Foot-washer

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062826.cfm Today, I am going to preach about an incredible religious experience that Kate and I had while visiting Peru ten years ago.  I am going to start by speaking about the Peruvian custom of mummifying the dead that was practiced during the Incan Empire before the Spanish conquistadors arrived.  I will then apply those customs to Christian beliefs about the resurrection, okay? Got that: Peru, mummies, resurrection.  Here we go. Most of us learned about mummies when we studied ancient Egypt as kids.   You can go to the Louisville Science Center and see a couple of examples on display here in town.  But the Egyptians are only the most famous of dozens of cultures that mummified their dead.   In the days of the Inca Empire (the 1400s) in what is now Peru, the Incan emperors were believed to be descendants of the sun god Inti.  When they died, the emperors were taken up t...

5th Sunday in Easter https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050326.cfm I had never seen or met a Catholic permanent deacon before I was 27 years old. My first encounter was in Oklahoma City. I had moved to that city for two years to take a teaching position. Within walking distance of my house was a predominantly Black Catholic church called Corpus Christi, which became my parish. I had not been to a Black Catholic Church before, and I was quickly stuck by the sense of community, the incredible music, and the powerful preaching. Corpus Christi had two Black deacons who had a real gift for homiletics. I privately thought of them as the crying deacon and the professor. The first deacon would preach moving homilies that, without fail, had a moment when his voice would crack and, caught up by the emotion of his testimony, he would breaking down in tears, bring the congregation along with him. The second deacon was a dentist and a professor at Oklahoma University. His homilies were as...

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041426.cfm  Good morning, St. X, and Happy Easter Season. What are your favorite sounds as you go about your day here at Saint Xavier High School?  I’ll ask that question again [repeat]. I bet you have never given that much thought.  We often tune out familiar noises as we go about life.  I want to share with you my four favorite sounds. First, when I come into the Driscoll building in the morning and pass the auditorium, I usually hear a wild and raucous noise drifting up from the weight room at the bottom of the steps.  There’s the metallic clang of iron plates hitting each other, the crash of heavy bars, hype-up music blaring, and above it all the primal sound of guys driving each other on.  This is what brotherhood sounds like. Second, when I walk down the first floor of the T during the school day, I’m bound to hear a single word—IF!—from our teacher of the year, Coach John Jef...

Easter Sunday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040526.cfm Good morning and Happy Easter. The whole world, it seems, celebrates Christmas, even non-Christians and atheists. In the lead-up to December 25th, Christmas songs, decorations, trees, and Santa Claus are inescapable.  And the whole world stops for Christmas.  In our country, schools and many workplaces offer extended breaks for the holiday season, and there is a strong cultural expectation to be home for Christmas with family and loved ones. Easter, on the other hand, is easy to miss.  A few weeks ago, Kroger put out chocolate bunnies, egg-dyeing kits, Peeps, and jelly beans.  That may have led shoppers to ask themselves, “When is that coming up again?” The calendar certainly doesn’t help: Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25—a 35-day period.  Jesus’ resurrection happened during the Jewish celebration of Passover, and the Church has always kept Easter during the same period.  ...

Good Friday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040326.cfm “May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Sorrows of Our Mother Mary be always in our Hearts.” You may be familiar with those words. They are the motto of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. This is the order of priests, brothers, and nuns that was founded by Paul Francis Danei, called St. Paul of the Cross in Italy in 1720. The Passionists are, of course, the order that has staffed our parish since 1885. In this brief homily, I want to connect two of the friezes behind me to the Passionist charism and to our Passion reading. If you look at the frieze directly behind me, you will see an image of St. Paul of the Cross’ life. Paul was a mystic who had occasional visions. In this one, he was praying at his kneeler (depicted in the foreground) when he was transported in prayer to the cross. He had the experience of Jesus reaching down with one arm and embracing him. I want you to notice one detail ...

Feast of St. Agnes https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/0121-memorial-agnes.cfm As you drive around town, you may have noticed giant banners hanging on the side of buildings that honor local celebrities.  These 60-foot-tall, vinyl banners are called “Hometown Heroes.” They have honored Muhammad Ali, Colonel Sanders, Jennifer Lawrence, Jack Harlow, Hunter S. Thompson, and 26 others over the last 24 years.  The banners have a big, black and white photo of the person with the caption, “Muhammad’s Louisville,” or whatever the first name of the honoree is.  The three criteria for inclusion in the program are that, 1. The person is from Louisville or is closely associated with the city. 2. The person has achieved something positive and noteworthy …. that is recognized far beyond the city's limits. 3. The person has given back to the city of Louisville. The banners cost $15,000 or as much as $90,000 to create and place. A fourth, unwritten criterion is that a group of sponsor...