Walking With The Father: January 2019

January 27, 2019

I Am He - Jesus drops the mic (Luke 4 14-21)


  • This has to be the most memorable mic drop experience ever, two thousand years ago. The one who is the Messiah says clearly, I am He, and now what are you going to do about it? While we know how the story ends, and that Jesus was telling the truth, to say these words at that time was punishable by death. It was so scandalous and shocking, yet he just sat down after saying it. His words and actions demand a dramatic and life changing response from all of us as disciples of Jesus. You and I believe that He is who He says that He is. He is the one who brought us the gift of freedom. Today let us renew our commitment as disciples of Jesus.

January 23, 2019

You are a priest forever (Hebrews 8 17, Psalm 110)


  • How's your priesthood going? We are all priests forever thanks to our baptism. Making prayers and sacrifices for others regularly is the point of this homily.

January 13, 2019

Baptism calls us to mission - Alpha introduced


  • This weekend we celebrate the historic event of the baptism of Jesus. Two things should come to our minds: our identity and our mission. In our own baptism we became sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, heirs to the kingdom of heaven, and our bodies became temples of the Holy Spirit. When we touch the holy water when entering church, it reminds of us of our baptism, and of our identities as loved children of God. We are redeemed by Jesus so that we may have eternal life. Baptism is the doorway into our life of faith, and we are forever changed, washed and forgiven. Like a married couple that hopes to grow as a family, God wants all people to grow in number, and to receive the gift of baptism. It gives us our identity and purpose in life. Our mission is to go and to make disciples of all people and nations, just as the Apostles did. The disciples before us taught about Jesus, and if we want people to follow Him, then we too must live out our mission, and to make new disciples among the people around us. Jesus commands us not to be satisfied, and not to be comfortable, but to go out there, and teach people everything that He taught us. Let's help others to come back to the faith, and let's introduce our faith to others who are not Catholic. The Alpha program is a tool that can help to welcome people to our parish family at St. Isidore. We know there are many people who no longer practice their faith, and so the Alpha program is the bridge between where these people are today, and where they could be tomorrow. Father Matthew calls upon parishoners to consider volunteering this coming fall to help make the Alpha program a success.

January 6, 2019

Never stop searching for Jesus - Epiphany


  • King Herod commanded his men to search diligently for the child so that he too could pay Him homage, but we know his command was out of fear and deception. He feared this new king so much, that he commanded all newborn children to be killed in order to eradicate any threat to King Herod's power. He is also lazy and gets others to do the work. His command is prophetic, and it reminds us to be like the wise men instead, to search diligently for Jesus, and to find Him. Are we more like Herod or more like the wise men? Am I passive like Herod? Or am I active like the wise men? We are to worship together diligently like the wise men did. It's easier to be like King Herod, and expect others to do the work, but we are responsbile for our own souls. King Herod never found Jesus.
  • People search for God in all of the wrong places. Many have even stopped searching for Jesus for a variety of reasons. Thirty percent of the people in Ottawa are not religious at all, which means they are not searching for God. This is a serious crisis, and so you and I must help them to find true peace and true joy. Like the wise men, we kneel down and pay homage to Jesus every Sunday at Mass. We have encountered Him, and we have been transformed. The wise men returned home by another route. Each time we encounter the Lord in the Ecuharist we are transformed and healed, and moved to become a better son or daughter of God. We are never the same. Each week we are called to walk the path of righteousness, and make changes in small steps in our search for holiness. We must return home a changed person every week.

January 1, 2019

Mary Mother of God


  • Father Matthew does a recap of our spiritual journey throughout the new ligurgical year. We prepared for four weeks during Advent, and then on December 25th we celebrated the highest point so far, followed by the Feast of the Holy Family. Today is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Before imitating the Holy Family we need to first be disciples of Jesus Christ. Mary said yes to the Angel Gabriel, and so we too, should renew our "yes" to Jesus by understanding the Nicene Creed and what we believe. It also means knowing the person we are saying yes to. We can read about Jesus in the New Testament, perhaps by reading one chapter daily. Mary not only showed us how to say yes, but she had a deep prayer life, and she treasured all of Jesus words and pondered them in her heart. We too can have a personal conversation with God. Good communication is essential in all relationships, and the ability to listen. Let's speak and listen to Christ regularly. There are may ways to pray. Even by listening quietly to God. This New Year, let's set up a routine to ponder God's words in our hearts. Mary was in tune with the Holy Spirit, and she was full of grace. We too are called to pray regularly so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary teaches us to trust Jesus completely in our time of need. We can't expect things immediately, but the important thing to know is that God does act, and He will be there for us in the long run. We need patience and trust especially in times of suffering. Mary knew and allowed the suffering of her Son because she trusted and knew that there was some purpose to it. Let's resolve to trust God more with our life, and to be more like Mary. The homily ends with a scripture passage from Jermiah 29:11 and the Hail Mary prayer.