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Fix Your Focus – A Homily for the 19th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • August 12, 2017 • The Gospel today is about faith and about focus. It teaches that although storms and struggles inevitably arise, we have a choice as to whether we focus on them or on Jesus. The message is clear: “Keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on!”Let’s look at this Gospel in three stages: Perceived Distance, Produced Distress, and Point of Decision. I have also included a fourth section for more in-depth study: Process of Development.I. Perceived Distance – The text...

Give Me Jesus – A Sermon for the 17th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • July 29, 2017 • Scots’ Church, MelbourneThe Gospel today asks a fundamental question: “What is it that you value most?” In other words, He’s asking us what we want most. We tend to answer questions like this the way we think we should, rather than genuinely. When we’re with the doctor (and Jesus is our doctor) our best bet is to answer honestly so that we can begin a true healing process. The fact is, we all need a heart transplant; we...

July 26, 2015   Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:42-44 A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits,and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” But his servant objected,“How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD,‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” And when they had eaten, there was some left over,as the LORD had said. Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11,...

What Are Your Five Loaves and Two Fishes? A Homily for the 17th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • July 25, 2015 • We have in today’s gospel the very familiar miracle of the loaves and the fishes. One is tempted to say, “Oh, that one …” and then tune out. But the gospel today contains a personal appeal from the Lord’s lips to your (my) ears: “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”Immediately, objections begin to pop up in our minds. But let’s be still and allow the Lord to instruct us by...