Category: Homilies

Essential

A homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 11, 2024

Lv 13:1-2, 44-46, 1 Cor 10:31—11:1, Mk 1:40-45

In the classic 1982 film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the little sister played by Drew Barrymore dresses the tiny alien botanist in a gown and wig and costume jewelry, which startles her brother Elliott. “You should give him his dignity,” Elliott demands of Gertie. “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.”

Dignity was what Jesus gave to the lepers he cleansed, perhaps even more than their restored health and an end to their physical pain. Jesus ended their emotional and spiritual torment as well.

Continue reading Essential

Employment

A homily for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 4, 2024

Jb 7:1-4, 6-7, 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23, Mk 1:29-39

In my first job as a professional journalist, at the now-defunct Daily and Sunday Register in Shrewsbury (better known as the Red Bank Register), I was obliged to do a lot of typing. Sports scores and statistics, mostly. Long, long lists of stats and records. Much of it was on a tweaked IBM Selectric typewriter, modified so my words on legal-size paper could be scanned into a rudimentary computerized typesetting system. 

This was 1978, after all.

I also had the task of tapping the keyboard of a hand-me-down phototypesetting system, sent from The Register’s absentee owners in Toledo. Yes, the hometown of Max Klinger from M*A*S*H. Into that “tube,” I transcribed the wit and wisdom of George Sheehan, The Running Doctor, as well as the results of the thoroughbred races at Monmouth Park.

It was tedious, what a colleague years later would refer to as “chimping.”

A different colleague, though, had a more sanguine outlook: “That’s why they call it ‘work.'”

Continue reading Employment

Organic

A homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 28, 2024

Dt 18:15-20, 1 Cor 7:32-35, Mk 1:21-28

In a few hours, we’ll know if the Kansas City Swifties … I mean, the Kansas City Kelces … I mean, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl.

It’s a telling sign of the times that most of us know more about who’s dating whom than we know about a football team’s rushing and passing statistics. Media of all sorts have made sure we know all about how one player’s brother watched the game without his shirt and then hoisted a cute little girl into the box seats to meet her pop star idol.

Ohhhh, the things we seem to care about…

Continue reading Organic

Caught

A homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 21, 2024

Jon 3:1-5, 10, 1 Cor 7:29-31, Mk 1:14-20

In a “Hägar the Horrible” comic strip, the red-bearded Viking’s son, Hamlet, asks Hägar if he has any words to live by. Yes, his father replies, there are three things to always remember.

“Never apologize.”

“Never explain.” 

Then Hägar pauses and leans closer to Hamlet, who asks, “What’s the third?”

“Don’t get caught!”

Continue reading Caught

Handoff

A homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 14, 2024

1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19, 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20, Jn 1:35-42

Back in 2000, when Haley Joel Osment was younger and cuter, he starred in “Pay It Forward,” a movie based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It’s a change-the-world story based on the notion that, after someone does you a good deed you couldn’t have done for yourself, you must do a similarly large favor for three people, preferably strangers. And, in doing so, you must explain to the mitzvahs’ recipients that they are now obliged to pay it forward as well.

This, in theory if not in practice, would add up to an exponential growth in kindness and justice that could overspread the world.

And even though the movie received mixed-to-negative reviews, the notion — and the phrase — etched a place in our social consciousness.

Continue reading Handoff

Aha

A homily for The Epiphany of the Lord, January 7, 2024

Is 60:1-6, Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6, Mt 2:1-12

In laypeople’s terms, an epiphany is a revelation or a realization, one that sometimes confounds or dumbfounds someone.

At other times, the epiphany provides reassurance or utter joy.

An epiphany is the light bulb going off over somebody’s head, or the forehead smack — duh! — of somebody who’s caught unawares, or the out-of-nowhere guffaws when that one particular friend finally “gets” the ice cream joke.

An epiphany is a confirmation through observation that something we suspected to be true really and truly is.

Continue reading Aha

Legendary

A homily for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, December 31, 2023

Sir 3:2-6, 12-14, Col 3:12-17, Lk 2:22-40

I am the oldest of the six sons of William J. Zapcic MD and Julia M. McCosker Zapcic RN, who, as family legend tells it, met in an operating room during a Caesarian section. 

The first four of us arrived in brisk sequence; we all know the impolite term for siblings close in age. And all six of us are unique individuals, united by ancestry and gene pool more than by shared interests. Nonetheless, our love runs deep.

Continue reading Legendary

Countdown

A homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 24, 2023

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, Rom 16:25-27, Lk 1:26-38

Continue reading Countdown

Next exit

A homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, December 17, 2023

Is 61:1-2A, 10-11, 1 Thes 5:16-24, Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

From 1959 until 1976, I lived in a split-level development house whose backyard butted up against a berm that shielded us from the Garden State Parkway. The yard, in fact, was more hill than flat, which is why my brothers and I spent more time climbing trees than playing some sort of ball sport.

Any time Dad drove us anywhere besides beautiful downtown Lincroft or La Côte Rouge, he usually opted to take the Parkway. These were the days of Stay Alive on Route 35, and back then, Dad almost didn’t. The 25-cent toll was a pittance to pay.

Besides safety and speed, the Parkway provided one other advantage: signage. By watching for the magic number of 109, my brothers and I knew all by ourselves that we were almost home. 

No need for any “Are we there yet?” whines.

Continue reading Next exit

Inching forward

A homily for the Second Sunday of Advent, December 10, 2023

Is 40:1-5, 9-11, 2 Pt 3:8-14, Mk 1:1-8

I’m spoiled, and on this particular subject, doubly so.

Having lived at the Jersey Shore essentially all my life, I’ve rarely sat in the kind of summer weekend traffic that transforms the Garden State Parkway into the Garden State Parking Lot. And our family weekend getaways in the summers of my youth were to the Kittatinny Mountains in Northwest Jersey (yes, both are real…), so we traveled opposite the Shore traffic both ways, 5 mph over the speed limit while they motored at about 6 mph. As in only 6 mph.

Continue reading Inching forward