Fr. Bob’s Corner

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. Pius XII declared this feast a dogma of the church in 1950. This was a very difficult time for millions and millions of people around the world. World War II was over, but the devastation and tragedy it left behind burdened peoples hearts. Mary symbolized the hope of the Resurrection which is God’s gift to all of us. Pius XII was doing his best to remind us that the lamb of God had conquered all hopelessness, even though sin and death ominously threatened the light of faith. He said at the time, "Finally, it is our hope that belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective."

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Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis preached a homily at a special Mass for Haitians on Thursday, January 14, 2010. Here is an excerpt that inspires hope, courage, and a Christian response:

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This Sunday we read Mark’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain top. It is about a God who literally comes down the mountain to be with us - the mystery of the incarnation. I have posted a few thoughts I will share in this Sunday’s homily on my homily site: Fr. Bob’s Homilies

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There is something very disconcerting for those of us in religious leadership positions when we read about John the Baptist that scrubby character who called the people not to the synagogues or temple, but out into the wilderness. John was certainly not a presentable figure in elite civil and religious circles, yet it was his honor to announce the Messiah and to baptize him. In some says Jesus is very much like him. Just before he begins his three year ministry he too goes to the wilderness, and when he returns he begins to denounce the hypocritical practices of many of the religious leaders, as he proclaims the Good News>

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(My homilies will no longer be found on this site.) A few months ago I opened a free WordPress site to archive my homilies. It was an easy way of putting all my homilies in one place so that they would be easy to find and categorize. I started categorizing them according to the liturgical year: Ordinary Time, Advent, Lent, Easter, Christmas etc. etc.. The categorization  is still a little rough and not quite completed, but I’m working on it when I have time.

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