Official Website of the
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
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.
Priesthood Ordination of Brother Reginald Udouj, OSB, and Brother Cassian Elkins, OSB Published: Saturday, July 14, 2018 As Benedictines, your priesthood is sort of a vocation within a vocation. First you were called to the monastic life and then at a certain point the abbot, who stands in the person of Christ, saw a need for additional priests to serve the community. |
Catholic Charities Summer Institute (C²SI) 2018 Published: Friday, July 13, 2018 We are countercultural and when we voice these truths, lots of people don’t like it. One reason they get so mad is that deep in their hearts they know what is right and they think that by rejecting the messenger they can silence the truth. But in the end, the truth will prevail. “The light is stronger than the darkness.” “Whoever endures to the end will be saved.” |
Jubilarian Mass for Sister Lillian Marie Reiter, OSB Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2018 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 saves their soul. |
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Published: Sunday, July 8, 2018 We are not God's grandchildren, we are his children; we may have received our faith through our parents but we cannot live their faith any more than we can live their marriage. Spiritual adulthood means having a personal relationship with Jesus ourselves. |
St. Scholastica Monastery Jubilarian Mass Published: Saturday, July 7, 2018 May your life be filled with joy and love, may you grow ever closer to your divine friend and partner, may the fruit you have produced in this life endure and when the day comes, may the Lord give you the full reward of your goodness and faithfulness. |
2018 Priest Jubilarian Mass Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2018 "Jubilarians, we thank you for responding to the Lord’s call and for treasuring the pearl of great price, which the Lord has entrusted to you for our benefit — and your own benefit — so many years ago." |
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist 2018 Published: Sunday, June 24, 2018 John the Baptist's message made individual people feel uncomfortable, but they knew he was right ... they did need to put their lives in order and open their hearts to God. He only got into real trouble when he began to condemn injustices in the larger society: the erratic, immoral and ruthless behavior of the king and the resulting policies of his government. |
Vernell Bowen Retirement Mass Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 "Throughout her ministry, Vernell has insisted on the tremendous blessing of Catholic schools and has done everything in her power to ensure that they prosper." |
Father's Day 2018 Published: Sunday, June 17, 2018 Like my father, Jesus didn't just teach us right from wrong, he also modeled for us the behaviors and values for which he stands and which out of love he wants for us: holiness, love, integrity, wisdom, patience and above all, self-sacrifice. |
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Published: Sunday, June 10, 2018 There is plenty of mudslinging going on in our world today. Everywhere we see people, nations and institutions that seek to promote themselves unfairly at someone else’s expense. We have become so used to being manipulated by fake news and outrageous distortions that we now have a hard time recognizing the truth when we hear it, especially when that truth is difficult and requires a change in our behavior and attitudes. |
Priesthood Ordination of Stephen Elser, Michael Johns, Daniel Ramos and Joseph de Orbegozo Published: Saturday, June 2, 2018 "With your ordination ... we will have 70 Diocese of Little Rock priests in active ministry and 17 senior priests — 87 in all, which is more than four Diocese of Little Rock priests in active ministry for everyone in retirement, which is really good. ... The median age of priests in active ministry in Arkansas will drop to 49 years of age. Ten years ago our median age was about 65." |
Priesthood Ordination of Keith Higginbotham, Patrick Friend, Tuyen Do and Jeff Hebert Published: Saturday, May 26, 2018 At the Last Supper, during his farewell discourse, Jesus gave us a new, far greater commandment that supersedes those greatest commandments of the Old Testament, saying: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." |
Graduation 2018 Published: Thursday, May 24, 2018 You graduates can choose to root your lives in the truth or allow yourself to be enslaved to falsehood and end up frustrated, unhappy and hopeless because “only the truth will set you free.” |
Diaconate Ordination of Jon Miskin Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2018 You’ve already received other sacraments, but those were all for your own benefit. Baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist and confirmation were all gifts of God to benefit you personally. Holy orders, however, is for the benefit of others. You become a gift of God for them. |
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Published: Monday, May 21, 2018 Yesterday the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and empowered them to go forth and proclaim the Kingdom of God … and thus the Church was born. Today, Jesus entrusts his Church to the care of his mother. |