Tag: Creation

Francis

A homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 4, 2026 (but mostly to wrap up the Season of Creation)

Isaiah 5:1-7, Philippians 4:6-9, Matthew 21:33-43

Important information to start: The kittens in the photo are not our cats. I don’t have a group shot of our three, with their vastly divergent personalities. We’ll discuss them shortly.

Also important: Today’s passages from Scripture remind us that inviting our sisters and brothers to a closer relationship with our Creator God is a career, not a job; a marathon, not a sprint. And every single one of us is called to that vocation, using all of our unique God-given skills and talents and creativity to succeed.

Now, here’s the main Big Deal, since we’re speaking of our Creator God:

Continue reading Francis

Points to ponder

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.

Continue reading Points to ponder

Family, a Prayer

A homily (sort of) for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 16, 2026

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7, Romans 11:13-15, 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28

I have a confession to make. Two, actually.

First, this may qualify more as a sermon or as a ponderance or as a freestanding prayer than as a homily for this weekend. I’m sharing what I remember of what I hope was a meaningful contribution to an ecumenical Day of Prayer, and these words may not be directly reflective of the Scripture passages cited in the links above.

Second confession: I failed Show and Tell.

Kindergarten, first grade, second … either I had an interesting item to show the class but no great story to tell, or I tried to hype a dull item with a fantastic story. I never found the balance way back then, which is why I never use props when I preach or lead prayers.

Except for today. Today, at the Tinton Falls Community Day of Prayer, I used a prop.

Continue reading Family, a Prayer

Gray matter

A homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 26, 2026

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, Romans 8:28-30, Matthew 13:44-52

If we count all the noses in the world, we discover that there are 8.3 billion-with-a-B people on Earth. Here in the USA, we make up almost 350 million members of our human family. We’re quite a crowd.

Every one of the 8.3 billion of us — North and South Americans, Africans, Europeans, Asians, Australians and even Antarcticans — has a brain. It’s been that way for tens of thousands of years, maybe even millions.

That’s quite a gift. Thank you, God!

Continue reading Gray matter

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

 

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

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

On our way

A homily for the First Sunday of Lent, February 22, 2026

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11

“Are we there yet?”

Talk about four words that can send chills up and down a parent’s spine.

And then there was the silly song version, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? No, we’re not! No, we’re not!”

Which was almost always followed by the driver of the minivan or SUV hollering, “If you don’t stop that racket, I’m gonna turn this car around!”

Because whenever we go somewhere, our minds are usually focused on where we’ve come from or where we’re going, not on the journey itself.

Lent is a journey.

Continue reading On our way

Affirmative

A homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 15, 2026

Sirach 15:15-20, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37

In 1982, First Lady Nancy Reagan started a nationwide anti-addiction campaign with a simple name and simple objective: Just Say No to Drugs.  It was a powerful message about the horrific damage illicit substances were causing, especially among young people.

Just Say No could easily have been considered the Eleventh Commandment.

But Just Say No is only a halfway measure. It urges people who care about themselves and the people who love them to turn away from harm, but then what?

What is the Yes we should be saying?

We have one answer as of this coming Wednesday.

Continue reading Affirmative

It

A homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 18, 2026

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, John 1:29-34

It.

In the entertainment business notably, but in almost every endeavor, some people have It.

“It” is the essentially undefinable but immediately recognizable quality that makes certain people stand out in a crowd, almost as if they have permanent spotlights bathing them.

In other words, we know It when we see It.

Continue reading It