hope
Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
2nd Sunday of Advent – Year A
Deacon Tom Vert
Preached: December 7, 2025
“Wouldn’t it be nice?”
When I was reflecting on the first reading this week, I was thinking to myself that the summary for the reading should be “wouldn’t it be nice”.
Wouldn’t it be nice if:
- The wolf and the lamb hung out together
- The leopard and the goat were friends
- The calf and the lion walked side by side in peace
- The baby sits by the snake’s den with no fear
- There would be no harm to anyone, and the city would live in peace
I think we all think this way sometime, don’t we? We wish for what could be and that everything would work out the right way as we envision it.
Wouldn’t it be nice if:
- Russia would leave the Ukraine, and everything would go back to the way it was
- If the water and air were pure and we had a sustainable plan for the earth
- If we didn’t have 10% of the people in Canada with 53% of the wealth
- If there was no need for food banks or homeless shelters and we have meaningful work for all at a living wage
- If cancer, diabetes, and strokes didn’t exist
- If families and friends all got along perfectly and everyone was in harmony
This dream for an ideal world in which everything is perfect, may make us feel good, inside for a moment, but in reality, we get very frustrated because the world that exists is nothing like this.
Why isn’t my family as joyful as all those others that are posting on Facebook and Instagram with their perfect baking? Why can’t I have the perfect boss and colleagues like others I see posted about on LinkedIn?
The question of “wouldn’t it be nice” unfortunately can focus us what we don’t have, or can’t enjoy, why the grass is greener over there, and really is why can’t the world be the way I want it?
In the readings today though, we have a message that the world has been and is broken, however, there is a message of hope.
St. Paul says in the second reading, “may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony” , and harmony means to accept things the way they are, and with this acceptance, you can then move forward.
We move forward as St. Paul tells the Romans and us…” that by endurance and encouragement…we might have hope”!
We have hope because we endure one day at a time, not on our own, but through the strength of God’s presence with us in our daily prayer.
We are encouraged to keep moving forward positively by four things:
1. The Scriptures which give us messages of God’s love in times of trial like Joseph and Mary received when they had to live in Egypt for three years.
2. We have the lives of the saints who also endured suffering and pain, but saw God’s love in the struggles, like St. Monica’s tears which aided St. Augustine’s conversion to the faith.
3. And we have the harmony and love of those around us…key friends, colleagues, parishioners or maybe even strangers who give us a smile, a word of encouragement, a helping hand or a kind gesture.
4. The knowledge that Christ comes again in this Christmas season to remind us that God’s love enters the world in the quietest of ways, but from the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are planted in our hearts, we can know a strength beyond all understanding.
We may not see the “good fruit” that John the Baptist talks about in the gospel immediately, but we know in our hearts, that God is at work in the silence.
We might not see justice flourishing and fullness of peace like we sang in the psalm today or tomorrow, but we might see the glimmers of it next week, next month or next year.
So, this week, let us look closely at those around us, and maybe we can plant the seeds of joy, hope and love in our interactions with others, and maybe, just maybe…the world will be a little more pleasant…. wouldn’t it be nice?
Remembering With Hope: The Gift of Catholic Funeral Rites
All Souls Day 2025
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: November 2, 2025
I was baptized as a baby and have been Catholic all my life. I was ordained a priest in 1990, so I have been a Catholic priest for 35 years. My entire life has been immersed in the Catholic faith. This is a great gift, but it comes with a danger. Familiarity can sometimes lead to taking things for granted.
For those of us who have always been Catholic, it is easy to overlook some of the rich blessings of our faith. Recently, I have been reflecting on one particular area we might take for granted: our Catholic Funeral Rites. They are a profound and beautiful gift.
All Souls Day and the Christian View of Death
This year, November 2 falls on a Sunday, so the Feast of All Souls is celebrated at our Sunday Masses. It is a moment to reflect on death, life after death, and the promise of resurrection. We remember and pray for our loved ones who have died and reflect on the hope we have in Christ.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
In the Catholic tradition, there is a phrase in Latin: “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi.” It means, “The law of prayer is the law of belief.”
In other words, the way we pray reveals what we believe. By simply participating in Mass, we absorb the Catholic faith. So if we want to understand what we believe about death and eternal life, we look at how we pray in our funeral liturgies.
Beyond “Celebration of Life”
Many Christian communities, and certainly secular society, do not have rich rituals around death. Often there is only a celebration of life or eulogies that speak about a person’s past. While meaningful, these moments often stop at memory. There may be no proclamation of hope, no language of eternal life, and no encounter with the God who conquers death.
Catholic Funeral Rites, by contrast, satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart: the desire for meaning, mercy, and hope in the face of death.
The Funeral Liturgy: Signs of Christian Hope
At a Catholic Funeral Mass, you will see the Easter Candle beside the casket or urn, reminding us of baptism and the light of Christ that no darkness can overcome.
When a casket arrives at the church entrance, it is covered with a white pall, symbolizing the baptismal garment. As the pall is placed, the priest proclaims:
“On the day of his Baptism, N. was welcomed into the Church, given new life in Christ, and clothed with the garment of salvation. Today we commend our brother to the mercy of God and pray that the promise made to him in Baptism will be fulfilled.”
In this moment we remember that baptism begins our journey toward eternal life, and death is not its end, but its completion.
Listening to the Word of God
At every funeral Mass, we celebrate the Liturgy of the Word, just as we do at every sacrament. We listen to Scripture chosen to comfort, guide, and anchor us in faith. These readings proclaim the promise of Christ and remind us where our true hope lies.
Life Is Changed, Not Ended
During the Eucharistic Prayer, listen carefully to the prayers offered for the deceased. One of the Prefaces for funerals beautifully expresses our belief:
“For your faithful, Lord, life is changed, not ended. An eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.”
The Eucharist nourishes us on our journey to eternal life, and at a funeral Mass, that meaning becomes especially clear.
Final Commendation and Committal
After Communion, we pray the Final Commendation. The body or ashes are sprinkled with holy water and honored with incense. These gestures express our deep reverence for the dignity of the person who has died.
The last prayer before burial expresses our hope:
Priest: “Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.”
People: “And let perpetual light shine upon her.”
Compassion and Resurrection
In our Gospel today, Jesus meets a grieving widow whose only son has died. Scripture tells us Jesus had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.” Then he called to her son, “Rise.”
Every Catholic funeral echoes that same promise. Christ looks upon the grieving with compassion, and to the one who has died he speaks, “Rise.”
We Mourn With Hope
As Catholics, we mourn, but not like those who have no hope. In our funeral rites, we proclaim that death is not the end. We entrust our loved ones to God’s mercy and light, confident in the promise of eternal life.
Death is real, yet so is resurrection.
Our Catholic Funeral Rites remind us, with gentle strength and deep faith:
Life is changed, not ended.
What The World Needs Now Is Love
4th Sunday Ordinary TIme
Deacon Tom Vert
Preached: January 30, 2022
“What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of!”
This song was written back in the 1960’s in a time of turmoil, the Vietnam War, and society in upheaval.
It was a song that tried to bring a better perspective, one that said we don’t need more mountains or hills, or fields, but “Lord, if you want to know, what the world needs now is love”.
With all the world has going on right now, and the second reading today from Corinthians, it struck me that this is a message so appropriate for this moment.
We have:
- Truckers protesting across the country about vaccination mandates
- We have people vaccinated upset with people who are not
- We have Europe on the brink of another war in the Ukraine with Russia
- We have migrants trying desperately for a better life who are freezing on our own borders
- We have more financial inequality than almost any time in recent history
- And on social media, everyone is ranting about all the above and more
What do we truly need right now? What is there too little of?
The second reading tells us a path forward.
It’s interesting that this letter from Paul to the Corinthians and was also written at a time of turmoil in the church in Corinth.
Every one of us has heard this reading probably 20 or more times at weddings including my own wedding 31 years ago.
And when we hear it, it is kind of nice and cute, warm, and fuzzy. But as I was researching this homily for the weekend, I got a new perspective
I think it is the second most challenging reading in the New Testament right after the Beatitudes, and really caused me to look at my spiritual life more closely.
It starts off with “strive for the greater gifts” and I love this because the word strive is an action word and shows us that we are to actively strive to improve our faith life.
It goes on to say that “If I speak in the tongues or prophetic powers, or have all knowledge, and faith, but do not have love, I am nothing.”
St. Paul speaks to the motivation of the heart in our actions, and it is key that any outward show gains nothing, but inward love to another means everything!
Extraordinary gifts, grand abilities, skills, or actions are empty without love and can even be seen hypocritical if not authentic. When love is missing, it can become vain, selfish, fruitless, and individualistic.
Love’s quest can never begin with “what’s in it for me” but always “what is best for you”.
St. Paul then gives us the list of 12 challenges:
“Love is patient”, which focuses us on allowing another person to take the time they need; it’s not on my timeline.
“Love is kind”, which speaks to gentleness, mercy and compassion, putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and trying to understand before we judge.
“Love is not envious or resentful”; life is not a competition, either at work or in our families where everyone can succeed. We are not to be upset that others get something I didn’t, or won a award, received recognition, promotion, wage increase, or resent another’s success or skills. Instead, we are to rejoice in another person’s achievements instead of wishing it was us. Just because another’s candle is brightened, doesn’t mean ours doesn’t shine also.
“Love is not boastful or arrogant”; in other words, if I have achieved more, I don’t show off, I don’t say look at me, but instead we are called to be humble and use the gifts God gives us for the community are the way forward.
“Love is not rude”; it doesn’t close its’ ears and shortchange the other person in conversation but listens and hears and acknowledges another.
“Love does not insist on its own way”; it is not focused on how I get what I want when I want it, but instead how can we work together to get the best result.
“Love is not irritable”; it is not grumpy, edgy, or impatient, but instead it is kind, gentle and forgiving.
“Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.” We are called to seek and bear witness to the truth using faith and reason and not to get caught up in conspiracy theories or the latest social media rants.
“Love bears all things”; I found these four words from St. Paul a true challenge as we are called to bear with worries, stresses, sickness, poverty, loneliness, for ourselves and those we support, without complaining. That is not easy as we have our own limits with patience, and we get tired; but we are called to rely on God’s strength and not our own.
“Love believes all things”, by faith in God that his will be done, “Love hopes all things” as we hope for a better future, and end of war, and end to the pandemic, and “Love endures all things” with the power provided by the Holy Spirit.
“Love never ends.”; As long as we are alive, the fruit of love is still there and can give us energy to push forward as we can always love when we are connected to God as He is the source of love.
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
These three are the heart of the Christian life – faith, hope and love – faith in what God has done, hope in what God will do, and love of God is to trust that his plan and timing are the right ones, and we accept them.
God’s love for us, becomes the driver of our love of others. We are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, soul and mind, and His love then enables us to love your neighbour as yourself.
The final thing St. Paul says, in the next two words of this letter which we didn’t read today: “pursue love!”
This is the message and thought for the week ahead; when you read the paper, listen, or watch the news, sing this key phrase to yourself and you will know how to react:
“What the world needs now, is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of!”
Hope For God’s Will To Be Done
Feast of Presentation of the Lord
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: February 2, 2020
What are your hopes? What is it that you hope for? What kind of world do you hope for? What kind of family do you hope for? What kind of parish do you hope for? Hope is something important because it gives direction to our lives.
Simeon, was in the Temple when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus in Jerusalem.
He is described as a man who was looking forward to the consolation of Israel. He was hoping to
see the Christ of the Lord, the Messiah, before his death. Simeon’s hope was in the plan of God,
the salvation that God would bring.
In Jesus, he recognized the plan of God being fulfilled. It is for this reason that Simeon could make that famous prayer, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace.” Simeon was at peace as he approached the end of his life. For his hope was in the plan of God for salvation. Each of us can hope that as we approach the end of our life that we have lived in such a way that we are able to go in peace.
What is it that we as Christians should have as our hope? First, we hope in Eternal life. The
salvation of our souls. Jesus is the path that leads us to salvation, to eternal life, the eternal
banquet of love and joy in God. What would you trade in place of Eternal life? Is there anything
temporary in this life that we would say, I will take this instead of Eternal life?
But, our hope is not just in some future life as though this life does not matter. For God’s
Kingdom is connected to this life now. What do we hope for in this life? We pray in the Lord’s
Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done.” Our hope then in this life is that God’s will be
done. The will of God is for peace, that no one be abandoned, that there be a common good, a
common home, one human family. This will of God should also be our hope.
This hope is important because it gives direction to our lives, to how we live our lives. If my
hope is just for money or power, then we will cheat, exploit, lie to get what we hope for. But, if
my hope is in Eternal Life, then I will sacrifice for what is right, I will struggle for justice, I will
work for the common good, not just my own private good.
If my hope is for the world that God wills, then we will live to create such a world.
If you hope for a world that is kind, then be kind.
If you hope for a world that is gentle, then be gentle.
If you hope for a world that is peaceful, then be peaceful.
If you hope for a world that is honest, then be honest.
Like Simeon, when we come to the end of our life, we want to be at peace. The key is to hope for God’s will to be done, for God’s Kingdom to come.
Hope for Eternal life, the salvation of your soul, then you will be focused on what really matters.
Hope for a world that is a common home, one human family. This hope will give direction to
how we live. Then like Simeon, at the end of our life, we will be able to say, “now I can go in peace.”