A homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 27, 2026
Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32
Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Or, in the case of youngsters and other immature people, every action that somebody considers unfair is met with a double dose of pouting and stamping feet.
But what’s most unfair is how some of us view fairness.
A homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 20, 2026
Isaiah 55:6-9, Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a, Matthew 20:1-16a
We’re not always great at reading people’s minds. We miss the cues: the body language, the facial expressions, the eye contact or lack thereof, the tone of voice.
Sometimes someone has to flat-out say it: “Read my lips. No new taxes.” And even then, the message doesn’t always sink in.
All of us are unique, and that means each of us sees and understands life through a unique lens, a unique perspective, filtered through unique memories and experiences that shape that point of view. We may have much in common, but not everything.
Some of us have nothing in common. That’s a fact of life on this big blue marble we call Earth.
So we spend our lives trying to fathom everything around us and within us, and straining to help others to tune into what we see, feel, and think. Our success rates vary.
Then there’s the Mind of God.
A homily for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 13, 2026
Sirach 27:30—28:7, Romans 14:7-9, Matthew 18:21-35
Please also see my reflections on 25 years after 9/11/2001
Today’s Scripture passages prove there are no coincidences with God. If ever the three-year cycle of readings just happened to mesh perfectly with world or national events, this is it.
Today, we hear of unity as children of God, and of the power of and necessity for forgiveness.
Forgiveness…
A homily for September 11, 2026 (the 25th anniversary)
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27, Luke 6:39-42
Do you remember where you were when it happened?
We ask each other this question all the time about the life-changing events we’ve experienced … and, often, which we’ve shared.
What did you think and feel when Kennedy was assassinated? When Armstrong walked on the Moon? When the Challenger blew up?
On 9/11?
