St. Joseph Church Homilies
Podcast featuring homilies delivered at St. Joseph Church in Bowmanville, Ontario. Each episode presents a sermon from recent weeks, allowing parishioners to revisit or catch up on messages shared during weekend liturgies. The audio recordings offer spiritual reflection and teaching rooted in the Catholic faith.
Episodes
Christmas 2025
Petition, Thanksgiving and Worry
An ability God’s given us is the capacity to envision the future. Some may be better than others. Some can look farther ahead. But we can all picture what days ahead might be like. Maybe some here have plans for Thanksgiving and imagine a great meal with loved ones or maybe the youngest of us are considering what to wear for Halloween and imagine enjoying the treats collected that day. Some are ma
Nuanced IV
I have a friend who’s been deeply hurt by someone she trusted. Even today, well over a year later, the betrayal weighs on her daily and I wish she wasn’t burdened with that cross. However, I’ve noticed how my friend keeps pictures of the one who hurt her close by. Now, I’m not at all going to judge the unique ways each works through grief; and while I tell my friend to work through her grief in wh
Nuanced III
We often hear about the lives of the wealthy, not only about how they enjoy their fortunes, but where their wealth came from. Now, I have a little admiration for those who have built themselves up. I may wish for a little of what they enjoy, I may question how they use their wealth to make the world better, but I also think, “good on them for putting forth the effort, taking the risks and making t
Nuanced II
Most of us want to be forgiving people, even when it’s difficult to forgive. We know Jesus wants his followers to be forgiving people. We know how heavy grudges can become and long to be freed of the weight. But then we consider offences suffered and the call to forgive becomes more complicated. Forgiveness sounds simple, but there’s a nuanced balance to find between letting go of hurts, seeking w
Nuanced I
I like long weekends as much as anyone. But, I’ve never been a great fan of Labour Day weekend. As a child, I wasn’t the greatest student and didn’t especially look forward to school. But even today, I know that, after this weekend, life will become a little more nuanced, filled with hidden complexities. The regular meetings and school visits begin again. It will take more effort to keep on top of
22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
Finding God at Work
First of all, in today’s Gospel, Jesus shouldn’t be interpreted as being short, dismissive or rude with the Canaanite woman. Sure, when I’m tired or stressed, I can get a little irritable and possibly do or say things I later regret; no one likes having their limits exposed. But Jesus doesn’t suffer from those kinds of failings. Like any of us, maybe Jesus was tired after a long day of ministering
Stay in the Boat
One of the windows along the south side of our church features the image of a boat on stormy seas. The sky looks dark, the sail is full of wind and the waters look rough. I’ve been in a few storms while boating and each time was frightening in its own way. Each time, I had to take a breath and remind myself, all storms pass, all that’s needed is to stay in the boat. So, today’s Gospel reading, fea
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Baptized Priests, Prophets and Kings III
For the last couple weeks, we’ve reflected on our Baptism. Of course, the Baptized are adopted children of God; that’s who Baptism says we are. But Baptism also has something to say about what we are too, it makes a practical difference; it gives us a job going all the way back to Adam and Eve. Being made in the image and likeness of God, the first couple were true prophets; a clear reflection of
Baptized priest, prophet and King II
Canada Day offers a great time to reflect on all the blessings we enjoy here and among those is our electoral system: it’s a blessing to have the right to elect our leaders. It’s not perfect, of course, and that’s felt whenever an election fuels divides among even the best of friends, when you discover a friend has ‘cancelled’ out your vote with their own. It’s still a true blessing though because
Baptized priest, prophet and King I
Most of us, if not all, have been Baptized. Of course, we know the Baptized are connected to God’s family, that they’re children of God, called to inherit the Kingdom. That’s the answer Baptism gives to who we are. But, over the next few weeks, we’re reflecting on the practical difference Baptism makes, on the job Baptism gives to disciples; in short, the Baptized are priests, prophets and kings.
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Corpus Christi
Allowing God’s Definitions
First of all, sorry to begin with a sad story: I was once made a visit to someone who was severely held back in life by a mental health issue. He was truly tormented, despite having received the best of care. He told me though, that he was actually afraid of getting better because, having endured his ailment for so much of his life, he wasn’t sure who he would be without it. He had allowed disorde
Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit
In the basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, one of the first things a visitor will notice are the massive statues, about three times the height of a person, looking down into the congregation. The statues are of the apostles who, of course, were all martyred but one. But what’s catches the attention of visiting pilgrims isn’t just the size of the statues, but how they’re depicted: held in the han
Ascension Sunday
6th Sunday of Easter
5th Sunday of Easter
Easter Perspective IV
I remember, back in high school student, being asked to envision my life ten years into the future, to make a five or ten year plan. It’s a job interview question I’ve had too, “where do you see yourself in five years”. I get how it’s important to have goals and plans, a positive perspective for the future. But it’s not a question I’ve especially liked because, in my experience, life rarely goes a
Easter Perspective III
I know of many who love going to art museums and can spend hours appreciating great works of art. It’s different for me though. After about twenty minutes of looking at paintings, they all start looking the same. I know I’m missing something and won’t get the same enjoyment as many others, at least not till something in my own perspective changes. Missing out because of an incompatible perspective
Easter Perspective II
I have to admit, sometimes seeing things from the perspective of others is a real challenge. So, I hope you’ll forgive me for starting off with a little judgment. Now that the Artimis Two crew have returned, I’ve seen some early reports and reflections on the successes of their mission. It’s not as great as Easter, but their success is a success for all and worth admiring. That crew went farther t
Easter Perspective I
Good Friday
Holy Thursday
Palm Sunday
5th Sunday of Lent
Admitting Blindness
Something I’ve learned over time is how maintaining relationships takes constant, deliberate work. It’s worth the effort, of course, but when that work isn’t done, relationships begin to drift apart. I’ve had close friends from grade school, high school and beyond, some from workplaces, who I’ve just drifted from once various things in life changed, making it difficult to maintain those connection
3rd Sunday of Lent
2nd Sunday of Lent
A Way Out
For near a year, I’ve been paying a little more attention to what I eat, avoiding sugars and that kind of thing. As someone happy to start the day with apple pie for breakfast, the biggest challenge for me has been passing by baked goods; they smell good, they look good and they’ve never let me down. On those occasions when Krispy Crème is giving out free samples at the Costco, I circle around to
Decluttering VI
There are many reasons why I’m not a great athlete, but while watching the Olympics I’ve realized that one of those reasons might come from my attitude towards competition. When I might view other competitors as obstacles, getting between myself and a gold medal, the impression I get from the Olympians is that they see one another as opportunity to push further and become better. Their hearts see
Decluttering V
Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe out of habit or oversight or fear. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it creates stress: that’s a sign of clutter. In addition to being a practical issue, clutter is a spiritual problem, as it limits freedom. The things that fill life demand attention and the only way out is to declutte
Decluttering IV
I hear it all the time: someone frustrated with distracted prayer or a student struggling to focus on studying for an exam. We all know what it’s like to be harassed by thoughts that confuse and get in the way of careers, relationships and peace; I’m certainly no exception to the experience. Maybe the minds of some here are filled with worry or hurt, stress-filled to-do lists or just unwanted thou
Decluttering III
One of the biggest challenges in life, at least for me, is finding great friends. It’s a challenge even to define what a friendship is or to determine what criteria to use when assessing a friendship or relationship. Is a friend the one willing to wait for you at the airport or to help lift the heavy boxes when moving? Maybe you’ll discover that your best friends are the ones who help shovel the s
Decluttering II
When I go grocery shopping, I always bring a list and, mostly, I stick to it. I discovered long ago that without a list, I’d end up buying just whatever looked good. The result: a bigger food bill, forgotten necessities and waste. I discovered that, for me at least, a successful grocery shopping trip demanded I declutter my shopping practices. Life is often full of clutter, full of unneeded things
Epiphany 2026
Decluttering I
One thing I really despise is losing something. I know it’s something everyone experiences, but while some seem able to shrug off losing something as a frustration and children just accept losing things as part of life, I lose sleep when I know I’m missing something. It’s an experience that encourages me to be a bit of a minimalist, at least with my own things and when I lose something I wonder if
Feast of Mary, Mother of God
Holy Family
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