Pentecost XXIIINovember 16, 2025Isaiah 65:17-25 ; II Thessalonians 3, 6-13 ; Luke 21:5-19 The French and American social security and welfare systems were created in the wake of enormous crises: situations that were nothing short of apocalyptic. The family, social, political, and economic devastation of the Great Depression prompted President Roosevelt to sign the Social…
Pentecôte XXII9 novembre 2025Aggée 1, 15-2, 9 II Thessaloniciens 2, 1-17 Luc 20, 27-38 Avant de devenir prêtre, je ne me souviens pas avoir assisté à beaucoup de funérailles. Il y avait parfois un décès dans la famille ou parmi les voisins. Mais à 26 ans, je ne connaissais pas autant de personnes décédées qu’aujourd’hui.…
All Saints SundayNovember 2, 2025Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-31 About twenty years ago, the first filmed documentary on the life and work of Dorothy Day appeared. It is famously titled, ‘Don’t call me a saint’. The title is part of a longer quotation attributed to her: “Don’t call me a saint. When they…
Pentecost XXOctober 26, 2025Joel 2:23-32 II Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14 The United States is a fascinating country. Few places in the world have such a diversity of movements that all claim to follow the same Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be surprised if God himself had given up counting how many church movements there are…
Pentecost XIXOctober 19, 2025Jeremiah 31:27-34 II Timothy 3:14- 4:5 Luke 18:1-8 I think that for many people, it is far easier to pray prayers of thanks or in distress than it is to pray persistently in times of prolonged and wearisome oppression; let alone to make prayer something that is as natural and regular to…
English OktoberfestOctober 5, 2025Lamentations1:1-6 II Timothy 1:1-14 Luke 17:5-10 This year marks the eightieth anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in the Second World War. The members of the generation that saw that most traumatic upheaval in Europe are diminishing year by year. Many of them showed enormous courage in the face of the inhumanity…
English Pentecost XVI September 28, 2025Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31 When in church, we often read Jesus’ stories in a very devotional way, which sometimes keeps us from seeing that they are often caricatural, humorous, or even biting. Much of his social critique and his moral insightsare expressed in this manner. We tend to listen to or to read Jesus’ words as if they were the oracles of a deity—and,…
Français Pentecôte XV 21 septembre 2025 Jérémie 8:18-9:1 1 Timothée 2:1-7 Luc 16:1-13 Lorsque j’ai été ordonné prêtre en Angleterre il y a plus de trente ans, l’une des critiques les plus courantes à l’égard des prêtres était que nous étions « tellement tournés vers le ciel que nous n’étions d’aucune utilité sur terre…
Pentecost XIVSeptember 14, 2025Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 Our two little parables from Luke’s gospel are very appropriate for Rentrée Sunday today. Not only do they talk about finding something that was lost or gone astray. More specifically in the case of the lost sheep, we hear a story about coming home.…
English Pentecost XIII September 7, 2025Jeremiah 18:1-11 Psalm 139:1-5, 13-18 Philemon 1:1-21 Luke 14:25-33 I am often struck by the gap between the way the first disciples, like Paul, lived the Gospel and the way we live the gospel today. Many times, the words of Jesus themselves seem very much at odds with how we…