Browsing Fr. Jasper's Homily

Let It Alone Challenge

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

The first time I remember consciously becoming aware of the question: “Why do good people seem to randomly suffer?” happened during the World Series Game between Oakland and San Francisco in October 1989.  At the start of Game 3 at 5 p.m., a 6.9 earthquake rocked the Bay ... Read More »

A Shore Thing

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

We were in a small group sitting on the beach, a motley crew of high school boys attending their senior retreat at the Jersey Shore: a couple of athletes, the lead of the school shows, one very quiet academic kid, and two boys that were hard to pigeonhole ... Read More »

Led by Love (UD homily)

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

Why would God do it?  Luke comes straight to the point at the beginning of the Gospel for this first Sunday of Lent: “The Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted.”  In other words, Love led God into the desert.  Nothing but Love.

The “desert experience” ... Read More »

My Heart Will Go On

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

Her story reads like a modern-day soap opera: well-to-do Philly girl marries a high-society Philly boy.  They begin raising a family; he feels called to become an Episcopal minister.  She follows him into the church, whereupon he rather quickly determines he wants to become a Catholic priest instead.  ... Read More »

Retaliate Through Love

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

“I know what you’re going to tell me, Father, but I don’t know if I can.  No … this is more honest: I don’t want to.”

The young husband who sat before me was broken and hurting.  Two nights before, his wife of five years cheated on him ... Read More »

Makarios

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

The word “Blessed” in the Beatitudes just doesn’t cut it, not really.

“Blessed” is overused.  Bland in some ways.  Safe and untouched.  Picture rosaries that are “blessed” – the image that comes to my mind is something brand-new and spotless, right out of the sealed plastic container.

That’s ... Read More »

Go Deep

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

The Note. The Knock.

Nearly nineteen years ago now, what Marie Roberts says she remembers most about that day in October 2006 were those two things: the note and the knock.

As she has told her story in the past, Marie had come home to find a message ... Read More »

The Light of Pierced Hearts

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

My parents were the age I am now when my younger brother was paralyzed in an automobile accident more than 25 years ago.  Sometimes we are given the grace to see our particular Calvary looming on the horizon; other times, as it did for my family, it crashes ... Read More »

Love Story

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

For me, it was I-95 North during rush hour as I was driving through Chester heading toward the Blue Route.  From seemingly out of nowhere, this wave of “emotion” washed over me, a moment in which I had no doubt I was experiencing God’s love in a way ... Read More »

Love and Marriage

Posted by Peg O'Donnell

 

I carry with me a little red notebook that contains within its pages 75-and-counting stories of how two remarkable souls fell in love: notes that I take while meeting with Catholic couples preparing them for the sacrament of marriage. 

One couple shared with me in extraordinary detail about ... Read More »