HOMILY
Wedding Anniversary Mass – June 28, 2026
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This is a pretty unusual gospel passage, don’t you think? It doesn’t sound like Jesus, does it?. And it hardly seems to be a gospel appropriate for today’s focus upon wedding anniversaries, marriage and family life. Just to be certain, let’s recall exactly what Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus’ words don’t seem to make sense, do they? In fact, doesn’t the great commandment call us to love God above all things – but to also love our neighbor – our father and mother, our son and daughter, our husband and wife – as we love ourselves?
So, what’s really going on in this rather unique passage? What is Jesus saying to us? I’d suggest that it has nothing to do with insensitivity on his part and everything to do with the urgency of following Jesus and living out our faith through his call to discipleship.
While today’s gospel, on its surface, may sound harsh in tone for such a joyful celebration, at its heart, Jesus speaks of the sacrifice demanded of his disciples – of you and me – and the suffering that we will all endure at some point or another for the sake of our faith. He goes on to remind us that authentic discipleship ultimately means embracing the selflessness of Jesus that led him to the cross – it means welcoming and supporting others when our self-righteousness or preconceived notions about them may prompt us to treat them otherwise – and it means looking beyond our own world, our needs, and our plans in order to respond to the poor and broken who inhabit our families and neighborhoods and whom God weaves into our own lives.
Now let’s be honest – doesn’t this perspective on the gospel sound a lot like what’s required of a couple to engage in a life-giving, faithful marriage and what’s gotten you to today’s anniversary celebration in the first place? Suddenly, today’s gospel begins to make a bit more sense, particularly when we link it to our lives, our relationships and what we celebrate today.
We all carry around a lot of baggage in life, don’t we? Some of the things to which we cling, especially those rooted in our past and in our relationships, can deprive us of engaging life and our faith in a positive manner. … We can hold on to past hurts, mistakes, memories and all sorts of things that, at times, can stand in the way of new experiences, opportunities – and even encounters with God that have the power to bring us peace and consolation.
But there are also many things that God has woven into our lives that can be life-giving – like cherished family members and friends and experiences of authentic, selfless, forgiving love – all of which can be found in married life and can become the seed-bed for a deeper relationship amongst ourselves and ultimately with God.
Brothers and sisters, each one of you who gathers for this Wedding Anniversary Mass today knows the difference between the baggage that can wear us down and those things that can ultimately bring us joy and peace.
My parents were married for 56 years when my dad passed away in 2004. To commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, my sister and I planned a beautiful Mass and a party to commemorate the event. As I began my homily during their anniversary Mass, I asked my parents if there were any words of wisdom that they wanted to share as they reflected on 50 years of marriage. Although I won’t do that with any of you today, I thought I could get away with it with my parents. First, I looked at my dad, who often got pretty emotional at times. He was already crying and couldn’t say a word. Then I looked at my mother. She rolled her eyes and said, “You know your father.” And then, without missing a beat, she went on to offer some pretty sage words of advice.
“What would I like to share about 50 years of marriage? It’s been an interesting journey. If you start with the early years of our marriage, just following World War II, while we loved each other, they were rough times. We didn’t have very much, and we worked hard to get ahead. We didn’t always agree on things. Then we were blessed with two wonderful children. There were good times but also disappointments and setbacks. But it was never about win or lose – but forgiving, accepting, praying and working hard because we believed in marriage. And look at what we have now. Look what we are able to celebrate today!”
My friends, I don’t doubt for a moment that most of you would share similar words today. As you think about the many years of your marriage, the stories and events that are likely racing through your minds and hearts probably don’t give evidence of a fairy tale notion of an ideal relationship. … To the contrary, your stories and lives likely reflect some of the same sentiments that my parents shared: hard work, struggle and pain, and a selflessness that seeks the well-being of another. … Your marriage has endured not because the years have been perfect, but because you have come to see marriage as part of something much bigger than yourselves – the mystery of God’s love discovered in your lives together.
Pope Leo spoke of marriage so beautifully in addressing married couples recently. “Marriage is not an ideal,” he began, “but the measure of true love between a man and a woman.” Quoting his predecessor, Saint Paul VI, Leo went on to share that marriage reflects “a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner’s own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.”
My friends, what a blessing you celebrate today in your married life! … Now do me a favor. … Look at the person sitting next to you. … Look into his eyes – her eyes. For all that is a part of this exchange at this moment, realize just how sacred your relationship is. … For all that you have been through, realize how blessed you are to have each other. … For as familiar as those eyes are, see through them to discover the face of God abiding within the heart of the one you love. … And give thanks. … Amen.
HOMILY
Ordination to the Priesthood – 27 June 2026
Jeremiah 1:4-9; I Timothy 4:12-16; John 21:15-17
By the grace of God – our brother Jan Carlo Perez – is to be ordained as a priest for service to the people of God in the Church of Scranton. Join me in giving thanks – first, to our good and loving God – for the call to priestly ministry that he planted in Jan Carlo’s heart – an invitation built upon the universal call to holiness which all of us have received in Baptism. … We offer thanks as well to so many of you who are here today in this great cathedral who have helped him discern and respond to God’s call. … We thank those who have been involved in Jan Carlo’s priestly formation – Father Alex Roche and so many priests, deacons and members of the Christian faithful from throughout the Diocese of Scranton and beyond and particularly Monsignor Marc Caron, who joins us today, representing the faculty of Santin Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. … We thank Jan Carlo’s pastor, Father Don Williams and the faith community of Saint Matthew’s Parish in East Stroudsburg. … And finally, Alex and Liana – Jan Carlo’s parents – we especially thank you and your family for your commitment, your support and the gift of your son to the Church.
Jan Carlo, a few moments ago, this cathedral resounded with applause at your election to the Order of the Priesthood. I pray that this gesture of affirmation will remain in your heart for a long time. It is a powerful moment in the Rite of Ordination and a way for us to express our deep gratitude to God for calling you to priestly ministry. It is also a vivid reminder of the bond we share with you as we journey together in Christ – each in our proper way called to mission in the Church.
But such affirmation can be fleeting, can’t it, particularly as we struggle to find our way in a complicated world? In fact, we encountered that reality in Saint John’s Gospel proclaimed a few moments ago. In the exchange between Jesus and Peter, however, affirmation wasn’t unfairly withheld. It was forfeited by one of Jesus’ closest followers who seemed poised to receive it. Recall in the gospel that Jesus asked Peter – the blessed one set apart as the rock upon whom he would build his church – “Do you love me?” Underneath Jesus’ question that was posed to Peter three times, we discover why the disciple was suddenly challenged by the risen Lord himself with the most sobering of questions.
It’s obvious that Jesus’ three-fold question to Peter finds its source in the disciple’s denial of Jesus – three times – as he embraced his passion. Yet, what is so hopeful in the exchange between Jesus and Peter is that his denial was not the last word. As distressed as Peter was by Jesus’ acknowledgement of his shortcomings, Jesus nonetheless affirmed his call to Peter issued years before, engaging him yet again in the mission of proclaiming the good news of salvation.
This mission that Jesus entrusted to Peter – as ill-equipped as he was on his own – demanded that he embrace and model within his own life Jesus’ selfless love and total gift of himself in his death on the cross. What an incredible mission to place upon the shoulders of any human person – particularly one who all too often fell short of what he was called to do and to be.
Yet, brothers and sisters, that’s exactly what Jesus has done throughout his ministry in this world and in the life of the Church. He’s chosen, called and engaged followers like Peter – followers who, on their own, could never fully embrace the mission entrusted to their care – but followers who were humble enough to accept the mercy of God time and again in their lives – followers who were wise enough to know that if called by the Lord, the Lord himself would provide them with all they would need to do his work.
Something else emerges in the scriptures this morning that bolsters Jesus’ criteria for discipleship. There is a focus in our first two readings on age – specifically, youthful age! … In the passage from Jeremiah, the prophet attempts to back away from God’s call, “Ah Lord God! I know not how to speak for I am too young.” And then in Saint Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he asserts, “Let no one have contempt for your youth.”
I’m uncertain, Jan, if such references to age were the reason you selected these two scripture passages. Yet, as one who no longer fits the category of youth, I can assure you that the concerns and anxieties associated with the youthful disciple are no different than those experienced by the likes of so many of us who have been called by the Lord decades ago. In fact, in God’s wisdom and plan, such concerns set the stage for true discipleship, regardless of one’s age.
For, you see, at the heart of authentic discipleship there must be a radical trust and belief that it is God who has begun the good work in us and God – not we ourselves – who will bring it to fulfillment. No matter how independent and determined we may be – no matter how tireless our commitment to serve – no matter how theologically erudite our words – on our own, we are ill-equipped to do God’s work. Through Baptism and the power of the Spirit in our lives, however, we are assured of the promise of God’s sustaining grace as we assume our unique place in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. Therein we discover the miracle of how God chooses to work in our world, in our lives and in his Church.
While it is true that God has called us all to a royal priesthood in Christ, we acknowledge that he chooses certain disciples to carry out publicly a priestly office in the Church. Today, Jan Carlo, he is calling you to that office. He calls you to shepherd his people in a unique and intimate way, patterned on his own life of service and sacrifice. And you, in turn, declare your willingness to do God’s work within the Church. You affirm your desire to participate in Jesus’ work as Teacher, Priest and Shepherd, by embracing his priesthood and so joining as a co-worker with the Order of Bishops in service of the People of God.
Trust in the grace of God present to you in this sacrament. But always recall, when you teach in the name of Jesus – when you work for justice – when you welcome lives into the Church through Baptism – when you forgive sins in the name of Christ – when you comfort the sick and the dying – when you serve the poor – and when you celebrate the sacraments and particularly the Eucharist – you are both a servant of the Church and a member of the People of God. Remember, then, that while you are appointed to act on behalf of the Christian faithful for those things that pertain to God, you – like all of us – need God’s continued life and mercy in your own.
If you seek, then, to be an instrument of God’s mercy as you have received it yourself, and if you want your ministry as a priest to be fruitful, understand that it begins and ends in your relationship with the Lord Jesus. Allow the Lord to draw you into the circle of his friendship and listen carefully as he speaks to your heart.
Saint John Paul II once observed, “The authority of the priest coincides with the authority of Jesus ‘who came not to be served but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many.’” We are all grateful, Jan, for your willingness to embrace Jesus’ call to service. As a priest, in a unique way, you will be a minister of the Lord, you will share in his mission, you will act in his name – and you will also be called by the Church “another Christ.” Remember well, however, that this title has less to do with your rank and status among the People of God and much more with a perpetual challenge to be like Christ in the care of your brothers and sisters.
Remember as well that wherever you serve, whatever the Church asks you to do, you are sent and appointed not simply to fulfill your own desires in life but, like Christ, to do the work of God. So, seek to live with integrity the life of celibacy, obedience and simplicity. Lead a life that is marked, molded and characterized by the way of thinking and acting that is proper to Christ to whom you are configured this day.
Finally, sear into your heart these words that Pope Leo shared with newly ordained priests earlier this year. “May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation. … “And remember,” he went on, “your people will also help you to become a saint!”
Jan Carlo, God’s people will look to you for so much. Yet, more than anything else, they will look to see in you someone who knows Jesus – a disciple of the Lord who joyfully proclaims by his words and life the hope that is ours through faith. So, Jan, join with us as we give thanks to God who calls you as his priest this day. Know and believe in your heart as you begin this lifelong journey, that God who has begun the good work in you will bring it to fulfillment. Amen!
HOMILY
2026 Catholic Women’s Conference – June 6, 2026 – “Courageous Faith”
Saturday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
I’ve got to be honest with you. While most people think I have a hand in everything that goes on in our Diocese, I really don’t! Just most of it!
So, with this being said, I have no idea how the focus for this year’s Catholic Women’s Conference surfaced. Did our theme, Courageous Faith, emerge from some group thinking? Does it reflect words of Pope Leo who reminds us that “we need to be courageous in the witness we?” Or did it come from today’s gospel passage from Saint Mark? However it emerged, it is quite providential that the Word of God provided by the Church for this very day, Saturday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, provides us with a powerful image from Jesus for our reflection and prayer!
The gospel from Saint Mark offers us a disarmingly simple story about a poor widow who courageously let go of two small copper coins – something by today’s standards that would amount to 1/40th of a penny – to respond to the needs of others. As we consider its meaning and why Jesus lifts it up for our consideration, if you’re like me, this gospel story is probably surfacing all sorts of images and experiences from our own lives. And so it should!
For me, the actions of this poor widow take me back to stories that have lived in my family for years – stories that pertain particularly to my grandparents on my dad’s side of our family. They were both immigrants from Poland, arriving in this country just prior to the turn of the last century. I hope you won’t mind if I share some of my recollections from my family’s history this morning. In doing so, I suspect that some of your own stories may also come to mind – stories that are not all that different from what I’m going to share.
Although my grandfather died many years prior to my birth, I recall my grandmother talking often about life during the Great Depression in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. She and my grandfather operated a grocery store – something more like a general store – in their little community. My grandmother would often reflect upon how difficult life was during that period – how people would come into the store with very little or no money at all, hoping to purchase basic supplies to keep their families fed.
I vividly recall my grandmother stating that the rule that was to be followed in the family store – for my dad and my aunts and uncles who worked in it – was one that was simple and direct. If someone was unable to pay for food, you put their name on “the books.” And for most of you my age and older, you understand that “the books” was an old-fashioned precursor to today’s credit cards – with a whole lot more risk for the store owner. Regardless, no one was ever turned away from my grandparents’ store.
You know the next part of the story. As time went on and the Depression waned, some people who had outstanding bills fulfilled their obligations – and some did not. When my grandmother sold the store after my grandfather died, there were thousands of dollars of unpaid bills.
That being the case, it needs to be said that my grandparents and their children survived pretty well. In fact, in an area where coal mining was the industry for most heads of households, they survived better than most, despite – yet maybe in some miraculous and mysterious way – because of their willingness to risk incurring significant loss to ensure that the gospel value of caring for their neighbors was fulfilled.
My grandparents weren’t perfect people, but like some many of your parents and grandparents who lived in a different era, they understood very well what we often forget today. They knew that the blessings of this world weren’t theirs to cling to or hoard. They knew that what they were given in life came from the generous hand of God. As such, they also understood that it was their responsibility to care for what they had been given, to use their gifts well and wisely, and to share them when the opportunity to do so emerged.
I want you to listen to what you wrote about the theme for this year’s conference, Courageous Faith. It was shared in a press release advertising today’s gathering. “Courageous faith is more than just belief – it’s action. It is the kind of belief that pushes forward even when fear, doubt or uncertainty threaten to stop you. It is about trusting deeply in what you know to be true, even when there’s no guarantee of success. This faith shows up in your life when you stand firm in your values, when you choose to act in accordance with your beliefs and not just hold them inwardly. It’s a faith that lives boldly, stepping forward despite opposition, and refusing to compromise on the truth.” … You said it all, far better than I!
Now, let’s look again at the Word of God taken from today’s gospel. Many of us tend to gauge our relationship with God by the things that we do and the things that we give – what we place in a collection basket, how often and how reverently we say our prayers, and the work that we do to support our parish. All these things are fine indicators of our commitment to live our faith and to serve our brothers and sisters. But what happens if we’re not able to give as much or to work as hard or to participate as often in the prayers of the Church? Is there some line that we ought never cross, lest we lose touch with the Lord?
In today’s gospel, Jesus helps us put into perspective the relationship with God that we so often seek to measure. The widow in today’s gospel is praised by Jesus not because of what she gave but because of who she was – a woman of faith who relied upon her God and trusted that he would walk with her in her life’s journey.
The widow’s coins can take many forms in quiet acts of faith that no one applauds: the exhausted parent caring for a child, the person who keeps praying through grief, the worker who acts honestly when no one would notice otherwise, the lonely person who still chooses kindness, the widow who bakes a pan of lasagna for a neighbor caring for a sick parent. Her coins are mighty and her actions are courageous, accomplishing great things not because of the size of the gift but because of the love and selflessness that they reflect.
You see, greatness in the reign of God is not determined by what is in our portfolios, bank accounts or resumes, but by what motivates us to use and share our gifts. Greatness in the eyes of God is measured not just by the actions of a poor widow but the depth of willingness to trust in the promises of God. It’s measured by how authentically we embrace the great commandment to love God in our neighbor, despite our fears and reservations.
Some of you know one of the oldest and wisest priests of our Diocese, Monsignor John Esseff. For all the many times that I have spoken to him to tap his wisdom and faith, there is one thing that he shared with me that I have never forgotten and that I want to pass on to you. It’s called the “Surrender Novena.” I know I’ve shared this prayer with some of you before and you pray it with regularity. If you don’t have it, you can find it online.
Essentially, it’s a prayer that reminds us that when we’ve nowhere else to turn – when we finally admit that for all that we are able to do, we can’t fix and control everything in life – we need to turn to the one power in our lives that can give us hope. You and I know that power to be God. … Here are the words that the novena asks us to embrace and pray every day: “Jesus, I surrender myself to you. I trust in you. In your mercy, take care of everything – for I know that you will.”
It takes courageous faith to pray that prayer with authenticity, doesn’t it? You’ve shown that faith in your lives more than you will ever admit, because you know well that’s where our struggles end and our true life begins. … That’s the trust that enabled a poor widow in today’s gospel to love as selflessly as she did amid all sorts of obstacles. She placed two small coins into the temple treasury, but in truth, she placed her whole life into God’s hands. … And it’s the same trust in God that will carry you and each of us forward into God’s life and peace. Amen!
HOMILY
6th Sunday of Easter – May 10, 2026
Mother’s Day Adoption Mass
Today’s gospel takes place during the last supper as Jesus prepares to face his death. He knows that the end is near. His disciples sense from his words and gestures that storm clouds are gathering for their friend and mentor as well as for themselves. So, in anticipation of the events that were soon to unfold, Jesus reassures his disciples that they would not be left alone but that the Father would give them another Advocate – the Spirit of Truth – who would remain with them and within them forever. “I will not leave you orphans. … In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.”
Jesus assures his disciples that his suffering and death – far from being the end of his story – would set the stage for God to perform his greatest act in raising Jesus to life and in pouring forth the Spirit upon the followers of his Son – thereby giving them – and all of us – a way forward in life with hope – despite the struggles, pain and suffering of this world.
But the Word of God also reminds us that the hope given to us through the Easter miracle is not a gift meant to be preserved solely for ourselves. No, it miraculously grows when we extend it to others.
In just a few days we’ll celebrate the Lord’s ascension into heaven, and we will hear the final words of Jesus spoken to his disciples in St. Matthew’s gospel. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” God’s gift of life and salvation is received by the followers of Jesus only to be given away.
As Christians, then, we exist for a purpose: to proclaim the good news of Jesus! … We exist to proclaim love, not war and division. … We exist to nurture respect for all of creation – especially that part made in the image and likeness of God. … We exist to feed, clothe and heal the wounded and broken. … We exist to love, to forgive and to work for peace – in our families – among our friends – and, yes, in the world that God has given to us – even and especially during these unsettling days of conflict, pain and suffering.
Caryll Houselander, a Roman Catholic artist and spiritual writer wrote of this unique reality of God’s love as it both sustains us and serves as a pattern for our lives. “The ultimate miracle of divine love is this, that the life the risen Lord is given to us to give to one another. It is given to us through our own human loves. It is not violation of our simple human nature. It is not something which must be cultivated through a lofty spirituality that only few could attain; it does not demand a way of life that few could attain. … It is to be lived at home, at work, in any place, any circumstances. It is to be lived through our natural human relationships, through the people we know, the neighbors we see. … It is the love of human lovers, of man and wife, of parent and child, of friend and friend.”
Today, throughout our country and in this assembly, we celebrate and give thanks for the same love of God that has been shared with us through the women we honor this day: our mothers. … Mothers, who have given us life – mothers, who, though unable to care for the lives they bore, for love of God and life itself, entrusted those precious gifts to the care of others – mothers who opened their hearts to children desperately in need of a loving and nurturing home – grandmothers – foster mothers – and all who have nurtured and cared for life as only a mother can do.
It is a common truth that we learn how to love from being loved and from seeing love in action. It’s as simple and profound as that. And that’s why it’s so important for us to recognize that underneath all the commercialism that can easily attach to this day, there lies a deeper, sacred reality: we honor mothers because our first encounter with love comes from our mother. That love is hardly a sentimental love – but rather, a sacred love – a selfless, sacrificial, forgiving love that mirrors the very love of Jesus himself. … And in those mothers who have said yes to life and then have chosen to give their child the opportunity to grow and flourish in a family other than their own, we see a love comparable to that found in the very heart of Jesus himself – loving for the pure sake of another, selflessly and sacrificially.
We give thanks, then, today for the promise of Jesus in today’s gospel – a blessing rooted in God’s love for creation and his pledge to remain within us always – a blessing that has been so generously given to each of us through the lives of our mothers. By their example, they teach us that it is possible to love as Jesus commands – generously and selflessly. They also remind us that they – and we – become vehicles for God’s very presence in the world when we open our lives to his love and make it our own.
HOMILY
Day of Atonement and Healing – April 9, 2026
Thursday within the Octave of Easter
Brothers and sisters, this is the eighth time in my tenure as Bishop that I’ve gathered with you in our cathedral to celebrate Mass during the month of April – a time dedicated to Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Prevention. We pray during this hour for God’s healing and peace for all survivors of sexual abuse and particularly for those abused by members of the clergy and trusted Church workers. We pray as well for mercy and forgiveness for those who inflicted or enabled such abuse.
It is significant that our prayer today takes place in the heart of the Octave of Easter – eight days that remind us that the cross of Jesus, despite its overwhelming pain, was not the end of Jesus’ story but, through the power of God, gave way to the fullness of life, meaning and peace for Jesus – and for each of us through faith.
Earlier this year, in speaking to the cardinals of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo addressed what he called “the scandal of closed doors.” The Holy Father stressed that while “abuse itself causes a deep wound which may last a lifetime, often the scandal in the Church is that the door was closed and victims were not welcomed or accompanied” by the Church. He went on to share the testimony of a victim with whom he had spoken: “She told me that the most painful part for her was that no bishop wanted to listen”. There, Pope Leo said, “listening is profoundly important.”
Brothers and sisters, while we have celebrated this Mass in a very public way for many years, it continues to be vital that we pray for survivors of abuse. Why? Because there is still pain. And the Church needs to listen to the stories of survivors, to their pain and to the movements of their hearts.
None of us will ever know the depth of the pain that survivors endure. Yet, in courageously sharing their pain, so many of them with whom I’ve spoken over the years have taught me a great lesson. They’ve taught me that if the Church is truly intent upon creating safe environments for its children and all of God’s people, the Church – and especially Church leaders – must never forget or allow time to numb us to the pain that was so willfully inflicted on innocent lives by those who postured themselves as God’s representatives and ministers of his love and mercy. An authentic recognition of the pain of that cross is the only thing that can truly prompt us to change and to create a Church deserving of people’s trust.
Friends, today’s scripture passages remind us of another cross. They remind us of the pain and suffering so unfairly inflicted upon Jesus. They also remind us that sin and death did not have the final word in Jesus’ experience. Nor do we journey through life alone as we carry our crosses. God walks with us – as Jesus walked with the burdened disciples on the road to Emmaus – and as he appeared to others in Jerusalem huddled for fear for their very lives. And we who gather in prayer this day are “witnesses” to the saving, healing presence of God in our world and in our lives as well.
Yet, for many of us, and especially for survivors of abuse, despite the hope that is proclaimed through the faith that we embrace as followers of the risen Jesus, it is still difficult at times to come to terms with such suffering and pain. Time doesn’t always heal.
And the world in which we find ourselves – fraught with wars, hatred and discrimination, and, yes, the constant news stories questioning and chronicling the rampant sexual abuse of minors by individuals of notoriety and fame – has sadly only served to open wounds of so many who have suffered for so long.
It is, however, miraculously in moments of such pain and despair that our faith can help us come to understand how God works best works within our lives. … When we have nowhere else to turn – when we’re no longer capable of fixing the things that have gone awry in our lives – God is finally given room to step into our lives and to carry us when we can no longer walk on our own. In his letter to the Church at Corinth, Saint Paul confronts the reality of his own suffering amid the broken world in which he finds himself, “I willingly boast of my weakness that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
If we can see ourselves in Jesus’ suffering and death, our faith tells us that we have nothing to fear. St. Paul once again says that “if we have died with Christ” – not just at the time of our passing from this world but also and especially through the crosses that we carry in life – “we shall also live with him,” not only in eternity but in this moment of our journey of faith.
Brothers and sisters, this is Easter! … That is what we celebrate this day in our prayer during this Eastertide! … God, in Christ, embraces our suffering – all of it, as unfair and as painful as it may be – and gives us hope to move forward in our journey of life and faith.
As Bishop of this local Church, I again apologize for the pain that has been inflicted upon far too many of you by leaders of our Church. In this season of hope and new life, I ask for forgiveness from the countless numbers of you who have suffered so much. And I pledge to continue to do all within my power to keep our Churches and schools safe for our children and for all our people to worship, to pray, to learn and to grow in their faith.
May the risen Jesus heal us of our pain, fill us with his love and strengthen us to walk together in faith and so reflect his life and love to a world so desperately in need of it.
HOMILY
Easter – April 5, 2026
Welcome on this day of Resurrection – this day that lies at the heart of our lives as Christians. … Welcome to our Cathedral Church. … Welcome to our Catholic family – to our brothers and sisters from different Christian religions and faith traditions – and especially, welcome to our Jewish brothers and sisters who are celebrating Passover during these sacred days that we treasure in our Church. … It is good that we are here together. … This is the day the Lord has made!
With the entire Church of Scranton, we first give thanks today for the blessing of all those who have opened their hearts to the risen Lord and responded to his call to discipleship. Here in our Cathedral and in parishes throughout our Diocese, in numbers that we have not experienced in years, well over three hundred catechumens and candidates were baptized and received into full communion in the Catholic Church. How blest we are by their presence and commitment to journey with Christ and with us, his Church.
Yet, for all that this day of resurrection imparts to our lives of faith, sadly, its joy is tempered as we acknowledge the suffering endured by so many of our brothers and sisters. Wars are raging in Iran, throughout the Middle East, for four years in Ukraine, and in far too many places to name around the world. At this very hour, men and women in our armed forces are in harm’s way as they seek to secure a more peaceful existence for all. Right here, in our own land, immigrants – our neighbors and friends – fear for their very well-being as their hopes for a better life for themselves and their families are dashed. Antisemitism, fueled by hatred, has once again raised its ugly head. And amid such upheaval and pain, we have our own stories to tell of the crosses that we carry – crosses made of grief and loss, illness, addiction, loneliness and sin.
In the face of such heartbreak, these sacred days beckon us to turn to the only place that enables our broken world and lives to find forgiveness, healing, hope and peace: the Paschal Mystery – the Easter miracle – the promise won for us through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus!
Years ago, Pope Benedict offered these profound words that speak to the hope we all seek in life and that prompts us to be present here today. “Christian hope means to know about evil and yet to go to meet the future with confidence.” … Hope, then, for the Christian – for me and you – does not emerge from the absence of suffering and pain in our lives. Hope grows from a relationship with the risen Jesus and our belief that, out of love for us, the power of God enabled his cross and death to give way to life and resurrection. This relationship, this love, brothers and sisters, is pure gift!
But my friends, the Word of God also reminds us that while we seek the risen Jesus’ promise of hope and peace, these are not gifts to be selfishly acquired solely for our own well-being. No – the resurrection of Jesus compels us to move beyond ourselves. In Saint Matthew’s gospel proclaimed during the Easter Vigil, the women, who go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus and discover that it is missing, while told first, “Do not be afraid,” are directed to “Go and tell his disciples” that the Lord has been raised from the dead. And in this morning’s gospel from Saint John, Mary of Magdala runs to Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved to inform them of the empty tomb. The gift of Easter, beginning in the very first moments following the resurrection, is received by the followers of Jesus and then, with urgency, shared with others still consumed with grief and pain.
The great theologian Karl Rahner put this divine mission entrusted to the first believers into perspective. “The Risen Christ is not a being in the clouds but the hidden presence of God in the midst of our everyday life, raising the world from its suffering.”
Like the first believers to experience the resurrection, we too, strengthened by the presence and grace of the risen Jesus within us, are given the same mission to raise God’s people from suffering and pain. In a world torn apart by sins of greed, hatred and an absence of respect for the human person, it is incumbent upon us as Christians to give life to the presence of God and to proclaim the good news of God’s mercy. … We believers in the risen Jesus are called to care for the lost and abandoned, the immigrant and the refugee, the life that is different than our own, the marginalized and ridiculed, the imperfect and forgotten. … We are called to welcome into our Church all those who seek a fuller life through faith in Jesus. … And we are called to love, to forgive and to work for peace in our families, among our friends and in the world that God has given to us.
Easter, then, is not simply the warm and reassuring presence of the risen Jesus that wells up within our hearts during this hour of prayer and worship. No – it is much more. Decades ago, William Sloane Coffin, the renowned and sometimes controversial American Protestant clergyman spoke of a concern for the ways in which so many of us have come to understand Easter: “Too often, Easter comes across very sentimentally– airy and sweet. But there is nothing sentimental about Easter. Easter represents a demand as well as a promise, a demand not that we sympathize with the crucified Christ, but that we pledge our loyalty to the Risen One” in whom we find the fullness of life, a pattern for our own and the gift of eternity.
Brothers and sisters, the promise of Easter is that Jesus lives among us. Assured by our Holy Father, Pope Leo, that “love has conquered sin forever and life triumphs over death,” may we open our hearts to the consolation and peace that only Jesus can give. And may we go forth from this cathedral blessed with hope, to continue to encounter and proclaim the resurrection – in our families and neighborhoods – in the uncertainty of our wounded world – and especially in the suffering souls who look to us for signs of the risen Jesus’ love and mercy.
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!
HOMILY
Chrism Mass – March 31, 2026
Brothers and sisters, welcome to our cathedral. … Thank you for your presence as the Church of Scranton gathers this day to celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ, to acknowledge his saving grace in our lives and to affirm our call to discipleship.
What a glorious gathering this is! Yet, for all its splendor, it’s fair to say that it takes place during sobering times. Our world is fraught with suffering, pain and uncertainty. Wars are raging around the globe, with brave men and women of our own armed forces in harm’s way at this very hour. Immigrants who have come to our land like generations before, simply seeking a better life for their families, are treated with little dignity and subjected to actions that they do not deserve. Hatred spawned by antisemitism is rampant. And each of us carries our own stories of crosses that have made their way into our lives in one way or another.
Nonetheless, our presence during this time of prayer affirms that what we celebrate has the power to give us hope in the face of adversity, doesn’t it? We engage an ancient tradition in which the richness of our diversity, roles and responsibilities coalesce in a spirit of unity. We acknowledge with gratitude our rightful places within the Church as disciples of Jesus Christ, entrusted with the gift of sharing in Jesus’ priestly identity and work through baptism. We also joyfully affirm those called forth by God to share in Jesus’ ministerial priesthood.
And we gather for a purpose. In a few moments, oils will be presented – the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and Sacred Chrism. These sacramental oils used to sanctify each of us as faithful members of the Church are channels of holiness that will be blessed and consecrated in the presence of so many of you – the Church of Scranton – as we, your priests, renew our commitments to serve.
Listen once again to the Word of God that speaks to us through the Book of Revelation. “Grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by this Blood, who has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”
While these opening words of Revelation are reminiscent of many New Testament epistles, their significance ought not be lost because of their familiarity. The blessings of grace and peace, which John proclaims, issue from a God immersed and active in our world – a God present in Jesus Christ. The very titles of Jesus enumerated by John – the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth – spoke directly to the earliest Christians in the face of persecution, giving them reason for patient endurance – giving them hope – and giving them the assurance of God’s presence abiding in their lives.
Brothers and sisters, we need to allow the Word of God from the Book of Revelation to speak to our hearts as well, lest we lose a sense of its relevance in our world today that just as desperately needs the reassurance of God’s presence as did the first communities of believers.
My brother priests, it is our responsibility to preach that Word! We are charged in a unique way to proclaim Jesus’ presence and to be God’s instruments in bringing his life and love to our suffering world. From the very day of our priestly ordination, we were both set apart and immersed in the lives of God’s people to sow seeds of mercy, promise and peace.
Yet, in as much as we have been called to this lofty and privileged task, because we hold these truths in earthen vessels, we often struggle to experience Jesus’ consolation in our own lives, don’t we? It’s worth noting that sixty years ago, with the promulgation of Presbyterorum ordinis, the Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests issued in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Fathers of the Council offered these words, “Having before our eyes the joys of the priestly life, this holy synod cannot at the same time overlook the difficulties which priests experience in the circumstances of contemporary life. For we know how much the scale of values is changed. As a result, the ministers of the Church and sometimes the faithful themselves feel like strangers in this world, anxiously looking for the ways and words with which to communicate with it.”
Had I not referenced the Council decree, most of us would have attributed these words to Pope Leo, Pope Francis or some other contemporary Church leader rather than presuming that they were written over two generations ago. For some of us, no doubt, the timeliness of these words prompts some questions. Have we learned nothing over the past sixty years? Why do we still struggle to engage our world in a convincing manner? What of those words of consolation proclaimed by Saint John in the Book of Revelation?
While we have surely grown in wisdom and knowledge over the past sixty years, these words of the Council Fathers are timeless. The Gospel of Jesus will always be counter cultural. And the cross will never be eradicated from our lives.
Brothers, I know it’s frustrating to face the challenges that our ministry confronts every day, from fewer people worshipping, to parish modifications, to a lack of resolve on the part of many to embrace the teachings of our faith, not to mention the growing need to simply keep our people safe within our churches. But let’s not delude ourselves into believing that with enough careful planning, proper catechesis and episcopal wisdom, we can rid our world of the folly that has pervaded it and the crosses that have been planted within it. Of course we need to be wise and courageous in confronting the evils of our age, to plan for our future and to soothe the wounds of our brothers and sisters – and our own. But we also need to remember whose kingdom we are building. Recall these words of Pope Leo offered to newly ordained priests, “The Holy Spirit has constituted you as stewards. Not masters, but keepers. The mission belongs to Jesus. He is Risen, therefore He is alive and goes before us. None of us is called to replace him.”
So, brothers, there’s no reason to despair in the challenges that I’ve named. There is good news to proclaim. Don’t doubt for a moment that the miraculous works of Jesus still abound in our world – in this local Church – providing us with consolation and hope. They flourish among us, less in the offices of the Holy See or in the halls of our chancery, and much more in your parishes through the works accomplished by you, our priests, with the faithful souls whom you serve.
Listen to these words that I received recently – about you, “While we belong to a different parish, we often attend the church in the neighborhood where we now live, having recently moved. Day in and day out, Father has been wonderful to our family. He is always kind to us, welcomes us and provides wonderful homilies. The community has embraced us, and it is entirely due to the leadership of the pastor who fosters a spirit of service, kindness and hospitality. My children are growing up to know how the Church loves as Christ taught us, and it is a remarkable gift.”
Or these words, “I reached out to Father when my family was facing some difficult challenges. He took time to listen to my story. Through his understanding he’s brought me even closer to God. He saved me and helped me to become a better person, a better father to my children and a better husband to my wife. I believe that Father is in my church for a divine reason beyond what I could ever understand.”
These words aren’t contrived to make you feel good. Two of you here today know that very well, as I’ve shared these messages with them. No, these words represent the lives of people who have been touched by your service and care.
And there are more signs of God working mightily in our midst. … This year, in a phenomenon sweeping the Church in our land, well over three hundred men and women from our parishes will be baptized and received into full communion in the Church. They are being led to communion and discipleship not by chance but by the power of God working in families, in friends and particularly in and through the life and ministry of your parishes.
Similarly, vocations to the priesthood don’t just happen but are born in families of faith and in parish families as well. As we celebrate this day the gift of priestly service in our Church, I am so pleased to share with you that by September of this year, we anticipate being blessed with eighteen men in formation for the priesthood for the Diocese of Scranton, most of whom are with us this afternoon. We haven’t experienced such numbers in decades. The Spirit is surely at work among us!
Because of you, my brother priests, and because of the commitment of the faithful People of God who are the Church of Scranton, while there will always be disappointments, missed opportunities and far too many crosses to bear, God is building his Kingdom among us and we are richly blessed.
And one more thing, brothers, for all that we are called to embrace as priests of Jesus Christ, sometimes we expect too much of ourselves – and not enough from God. So, be humble and wise enough to give Jesus space in your lives and in your ministry and allow him to be that faithful witness of God’s great love and mercy.
In his final reflection to Pope Leo and the Roman Curia during their recent Lenten retreat, Bishop Erik Varden recalled Saint Augustine’s perspective on the ministry that we share, particularly in challenging times. “Though the pastoral burden does have a fearful aspect, it is fearful only if we fail to notice who puts the burden on our shoulders. For it is no less a participation in the sweet yoke of Christ, who lets us discover that the crossbar entrusted to us is luminous and light, that a share in it is joyful. … So, bear your own load to the end. If you hate it, it will be heavy. If you love it, it will be light.”
To my brothers and sisters who make up this local Church, thank you for living your baptism, for embracing the message of the Gospel and for doing your part in building God’s Kingdom. … And to my brother priests, thank you for your priestly service, given so generously, at great personal sacrifice and often with little recognition. Know of my love and deep respect for you, brothers, as colleagues in ministry and men of faith. … May the joy of the Kingdom, which repays all our efforts, spur us on in our mission. Amen!
HOMILY
Palm Sunday – March 29, 2026
Perhaps as a consequence of age, having recently celebrated my seventieth birthday, I have been reflecting a great of late upon my own journey of faith – a journey that eventually brought me to ordained ministry within the Church, first as a deacon, then as priest and eventually as bishop. These reflections inevitably take me back to a very consequential time during my days in college and specifically in campus ministry. There was a scripture passage that I had never much considered up to that time in my life. It seemed to be referenced everywhere – or at least wherever God wanted me to look as I discerned his will for my life. The passage: John 3:16.
Most of you know that passage well. For me, it became life changing as I confronted its message. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Brothers and sisters, it is that very love of God, so selflessly revealed in the cross of Christ, which lies at the heart of the Word of God proclaimed this day.
As we stand on the threshold of Holy Week and prepare to celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption through Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, the Church invites us to peel away the facades behind which we live our lives and to present ourselves to the Lord as we truly are – all of us – struggling souls in need of God’s love and mercy. To bring such honesty to this moment is hardly a sign of weakness but, rather, a grace-filled awareness of the brokenness of our world and wounds that we carry in life.
Brothers and sisters, how very much we need this Holy Week! Our world and our lives can’t seem to catch a break. Once again, we come to these sacred days with our world engulfed by war and suffering – pain that is real, even if it is far removed from our shores. Right here in our own land, so many of our brothers and sisters are faced with uncertainty about their future as they seek to simply care for their families. And we too have our own stories to tell of the crosses that we carry – crosses made from grief and loss, illness, addiction, loneliness and sin.
No doubt, our spirits resonate with Jesus in today’s gospel. As he prayed in the Garden, we too have cried to God, “Let this cup pass from me,” haven’t we? And when the cup of our suffering hasn’t passed us by, the best of best of us have wondered where God is in the midst of it all.
Father Ron Rolheiser, a contemporary spiritual writer, puts the crosses that invade our lives into a perspective that we often fail to appreciate. Listen to his words, “Jesus never promised us rescue, exemptions, immunity from cancer or escape from death. Rather, he promised that in the end, there will be redemption, vindication, immunity from suffering and eternal life. But that’s in the end; in the early and intermediate chapters of our lives, there will be the same kind of humiliation, pain and death that everyone else suffers.”
God didn’t spare Jesus, as we learn from today’s gospel, yet in the end, through his suffering, death and resurrection, we are reminded that nothing is impossible for God. That belief in the power of God is where resurrection begins to enter our lives, and peace takes hold of our wounded spirits! God doesn’t promise us a perfect world free from suffering, no matter how faithful we are. But he does promise forgiveness, redemption and life because of Jesus’ cross.
In his letter to the Philippians proclaimed a few moments ago, Saint Paul asserts that although he was God, Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a slave – a servant. He sought, according to his Father’s plan, to embrace the brokenness and suffering of our world to save us from ourselves and all that can well up from within us to destroy our peace. In so doing, Jesus gave us the true and only way forward in life.
For all that we bring to this celebration of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, may we not forget to enter these sacred days praying for the same spirit of humility that characterized Jesus’ life and his embrace of the cross that gives us hope as we carry our own. For when we are finally humble enough to admit that we cannot save ourselves but need to trust in a power beyond us, it is then that a space will opened in our hearts to be filled by the love of Jesus – a love that alone has the power to carry us to a place of life and peace.
Therein, brothers and sisters, is the true blessing and gift of Holy Week.
Previous Homilies 2026
2026 Lenten Deanery Holy Hour “Finding Peace in Challenging Times”
Solemnity of Saint Joseph March 19, 2026
Saint Patrick’s Parade Day Mass March 14, 2026
Rite of Election February 22, 2026
Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026
Disabilities Mass –5th Sunday in Ordinary Time February 8, 2026