Love Freely Given

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 12, 2016 – Year C
Readings: 2 Sm 12:7-10, 13 / Ps 32 / Gal 2:16, 19-21 / Lk 7:36-8:3
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

This past week, as I was perusing Facebook, I saw a story about Ron Howard, little Opie Taylor.  He and his wife just celebrated their forty-first wedding anniversary.  I know some of you saw it, too, because it told me at the top of the screen that you “liked” it. (more…)

Mystery and Math

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
May 22, 2016 – Year C
Readings:  Prv 8:22-31 / Psalm 8 / Rom 5:1-5 / Jn 16:12-15
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

The Holy Trinity. We say it all the time. It’s the foundation of Christianity. It’s what makes us unique. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God, three Persons. NOT three Gods. We are not polytheistic, as some people accuse us. But no other religion on earth has this understanding of the Divine Nature. (more…)

The Pitch

Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 24, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Acts 14:21-27 / Ps 145 / Rev 21:1-5A / Jn 13:31-33A, 34-35
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

As I get older, I become more and more impressed with how inspiration can come in the strangest places. As I was preparing to preach today, I read over the readings, starting with the gospel.

I read the gospel and I thought, “OK, love one another.”  Got that.  Then I went back to the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles.  Acts of the Apostles is the early history of the fledgling Christian church.  As I read it, it occurred to me that it sounded like a baseball card. (more…)

To Boldly Go…

Easter Sunday
March 27, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 / Psalm 118 / Col 3:1-4 / Jn 20:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

When Father Sal told me he wanted me to preach this morning, my first thought was, “What do I say?” After all, today is THE day, the pinnacle of days. Today we celebrate the triumphal conclusion of Christ’s Paschal Mystery; His suffering, death and His glorious resurrection. What can be said except, “Jesus Christ is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!” Amen!

That was my first thought, but then I remembered my number one obligation is to preach the Gospel; the Good News of Jesus Christ. I can sum up this Gospel with three words: God loves us. God loves us and I can even prove it. (more…)

Go, and Sin No More

Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 13, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 43:16-21 / Ps 126 / Phil 3:8-14 / Jn 8:1-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Do you ever get distracted by a detail in a story?  That always happens to me.  Someone will be telling me a story, and they will throw in one detail; sometimes it’s barely related to the story, and my mind starts going over and over it.  I will have to consciously make an effort to keep listening; otherwise, they will get to the end of the story, and the only thing that I remember is the random detail that they put in. (more…)

Healing the Evil Butler

3rd Sunday of Lent
February 28, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15 / Psalm 103 / 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 / Lk 13:1-9
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

On this third Sunday of Lent, I have a confession to make. I really, really like the PBS series “Downton Abbey.” So now, guys, before you start cutting up my man card, hear me out. It’s British, which just automatically raises its cool factor. Think “The Beatles.” But as a preacher, I also like the way the series handles moral dilemmas. They don’t present them in a shallow, superficial way. They dig deep into them and explore all sides of various issues, and they do this masterfully. (more…)

Embrace Change

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 7, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 6:1-2A, 3-8 / Ps 138 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Lk 5:1-11
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

This Sunday is not the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  But with these readings, it very well could be.  These readings have a common theme going through them: the theme of God calling and people answering, plain and simple. (more…)

A Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
December 27, 2015 – Year C
Readings: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 / Psalm 84 / Col 3:12-21 / Lk 2:41-52
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Today is the feast of the Holy Family. You may be wondering why the church has all these feasts. It’s an opportunity for us to take a look at figures from our past or an aspect of our faith, to reflect on their lives and what their lives mean to us today.

Now if I asked you to name Holy Family, I’m sure most of you would say it’s Jesus, Mary and Joseph. But if we consider scripture and we take a look at it closely, really we should respond that the Holy Family was Joseph, Mary and Jesus. We can learn a lot if we take a look at their lives as reflected in scripture. (more…)

Home in the Lord

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
December 25, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Is 9:1-6 / Psalm 96 / Ti 2:11-14 / Lk 2:1-14
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

I love Christmas music. I start listening to it at the beginning of Advent, and I listen to it all the way through Advent and Christmas, all the way up to the Baptism of the Lord. This started when I was a little boy. My parents had an assortment of Christmas albums and I had a little record player, and I would sit and I play them over and over. And my parents had everything from “Oh Holy Night” to “Blue Christmas” by Elvis. I think I wore those albums out.  This year one particular song got stuck in my head throughout the whole month of December. That song is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” (more…)

Be Prepared!

1st Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2015 – Year C
Readings:  Jer 33:14-16 / Psalm 25 / 1 Thes 3:12 – 4:2 / Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon

Happy New Year! Today is the first Sunday of Advent, so it is the First Sunday of the Church’s year. And Happy New Year… the world is ending! How about that Gospel to start off the season of Advent?

I’m lucky that I have been able to be involved with Boy Scouting for the past 11 years. (more…)