Father Dave Preaches

Feast of Saint James, Apostle. On this feast of Saint James, Father Dave discusses the Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James, which is a walking pilgrimage through Northern Spain. He points out that the camino is challenging but worth it. Father Dave asks if we are able to live our lives like Saint James and walk in his footsteps. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 7-...

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Dave discusses today's Gospel reading in which the hemorrhaging woman is healed by touching Jesus' cloak. The story of the woman interrupts the narrative of Jairus' daughter needing healing. Father Dave asks why Mark would interrupt the story in this way. He explains that the interruption is the story for us. It is a demonstration that God doesn't only ha...

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Father Dave discusses the Lord's Prayer. In today's Gospel, Jesus references the pagans and their belief system. They believed that their gods did not listen to all of their prayers, so they would have to pray multiple prayers. Jesus tells us not to pray in this way, and to believe that God hears our prayers. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York C...

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Dave considers how powerful our smartphones are to work off of a small chip. He relates this to the parable of faith and the mustard seed the Jesus explains in response to the disciples asking him to increase their faith. We must trust that God will nurture the seed of our faith. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 6-17-18

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle. Father Dave considers how a job description lists a person's duties, and relates this to today's Gospel in which Jesus gives the Apostles a job description as they embark on their mission to preach. He sends them forth to share the faith, just as we are called to go forth today. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 6-11-18

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Father Dave thinks back to a report he wrote in the third grade about aerodynamics. Even though he researched how planes work, he admits that it still remained somewhat of a mystery to him. Father Dave relates this to the mystery of the Holy Trinity. He discusses today's reading in which Matthew claims that disciples worshiped but doubted. We worship, even t...

Seventh Sunday of Easter. Father Dave discusses Jesus' last night before the crucifixion, and highlights Jesus' prayer to the Father to keep us united. Father Dave points out that Jesus did not pray for uniformity, but that we may be one as a community of believers. Father Dave encourages us to remain united, especially in light of the discord in our Church and in our world today, just as Jesus as...

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter. Father Dave reflects on Paul preaching to the Gentiles, and points out that people were not happy about this. But God begins to expand people's minds and hearts. It is important for us to realize that God's ways are not ours, and we must be open to that. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 4-30-18

Fifth Sunday of Easter. Father Dave mentions a study which states that the average American checks their phone 70-80 times per day, nearly every 10 minutes. He relates this to the metaphor of the vine and branch that Jesus uses in the Gospel. The vine is genuine nourishment, but there are certain brances which bear no fruit. We can survive without our phones, and plug into the real source of power...

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter. Father Dave discusses the way in which Saint Paul looks back at history and proclaims how God helped his people. Father Dave points out that this practice is helpful for all of us, and we should look back and see where God clearly acted in our lives, especially during times when we might feel that God is not present. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church,...

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter. Reflecting on the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Father Dave points out the first real controversy among the leaders of the Church. Many believed that in order to be a believer in Christ, you had to be a Jew. Peter had a dream in which he was asked to accompany everyone, including the gentiles. This dream makes Peter ask himself, "Who am I to hinder God...

Monday of the Third Week of Easter. Father Dave reflects on the reading from the Acts of the Apostles in which Steven preaches. The reading states that the people could not resist his wisdom and spirit, and so they were convinced. We must also practice the discipline of channeling the Holy Spirit so that we can reach others as Steven did. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, o...

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter. Father Dave reflects on how the Apostles were told to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. Names are powerful, and the Apostles recognized this and were bold enough to continue to preach in his name. Father Dave encourages us to be as bold as the apostles. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 4-12-18

Thursday in the Octave of Easter. Father Dave points out how we sometimes miss important details in our lives. In the Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection, and they think he is a ghost. This leaves us asking, "how did they miss that?" In our own lives, Jesus continues to reveal himself over and over again, and we must open our eyes and hearts, so as not t...

Monday of Holy Week. Father Dave focuses on the Gospel reading in which Judas complains about the woman using expensive oil to anoint Jesus. While many argue that Judas was saying this out of greed, Father Dave relates this story to our complaints about churches looking expensive. The beauty of the church can draw us in, and it is good to want a beautiful space to worship God. Our faith is what sh...

Monday of the Third Week of Lent. Father Dave discusses the story of Namaan and his healing. Namaan was asked to do something very simple in order to be healed from leprosy, and did not believe it would work because it was such a small task. Father Dave points out that often we look for something big in our spiritual lives, but it is possible that God is asking something simple of us, and we might...