Voice In The Wilderness

I kind of feel sorry for the fig tree in today’s gospel. It hasn’t produced any fruit in three years and is about to be cut down, when a compassionate gardener agrees to give it some extra special care. His plan is to cultivate the ground and fertilize it. Driving past a bunch of cows […] The post Homily 407 – Cultivating Curiosity and Trust – 3rd Sunday of Lent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

There are lots of things to be discouraged about these days. Things that aren’t right with the world, our country, our family, and even ourselves. Dealing with discouragement is one of the most important things we can learn in the Christian life. Today’s readings and homily give us some insights. Abraham – If anyone had […] The post Homily 406 – Wait for the Lord – 2nd Sunday of Lent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

Each Sunday we profess to believe in a God who made things “visible and invisible.” We often forget that the saints are invisibly present at every Mass. Another forgotten and often misunderstood group present all around us is the great multitude of invisible angels. How are we to understand or have relationships with angels? At […] The post Homily 405 – Angels Among Us – 1st Sunday of Lent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

Watch your thoughts for they become words, watch your words for they become actions, watch your actions, for they become habits, watch your habits for they become your character, watch your character for it becomes your destiny. I couldn’t remember where I first heard this quote, but it came to my mind as I read […] The post Homily 404 – Listen to Your Heart – 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

“Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?” These are the words of Wind in His Hair to Dances with Wolves in the 1990 movie of that name. These two characters would have had reason to stay enemies. Yet, they manage to overcome the misunderstandings […] The post Homily 403 – The Power of Mercy – 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

This homily was given on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the death of Msgr. Luigi Giovanni Guissani, founder of the Communion and Liberation movement. Msgr. Guissani considered personal experience to play a key role in the life of faith. Tonight’s homily considers the example of St. Peter, his personal encounter with Jesus, and […] The post Homily 402 – Taking the Faith Personally – Communion and Liberation Giussani Anniversary appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

One of the blessings of living in Kansas is that we get all four seasons here. Spring and Fall always seem to be too short, and this winter seems to be giving us an inordinate amount of snowfall, but I’ve come to see the variety of weather in Kansas as a blessing. Sometimes things are […] The post Homily 401 – Blessed Are You – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

I’m used to being asked questions about the faith. I like answering questions. But this last week, I got one that was totally unexpected. I was teaching a class for those who want to become Catholic. A Muslim man was there for the first time and he raised his hand and asked simply, “How did […] The post Homily 400 – The Greatest Story Ever Told – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

In the famous movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his knights come to an ominous confrontation at the Bridge of Death. In order to cross, they must each answer three questions. In today’s homily, I focus on the first two: “What is your name?” and “What is your quest?” Put another […] The post Homily 399 – Your Name and Your Quest – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

In 587 B.C., God allowed his chosen people to be taken into exile in Babylon. They had been spiritually far from him for some time. In exile they learn their lesson and, when their hearts were finally ready to return to God, he also allowed them to return to Jerusalem. In 538 B.C. the Israelites […] The post Homily 398 – Something to Cry About – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

In today’s gospel, Jesus famously turns over 100 gallons of water into wine. This is the first miracle performed by Jesus and one of his most famous. But there’s a little detail that is often overlooked. When Jesus asks the servants to fill the water jars, we are told that they filled them “to the […] The post Homily 397 – Filled to the Brim with Football – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

Peace be with you! Or, as we would say in Latin, Pax vobiscum! Pax is the Latin word for peace. On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the word pax also points out to us three key lessons. The mysterious “Magi” in today’s gospel famously follow a star to find Jesus. We may […] The post Homily 396 – The Pax of the Magi – Epiphany appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

There is a lot going on in the liturgy for this first day of the year. It’s the civil new year, a world day of prayer for peace, the eighth day and conclusion of the octave of Christmas, and it’s the day Jesus is circumcised and is officially given his name. In today’s homily, I […] The post Homily 395 – What’s in a Name? – New Year’s appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

“Can anybody find me somebody to love?” So asks Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen. While most people would probably not consider Mr. Mercury to be a theologian, his famous question is actually at the heart of today’s feast of the Holy Family, and even points to the essence God himself. Most […] The post Homily 394 – Somebody to Love – Holy Family appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

The gospel from the Vigil Mass for Christmas Eve begins with the following proclamation: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” We then go on to hear the entire line of the ancestors of Jesus. In case you weren’t aware, St. Matthew reminds of many important facts, […] The post Homily 393 – Christmas Is Boring – Vigil of Christmas appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

In the last days leading up to Christmas, the Church offers us six special titles of Jesus upon which to meditate in the official Evening Prayer of each day. Because each invocation begins with the word “O,” they have come to be known as the “O Antiphons.” Together, they form the verses of the famous […] The post Homily 392 – God Is with Us – 4th Sunday of Advent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

If Jesus returned today, are you ready? If there are some things that you would change, well, maybe just go ahead and make those changes. In today’s gospel, people come to John the Baptist asking what they need to do to be ready for the Messiah. The answer might surprise you. John doesn’t ask the […] The post Homily 391 – The Lord Is Near – 3rd Sunday of Advent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

There is a lot of talk in today’s readings about filling in valleys and leveling mountains. When Israel was exiled far from their homes, this was a sign that God was going to make the way of return to Jerusalem as easy as possible. When it was time to come home, God would make a […] The post Homily 390 – Take the Highway Home for Christmas – 2nd Sunday of Advent appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we often focus our attention on the end of time and the world to come. Without doubt, knowing where we are going and that this world is passing away has a big effect on how we live. However, today’s gospel also gives us two key insights that […] The post Homily 389 – What’s It All About? – Christ the King appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.

In today’s reading from the prophet Daniel, we hear, Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace. Do you ever think about living forever? We are so used to the idea of life after death, that the shock […] The post Homily 388 – All This Will Be Yours – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time appeared first on Voice in the Wilderness.