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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Mass with Seminarians and Parents 2017 Published: Saturday, August 5, 2017 The priesthood is a great adventure. Like with Jesus’ original followers, you have no idea where it’s going to take you. But one thing is for sure, if you conform your life to the image of Christ himself, there will be no lack of opportunities for you to “offer a constant witness of faith and love.” |
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Mass with Seminarians 2017 Published: Monday, July 31, 2017 Over the years this growing bush that we call the Church has been subjected to repeated setbacks — some of which have been self-inflicted, only to emerge from these prunings with renewed vigor and even greater growth, to the point that now one-third of humanity is Christian and 20 percent is Catholic. |
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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, July 30, 2017 How much different would American society be today if the challenges of marriage and child rearing were once again viewed as a treasure that God will use to help them grow in holiness instead of as a burden? |
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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, July 23, 2017 Not all mortal sins are premeditated, but as one of my seminary professors once said, you don’t commit mortal sins by accident. It takes energy to commit really big sins, at least the first time or two that you commit them. |
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Jubilarian Mass at Holy Angels Convent 2017 Published: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 This means that before we do or say anything, we should ask: “Can I do this calling on the name of Jesus? Would I say this if Jesus were right here with me?” Well he is! Keep that always in mind and the virtues St. Paul lists will take ever deeper root in your hearts and in your behavior. |
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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Published: Sunday, July 9, 2017 Our parents can do all in their power to give us the precious gift of faith, but in every instance the gift must still be received, we still must open up our own heart, take that yoke upon our own shoulders ... and no one can do that for us. |
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2017 Priest Jubilarian Mass Published: Tuesday, June 27, 2017 In baptism we died sacramentally so that we might live. In ordination we die so that others might live. And then Jesus sends us out into the world with a mission to redirect people to the narrow path that leads to life — which will only happen if we remain on that narrow path ourselves. |
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Msgr. Scott Friend's 30th Anniversary of Ordination Published: Saturday, June 17, 2017 I simply want to thank you for embracing the sacrifices you make to serve me and to serve the Church in Arkansas. Like Peter, James and John, you are one of my pillars on whom I most rely and most trust. |
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Transfer of Vows of Sister Johanna Marie Melnyk, OSB Published: Monday, June 12, 2017 Sister Johanna Marie comes to your community rich in many non-monetary ways. She brings with her a wealth of education and many talents, many gifts of personality and spirituality. She already knows God and therefore eternal life. |
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Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 2017 Published: Sunday, June 11, 2017 God is love, which is a relationship, which requires multiple persons, therefore there never has been one person of the Trinity without the others. We humans may have known about the three persons of the Trinity for different lengths of time and theologians may be able to trace the development of our doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, but that's us going through a series of stages, not God. |
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Priesthood Ordination of Martin Siebold, Luke Womack, Ramses Mendieta, Stephen Hart and William Burmester Published: Saturday, May 27, 2017 Ninety-nine percent of the time, your ministry will require you to lead but not compel; to inspire and not shame; to encourage the sheep instead of rebuking them — and hopefully that rare one percent of the time when rebuking is needed might never arise, if they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you love them and revere them. |
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Graduation 2017 Published: Friday, May 26, 2017 You graduates are about to embark on the most exciting and most dangerous chapter of your life. Soon you will be out from under the direct control of your parents and you will have to learn how to use this new freedom responsibly. |
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Diaconate Ordination of Stephen Elser, Joseph DeOrbegozo, Patrick Friend Published: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 (Celibate chastity) means much more than just sexual abstinence. Chastity requires us to be pure not only in our overt actions, but also in our thoughts and in our words, pure in the way we deal with others — no deceit, no mixed messages. Pure and sincere in the desires of our own heart. And of course this requires death to self, which is the foundation of a life lived for others. |
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Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A Published: Sunday, May 21, 2017 But no parish can have nine current seminarians without the strong witness of a pastor who loves his priesthood and wants other young men to share in the joy that he has found in serving God's people as a priest. |
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Diaconate Ordination of Daniel Ramos Published: Saturday, May 20, 2017 This gift of yourself will be both a sign of pastoral charity and an inspiration to it, as well as a source of spiritual fruitfulness in the world. |
