Audio recorded at Saint Clement Shrine, Boston, MA USA
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Does God have favorites? If He does, then how do we become one? Here is how. I was returning to the city on a two-lane road. I was on the right side, and the guy in front of me apparently was looking for street parking. When he saw that all the spaces had been taken, he... The post Gospel Homily for Sixth Sunday of Easter (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
We Get to Pick the Flock The book of Jeremiah is one of the longest books in the bible. The reason why is because Jeremiah didn't write it. He had a secretary whose name was Baruch. Jeremiah sent Baruch to the temple to read it to the people. The book it describes the future destruction... The post Gospel Homily for Fifth Sunday of Easter (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
We Get to Pick the Flock. The book of Jeremiah is one of the longest books in the bible. The reason why is because Jeremiah didn't write it. He had a secretary whose name was Baruch. Jeremiah sent Baruch to the temple to read it to the people. The book it describes the future destruction... The post Gospel Homily for Fourth Sunday of Easter (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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The Rule of Thumb. I like the show where a guy brings a Stradivarius violin that he found in his grandmother's attic and wants a few million dollars for it. So, the shop owner brought in an expert to see if it was authentic. So, the expert arrives, examines the wood and structure, and concludes that... The post Gospel-Homily for Palm Sunday (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Opening Day. Who won the Super Bowl 2013? The Baltimore Ravens. I only know that because I looked it up. Does anybody really care who won the Super Bowl in 2013? Does anyone care that Wes Welker of the New England Patriots dropped the ball that same year on a third and long at the... The post Gospel-Homily for Fifth Sunday of Lent (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Why Is He So Nice? If the circulating pump for the heating system decides to break down or blow up in the middle of winter, and you are able to remove its motor without flooding the boiler room, you will take it to Motor City. Behind the counter, you will meet a woman who knows everything... The post Gospel-Homily for Fourth Sunday of Lent (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Be a Gardener. I wanted to plant a garden in our courtyard. So I got a gardening magazine and found a picture of an inner city garden. It was breathtaking to look at. It was a blanket of multiple shades of green with spots of bright orange and purple flowers. I took the picture to... The post Gospel-Homily for Third Sunday of Lent (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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Years ago, I knew a priest with a long gray beard. People referred to him as the Santa Clause priest. He was very inspirational. Soon after I was ordained, I talked to him about my early struggles in the priesthood. For example, when I got yelled at because the youth group got into the bingo... The post Gospel-Homily for First Sunday of Lent (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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We Are Good at Measuring. There I was in the jury deliberation room, holding a 22 caliber for the first time. The other item we had was the judge's instructions. Between the evidence and the law instructions, we were forced to give a guilty verdict of possession. When the verdict was read, the man behind... The post Gospel-Homily for Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Plant Yourself at the Opportune Place Rather than Travel from One Disaster to Another. According to Jeremiah, the prophet, a tree planted near running water will produce much fruit. What does he mean by the analogy? Gabe de Guzman is one of the most sought-after dancers in the industry. The reason is that he adds... The post Gospel-Homily for Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Peter: The Hardest Worker. When I first arrived at Saint Clement, during the weekdays I would work on upgrading the church. On the weekends, I was on-call for the five Longwood Hospitals. After three years, I thought, “I need a life; all I do is work.” So, I took up fly fishing. I was terrible at... The post Gospel-Homily for Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
“Now You Can Let Your Servant Go in Peace.” It appears that Simeon is in a good mood. He offers God a “happy” prayer from someone very content and grateful. This is not the typical prayer that would come out of our mouths. Usually, we ask God to help us with a difficulty or an... The post Gospel-Homily for Feast of The Presentation of The Lord (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Something Big Happens Around Eucharistic Table. One summer when I was in the seminary, I was sent to the Institut Catholique in Paris to learn French. On the first morning, students gathered in a large auditorium, and there, we were divided into smaller class units. Let me introduce to you the nationalities of my classmates.... The post Gospel-Homily for Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Luck or Gift. Does it ever happen that once in a while, you get lucky, and something great happens? Paul, in his letter this week, does not call it luck. He tells us it is because of the Spirit that we are able to do great things. Jeanne Jordan was 47 years old when she... The post Gospel-Homily for Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
How John the Baptist and Jesus Saves: Stoop Down and Untie Sandal Straps. How does John the Baptist baptize? I picture myself arriving in the Jordan with a large crowd, and there I see him for the first time knee deep in the water, wearing camel hair and a leather belt. He looks like a... The post Gospel-Homily for Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Guiding lights Can Only Work in the Dark. I went fly-fishing with my friend in his boat. When it got dark, he asked me to take the wheel and return to the harbor. I asked him where the harbor was. He told me to follow the blinking red light in the far distance. After we tied up... The post Gospel-Homily for Solemnity of the Epiphany (2025) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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The School of Mary. When I graduated from Princeton, I showed my mother the diploma. She was not impressed. She retorted, “I hope you do not turn into one of those smart, no-it-all.” Why would my mother say something like that on the day of my graduation? Years before I went to Princeton, I was... The post Gospel-Homily for Feast of The Holy Family (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Players, Not Fans. What is the first thing you notice when Jesus is born? Accessibility. To put this in perspective, I love to fly fish at Cape Cod. Barnstable Harbor is a favorite spot. It is miles long with very little access to the water. There are “No Parking” signs on every street: “Keep Out,”... The post Gospel-Homily for Christmas Day (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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Consecrated Means Belonging. I love familiarity. That is why I am not fond of upgrades. I cannot even turn on the TV. I grabbed the remote and said, “See, this does not work.” Someone retorted, “Because that is the remote to turn on the AC.” I was the last person to have a flip phone.... The post Gospel-Homily for Fourth Sunday of Advent (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
“I will turn your sorrow into joy.” How exactly does that work? The Bible tells us. Sadness is different from anger. The purpose of anger is to alert you that something is wrong, and it amazingly gives you the energy to fix it. Let's say you walk into the room and find your dog chewing on... The post Gospel-Homily for Third Sunday of Advent (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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Imperfect to Perfect. My sister-in-law told me, “Your brother is the perfect husband.” I said, “Come again?” She said, “No, it is true. He helps with the chores around the house, he remembers our anniversary with flowers, and he spends a lot of time with the kids.” I don't remember a perfect brother. When did... The post Gospel-Homily for Second Sunday of Advent (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Why We Love Deadlines. Deadlines and due dates: we love them. They motivate us to get things done. Christmas has a date. Otherwise, we would be sending out Christmas cards on New Year’s Day. I teach, and I have a due date for their papers. One student passed his paper three weeks after it was due.... The post Gospel-Homily for First Sunday of Advent (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
The Book of Revelation: Giving Christians a Finish Line. The Book of Revelation is a letter to seven churches. The Christians in these churches had something in common. They were all discouraged and beaten down by the evil of the world. They did not feel they were making any impact. So, what do you say... The post Gospel-Homily for Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Hitting the Bullseye Every Time. In the ancient world, archery was very popular. They set up targets and bulls-eyes as a way to measure the accuracy of a shot. Let's say you pull back the bow. Just as you release the arrow, you have a hiccup. The arrow will probably leave the path leading to... The post Gospel-Homily for Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
How to Get Rich: Put Aside A Few Pennies A Day and That For a Long Period of Time. How do you get rich? One expert says, “Buy some land and wait a long time.” Another way to get rich is to save a few pennies every day for a long time. That is what my... The post Gospel-Homily for Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
We Can Get Back What We Lost. When I was eight, my mother brought me to Dunkin' Donuts. We sat at the counter, and I ordered a plain donut. Why would a kid order a plain donut instead of a chocolate-covered one? Because a guy wearing an apron with flour covering his arms had just... The post Gospel-Homily for Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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Waiting to Be Asked. I knew a man who was very close to his wife. He told me that one day, he was fixing the washing machine, and some oil had spilled on the floor. He asked his wife for a rag so he could clean up the mess. The wife said, “I can't give you... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Nineth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
We Belong to Him. Can you say that you have kept the Ten Commandments all your life? Can you say that a bad word never came out of your mouth? You never stretched the truth, and you were never jealous or envious. Can you say you have kept the commandments since your youth? Then, can... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
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How Do You Achieve Greatness, You Don't. It Is Given To You. After I told my girlfriend that I was going to be a priest (which, by the way, did not go over very well), and after I sold my truck, I thought to myself, “If I am going to do this, if I am... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Best Advice: Get Behind Me. Jesus calls Peter Satan. That seems to be a bit harsh. Why does Jesus call Peter, Satan? Not too long ago, Satan had stood in front of Jesus in the desert to tell Him what to do. Imagine telling the Son of God what to do. What did Satan ever... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
Play the Hand You Were Given. After a long day of meetings at a convention, we decided to have a poker tournament in the evening. We passed out the chips, and we sat at tables of five. In the end, only two players were left with chips, and I was one of them. So, let... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
The Greatest Teacher. The most violent movie I ever saw—incinerated bodies pulled from the wreckage, body parts spewed all over the road, organs on the inside of the body now on the outside, blood and gore-filled scenes—the most violent movie I saw was at sixteen and half years old at my first class at A... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
You Are Blessed, So Live Like You Are Blessed. My brother played the trumpet in high school. So, during his midlife crisis, he decided to take the trumpet up again. He connected with a very inspiring teacher. His weekly lessons progressed well, and he is now in three bands and an orchestra. He is also... The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
We Can Now Say We Live to Eat. The ancient Greeks loved to write pithy wisdom sayings to help us get through life. “A stitch in time saves nine;” “Giving is better than receiving;” “We eat to live, not live to eat;” “If we cannot say no to legitimate requests, our “yes” will have no... The post Gospel-Homily for Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.
The Greatest Message from God: I Will Send Some Help. Elijah is the prophet God brought to heaven without the pain of death. Before that happened, Elijah was in the desert, asking God to take his life. Why would he want to die? Because Jezebel, the queen, was very mad at him and had sent... The post Gospel-Homily for Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2024) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.