Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Bishop Taylor Homily Library
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor celebrates Mass across Arkansas and beyond. This library features the homilies delivered from March 2014 to the present. To listen to earlier homilies, please visit the bishop's Homily Archive.
|
Monday, 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle II 2022 Published: Monday, August 1, 2022 I swam against the current of a flood of priests leaving the ministry. The Church was in crisis and people thought I was crazy to get on board what they thought was a sinking ship. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was at the helm. You are swimming against the current of an increasingly secular world and many people really don’t understand your embrace of a vocation rooted in truths that only a person of faith can understand. |
|
Blessing for Abbot Elijah Owens, OSB Published: Saturday, July 16, 2022 Abbot Elijah, you follow a series of abbots who have guided this community well for over 142 years. And now you inherit not only responsibility for this community, but also a rich patrimony of blessings and high regard built up by your predecessors. |
|
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 2022 Published: Sunday, July 10, 2022 It's only when we begin to love like Jesus loves that we truly start to live the beatitudes, because the inner content of the beatitudes is sacrificial love — death to self for the benefit of others. |
|
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 2022 Published: Sunday, July 3, 2022 In today's Gospel we learn that sometimes faithfulness to Jesus will require us to face the hostility of those who would rather live a lie than accept the truth. |
|
2022 Priest Jubilarian Mass Published: Tuesday, June 28, 2022 We need to remember that in this imperfect world, there are more storms yet to come. That’s why Jesus gave his disciples that experience out on the lake in today’s Gospel. He wanted to prepare them for what was to come, not only in the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but also in their ministry after Pentecost when they would go forth to bring the light of the Gospel into a very dark world. |
|
2022 Opening Mass for National Eucharistic Revival Published: Saturday, June 18, 2022 The Eucharist should draw us into Jesus’ very act of self-giving, such that we increasingly give of ourselves to God and to others in union with Jesus. We offer ourselves in union with Jesus to the Father from the altar during Mass, and having done so, we proceed to offer ourselves in union with Jesus to the Father in loving service. |
|
2022 Permanent Diaconate Ordination in Little Rock and Rogers Published: Saturday, June 11, 2022 God chooses persons and sets them apart for special service, and then equips them with the qualities needed to fulfill that service — this is something you new deacons will soon discover. |
|
Priesthood Ordination of Deacons Jaime Nieto and Daniel Wendel Published: Saturday, May 28, 2022 Through ordination Jesus equips you to do all this and much more, except that it will not be you doing it. It will be Jesus doing everything through you. One of the ways that you will do this will be through the sacrament of reconciliation, right in line with what we see in the Gospel passage you chose for today’s ceremony. |
|
Deacon Ordination of Nathan Ashburn Published: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 The destiny of every one of those sheep is to get sheared and part of the role of a shepherd is to accompany the sheep in their time of shearing, which human sheep find very disconcerting, especially when it involves loss. |
|
Installation to Acolyte Mass 2022 Published: Monday, May 23, 2022 Cody, as an installed acolyte, you will have a permanent role in the Church’s eucharistic ministry. The summit and source of the Church’s life is the Eucharist, which builds up the community and makes it grow. |
|
Deacon Ordination of John Paul Hartnedy Published: Thursday, May 19, 2022 John Paul, whether you knew it or not, the Lord has had plans for you from before you were ever born. In that sense he has called you from your mother’s womb, and like Jeremiah, you have said: “yes.” |
|
Installation to Lector Mass 2022 Published: Monday, May 16, 2022 Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us to a deeper and deeper knowledge of God and the truths of religion. Meaning there is no excuse for a Christian to have a closed mind. If you think you know all you need to know about our faith, you don't even know much about the Holy Spirit. |
|
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C Published: Saturday, May 14, 2022 Jesus knew in advance who would betray him, who would deny him and who would abandon him. He accepted them just as they were, defects and all, and when the time came, he forgave them. |
|
Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders Mass 2022 Published: Monday, May 9, 2022 And Jesus has not just called you, he will also protect you and provide for you and be there for you, especially in times of adversity. You belong! And as I think you have already discovered; no priest or seminarian has a better home than we do here in the Diocese of Little Rock! |
|
Interfaith Prayer Breakfast Presentation Published: Friday, May 6, 2022 You should take comfort in knowing that your role in the legal system can bring peace, so long as you are really working to treat everyone fairly, searching for ways to reconcile differences. “If you want peace, work for justice.” |
