Fr. David Hogan

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke's Gospel account outlines Jesus description of how the end of the world will come about. Jesus' sobering words offers readers the opportunity to see two differing world views, the world created by man and the world created by God via the story of creation.  Jesus makes it clear we will be martyr's before we become saints. A martyr by definition is a witnes...

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Eschatology is the study of the last four things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell. All Souls Day reminds us of our communion with the dead, those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. As we pray, "Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord," we also entrust ourselves to His Mercy. Now and at the hour of our own death. Script...

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Prayer is the oxygen we need to spiritually live. It is our primary connection with God. In today's Gospel we read about two individuals who enter the temple to pray with different postures of this fundamental reality: the pharisee and the tax collector.  The pharisee left the temple self-justified leading to further self-guilt and self-hatred. Whereas, the tax co...

Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time All three of the Sunday Mass readings have the theme of perseverance. Moses persisting in the fight against the Amalek's, St. Paul in encouraging St. Timothy to remain faithful in teaching and witness both when it's convenient and inconvenient, and the persistent widow in asking for a judgement from an unjust judge. We need to hear them over and over again. Why...

Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time St. Paul in his letter to St. Timothy encourages him to "fan into flame" the gift given him, not to be ashamed of witnessing Christ, and to hold fast to sound teaching. As Catholics we ought not to agree more.  Scripture Readings for October 5, 2025 Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Luke 17:5-10

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time The prophet Amos challenges us to see the suffering around us and respond. He goes on to imply further that indifference to others' suffering is a moral failure. Our Gospel presents the reality of Amos' preaching via the telling of the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Notice both the rich man and Lazarus' eternal destinies are reversed: the rich man had a nam...

Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Having taken to prayer many of the recent incidents of violence in our country, it is painful to see how we as a country do not see one another. Rather, we see political sides, division, and contempt. Though there is much strife, we are never too far gone. Proof of this is found in our Gospel today regarding the unjust steward. May all the Souls of the faithful...

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25). These words of Jesus seem shocking and harsh. Instead, Jesus is using a literary device called hyperbole, that uses extreme exaggeration to create a strong impression or emphasize a point; it’s not...

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time Jerusalem is understood as a spiritual reference to pain, suffering, sorrow, and death. These are all realities people attempt to avoid at all costs. Jesus, having freely taken up His own cross, teaches us that power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, strive to enter through the narrow gate. Scripture Readings August 24, 2025 Isaiah 66:18-21 Psalm 117:1, 2...

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus assures his disciples the peace given to them will be diametrically opposed to the peace the world offers. How can Jesus be both the Prince of Peace who teaches his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. While also in today's Gospel say that He has come to bring not peace but division? Is Jesus contradicting himself? Quite the...

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time An order of Trappist monks whose members live among the Muslim population in northern Africa. As the country is plunged into civil war in the mid-1990s, the men of God must decide whether to stay among the impoverished residents who have been their neighbors, or flee the encroaching fundamentalist terrorists. The situation that unfolds, based on actual events, h...

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time With Jesus in her home, Martha is "anxious and worried" because she fails to see the "one thing" that all her busyness is ordered to: attending to the Lord Jesus Christ. At some point all the success and progress we have made in our lives will be passed on to future generations. Up until we arrive at this important moment, have we filled our life with many things...

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time The movie Nefarious (2023) tells the story on the day of a man’s scheduled execution, a convicted serial killer gets a psychiatric evaluation during which he claims he is a demon, and further claims that before their time is over, the psychiatrist will commit three murders of his own.  In our Gospel for today, the seventy-two disciples whom Jesus sends out to pre...

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles The Miracle of Dunkirk refers to the large-scale evacuation of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk, France, during World War II. Trapped by German forces, over 338,000 British and Allied troops were rescued by a combined effort of the Royal Navy and civilian boats between May 26 and June 4, 1940.  Sts. Peter and St. Paul went on a spiritual rescue mission acro...

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ The phrase Body of Christ was a deliberate chose of words for both the Eucharist and the Church. The Second Vatican Council calls the Church the people of God. The people of God are connected spiritually and invisibly to Christ through the gift of the Eucharist. May there be greater bonds of unity and peace as we recognize the gift of God in...

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity There is a essential link between God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and humanity. St Paul outlines in our second reading today this necessary connection through the language of golden chains. Though there is much to say and can be said about the Most Holy Trinity, one of its greatest attributes is unity. Scripture Reading for June 15, 2025 Proverbs 8:22-31 P...

Ascension of the Lord There can be a temptation to think Jesus' ascension into heaven was his way of distancing himself physically and spiritually from humanity. Instead, Jesus reminds his disciples that he must go otherwise the Paraclete (Holy Spirit) will not come. Our Catholic Christian faith is rooted in the hope of both the Resurrection and the Ascension of the Lord. May the ascended Lord ren...

Sixth Sunday in Easter God is revealed in three stages throughout human history. First, God the Father is revealed in the Old Testament as above His creation. Next, God the Son is revealed in the New Testament by becoming human. Finally, the Holy Spirit is revealed through the Church within the heart of man. Knowing how important this relationship is with the creator of the heavens and the earth,...

Fifth Sunday of Easter Today's Gospel is one of Jesus' last earthly life discourses. He installs a new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you. Love is an act of the will, demonstrating both one's care for another's wellbeing, while also reinforcing one's connection to Jesus as his disciples. Just because life is difficult does not mean we are not living life correctly. As our first rea...

Fourth Sunday in Easter Pope LIV's episcopal motto is "In Illo Uno Unum," which translates to "In the One, we are one". This motto, a Latin phrase taken from St. Augustine's teachings, emphasizes the unity of Christians in Christ.  The fact that we are not one brings scandal. Nonetheless, the pope serves as shepherd over the entire flock. May God bless our new holy father in uniting the world. Scr...

Third Sunday of Easter We are reminded from Acts of the Apostles that we must obey God rather than men. The more a person does so, conforming oneself to Him, friendship will grow from sentimental to self-sacrificing love. It's profound how much God loves His creation. Have you taken the time recently to reflect on this great gift?   Scripture Reading for May 4, 2025 Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 Psalm 30:2,...

Divine Mercy Sunday When did life begin to click for you? Learning and growth is a life long endeavor. God provides avenues of transformation if we are willing to be taught. In today's Gospel we reflect upon St. Thomas' pursuit of faith by encountering the resurrected Christ. Learn how to ask good questions and humbly receive the answers.  Scripture Readings for April 27, 2025 Acts 5:12-16 Psalm 1...

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time The life of St. John Vianney served as a priest in Ars, France for forty-one years. His life modeled after Christ was not just for parish priests, but for all Christians aspiring to lead a holy and virtuous life. One of the many ways he demonstrated Christ's love was by forgiving and loving his enemies. Let us ask for the intercession of St. John Vianney to do the s...

The Presentation of the Lord Today's celebration highlights Jesus' presentation in the Temple. Both Simeon and Anna have been preparing for this moment their entire lives. Simeon and Anna model a similar process, preparation, and purification we as people of faith go through our entire lives. Scripture Readings for February 2, 2025 Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Psalm 24:7-10 Luke 2:22-40  

Third Sunday in Ordinary  Time Jesus is back home in the synagogue where he grew up. Many of the people there were those who knew Him, his father Joseph, and his mother Mary well. Why do the people of Nazareth and all of humanity have a hard time accepting Jesus? Because the God of the universe is closer than we want Him to be. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to procla...