Father Kevin A. Codd

At the heart of Jesus' self-revelation is his relationship to his "Father". In his prayer, his parables, and in his very life, he shows us "what God is like" for us. 

Homily delivered at Saint Francis Assisi Church, Spokane.

Both the Abraham and Sarah story in today's first reading from Genesis and the Gospel of Luke story of Martha and Mary hosting Jesus in their home, teach us valuable lessons on the virtue of hospitality...so essential to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. 

Today's homily was delivered at the Monastery of the Poor Clare Sisters in Spokane, WA. 

In today's gospel passage from Luke, Jesus seems particularly unlike himself. His responses with his disciples or disciple-wannabes are short and sharp. Is he having a bad day or didn't get enough sleep the night before? Why so grumpy? 

The reality is that this moment in Luke's gospel is a decisive one as he leave Galilee and heads for trouble in Jerusalem. It is not the time for hesitation or distraction. It is the moment to be all in or go home. 

(Homily delivered at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Spokane)

We human beings have "family" written into our very being. Good families or troubles families, notwithstanding, there is something about belong to our families that is essential to our identity and our very being. Why? Perhaps an answer can be found in the great Christian mystery of the Trinity...

Homily delivered at Saint Joseph Church, Spokane, WA, June 12, 2022

I was honored to be invited to offer some reflections as the Catholic community in Kettle Falls, WA celebrated the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the Saint Paul Mission there. The questions I chose to reflect on were not so much the "when, where, and who" historical questions, but the much more personal "what was it like for the missionaries on the inside?" I found my resources for responding to that question from my own "missionary" experiences as a pastor over the years. 

This is a read version of the text I prepared. The actual talk in the mission church was much longer! 

 

John's Gospel ends with the surprising story of the apostle Thomas, a late-comer to the Resurrection party. Having not seen Jesus with his own eyes, he loudly proclaims his incredulity. That ends when the Risen Jesus returns a week later. Thomas' profession of faith is the climactic end of the gospel: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus then turns a sidelong gland towards us when he says to Thomas, "You believed because you saw; blessed are those who do not see and believe." 

"Were you there when they crucified the Lord..." The question posed by that old hymn seems to be best answered by the practical person clearly as "no". How could any of us have been "there" over 2000 years ago? But there is another kind of logic at work in that old hymn and the question it asks, the "logic of love" and it makes us even still "tremble, tremble, tremble." 

The Holy Triduum begins by remembering a night of remembering. On Jesus' final night before his death he gathers with the Twelve to celebrate the Passover Supper. On this final night of life for him, he and all Israel remember the foundational story of their faith, God's leading them out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Jesus also remembers his own life and the many encounters with sinners, disciples, the sick and lame, even the dead to whom he gave new life by the gift of his life. All these memories are kneaded into a loaf of unleavened bread and poured into a cup of wine so that his disciples memories of him might be living memories.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. In the liturgy of the day, the Palm Procession is followed by the proclamation of the Passion of Jesus, this year from the Gospel of Luke. The lengthy reading from Luke is followed by a very brief homily that calls us to both walk with Jesus on his pilgrimage from Palms to the Cross and to allow Jesus to walk with us in our sufferings, failings, and even death. 

Stones have been part and parcel of human history since even before history, for both good and ill. Stones play a significant role in today's Gospel reading from John. They are meant to kill. When a woman accused of adultery is caught and brought before Jesus, it is a test for Jesus. His silence and his brief words turn the accusation back on the accusers. Realizing their own sinfulness, the stones drop from their hands and new life is afforded the woman.