Foot-washer

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122520-mass-at-night.cfm In the first reading tonight, we hear a very familiar passage from the prophet Isaiah proclaimed: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… for a child is born to us, a son is given to us. Upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” Six years ago at midnight mass, I heard these words while sitting in the pews. My wife, Kate, and I went with my family to Holy Trinity parish. I remember it vividly because ten days before the two of us had found out that she was pregnant. Our Christmas Eve was in that electric time when no one else, only she and I knew the secret: a great joy had just entered into the world. Holy Trinity that night was jammed packed. So full that we sat in overflow seating in a separate section of the church with no view of the altar and with the audio piped into our room. That suited us fine because she needed to sit cl...

4 th Sunday of Advent Cycle C Dec 18/19, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121921.cfm I have a cousin who was born one week after me.   I always think of him when I hear this story of Mary’s visitation to her relative Elizabeth when they were both pregnant.   In fact, at his wedding reception, I gave a toast saying that I liked to imagine that I leapt for joy in my mother’s womb when we first met.     Patrick is my first cousin, the son of my mom’s sister, and he is my oldest friend.   Though I am a week older, it is only because I was premature by a month.   He was expected to be born first.   My hurry to enter the world made me the first grandchild in our family—which has been a source of much gentle rivalry and teasing throughout our lives.   Having a cousin so close in age is like having another brother.   Almost a twin.   First a so-called “belly buddy,” then a “brother from a different mother.”   Every year at...

  Feast of Christ the King   Cycle B  Nov 20/21, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112121.cfm In 1963, there was a meeting between the first Catholic President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and the pope of the time Paul VI in Rome.   This was the first time that a Catholic president had met a pope, and there was quite a bit of speculation about one particular question: would JFK kneel down in front of the pontiff and kiss his ring.   Most Catholics of the time would be expected to do just that at a papal audience– but this was the so-called “leader of the free world,” a powerful person in his own right.   Kneeling would suggest subservience and would present political problems for the young president.   When they finally did meet, there was no kiss.  The two leaders shook hands and then proceeded to meet each other on an equal footing as human beings.   In the Gospel today, we have a similar tableau of two...

Genesis 2:18-24 Psalm 128 I Corinthians 12:31-13:8 Mark 10: 6-9 Good afternoon, friends and family of A and E and especially to our very soon-to-be bride and groom.   It is a pleasure to be here with you to celebrate and witness to this joyous event. My name is Ned and I am a former teacher of E’s.   I taught her when she was a senior at Mercy and I was a first year teacher.   I don’t always remember every student, but E is extremely memorable.   Unforgettable even.   At 18, she had an exuberate personality and a deep well of kindness.   When I met with A and E over the summer, that was something that A said that drew him to her, as well.   She is constantly writing thank you notes to people and giving them gifts.   She has incredible patience for the people she serves as a dental hygienist and an overall good attitude.   I am so glad, after reconnecting with you, to see that those qualities have continued, E.   And I am thrilled to ...

  Today we celebrate Mercy Day, which is a day dedicated to Mary.   One of her many titles is “Our Lady of Mercy.”   Mary was a Model of Mercy for Catherine McAuley.   By a happy accident, Catherine opened her House of Mercy on the feast day of Our Lady of Mercy, September 24.  This House of Mercy on Baggot Street in Dublin was a place that educated the ignorant, especially women, housed the homeless, and healed the sick. It was and is a place of welcome, symbolized by a striking red door.    Nine more Houses of Mercy would open in Ireland—Tullamore, Charleville, Carlow, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Birr, Kingstown and Booterstown—and  many more around the world. Following Communion, we will recognize several people in the community of Assumption who model Mercy, following the examples of Mary, Catherine and the Sisters of Mercy.  I would like to tell you about a person in my own life who models mercy, my mom, Karen Cassidy.  Throu...

                          Jesus’ Hard Sayings  Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B  August 19/20, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082221.cfm Good morning / afternoon, St. Agnes. It’s been a long first full week of classes for me—and I am sure for all of you who are parents, teachers, and students. I just started my 17th year as a teacher. [This is my first at Assumption High School where I teach Theology]. I have been reflecting this month on an early experience I had as a student teacher preparing for my first classroom. I was up at the University of Notre Dame in an Education class. The professor was legendary educator named Dr. Thomas Doyle who everyone called “Doc.” He grouped all of us student-teachers by subject matter around tables. So, I was working on a problem with several other new Theology teachers when Doc came to talk to us. He said something I’ll never forget: “You The...

Fifteenth Sunday  in Ordinary Time Cycle B  July 10/11, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082221.cfm Last April, I got to serve at the Confirmation mass for our 8 th graders at the Cathedral.   During the sacrament of Confirmation, I stood next to the archbishop while he led the rite.   I had the very special and Covid-specific job of wiping the oil off his thumb between 8 th graders. That position gave me a really privileged view of each of these young people as they came forward to be anointed and blessed.   Each one stepped forward, greeted the archbishop with their sponsor’s hand on their shoulder and told him what name they wished to be called—which saint the had selected for their patron.   The archbishop called them by their new name, used the oil in the shape of a cross on their forehead, and said, “be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” There were a large number of “Sebastians” (he’s the patron saint of athletes).   And...

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B June 19/20, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062021.cfm Good morning / afternoon, St. Agnes. Happy Father’s Day to you and a Happy Juneteenth, which is America’s second independence day, the day that we celebrate the end of slavery in our country.   This is the first year that it is an official, federal holiday.     I often get asked, as the father of triplets, what it was like to find out that we were expecting the three of them.  The experience was something like what the Apostles experienced in today’s Gospel story when they realized just who was in the boat with them.     Two years ago—on January 31, 2019—Kate and I went to the obstetrician [Dr. Heather Wilson] for our first pregnancy checkup.  We had found out a month before (on Christmas Day actually) that we were expecting our second child, and this felt like it would be kind of routine, in a way.  After ...

Feast of the Ascension   Cycle B May 15/16, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051621-Ascension.cfm    Two years at this time of year, my sister Katie got to deployed to Afghanistan.     She is an OR nurse in the US Army Reserves and was sent to serve in a forward surgical team in a dangerous part of the country.       When it was time for her to ship out, my family met her at Louisville International Airport to say goodbye in the area between the check in counters and the TSA security lines.    I have a picture of her from that moment that I was looking at as I wrote this homily.  She is dressed in her army fatigues and boots with a big rucksack.   And she is holding my then 3-year old son EJ in her arms.  EJ is her nephew and godson.  In the picture, he is happy for the attention and the hug.  She looks determined and composed—holding back sadness.  The...