The Gospel is alive now. It isn’t just a historical record; it’s not just a historical document. It’s not just stories and records. It’s a living word, something that is going on now.

The Gospel is alive today! God’s power is available now, just as it was during the resurrection. Jesus is risen from the dead now.

Jesus called people to make the commitment to follow him then. He’s calling us to do the same now, today.

I don’t know what space you’re in. I don’t know whether you’ve heard these things before. I don’t know if you’ve tuned into the power of God that comes off the pages of scripture.

But, God wants us to know him as alive and powerful right now. That’s his intention. It always has been.

A lot of people have need of God’s direct ministry today.

Our lack of faith is the only thing that prevents God from doing what he wants to do among his people. He wants to touch our lives. He loves us!

Jesus is calling us, right now, to an all out commitment to him. He’s calling us to turn everything over to him.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on June 28, 1987.

Being well fathered is a deep human need. It is the father who gives identity to his children.

He’s got to relate to his children, affirm them, and correct them when they need correcting. His children need attention and care from him.

We all have a Father in Heaven who is close to us. One of Jesus’ main tasks was to reveal his Father, our Father.

Our Father is the creator, designer, and maker of everything. He loves us. He can do things in our lives if we let him. If we can accept the fulness of God’s love, we will be truly free.

Will you accept his love?

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on June 20, 1999.

When we proclaim the Good News some people will respond. That’s the way God works. He’s told us to do this and he intends to back it up.

Evangelization is a three step process:

• We proclaim

• The listener responds

• The Lord intervenes

It’s something that we start and God finishes.

It works. God’s plan always works. He has not left his people. He is not tired. The Holy Spirit is here and ready to go to work.

He did it because he loves us and he wants to be with us. He loves us.

One of the deepest problems we have as humans is that we don’t like ourselves. God knows us just the way we are. There is nothing hidden from him. He knows our past. He knows the whole thing and he loves us anyway.

That’s the point of Corpus Christi. God loves you. Corpus Christi says, ‘I love you and I want to be with you.’

Each person of the Trinity has a distinct role.

1. The Father is the boss. His will matters.

2. Jesus is the bridge between us and the Father. Through Jesus, we are able to get to the Father.

3. The Holy Spirit’s role is to get things done.

Each person of the Trinity has different and distinct roles. Yet, they are perfectly one in perfect harmony.

The Holy Spirit will teach you and tell you who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit will speak in your heart. He will testify to you.

Many are mystified about who priests are, what they do, and what they are all about. It has a lot to do with God.

We are delighted to be who we are. We are delighted to be the priests of God. We are delighted to be the fathers of the family of God. We are delighted to be shepherds and all that that entails.

It’s not always easy, but it’s always good. It’s an exciting time to be a priest.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on June 6, 1993.

We can make the mistake of thinking that the Pentecost experience was strictly for that one day. The Pentecost experience is for every day. It is to be an ongoing reality within the Church.

The Holy Spirit that blew into the upper room is still around. He’s still able to do all kinds of things.

The Church needs the Holy Spirit.

What about you? What do you think you need more than anything else in the world? Try the Holy Spirit!

Ask for the Holy Spirit. When we invite the Holy Spirit in, he moves. When you have the Holy Spirit you have everything that you need. We need to invite the Holy Spirit into our own personal space, into our parishes, etc.

Invite the Holy Spirit to move in and take over.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on May 26, 1996.

Jesus had to ascend so we could have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings conviction and a desire to do the Lord’s work.

When we have the Holy Spirit, the Lord’s work isn’t boring anymore. It is enlivening and exciting.

We celebrate Pentecost next week. Ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to baptise you with the Holy Spirit.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on May 27, 1990.

The Holy Spirit is an advocate, one who takes up our cause and works for us.

The Holy Spirit is an integral part of the Father’s plan. He’s important!

He’s not a bonus. He’s not a prize. He’s not an extra. He’s not for pious people only or for one segment of people. He is for all people.

His main purpose is to work among us filling our hearts with the fire of God. We are supposed to be a people on fire for God. That is God’s intended design.

What is the fire of God and how do you know if you’ve been touched by the fire of God?

• You will worship with enthusiasm. It will be anointed by God.

• It’s contagious.

• When you allow the Lord to work through you, the power of God will be evident. You will minister with power.

May we all be filled with the Holy Spirit and set on fire for God so he can use us to reach out and touch a world that desperately needs God.

If you want that, all you need to do is ask. God will give us the Holy Spirit.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on May 24, 1987.

We need to praise God. It is good for us to praise God.

If we don’t give praise to God, we are in danger of forgetting who we are. We will begin to think that we are in charge, that we are in control. This is the biggest problem in the world. We have taken control. God wants to be in charge. When we praise God, we are continually reminded that God is in charge.

Praising God is healthy and good for us. Praising God can help clear up the fog. That is why he encourages us to do it.

Praising God does not come naturally to us here on Earth. When something doesn’t come naturally, we have to work at it. We’ve got to make a decision and begin praising God. It is a skill. It’s something that we have to take on and practice.

If praising God is not part of your daily agenda, add it now. Take five minutes at the beginning of the day and praise God. Tell him how wonderful he is.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on May 13, 1990.

God is always calling. He is capable of communicating.

It’s not complicated to hear the call of the Lord.

He has plans for you and for me. It’s in tuning into his plan that we become the people of joy and peace.

Total Abandonment

We hear the Lord’s word through total abandonment. Give him your heart. Turn everything over to the Lord. Tell him you’ll do whatever he wants. When he wants to move you to something he’ll get through, he’ll write on your heart.

It is worth throwing your life away for him.

When You’re Ready

He will communicate his word to you when you need it. He will give you his word faithfully and truthfully.

Conclusion

There’s nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be worried about. The Good Shepherd wants to take care of his sheep.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on May 2, 1993.

Jesus wants us to pick up on a few things from today’s Gospel:

1. The Lord wants to come in. He wants to be the centre of our lives. He knows that’s how we were made. However, he doesn’t push himself in. He waits for an invitation.

2. Jesus has the capacity to reveal himself to us.

3. The revelation of Jesus took place at the table during the breaking of the bread. In other words, Mass is a good place to be, especially if we need the Lord to break in.

4. Once the Lord broke through, the disciples did something about it. They changed their plan. They didn’t stay put, their priorities changed. They involved themselves with the priorities of God.

5. The Scriptures have the same power to set our hearts burning, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, if we open up to what God will do through the scriptures.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on April 29, 1990.

The Lord wants to give people his mercy. He’s always ready to give us a break.

It doesn’t depend on his mood. God is always merciful. Mercy is his effective desire to dispose all circumstances so that everyone can come to know his love and his power in their lives.

The Lord is ready to touch our lives. He wants a relationship with us.

Open your heart to the merciful saviour that he may change you day by day.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on April 18, 1993.

We’re celebrating God’s intervention in human affairs.

God chose to change the definition of death from something that is an end to something that is a doorway leading to an incredible fullness of life.

We celebrate triumph, victory, and conquest. The tomb couldn’t hold him. The grave was not strong enough to keep him in. Jesus the Son of God, we celebrate his rising from the dead.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on April 14, 1990.

What is an appropriate response to Jesus’ death on the cross? Give away your life for the one who gave away his life for you.

“Jesus, you have given your life for me. So, I will do the same for you. I will give my life for you.”

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on April 9, 1993.

Sin is the problem. Jesus wasn’t afraid to name it.

If we’re in sin, we need to get out of it and get straight with God. We do that by the Sacrament of Confession.

The Sacrament of Confession is extremely important. It is a marvellous thing, something that the Holy Spirit has inspired over the centuries.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on March 22, 1987.

The Lord is ready to touch our lives in concrete and tangible ways. God will touch your life if you let him. He wants you to have things to report. All you have to do is allow him to intervene in your life.

He wants us to be attentive, ready, and faithful.

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on March 15, 1987.

God wants to be present to us. He wants to be at work in our lives. But, he can only work in our lives if we give him permission.

He never quits. He never backs down. He never stops trying to break through. He continues to try to get the truth of his Word across to everybody.

Are we still willing to give the Lord the green light to do what he wants to do in our lives?

*This homily was originally given at St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, ON on February 14, 1993.