14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Fr. Vincent Hawkswell

Like the rebellious Israelites, the world asks how a human Pope can be infallible, writes Father Hawkswell. We trust Pope Francis “not because of his origin, his environment, or his learning, but because of Jesus’ promise.” (CNS photo/Vatican Media))
B.C. CATHOLIC | 2021
Like the prophet Ezekiel in this Sunday’s First Reading, the Pope says, “Thus says the Lord God.” Like the rebellious Israelites, the world asks, “How can a human Pope be infallible?” and jeers at those who accept his authority.
Jesus is fully man, but also fully God. The Catholic Church has a divine head, who is perfect, but human members, who are sinful. Her sacraments are “outward signs” of “inward grace.” Human beings are God’s co-workers….
That is why we trust Pope Francis: not because of his origin, his environment, or his learning, but because of Jesus’ promise. That is why we hold “that the Pope cannot err when, as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.”
We believe that, like Jesus, the Pope could say to the world, “So you know me, and you know my origins? The truth is, I have not come of myself.”
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Fr. Michael CHUA

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA | 2018
“Familiarity breeds contempt.” It is a well-known maxim that goes all the way back to Publius the Syrian, who lived in 2 BC. The entire caption reads, “Familiarity breeds contempt … while rarity wins admiration.” Not to be upstaged, the ever witty Mark Twain once wrote, “familiarity breeds contempt … and children.”
In the gospel we are told that our Lord’s reputation for attracting large crowds, His dynamic preaching, His astounding miracles had little effect on His own townspeople – they were not impressed. Rather, they began to mumble about the improbability of this since He was just an ordinary home boy, and He was certainly no better than anyone else in town. “This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too are they not here with us?” This led them to be contemptuous of His claims. To them, the Lord was a little more than an upstart. They had expected at least a rabbi, professionally trained for years in Scripture, to preach. They hardly expected a sermon from a mere carpenter, who could have given them a lesson in woodwork, but certainly, not one qualified to speak to them about loftier subjects. So they closed their hearts to His message and to the possibility that God was indeed working in and through Him. Yes, Jesus is truly and fully man. But He is also fully God. The Incarnation does not efface or render useless or outmoded the notion of the sacred. On the contrary, the Incarnation makes the mundane sacred, holy and divine.
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Related Homilies by Fr. Michael Chua
Losing Sight of the Sacred (2015)
Truth and the Word (2012)
Fr. Austin Fleming

A CONCORD PASTOR COMMENTS | 2015
So… what does it take to convince these folks from Nazareth? Their “taking offense at Jesus, their rejection of him is all the more remarkable when you understand it follows four miracles Jesus worked including healings and calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee.
And it’s not that the hometown folks didn’t know about these events. This discussion takes place in the synagogue – these folks are the Jewish equivalent of regulars at Sunday Mass. They acknowledge the “mighty deeds are wrought by Jesus’ hands.” But because he was only a carpenter’s son, because they weren’t sure of the source of his knowledge and wisdom, and because they weren’t altogether comfortable with his teachings — they took offense at him.
There’s a kind of elitism at work here: he’s just a tradesman’s son; a snobbish attitude: what school did he go to?; a culture of suspicion: I heard him preach he’s teaching new and different things: don’t trust him!
Of course, Jesus’ hometown isn’t limited to Nazareth: every town is Jesus’ hometown – including Concord.
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Related Homilies by Fr. Fleming
A Thorn in the Flesh… (2015)
Fr. Evans K Chama, M.Afr

SINGLE HUMANITY | 2018
There are times and situations where we are in a hurry to see the fruits of our labour. Other times too, we wonder: when will this person change? When don’t see the fruit or when the person doesn’t change as soon as we expect, we are frustrated. How do this Sunday’s readings assure us? What can we learn from the patience of organic farming?.
It’s common to find in some farm shops foodstuffs labelled “organic”. What they want to show is that those products have been produced in the manner that respects the environment: no chemicals and no manipulations. Often, such organic products take relatively long time to grow, involving a prolonged period of work. Then you understand why they are likely to be a bit expensive. Behind the label “organic” isn’t there something godly and evangelic?
Looking at myself, others and the world we live in I can imagine the mark that God has stamped on us: “It’s organic”. His patience for Adam and Eve who distanced themselves from his love, and for Israel who broke the covenant many times just show that those practising organic farming, probably, they copied it from God.
Fr. Chama’s homily is divided into the following sections:
- It’s Organic
- Organic farming, the practice of his son too!
- But not everyone acted like him!
- Gospel of love and patience
Click on title to read entire homily.
Msgr. Joseph A. Pellegrino

DIOCESE OF ST. PETERSBURG | 2021
They didn’t recognize God working in Ezekiel. He was too much of a fanatic for them. A bit of a kook. Paul wasn’t all that some thought he would be. He was a little guy probably with a high squeaky voice, certainly not a great orator. They didn’t recognize that Jesus was the Word of God among them. They had watched him grow up. Today’s readings present what I would call three Ad Hominem disasters.
First of all, an Ad Hominem argument is an attack on a person instead of an argument based on what the person is presenting. It basically says that because a person has this or that foible, or limitation, or even failing, we shouldn’t listen to him or her no matter what he or she says. For example, someone says that it is wrong for a nation to steal land from another nation like Russia did in the Ukraine regarding Crimea. The person with the opposite viewpoint instead of countering with something like, “Russia owned this land 120 years ago,” says, “Well, you don’t have the education to argue with me, and besides, your fat and fat people don’t know what they are talking about. And your mother dresses you funny.” An Ad Hominem argument is the weakest of all arguments because it does not consider the facts, and just attacks the person presenting the opposite opinion.
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Related Homilies by Msgr. Pellegrino
On Being An American Catholic (2018)
Power Made Perfect in Weakness (2015)
A Prophet Among Them (2012)
His Power is Made Perfect in Our Weakness (2009)
Accepting Prophets, Accepting Ourselves (2006) – PDF
Fr. George Smiga
BUILDING ON THE WORD | 2006
Today’s Gospel is strangely disturbing, but it also carries a thread of consolation. This passage from Mark’s gospel is the only passage in the gospels where Jesus is said to be unable to act. The text is very clear about this. It says that Jesus was unable to perform any deed of power, so distressed was he by lack of faith. We believe that Jesus has the power of God, so how is it possible that he is rendered helpless?
Although we could spend hours discussing why Jesus was unable to act, it is more useful to ask what does this strange impotence of Jesus have to do with us? For we believe that all the passages of the scriptures not only tell us about Jesus, but also apply to our lives. So what does Jesus’ inability to act mean to us? The answer to that question can be found when we realize where it is that this scene takes place. It was in Jesus’ own hometown. He had no problem doing deeds of power in Capernaum or at the Sea of Galilee, but when he came to Nazareth he was helpless. He could wow the crowds in Jerusalem, but when he came to his own town, he was too local to be taken seriously. This rejection of Jesus in Nazareth points to a truth in our lives: sometimes it is the people who are closest to us who do not understand us and will not support us.
This painful truth is a part of the human condition. It is proverbial. In fact, Jesus cites a proverb in the gospel. He says, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their own hometown, among their own kin, and in their own house.” How painful it is to have our gifts and talents accepted by many, but not accepted by those who are closest to us. How hurtful it is to wait for the approval of a mother, father, or grandparent; to wait for the acceptance of a brother or sister, and yet, never have that acceptance or that approval come. How debilitating it is when we find that those we are related to by blood or by marriage do not accept us. Instead they are jealous of us, dismissive of us, or even manipulate us. We usually can overcome rejection by a stranger or by those with whom we only have a business relationship. But when it comes to rejection by family that rejection cuts deep.
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Related Homilies by Fr. Smiga
Strength in Weakness (2003)
Negativity and Thankfulness (2009)
About Jesus’ Brothers (2015)
Persistent Hope (2018)
Fr. LARRY RICHARDS
THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE | 2018
Tonight we are going to focus on what does that mean to be a prophet and how to be a prophet. Now one of the greatest prophets of our own time of course is Pope Francis and Francis speaks God’s word to us and just as Jesus made people uncomfortable, right, it says a prophet is without honor in his own place and they found offense at Him. So too, does our Holy Father, Pope Francis, speak God’s word, and people find offense at him and they say stuff like, you know, you shouldn’t pay attention to other things, don’t worry about the environment, pay attention to other things, you just tell people they can’t get you know, just follow God’s law, don’t tell them about divorce, remarried people, you want to accept them, you want to reach out to all these people, tell them no, they’re no good.
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Fr. John Kavanaugh, SJ
SUNDAY WEB SITE | 1997
Most of us know the old definition of an “expert”: anyone who comes from more than fifty miles away. By now, the requirement must be five hundred miles. We seem to have a problem with closeness, with the ordinary, with the everyday.
Expertise is most respected when it comes from a distance. Prophetic gifts as well. Prophets are best when they are far away and long ago. Here and now is a different story. “Surely she cannot be a prophet. I went to school with her.” “He cannot prophesy; I know his mother.” “That guy cannot be a source of grace and joy to others; I’ve been with him in community for years. He tells terrible jokes and wears cufflinks.” Is this why no one is a hero to one’s own valet?
Click on title to read entire homily.