The Hebrew letter lamed is 30 and the letter vav is six; together, the two letters equal 36 – the number of the righteous in every generation whose virtue keeps the world from destruction. These 36 hidden righteous ones are called Lamed-vavniks...

“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.”  We are so sure we know where this story is going, we run right past the opening line.I have Mass on Sunday, July 20that St. Isidore, 9:30/11:30 am

I preached  the memorial service for NHL Hockey hall of fame legend, Alex Delvecchio, at Modetz Funeral Home, Saturday, July 12. (2 Corinthians 4:5–10, Psalm 23, Matthew 11:25-30.)We do not come to God alone. Someone brings u...

The Samaritan is the despised one who puts himself at risk in coming to the aid of the wounded man. Jesus is already doing likewise. I have Mass on Sunday, July 13 at St. Isidore @ 7:30/9:30 amThe 7:30 am Mass is live-streame...

Someone caught up with Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Luke appears to think that the same th...

The church is not just the place we come to, it is the place from which we are sent forth. We need both, Peter and Paul. Peter, the Rock, who centers us and grounds us in faith; and Paul, the missionary, who calls us to go out to live the good ...

New Testament scholar, Fr. Francis Moloney, OSB, in his essay, “A Body Broken for a Broken People”, writes, “Jesus eats with people who fail, even at the Last Supper.”I have Mass on Sunday, June 22 at St. Isidore @ 9:30/11:30 amfr...

Ever since I heard the news of Brian Wilson’s death this week, I keep hearing over and over in my head, “God only knows what I’d be without you.” The song reassures us that love will never end. “As long as there are stars above you, you never n...

In the Acts of the Apostles, on the day of Pentecost, THEY were all in one place together. A few verses earlier Luke told us exactly who THEY are: Mary the Mother of Jesus was there, along with about 120 persons.I have Mass on Sunday, Ju...

So before leaving them, he tells his disciples to go back to Jerusalem and there wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. If they want to find Jesus, they will find him in the Christian community, in the midst of their every day lives.I h...

Although we refer to Scripture as the “Word of God,” it is Jesus of Nazareth who is the "Word of God" made flesh and dwelling among us. So this collective memory is fluid and dynamic.I have Mass on Sunday, May 25 at St. Isidore @ 9:30/11...

While the story of the Bible begins with a garden, it ends in a city. The new Jerusalem is the fulfillment of all human dreams for the community. This is not a vision of individuals communing one-on-one with God or Jesus, but rather an interdep...

How appropriate that we welcome a new shepherd as the Bishop of Rome on this 4th Sunday of Easter, that we call Good Shepherd Sunday. The whole world was stunned Thursday afternoon to hear the name of the American Cardinal, Robert Francis Prevo...

In our Easter readings from the Gospel of John, there are a series of encounters between various groups of disciples and the risen Lord. But in each of the three episodes, one of the disciples is singled out as if a dance partner with the risen...

Jesus speaks clearly to this moment, not with words, but with a gesture; He showed them his hands and his side.I have Mass on Sunday, April 27at St. Isidore, 7:30/9:30 amat St. Andrew, 5:00 pmfrjoedailey@gmail.com&nb...

In John, no well-informed angels rushed in to explain the missing body. Mary had expected to find at least a corpse; instead she found a void, an opening in the darkness.I have Mass on Easter Sunday Morning at St. Isidore @ 7:30/9:30 am<...

I will be at St. Isidore this Sunday for all three Sunday morning Masses: 7:30/9:30/11:30 am;  I will preside at the 7:30/9:30 am Masses, but I will be part of the passion proclamation with several readers at all three Masses.Th...

Luke 22:14-23:56

They place the woman alone beside Jesus, which, as it turns out, is exactly where Jesus wished to be. Beside the sinner. I have Mass on Saturday, April 5, at St. Andrew, 5:00 pmI have Mass on Sunday, April 6, at St. Isidore, ...

I preached a different homily at the Mass for the 2nd Scrutiny with the Elect (Catechumens), using the readings for Cycle A: John 9, the Man Blind from Birth.https://bible...

One of the characters that I think we overlook in the story is the fatted calf. Do you know how much the fatted calf weighs? About 750-800 pounds. Reconciliation is for the whole community.I have Mass on Sunday at St. Isidore @ 7:30/9:30...

The fig tree is standing in for the cross. Only by standing under the cross will we be able to understand how God is leading us out of the place of slavery and death into a land of promise and abundance.I have Mass on Sunday, March 23 at...

Rudolph Otto defined the sacred as “mysterium tremendum et fascinans” —a fearful and fascinating mystery. That mysterious Other who draws us almost irresistibly, at the same time fills us with awe and even dread.I have Mass on Sunday, Ma...

The devil tempts Jesus three times with the little word, "If." "If you are" is supposed to cause Jesus to doubt that he is the Son of God and feel the need to prove it.I am off this weekend. Next Sunday I will have Mass @ St. Isidore at ...

It’s the beam in our own eye that makes the world look splintered. You know how it is with pointing fingers, one is pointed, but three are pointing back at you.I have Mass on Sunday, March 2nd at St. Isidore @ 7:30/9:30 amThe 7:30...