Deacon Scott's Homily

  Homily Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time February 8, 2026   We are the salt of the world. You and I are the salt of the world. What does that mean?   We are the light of the world. You and I are that city set on a mountain lighting the way. How are we to understand this? It must be important. Light, or reference to the Greek word phos, meaning light, lamp, torch, fire, the sun, any source of illumination, is mentioned over 400 times in the bible. Salt is mentioned around 40 times as a sign of preservation, purity, permanence, as in Covenant.   To try to understand this, let’s start at the beginning. God is the source of everything. All that we know, all that we see, all that is, comes from God. God is Light. God is Pure. God is Love. And we are made in His image and likeness.   Now here is the kicker; God does what He wills. He can do whatever He wants. He is God. And when He made us, He gave us that same gift of free will. We get to choose whate...

  Homily The Baptism of the Lord January 11, 2026   In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.   This is such a graceful action; a simple gesture with a powerful meaning; the Sign of the Cross is a prayer in itself. We start prayer with it. We begin Mass with it, the greatest prayer. It invokes the Blessed Trinity and reminds us of our Baptismal vows.   When we are Baptized, we make a vow. During Easter, we renew our Baptismal vows. These vows are to reject sin and embrace our Catholic Faith – belief in the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and acceptance of our membership in the Body of Christ, as children of God.   As we enter this beautiful Cathedral, we bless ourselves with Holy Water while making the Sign of the Cross. Now, I’m not saying everyone should do this, but I have Holy Water fonts in my home that Fr. Maher assures me grants me a plenary indulgence every time I use them. Right Fr.?  ...

  Homily The Third Sunday of Advent December 14, 2025   Happy Advent! Grace and peace be with you on this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday—the day the Church lights the rose candle and tells us to rejoice. This is why our presider and I are wearing rose colored vestments. Tell me please – be honest; who wears it better; me or the candle? The Church drapes herself in the color rose to remind us that joy is breaking through the purple of penance, like the rays of dawn piercing the darkness of night. Yet true joy is not the superficial and fleeting happiness of a good meal or a festive song; it is the deep, unshakable confidence that God is near, that Emmanuel is coming.   We just spent the first two of four weeks in preparation for the coming of our Lord. Similar to Lent, we pray more fervently, we cut back on extras, we give generously to those we don’t know. This third Sunday of Advent is a time to rejoice as our preparations are beginning to pay off. We...

  Homily Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome November 9, 2025   Isn’t this a beautiful space? I have the honor and pleasure of supervising weddings here and I always begin with that statement. I then follow with just a few of the main attractions – the large window, the bishop’s chair (do not sit there; you don’t want that kind of responsibility), the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the St. Paul Relics Chapel, and, of course, dedicated to our original benefactor, the Bishop Maes Crypt Chapel. This is a sacred space.   Take a moment to look around. From wherever you are, near the back, towards the front, under the great window or choir loft, even from the presider’s chair, the stained-glass windows and murals, the columns and woodwork, everything looks a certain way. Now remember a time you were in a different place or even a different time of day. Everything looks a little different, from a different perspective. We can only look at something, or...

  Homily 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 12, 2025   I’m a very independent person. It’s how I grew up. I had to be independent to survive. I started working when I was 16. I bought and cooked my own meals; I bought and washed my own clothes; I got myself from home to school to work and back again on my trusty 10-speed bike. This served me well into my adulthood with a strong work ethic and independent lifestyle. No one told me what to do. That is until I met my future wife. Even after we married, I clung to my independence, often at odds with her trying to take care of me as a Proverbs 31 woman will do. It took me several years to adjust and to learn that we were a couple and not two individuals living in the same household. I had to learn over time that the two will become one in the Sacrament of Matrimony. I had to learn that I don’t have to do everything on my own; I can rely on my partner, my friend, my love.   And as I traveled on my faith journey, I...

  Homily Exultation of the Cross September 14, 2025   Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today, we lift our hearts in praise for that sacred instrument which, through the blood of our Savior, transformed death into life, despair into hope. As we gather here, perhaps some of us carry heavy burdens. These are sadly common occurrences; loss of a loved one, strife within our family, chronic illness, struggles with employment, uncertainty about finances. Yet, the Cross that stands before us is not as a symbol of defeat, but a beacon of hope in the resurrection. It invites us to pick up our own crosses and follow Jesus, hard as it may be, trusting that our suffering, when united with His, leads to glory, a glory we can only imagine, but trusting in Him, is promised to us.   But how do we embrace pain and suffering to glory and bliss? Fortunately, we have the Scriptures that illuminate this mystery. In the Book of Numbers, we hear of the Israelit...