In the little town of Chamonix in the French Alps there is a monument to two men, Jacques Balmat and Horace-Benedict Saussure. Balmat was a mountain guide and Saussure was an acclaimed scientist, whose name made all the newspapers. Yet the monument contains both figures because the great scientist could never have made his way …
It was with sadness that we heard yesterday about the death of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. Widely recognized as one of the great spiritual leaders of our time, he will be remembered for his years of service as a priest, bishop, and as pope. As we reflect on his life at this time, I was …
When I was preparing my homily, I came across a Roman proverb that says “Money is like sea water; the more you drinks the thirstier you become.” Somehow, the proverb speaks to the danger of getting caught up in the pursuit of wealth. Dr. Carl Menninger, was a very well-known American psychiatrist who died in …
Fr Jeremiah Browne (National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies) I love a good bargain. I’m in my element when I’m in a market somewhere and I can wrangle over the price of a particular item, and I won’t give in easily. In today’s first reading, (Genesis 18:20-32) we meet Abraham, whom it seems has …
“A Christian always brings peace… This is the distinctive sign: the Christian is a bearer of peace, because Christ is peace. From this, we can recognize whether we are his. If instead we spread gossip and suspicions, create divisions, hinder communion, place our own belonging before all else, we do not act in the name …
Brothers, sisters, let us not place our trust in riches and let us not fear our poverty, material and human. The more we are free and simple, small and humble, the more the Holy Spirit guides the mission and makes us protagonists of his wonders. Leave room for the Holy Spirit!” Pope Francis – Homily …
“Let us help one another to be leaven in the dough of this world. Together we can and must continue to care for human life, the protection of creation, the dignity of work, the problems of families, the treatment of the elderly and all those who are abandoned, rejected or treated with contempt. In a …
Fr Jerry Browne (National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies) There is a story told about a mother, who while listening to the prayers of her small daughter, heard her listing some requests for blessings that children often do. “Bless Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa …” and so on. The mom was surprised, …
Fr Jeremiah Browne (National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies) Do you ever hear yourself talking about people who are different from you and using words life “they” or ‘those people” or in a conflict situation reverting to a phrase like “you people”? This kind of language is basically an “us” verses “them” way of …
Homily – 15th Sunday – C- 2022 – Fr Jerry Browne Read More »
On the 22nd May 2022, I had the priviledge of attending the beatification of Pauline-Marie Jaricot in Lyon, France, which coincided with the annual General Assembly of the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies. 120 directors gather each year for the General Assembly, usually in Rome, but this year the assembly was held in …
