Homily for Christmas, Mass During the Day, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for Christmas, Mass During the Night, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Aparentemente, nuestro Diosito está llorando de alegría al vernos nuevamente reunidos para honrar a la Madre de Su Hijo.  Y en verdad es una gran alegría para nosotros hacerlo.  Pero incluso en los momentos más angustiosos, como la pandemia que acabamos de vivir, Dios siempre está ahí con nosotros, guiándonos y enviando a sus agentes especiales, tanto mujeres como hombres, los grandes protagonistas de Su plan de salvación para nosotros, para salvarnos del desastre y llevarnos a Él. 

Homily on the Occasion of the Annual Archdiocesan Cruzada Guadalupana, Cathedral of St. Mary of the ASsumption

Homily for the 2022 Rosary Rally, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for the 150th Anniversary of Nativity Parish, Menlo Park, CA

Homily for annual Blue Mass, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for the feast of St. Junipero Serra, Apostle and Father of California, and conclusion of the 2022 Sacra Liturgia Conference, Mission Dolores Basilica

Imagínense si quieren cómo debe haber sido para esas primeras generaciones de cristianos que vivían en el Imperio Romano pagano.

Imagine if you will what it must have been like for those first generations of Christians living in the pagan Roman Empire.  They were a new religion, a small sect that was seen as not fitting in, and even subversive.  And not unlike us Catholics today, those first ancestors of ours also had to deal with misunderstandings. 

Escuchamos mucho hablar en estos días sobre nuestra sociedad polarizada y la necesidad de unidad, con muchos funcionarios públicos que prometen ser fuerzas de unidad o critican a aquellos que están causando división. 

We hear much talk these days about our polarized society, and the need for unity, with many public officials either promising to be forces of unity or decrying those who are causing division. It seems, though, that typically one of two extremes is taken: either focusing on the richness of our diversity as a society and even as a Church and turning a blind eye to divisions that lie beneath the surface, or attaining unity by destroying those who disagree with one’s own ideas of the way things should be.

The road to becoming a deacon is a long and sometimes arduous one, and I would say especially so for this class.  Our brothers about to be ordained to the diaconate today I think can be dubbed the “Covid class.”  But with much patience and God’s grace we have arrived at this day.

It was in the 1940’s that George Orwell wrote his dystopian and then-futuristic novel “1984.”  It used to be standard reading in the high school curriculum. 

Homily for the Respect Life Essay Contest Award Mass, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for Easter Sunday, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for Easter Vigil Mass, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

The world seems plagued by crises these days, and the Church, too: the devastating war in Ukraine causing horrendous and senseless suffering; the ongoing effects of the waning pandemic, which are still with us; the challenges with the economy and many people struggling because of out-of-control inflation.  And then, of course, as a Church we face many challenges as well, including the effects of a secularizing mentality and the lack of faithful adherence to Christ in both word and deed even among those in high levels of leadership in the Church.

Homily for Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for Palm Sunday, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

It has been said that oil is the lifeblood of our economy.  We certainly are feeling that quite acutely now, with the sharp increase in oil prices that is bringing more pain at the pump!  The oil in this case is petroleum, and while we gauge its value every time we fill up at the gas station, petroleum is much more than a fuel; it is the raw material used in so many products that are part of modern life, everything from shoe polish to surf boards.

Homily for Chrism Mass, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for the 2022 Homily for Rite of Election, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

It was announced recently that the state of California will soon lift the mask mandate for public gatherings.  We look around us and see that the masks are beginning to come off, albeit cautiously.  I’m sure it comes as a relief to all of us to be able to look each other in the face once again. 

Homily for Ash Wednesday, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

There is an old saying, a question really, that is a sort of a self-assessment of faith, a way of gauging where one is at in terms of walking with the Lord Jesus: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Homily for the Mass for Walk for Life West Coast, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Homily for Mass of the Americas at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City