McKenna

The Big Hearted (Micah 6:6-8; Rev 14:13; Lk 8:4-15)

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)

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)

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)

Our believing is not solitary. The quality of one person’s faith spills over into the religious convictions of all the others.

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Why This Suffering?

Why This Suffering? (Job 7) If you were charged with collecting a series of writings aimed to persuade people that God is overflowingly good and ever desirous for the good of His people, would you have included the Book of Job? We look in on the main character, this...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Circles of Repentance

Circles of Repentance (Jonah 3; Mk 1:14-15) At the beginning of Mark’s gospel, Jesus issues a no-holds-barred directive: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel!” It’s worthwhile noting that his command does not mean asking forgiveness for this or that sin. More...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

The Holiness Quotient

The Holiness Quotient (Lk 2: 25-40) The initials “EQ.” Different from IQ, meaning Intelligence Quotient which measures mental ability, they stand for Emotional Quotient and refer to the degree to which one person can read the feelings and mood of another -- or more...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Words That Glow

Words That Glow (Isaiah 6:11; John 1:23) A familiar phrase, “It leapt off the page at me!” Of all the lines and sentences in a book, one starts to glow and flash out as if it were being spoken to me personally. I mention this because a single sentence occurring in...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Nimble in Advent

Nimble in Advent (Is. 64; I Cor 1:3; Mk. 13:33) There’s a term I’ve heard used lately in business circles that’s practically become a buzz word. And that’s “nimble.” It refers to the quickness with which a given company can react to changes happening in the world...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Getting Ready…Be Prepared

“Getting Ready” (Wisdom 6:12-16; Mt 25:1-13) “Be Prepared” is a famous theme in Boy Scout lore but also frequently shows up in the Scriptures. The injunction in the Book of Wisdom to keep a watchful eye for the coming of God’s presence (Wisdom 6), and Jesus’ praise of...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

Words That Ring Deep and True

Some years ago, I experienced what you might call a “surprise in sound.” Coming down a corridor talking with a few other people in normal voices, we turned a corner into a smaller space. All at once our voices took on another sound -- fuller, richer, you might even...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

The Character of God

I remember talking to a man who was leaving a good position in his company after over 30 years on the job. He didn’t want to, but he said it wasn’t the same company he had come to those three decades ago. He lamented that it had lost its lights and heart, particularly...

Trinitarian Living (John 16: 12-15)

The Finger of God

Just last week at the end of a sequence of calamitous happenings in the country and world, someone remarked that if he had one wish it would be that when turning on the news he’d hear something other than bad news. His wish caught the dark and heavy feelings of the...