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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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. |
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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. |
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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." |
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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." |
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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.” |
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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. |
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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. |
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Fifth Grade Vocations Day 2018 Published: Wednesday, May 9, 2018 And out of all of these things that occurred when I was in fifth grade like you, I came to realize not only what a blessing it is to be a Catholic, but also more importantly, that Jesus would be with me and help me if I was true to him. |
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Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Published: Monday, April 30, 2018 But like with the Church at the time of the Council of Trent, there are changes we can make that will make a big difference and put our school back on a solid footing. And just like back then, if we make the necessary sacrifices and don’t give in to fear, a bright future is possible for us and for future generations here at St. Edward. |
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Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B Published: Saturday, April 28, 2018 Sometimes I have to prune and trim, which isn't always all that pleasant. But most of the time it's just a daily process of hoeing and pulling weeds and watering and even putting down a little manure once in awhile. I don't care what we smell like, what I care about is caring for the Lord’s garden, producing abundant fruit. |
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Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 Jesus tells us that he has come to give his sheep eternal life and that we shall never perish — meaning that even though death occurs, it has no lasting power over us. If you are looking for a shepherd able to support you in time of suffering and guide you through the final passage to the next life, then Jesus is all you really need. |
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Third Sunday of Easter, Year B Published: Sunday, April 15, 2018 When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day we had for the first time in human history direct confirmation that bodily resurrection of the dead can indeed occur, because it did in the case of Jesus. This gives us confidence that God's promise to raise us up on the last day will be verified in us as well. |
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Divine Mercy Sunday 2018 Published: Sunday, April 8, 2018 We pray for those who have suffered the grave injustice of sexual abuse by clergy and others in our Church and society. And we commit ourselves to doing all in our power to set things right: to help victims from the past and to work hard to make sure that these crimes never occur again. |
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Easter Sunday 2018 Published: Sunday, April 1, 2018 But today, on Easter Sunday, Jesus' followers discover the 90 percent of reality that his tormenters did not see: The supernatural power of God which had been already at work in a hidden way during Jesus' public ministry was now evident in the facts of his resurrection. |
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Good Friday of the Lord's Passion 2018 Published: Friday, March 30, 2018 (Jesus) proposed an alternate vision predicated on persuasion rather than coercion, service rather than the pursuit of power, humility rather than pride, trust rather than control. And he did not abandon this vision, this truth, no matter what they did to him. |
