Fr. David Hogan

Second Sunday in Lent Mother Teresa, was once asked by a reporter in Calcutta, India whether she believed her work with the poor and marginalized was successful. Mother Teresa lovingly responded, "God does not call us to be successful, He calls us to be faithful." The demonstration of Abraham's faithfulness in the book of Genesis, when he was on the verge of sacrificing his own beloved son Isaac,...

First Sunday in Lent This Lent we are once again invited to pay attention to our own desert. We investigate the desert of a society divided morally, politically, and in so many other ways. But we are also aware of a desert which we are called to enter willingly which helps us to open our hearts and our ears to the words of the Lord: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” We are invited once again int...

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time The wedding feast at Cana, in which Jesus turned water into wine, marked the end of his quiet life with Mary his mother, and the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee. Today's Gospel is a beautiful reminder God losing himself for humanity. It is Jesus Christ' thirst for souls that moves him toward fulfilling the will of his Father in heaven. What areas of our li...

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Today's Gospel is quite eventful in the early public ministry of Jesus. The day can be divided into three periods of time in three different places going back to last Sunday's Gospel. Using these events we can translate them to our own environment where Jesus wants to use His love and power to heal and make us whole via our Churches, homes, families, and neighborhoods...

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time New Year's resolutions and the time before lent begins ought to be a time of preparation for change. We seek change because as beings in motion, God willing we are moving towards virtue and away from vice. To achieve our goals though, requires courage and an understanding of resistance.  In today's Gospel Jesus' authority to remove the demon from a man takes center s...

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Our readings today remind us of something that is central in our life of faith, and that is the necessity for conversion. Repentance was preached by Jonah to the people of Nineveh when their actions and lives were displeasing to God. Jesus proclaimed this message as well at the beginning of his ministry according to the gospel of Mark. “This is the time of fulfillment...

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Common wisdom suggests that words are unimportant, that deeds are what really matter. Actions are important, but our experience teaches us that words are, too.  After spending some time with Jesus, Andrew goes and finds his brother, Peter, and tells him, “We have found the Messiah.” And because of Andrew’s words, Peter leaves everything behind and follows Christ.  Be...

The Epiphany of the Lord The Magi evoke the importance of alertness in the spiritual life. We must keep our eyes open to God's hand in the world and respond. The Magi come bearing three gifts: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Gold is symbolic of Christ the King. Frankincense is used for worship in the Temple, and Myrrh a perfume, was used to anoint dead bodies. Whether the Magi were wise men from th...