Horizon Gazing

Not standing still, always looking forward to the horizons.

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Dirtier Inside than Out

Readings for the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Dirtier Inside than Out

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Sunday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s readings from the USCCB website

Sunday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

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Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Readings from the USCCB Website This is a different kind of feast day, one that commemorates God’s actions ensuring Mary to be conceived without original sin. Usually when we celebrate Saint’s days we celebrate something they did or, quite often, we commemorate the day they were martyred. In this case, we celebrate it nine months before Mary’s birthday on September 8. On December 8, 1854, Pope…

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Are the Vultures Interested?

Are the Vultures Interested?

Sunday homily from the Second Sunday of Advent Readings from the USCCB website Three men got lost while trying to cross the desert. One had a loaf of bread, another a bottle of wine, and the last one had a car door. One of the vultures circling overhead could speak English because of something that happened in another joke, and decided to see what was going on so he could plan his next meal…

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The End of the Year

The End of the Year

Readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Lord of the Universe from the USCCB website: When my mother was still very young, my grandparents lived just outside of New York City and they had some people over for dinner that my grandfather had met at work. They were having drinks after dinner and one of the guests started telling this story of how he’d been on a sales trip way up in the wilds…

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Helping On The Road

Helping On The Road

Readings from the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Full Text: There was a religious man who prayed every day, every night, and went to church at least daily. His next door neighbor, an atheist, never thought of doing such things. However, the atheist had a good life. A good job, and a beautiful wife, healthy children, whereas the religious man’s job was stressful and his wages were low, he longed…

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Does the Light at the End of the tunnel Have a Train Attached?

Does the Light at the End of the tunnel Have a Train Attached?

Readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time from the USCCB website: One of the things I didn’t think about when I started a career in the arts is that I’d be around a lot of artists. This can be kind of fun, sometimes, and, let’s face it, a lot of artists are a little hoo hoo, myself included. It’s really wonderful, though, to see many different people working in different media, all trying to…

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How Much for a Haircut?

How Much for a Haircut?

Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time from the USCCB website: Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Sunday 22nd Week I understand that there are people who cut hair, I think they’re called barbers. I also understand that there are people who visit them regularly. I don’t have such a habit but I understand there are some who do and that talking is part of the charm. I don’t get…

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How Are We Supposed to Fit?

How Are We Supposed to Fit?

Today’s readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time from the USCCB website. Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (August 21) Two couple of weeks ago, I stood up here and told the story about how I spent my internship year here at St. John XXIII. When COVID first came across our world and when I got my orders to go back to our seminary in DC my Mom was upset. Don’t go, she said, you’ll…

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How much is Happiness Worth?

How much is Happiness Worth?

Readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time from the USCCB website: Back early in my misspent youth, right out of high school, I got a job at a rectory actually. No joke, I worked as the weekend secretary for the parish where I was confirmed. AS it so happened, the copier broke, I called, a guy came out to fix it pretty quick which was nice. He poked around the copier for a few minutes then…

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WHo do you love?

WHo do you love?

A homily for the 15th Week in Ordinary Time. Readings from the USCCB website. An old man lived alone in the country. It was Spring and he wanted to dig his tomato garden, as he had done every year, but it was very hard work for the aging man as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was currently in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his…

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Ascension

Our readings from the USCCB website Back during my novice year in seminary, Easter came about as early as it could possibly come.  This meant that Ascension fell in early May and so everything was still in full swing.  Our summer school sessions hadn’t started yet, the more advanced seminarians hadn’t been sent to their summer assignments yet, the semester was winding down fast but it wasn’t…

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Jumping on the Third Rail

Jumping on the Third Rail

In which I jump directly into the current political fracas Readings for the Fourth Week of Easter Approximate text: Now that spring is fully in effect and as I look upon earlier phases of my life as I often do this time of year, I see very clearly that my purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.  Back in my misspent youth there came a day that was just way too pretty to go into work…

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How to Disciple 101

How to Disciple 101

Today’s readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time from the USCCB website 6th Sunday Ordinary Time One of the more fascinating pieces of seminary education was our immersion into the archival material and getting a chance to explore some of the nooks and crannies that are part of our 2000 year old faith. Perhaps the most remarkable story that I remember is the extra-terrestrial encounter at…

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What's Epiphany got to do with Me?

What’s Epiphany got to do with Me?

Readings from the USCCB website It’s very easy in our modern culture to get completely overwhelmed by all that’s happening around us. How do we cope? We all have our own ways. Three men, all but paralyzed by their fears, heard about a wise man at the top of Mt McKinley, in Alaska. This wise man was rumored to be great at helping people find insight into their fears and so off they went. It’s…

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Time for Family

Feast of the Holy Family with readings from the USCCB website Where does the time go? It seems like Jesus was just born yesterday and already he’s 12! They grow up so fast! It’s always amazing to me how much buildup we have to Christmas, it seems to start a couple of days earlier each year, and then, poof! Like a switch, off go the lights, out goes the spirit, and we’re off to the next thing.…

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O Emmanuel

December 23 O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:come to save us, Lord our God! Show yourself to those who have never known you;– let them see your saving work.Let your name be preached to the ends of the earth,– that all may find the way to you.You came first to save the world;– now come again and save those who believe in you.You brought freedom to us by saving us;– continue to save us and…

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