Father Kevin A. Codd

Each time we baptize a newborn child, the rite ends with a brief ritual in which we bless the ears of the child and then the mouth. This easily overlooked baptismal ritual has its roots deep in today's gospel story. One word stands out in both: Ephaphatha!  "Be opened!"

Responding to Bishop Daly's request that we parish priests assist our parishioners in forming well their consciences regarding the reception of life-saving vaccines, Father Codd offers this homily. 

 On this feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Old Testament story of "Sad Hannah" allows us to understand more deeply Mary's joy, expressed so beautifully in the canticle featured in today's Gospel.

The great rabbi, Abraham Heschel, asks the foundational biblical question: "What manner of man is the prophet?" His description of the prophetic call allows us to understand better both Jesus and Paul. 

Mark wraps one great story around another, forming one of his characteristic "gospel sandwiches". In this sandwich, the story of two unrelated afflicted women are told and in each Jesus heals them out of immense compassion and without consideration for their social and religious status. 

On this Second Sunday following Easter, we hear again the story of "Doubting Thomas"; sadly that nickname stuck more than the truer reality of this apostle: he is the one who proclaims before Jesus: "My Lord and my God!" 

On the Third Sunday of Lent, we are presented in John's Gospel with the images of two temples, one made by hands and one not. Both will fall, only one will rise again.

On the solemn feast of the Epiphany, we learn from the wisdom of these "Wise Men". 

As Covid-19 continues to ravage the world, we gather for Christmas. The "darkness" of the prophet seems very much our own, but it first belonged to Israel. The knew God was near, but he wasn't here. That changes with the birth of Jesus; now, God is indeed both near and here!

The woman set among us by John's Gospel, by all rights, should not be here! For all that makes her undeserving, one thing makes her a most fitting presence among us: She thirsts! 

(This was the final weekend our church was open for several months as we and all the world dealt with the covid-19 pandemic. Sunday Masses for the next three or four months took place in Father Kevin's living room...livestreamed, of course.)