Father Kevin A. Codd

St Therese Mission: 3rd Reflection, The Crazy-in-love Father, Feb. 27, 2018

Tonight's reflection takes a long and loving look at the father who is the true "star" of this parable. His love for his son is without limit, as is his mercy and compassion. He lets go of all his dignity to smother his son with love and in so doing, restores the boy to sonship. 

St Therese Mission, 2nd Reflection, The Younger Son, Feb. 26, 2018

This evening we take a "deep dive" into the first important character of Jesus' magisterial parable of the Father and his two sons. We learn just how deeply this boy sinned by taking his share of the family wealth and wasting it among the heathens. 

St Therese Parish Mission, 1st Reflection on Luke 15: The Good Shepherd & Good Housewife

In this first of our Lenten Mission Reflections, we come to know to whom Jesus was speaking these very special parables found together in Luke 15. We then take a closer look at the stories of the Good Shepherd and the Good Housewife. 

St Therese Mission: "It is good that we are here!"

So our Lenten Mission at St. Therese Parish in Albuquerque, NM begins with the Sunday homily for the Second Sunday of Lent (B). We here the powerful story of Jesus' transfiguration in front of the very eyes of Peter, James, and John. The words of Peter, "It is good that we are here...!" resonate still and remind us that as we begin this Lenten Mission we are reminded that, indeed, it is very good that we are here, too! 

Forty Days

"Forty" is one of the big numbers in the Scriptures...it comes up time and time again. It makes its first big splash in the story of Noah: the rains fell for forty days and forty nights! It makes its appearance again in the story of the Exodus: the Hebrew people spend forty years wandering in the desert. And finally, Jesus spends forty days in the desert following his baptism in the Jordan River. 

And then there is "our forty"...the forty days of Lent we have begun in earnest...

"I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..."

The bubbly optimism of that old Coke jingle, "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony," doesn't offer a real picture of hard it is to make the world the place it should be. Christianity faces the same conundrum: "If we are a people of such great hope and the Gospel brings us salvation...why is the world still such a mess? Today's sober Gospel reading tips the reason in one word repeated over and over again: "Hipocite!" 

Healing

Today's Gospel passage highlights Jesus' healing grace as he tenderly takes the hand of Peter's mother-in-law and restores her to health. It is the perfect image for our continuing ministry of healing as celebrated in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the celebration of which in our parish follows this homily.

The Opening Battle Scene in Mark's "Movie"

Mark's Gospel is similar to one of those Hollywood movies that begin with a big battle scene and then holds your attention until the last big battle scene! 

Today we are treated to a front-row seat at the big cosmic battle that almost opens Mark's Gospel: the battle between Jesus and the power of God verses the impure spirit and the powers of darkness. Hold on to your seats!

Jesus Finds Us and Calls Us Right Where We Are

Mark's version of the story of the call of the first disciples by the Sea of Galilee seems most improbable? Is it possible that he no more than shows up, calls, and they follow...leaving behind everything in an instant? 

Maybe Mark is trying to teach us some important things about Jesus...and us! 

He has something which attracts us like "love at first sight"...what it is?

He finds us...we don't find him.

He meets us right where we are at in our daily lives, at home, at work, at school.

Homily delivered at Sacred Heart Church, Othello, WA. (Apologies again for the raspy voice!)

The Three Strangers

Each of the popular names given to today's Gospel characters adds its own nuance to the Epiphany story, but the mostly fogotten name is the most important: The Three Strangers!

(Apologies for the raspy voice...recovering from the Great Flu Epidemic of 2018!)