showpiece, just begging for us to walk barefoot and let the silky blades tickle our toes. Woohoo! We even sorta-kinda played badminton, until we lost all the birdies.

In the 23 years before that, and in the 15 years since, our postage-stamp-size patch of earth has looked more like the fur on a dog with mange.

So this year, I hired someone to rip out the crabgrass, sprinkle some topsoil and starter fertilizer, and scatter some grass seed. In March. After the snow, but only shortly afterward. Yeah, with all that crazy weather.

Even so, I watered it faithfully according to the landscaper’s instructions.

Ya know that cliché about how boring it is to watch grass grow? It’s even more boring to watch grass not grow.

Continue reading Patience