Father Kevin A. Codd

Jesus attends to those who donate to the Temple in Jerusalem. The rich donors do not impress him, but a poor widow clearly does touch him deeply. In her self-giving, he sees himself and what will happen to him in Jerusalem. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community of Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Let us consider the Scribe who asks Jesus which of the commandments is the most important. Jesus answer seems to astound the man: "The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your sould, all your mind, and all your strength...and the second: love your neighbor as yourself."  The Scribe finds these to be the perfect response to his question and says so. Jesus commends his understanding of this great mystery and says to him that he is not far from the Kingdom of God. What moved the man to ask this question in the first place? We can only conjecture, but the end result is a commendation to all of us to consider the quality of our own love of God and love of neighbor. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

El escriba en el evangelio de hoy presenta a Jesús una pregunta muy fundamental: "Cual de los mandamientos de la ley es lo más importante? La respuesta de Jesús le impresiona mucho y el escriba dice que Jesús de verdad tiene razón. Es cierto que el mandamiento más grande de todo es amar a Dios con todo su corazón y amar a su prójimo como a si mismo. 

Homilía compartido en la Iglesia de San Francisco de Cuenca, Ecuador.

The beautiful verse from the late Hebrew scriptures, the Book of Wisdom, "The souls of the just are in the hands of God and there no torment shall touch them", leads us to reflect on the mystery of life, the life God has gifted to us, and its fulfillment in the life of God. As we remember our beloved dead this day, we entrust their souls into God's merciful and gracious hands. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

La hermosa y profunda lectura del Libro de Sabiduria con que comenzamos la Liturgia de la Palabra en este dia solemne, nos ayuda a reflejernos sobre la realidad de la vida como don precioso de Dios, la muerte, y las manos tiernos de Dios en que entregamos las almas de nuestros queridos difuntos. 

Homilia ofrecida en la Iglesia de San Francisco de Cuenca, Ecuador. 

"I was blind, but now I see..." When Andrea Bocelli sings that beautiful line from the hymn, Amazing Grace, you know it is a prayer that comes from deep in his own experience as a blind man. He would understand why Bartimeus in today's gospel reading would ask Jesus for just one thing: "I want to see." The most important "seeing" here is a seeing of things unseeable: love, life, amazing grace.    

 Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador. This homily is a revision of one delivered in Spokane some years ago. 

The brothers, James and John, make a bold request of Jesus hoping to fulfill their desire for greatness in their lives. Jesus lets them know that he can't fulfill their request, but asks them instead if they can drink the cup of which he is to drink. He then gives all his apostles a stern lesson in humility and service. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community of Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Jesus loves the man who asks him, "What must I do to inherit everlasting life?" He already fulfills the commandments, so what more is there to do? Jesus, in love, gives him the one thing he can't bring himself to do: sell everything, give to the poor, and follow him. Alas...

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community in Cuenca, Ecuador.

Jesus responds to a trick question about divorce. Rather than fall into the trap, he points his opponents' attention to what they are not seeing: the rich image of God's love that marriage is. The ideal of married love that he poses to them is one that animates our own understanding to this day. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community of Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Jesus' severe teaching in the 9th chapter of Mark's gospel is a good example of radical exaggeration to make an important point. Jesus isn't mandating the cutting off of feet, chopping off of hands, or the actual plucking out of eyes. He IS mandating that we take a hard look at our own fundamental sins and excise them from our lives. Arrogance, lying, and lack of forgiveness, these are the "big ones" and the most challenging to be free of. 

Homily shared with the Saint Francis Catholic Community of Cuenca, Ecuador.