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.
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Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 2023 Published: Sunday, November 26, 2023 A king is a powerful man who can get what he wants by pushing people around. But this strange king works exclusively through volunteers. In a world that relies on coercion, he depends on persuasion. That’s the only way he works. |
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Feast of St. Teresa of Avila 2023 Published: Sunday, October 15, 2023 By the time of her death, (St. Teresa of Avila) had founded 32 monasteries. She has been declared a doctor of the Church, the first woman ever to be so honored. Teresa was an excellent scholar and writer. Her works on mystical theology continue to be classics. Her autobiography is frank and inspiring, and from a literary point of view, is a classic of Spanish literature. |
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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, October 15, 2023 That white garment with which we were dressed on the day of our baptism is the wedding garment of the Kingdom of God, whereby we put on Christ, and this obligates us now to live lives consistent with the values of the Kingdom of God. |
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Friday, 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle I 2023 Published: Friday, October 13, 2023 As Christians we are called to be witnesses for the truth and to stand up for what is right, even when this is unpopular or inconvenient. Even when we don’t particularly like the person or group that we are defending. |
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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, October 8, 2023 To do God's will we have to die to ourselves. And that can be a source of great anxiety unless our lives are rooted solidly in a living, life-giving relationship with Jesus. |
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Red Mass 2023 Published: Friday, October 6, 2023 Genuine holiness is one of the greatest needs of our time. If we long to live a life founded solidly on the Word of God as intensely as a starving person longs to eat, Jesus promises us that our desire will be fulfilled. He also reminds us that it will include embracing the cross. |
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45th Anniversary of Little Portion Hermitage Published: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 Today I look around this room and see a whole community of people who are committed to following Jesus with all your heart and soul — some in the monastic expression of this spirituality and some in the domestic expression out in the world, and for this I commend you. |
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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Saturday, September 16, 2023 An unforgiving person’s life becomes like living in a torture chamber. The person who will not forgive hurts a lot of people. He destroys relationships, he alienates people and he breaks hearts. But most of all, he hurts himself, and the only way to end the torture is to forgive and forget. |
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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, September 10, 2023 Jesus challenges us to preserve the relationship if we possibly can. But if our best efforts fail, be sure the door to our friendship is not locked from the inside. |
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Wednesday, 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle I 2023 Published: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 At the altar in every Mass, the Lord invites us to share in his self-giving love. He calls us as the priestly people of the new covenant to offer ourselves to the Father in union with Jesus, uniting our own daily sacrifices to his for the salvation of the world. |
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22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, September 3, 2023 Naturally none of us wants any of our loved ones to suffer, but God's plan for that loved one may be beyond our capacity to understand. The cross they have to bear may be what ends up saving their soul. |
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Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord 2023 Published: Sunday, August 6, 2023 Today, Peter, James and John see Jesus transfigured with glory — his face shining like the sun and his clothes as white as light. Later, they will see him transfigured with pain — sweating blood during his agony in the garden, whipped and crowned with thorns on Good Friday, his body broken but not his spirit, which remained courageously resolute to do his Father's will completely. |
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Mass with Seminarians 2023 Published: Monday, July 31, 2023 Years ago the Lord planted into each of your hearts the seed of a religious vocation and he has worked it into your soul like a woman working yeast into the dough, gradually, gently. Dough that will eventually become a delicious loaf that will delight and nourish all who share in its goodness. |
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Arkansas Catholic Charismatic Conference 2023 Published: Friday, July 21, 2023 If embraced, these seven gifts of the Spirit lead to the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians. These nine fruits of the Spirit are the attributes of persons and communities that live in accord with the Holy Spirit, namely love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. |
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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, July 9, 2023 Appearances can sure be deceiving. Even today, the most important truths are hidden from those whose hearts are closed. They can only be learned by those who open their hearts to God with childlike humility. |
