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In this site, you will find homilies, reflections (original or from others), Catholic Factoids (stuff that’s currently in the news), Catechesis (which will be grounded in the Catechism), and videos (the library is limited, but very lively!) shared by Dc. McFadden.

Homilies —Articles —Reflections —Bible Studies

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HOMILIES

Homilies

the eucharist: happiness now!

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); February 1, 2026 Zep 2:3; 3:12-13. Ps 146. 1 Cor 1:26-31. Mt 5:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden In Charles Dickens’ famous tale A Christmas Carol, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his partner, Jacob Marley, and is then shown three ghostly scenes from the past, present, and future. This experience brings about Scrooge’s transformation from an utterly stingy person who has no compassion for his fellow human beings into a man who awakens on Christmas morning full of hope that the scenes he has witnessed can yet…

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February 1, 2026February 1, 2026

The Light that Radiates from the Periphery

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (A); January 25, 2026 Is 8:23-9:3. Ps 27. 1 Cor 1:10-13,17. Mt 4:12-23 Deacon Jim McFadden Usually, Catholic homilists dive right into the Gospel to unpack its meaning for the community. What I’d like to do is to reflect upon our first reading, which is the take-off point for Matthew’s Gospel in which he describes a land that is very dark and foreboding, but that a great light has arisen. What is significant of the land of Zebulon and Naphtali ? For most of us, we just skim over it to get to the…

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January 25, 2026January 25, 2026

Our Leader is a Lamb

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); January 18, 2026 Is 49:3,5-6 Ps 40 1 Cor 1:1-3 Jn 1:29-34 Deacon Jim McFadden Ever since we were kids, we’ve learned to follow the leader. As children, the leader makes a simple challenge: “can you do what I can do?” As we get older following the leader can be very serious business. If we don’t follow the leader out of a burning building, we can lose our lives. We follow political leaders by supporting their policies. We follow religious leaders by upholding their magisterial teachings, even when they go against the cultural grain.…

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January 18, 2026January 18, 2026

“The Heavens Were Opened”

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD (A); January 11, 2026 Is 42:1-4,6-7. Ps 29. Acts 10:34-38. Mt 3:13-17 Deacon Jim McFadden Today we are celebrating the Baptism of our Lord Jesus. Baptisms have a special place in my heart as it is one of my cherished ministries as a deacon. Many years ago on a missionary visit to Sumbuwanga, Tanzania I had the privilege of baptizing over 60 children and adults during Holy Mass, which was celebrated in Swahili. While I didn’t know the language, the presiding priest was astute enough to give me a cheat card to repeat the…

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January 11, 2026January 11, 2026

Am I a Christian Who Worships?

The Epiphany of the Lord (A); January 4, 2026 Is 60:1-6. Ps 72. Eph 3:2-3. Mt 2:1-12 Deacon Jim McFadden “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star in the East, and have come to worship him” (Mt 2:2). These men, traditionally described as a threesome, left East Asia, some say Persia, to follow a Star for one purpose: they came to worship, which was the end and goal of their journey. Indeed, when they arrived in Bethlehem, “they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell…

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January 4, 2026January 4, 2026

Mary Kept and Pondered

Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, January 1, 2026 Nm 6:22-27. Gal 4:4-7. Lk 2:16-21 Deacon Jim McFadden There is an old tradition that Luke the evangelist knew the Blessed Mother and he wove her memories into his Gospel account. This view resonates because he presents the Annunciation, the birth and infancy of Jesus from her perspective. And, importantly for her relationship with the Church, Luke places her among the disciples in the upper room in the days before the first Pentecost. In other words, Mary gave birth to the Son of God and she was present when…

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January 1, 2026January 1, 2026

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SPIRITUAL RESOURCES

bible studies

Drawing from Scripture scholars, I have tried to convey their insights in way that is accessible to the ordinary person. Such topics covered have been the synoptic Gospels along with John, Acts of the Apostles, the Infancy Narratives, and Advent and Lenten reflections (cycles A, B, and C). Along this line, I’ve also offered a commentary on papal encyclicals, especially that of Pope Francis.

ARTICLES

Over the years, I have written for such publications as Shalom Tidings and Spirituality magazines. The recurrent and underlying themes are grounded in our relationship with our Lord Jesus: namely, how can we respond to our Lord’s invitation to an authentic I-Thou relationship with Him and with the One who sent Him?

HOMILIES

I prayerfully prepare the homily under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who is the Doer and I am the instrument. In so doing, I focus on one major theme, which guards against wandering and freely associating. The spotlight is on the Lord, not on me, the homilist. In terms of length, the sweet spot seems to be eight minutes, no more than ten.

REFLECTIONS

This domain is a religiously grounded application of our Catholic
Tradition within the political, economic, and social domains. Often under the guise of Catholic Trends, I riff off of topics of contemporary interest that hopefully are consonant with our Social Justice Tradition.