Shawn The Baptist - Sunday Scriptures

Why did Jesus take the apostles up Mt. Tabor in the gospel today? Hiking the mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch has given me some ideas.

In today's gospel, Satan offers Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world" if he will worship him. Jesus won't do it... but we often do.

It's Lent. Time to give some stuff up... and add stuff. What do you need to change to get closer to God this Lent?

"Be holy!" ...well that sounds hard. "You're a temple!" ...that just sounds silly. "Be perfect!" ...that sounds impossible. Yet God tells us all three of these things this weekend. It's helpful to know a bit about what the words actually mean in the context of the Bible. Holy - This word actually means "set apart." Israel was specially chosen by God to be set apart, to be specially devoted to him....

God really does expect us to follow the law. More than that, he wants are whole heart. In the end we get what we want, God or not God. So what do you want?

Jesus intends that his Church be visible. He expects that the lives of his followers will help shape the culture. We are to be salt and light.

Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration The following homily was given in the historical town of Emaus at the end of eleven days of pilgrimage through the Holy Land When Jesus was presented in the Temple it was easy for most people to miss it. Simeon and Anna were waiting and rejoiced at his coming, but probably not many others even noticed the return of God to the temple. On the Mount of the Tr...

The following homily was given in the church of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, also near the church of St. Mary Magdalene. This location on the Mount of Olives gives us an opportunity to focus on two parts of evangelization. There is the exterior and then there is the interior. As we look out over the city of Jerusalem, we see where the Temple used to be. It was the center of...

The key to real relationship is the willingness to be vulnerable. No one showed this more than Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

In the opening of the letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul uses the word "to call" four times. Each one says something important for us today.

We don't know much about the magi who visited Jesus in Bethlehem, but today's homily looks at three things we can learn from them.

The Octave of Christmas marks the day Jesus was circumcised and officially received his name. Let's resolve to use it well in the new year.

The Christmas manger scene is so peaceful and beautiful. But it didn't stay that way, and neither will our lives.

In this "Very Kermit Christmas" homily, Fr. Shawn explains why Scrooge is the hero of Christmas and why we really all want to be him.

The Scriptures don't record any word spoken by St. Joseph. But if we understand the gospel like a Jew, they tell us what we need to know.

Are you going through a dark time? This 3rd Sunday of Advent gives us the example of a rose candle to inspire us to keep going.

No one likes road construction. But we don't like potholes either. Today, John the Baptist urges us to fix up our spiritual road.

Today we begin the season of Advent, the time of preparation for Christmas. Today's readings give three essential things on which to focus.

This is the last Sunday of the year... but next week is the first. It's the end, but also the beginning. The last Sunday of Ordinary Time each year is now celebrated as the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. In giving us this feast, the Church is helping to remind us where we are headed. Just as we began this month celebrating all the saints in heavenly glory, so we end November with an...

This week's homily was given to the archdiocesan permanent diaconate aspirants and their families during their weekend of formation. Marriage and the end of the world… the classic combination. While this thought may create some light-hearted jokes among spouses, our readings today take this connection very seriously. As beautiful as marriage is, it’s more of a “coming attraction” preview of not ju...

When there is a job to be done, sometimes we ask for volunteers. "We need an usher... can anybody help?" What usually happens is the same people who volunteer for everything volunteer for one more thing. "Well, if the parish needs something... I'll do it." Those kind of people are amazing. However, a better approach to using all our talents is that people who have a special ability in a certain ar...

Today's gospel parable seems like a classic case of the the "good guy" vs. "the bad guy." Jesus definitely seems to set it up with the Pharisee as an example of "what not to do." Yet, there are some things that I think the Pharisee gets right. There are even some ways that perhaps the tax collector also gets some things wrong. One thing the Pharisee gets right is that he is in fact special. The ch...

In the middle of the 17th century, the first Jesuits came to what is today the United States and Canada. This weekend marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of 8 of these missionaries, known as the North American Martyrs or the Canadian Martyrs. Led by St. Isaac Jogues, and St. John de Brebeuf, they died for the faith from 1642-1649 in what is now Ontario and upstate New York. Today's homily consi...

"How long, O Lord?" This short cry of exasperation is one that is not only well known in Scripture, but well known in every day life as well. When the burdens of life press in and there seems to be little happiness and hope is hard, these words can often be found on our lips. In today's first reading, the prophet Habakkuk is able to sympathize: How long, O LORD?  I cry for help but you do not list...

In today's second reading, St. Paul is writing to St. Timothy, who he has left as bishop in charge of one of his new churches. Not unlike our own times, Timothy was faced with a culture that was not living in a very moral way and was not always open to the Christian message. It would have been easy for Timothy to get discouraged. So, Paul writes a letter of encouragement that we today include amon...