2020 archive of Fr. Fitz's Homilies
Third Sunday of Advent December 13, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 12/12/20
Gaudete! Rejoice! The words of St. Paul ring in our ears. In times past, when the whole congregation processed into the church to begin mass, they sang an entrance procession. The hymn for the third Sunday of Advent was always the same. The Latin text began “Gaudete.” The English ... Read More »
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time November 8, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 11/09/20
This past Wednesday morning, I concelebrated the 8:00 AM mass with Fr. Mike. He began his homily by asking “How many stayed up all night watching the election returns?” As expected, no one raised their hands. In my mind, I connected that response to Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel. ... Read More »
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time September 20, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 9/20/20
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call Him while He is near.” What a clarion call for our time. Yet what are we looking for. Do we seek a God whom we have fashioned in our own image and likeness? Isaiah tells us that our God is ... Read More »
Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time August 23, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 8/22/20
I always liked this Gospel for its psychology. Jesus asks a very disarming question, “What are people saying about me, what do you hear?” After his disciples answer that, he asks a much more serious question, “What about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter answers, “You are ... Read More »
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 16, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 8/15/20
All three Scripture readings today deal with the same question: What is the relation of revealed religion to people who do not accept it? I realize that in phrasing the question this way it may sound very dry and abstract. But each of the sacred authors frames the question ... Read More »
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 26, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 7/26/20
In the middle of the nineteenth century, the study of archeology was in its infancy. No one was searching the ruins of Rome, or Athens, or Jerusalem for clues to human history. In Rome, the catacombs were ancient memories buried in ancient texts. The Roman forum had become a ... Read More »
Fr. Fitz Homily Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 6/13/20
Fr. Fitz’s homily - Corpus Christi
Some years ago, a poll was taken of Catholic people about their belief in Jesus as really present in the Eucharist. The question posed was: “Do you think the presence of Jesus is real or symbolic?” The answers were very widely “symbolic.” The ... Read More »
Fr. Fitz Homily Pentecost Sunday May 31, 2020
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 5/30/20
Pentecost Sunday
5/31/2020
A couple of weeks ago there was a comic strip in Newsday which I have saved. Two older men were sitting on a park bench. The first one says, “Before I retired, I used to dread Mondays. Not anymore. This morning, I woke up and said ... Read More »
May 17 6th Sunday of Easter
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 5/25/20
Homily for 6th Sunday of Easter, 5/17/2020
Fr. Fitzgerald
As I started reflecting on the Sacred Scriptures passages for today, my mind kept jumping around to several different levels. The first level was, “What are people concerned about today?” Obviously, the Covid-19 pandemic. We all know people who ... Read More »
Holy Saturday Vigil Mass Homily
Posted by St. James Parish Catherine Horgan on 4/27/20
Holy Saturday Vigil Mass
April 11, 2020
Holy Saturday…what a strange day! It feels strange every year….a quiet day. But this year, stranger than ever, exaggerated by the social distancing that we have embraced, exaggerated by all of us protecting ourselves with face masks.
Fear is rampant. This ... Read More »