Years ago, walking along a crowded beach, I came upon a group of people gathered around a crying, screaming child.
McKenna
The Big Hearted (Micah 6:6-8; Rev 14:13; Lk 8:4-15)
by Tom McKenna, CM | October 6, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 5 Comments
This homily was preached at a recent anniversary Mass for Fr. Joseph Daly, C.M. — a Vincentian priest beloved of many,
Playing Favorites? (James 2:1-5)
by Tom McKenna, CM | September 22, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
I knew a close-knit family of 5 personable children, and as they got older, they would kid their mother about having a favorite.
The Word (Deut 4: 1-8; Jas 1:17-27)
by Tom McKenna, CM | September 8, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments
I remember a heated conversation between a man who was promising something to a woman, and the woman to whom the promise was being made. It ended with her exasperated response, “Those are just words.”
In This Together (Joshua 24; John 6)
by Tom McKenna, CM | August 25, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
Our believing is not solitary. The quality of one person’s faith spills over into the religious convictions of all the others.
Recounting Grace (Luke 24:35)
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 4, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
“They recounted how…he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
Brimming Over (Lk 15: 1-32; 2 Corinthians 5:17-25)
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 6, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
In Luke’s 15th chapter, Jesus relates his perhaps most famous parable, aiming to open another window onto the Kingdom of God, especially its meaning for the present.
Acting For Equality — in Faith
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jul 4, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Acting For Equality -- in Faith (2 Corinthians 8:13; Mk 5: 25-34) If you’re looking for a topical subject in the Scriptures, you wouldn’t have to go much further than the one Paul brings up in a request to the Corinthians. He’s asking them to help their poorer...
Embrace What God is Doing
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 20, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Embrace What God is Doing (Rom 5:1-2) To appreciate the revolutionary thrust of Paul’s message, I think of the story of a young man whose inner voice kept repeating, “You’re not good enough.” Responding to this, he felt he had to keep demonstrating that he had...
Trinitarian Nearness
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 6, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Trinitarian Nearness (Rom. 8; Mt. 28) A woman once told me a lesson she had learned during the last days of her husband’s life. He had all the medical attention possible with hospice workers around the clock. But in those last days, she said, all he really wanted was...
The Face of Forgiveness
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 23, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
The Face of Forgiveness (Psalm 4) In perhaps an awkward way of putting it, one of the psalms has us asking a favor from a face – the face of God. “Lord let your face shine upon us” and a little later, “Let the light of Your face shine upon us.” (Ps. 4). The phenomenon...
On Pruning Vines
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 9, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
On Pruning Vines (John 15) In his letter to the Church in Rome, St. Paul asserts, “All things work together unto good for those who love God.” (Rom. 8:28) No matter what kinds of things happen, both good and indeed bad, good will rise on the other side of it. It’s a...
On Being Overshadowed
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 25, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
On Being Overshadowed (Every year on the feast of the Annunciation thousands of Daughters of Charity the world over retake their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor. This was the homily at one of their Eucharists.) I once heard someone say...
Right Religion
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 11, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Right Religion (John 2:13ff) Some years ago, a book was published entitled, "When Religion Goes Bad." Premised on the fact that religion exercises a powerful force, it took up instances where that force has been badly used, even in destructive ways. Granting there was...
Following Behind “The Story”
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 28, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Following Behind “The Story” Especially in this age of Facebook and Instagram has the power of story come to the fore. That is, increasingly so, the narrative much more than the bullet-pointed outline is what does the most effective job of getting through to hearts...
Why Step Across?
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 14, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Why Step Across? (Leviticus 13; Mark 1) A concept that shows up in the history of religions is the one of boundaries, the borders between what is permissible and what is forbidden. These lines in the sand separating the holy from the sinful figure prominently all...