Today’s School Mass Homily

Long before anyone knew that today would be known as 9/11...

Long before Iryna Zarutska, a young Ukranian refugee, was stabbed on a train in Charlotte on August 22nd...

Long before the school shooting at Annunciation Catholic church in Minneapolis on August 27th...

Long before Charlie Kirk was assassinated yesterday...

Long before any of these things...maybe 50 or 60 years ago when the Church last reformed its lectionary...today's scriptures were assigned to today's date.

Our Mass readings rotate on a two year cycle for weekdays, and a three year cycle for Sundays. Whenever there's a convergence between what's happening in the news, and what we're reading from the Word of God, it is Providence.

We should expect bad things to happen to good people. We should expect to live in a world of violence. Just look at the cross, the center of our religion. But still, each new outrage hits us fresh. And how do today's scriptures ask us to respond?

Today St. Paul tells us to be gentle and patient, and to let the peace of Christ control our hearts. Today Jesus tells us - twice - to love our enemies.

More in this video…