Luke 4:1-13 Lynne Smith, OSB February 14, 2016 Walter Wink begins the introduction to his book Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination with this statement: “One of the most pressing questions facing the world today is, How can we oppose evil without creating new evil and being made evil ourselves?” I think this question was lurking behind our national debate over water boarding some years ago. When other countries used water boarding, we called it torture. When our country used it, people said it was a necessary means of obtaining intelligence to stop the evil …
Libby Caes’ Homily from Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Ash Wednesday February 10, 2016 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:10, Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-20 In our world of texting and twitter, and the constant volleys and verbiage of politicians and Presidential candidates…we are invited to something very different and profound We are invited to move beyond the external observances of piety and become mystics, living out our relationship to God in secret. We are invited to store up our treasure in heaven. This past Sunday on the Feast of the Transfiguration Steve Zwettler reminded us that God is knowable; we, too, can have a profound and …
Patti La Cross’s Homily, January 24, 2016
I had to smile recently as I pulled up behind a car with the license plate “In Hs Joy”; I’ve added that to my various mantras and pray it for you this morning. Nehemiah not only describes Ezra as reading the Law of Moses ‘before all who could hear with understanding’, he also actually sites this proclamation at the one place where all could actually hear it! At the Water Gate no one could be denied. Everybody needs clean water to live, as we are recently reminded. With some precision, we heard of an event not too dissimilar …
David McKee’s Homily, January 10, 2016
The Baptism of Jesus January 10, 2016 Isaiah 43: 1-7 Acts: 8:14-17 Luke: 3:15-17, 21-22 This last week, public television broadcast the movie, Particle Fever; a documentary thriller about the building of the Large Hadron Collider. With this gigantic atom smasher, physicists are hoping to confirm the existence of the predicted Higgs Boson; the so-called “god particle,” that is theorized to be the cornerstone of the current “standard model” of the fundamental structure of the universe. Even though I have little real understanding of the science, I was enthralled by the story…couldn’t leave my chair. I was also impressed by …
Rosy Kandathil’s Homily – Christmas Eve: December 24, 2015
“Home” for Christmas Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20 It is good to be home. Home. It’s the place our hearts inevitably turn as we approach this time of year: I’ll be home for Christmas. And on this Christmas Eve, so many have set out (or will set out) for that familiar place called home, surrounded by friends and family. But the meaning of “home” changes as we grow from children into adults. My earliest memories of home conjure up images of a place: my room, my toys, my Christmas tree and presents, my parents and siblings around a …
Steve Zwettler’s Homily from Epiphany, January 3, 2016
Feast of the Epiphany January 3, 2016 Homily Steve Zwettler I do not write my homilies verbatim…….I speak from notes and an outline and allow for the free movement of speech to dominate. The following is a close rendition of my homily for the feast of the Epiphany but it may lose some of its energy going from the spoken word back into the written word. So be it. Once again, welcome and good morning to all of you. It is always so good to pray with you and to celebrate this Eucharist together here at Holy …
Libby Caes’ Homily, December 27, 2015
Sunday after Christmas December 27, 2015 Luke 2:40-52; I Samuel 2:18-20,26; Col.3:12-17 At first hearing, today’s gospel reading seems out of place on the first Sunday after Christmas. Only 2 days ago we were hearing about shepherds and angels. What about the wise men or the flight into Egypt? What about the presentation in the temple? What about the prophecies of Simeon and Anna? We have waited so long for the birth of the Christ child, and it zooms by! Jesus is already 12 years old!! Today’s gospel reading is so down to earth: an adolescent who …
Lynne Smith’s Homily from Christmas Day, December 25, 2015
Christmas Day Homily – 12/25/2015 Lynne Smith, OSB When I was a child on Christmas Eve my family gathered at our crèche to sing Christmas carols before we went to bed. I liked to sit in front of our Christmas crèche in the dark and look at the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. I felt loved and peaceful. I wanted that peace and love to last all year, but I knew even as a child that the world was not all peaceful. Jesus was born in those days long ago, but I only imagined him in heaven in …
Leora Weitzman’s Homily, December 20, 2015
4th Sunday of Advent • 12/20/15 • Leora Weitzman Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-55 Today’s readings are full of comfort and encouragement, a welcome contrast to the not-so-good news heaped on us by the media. This very contrast invites us into a theme present in all three readings, which could be called the theme of the two covenants. I prefer to call them two orders or levels of experience. At the first level, the media have it right. The mighty get mightier, and there is no such thing as mercy or a free lunch. Everything is win-lose, …
Paul Knitter’s Homily, December 6, 2015
Second Sunday of Advent Dec. 6, 2015 – Holy Wisdom Monastery Readings: Malachi 3: 1-4; Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3:1-6 Paul Knitter “WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!” If I had to give a title to the reflections I’m sharing with you this morning, I think it would be: “What are we waiting for?!” I don’t know if it’s the case for many of you, but that’s a question I can’t avoid as I heard the readings for last week and as I pondered the readings I have to preach on today. They’re typical Advent texts, full of promise and hope: …