Wednesday August 5, 2026

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’

Does a mother or would a mother ever stop praying for a troubled child? Absolutely not, this actually reminds me of the passage in the Hebrew Scriptures which says “even if a mother forgets her child, I will never forget you..” God is saying in the strongest way that He will not forget Israel just as it is impossible for a mother to forget her child.

Anyway this mother brought her child to the Lord. She a Canaanite woman had not slept in forever because her baby was tormented. We don’t even know if her daughter was a believer or accepted Jesus but what we know is this: Mama prayed!!!

Do not get tired of praying for your babies. God will answer and give you peace. I know this, the demons of our times have gotten more stubborn and complicated. These can only be driven out by prayer and fasting….. and some therapy

Tuesday August 4, 2026

Matthew 15:1-2,10-15

Then the disciples came to him and said, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked when they heard what you said?

You will probably want to ask me what he said that shocked the Pharisees but may not shock you and I. Well, Jesus shockingly said what you eat does not make you unclean but what comes out of your mouth can make you unclean. See the Pharisees were strict about the kinds of foods people were allowed to eat. I actually don’t blame them for this. I think we have to mind what we eat. However for the spiritual journey we gotta mind our words. The famous American saying “say whatever and let the chips fall where they will..” may be a problem. As we grow we need to choose our words. May the words of our mouth bring comfort and healing. Here is a rule I was told long ago and how I wish I was faithful to this rule. Before you say anything or repeat anything ask yourself these questions:

Is it True

Is it Kind

Is it Necessary?

Monday August 3, 2026

Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

When is the last time you did this: Go by yourself to pray. Yes the highest form of prayer for us is the Eucharist but there is something special about private prayer. I have not done this in a while. I mean I pray here and there but it has been a hot minute since I cleared the afternoon or the day for prayer. When I was in the novitiate we usually had what our novice master called “desert day.” We were encouraged to go off out of the novitiate and stay out until evening prayer. I did not realize then what a gift that was. Life has gotten so busy that even if I were to clear the day, my mind would not clear as easily.

Today I want us to get back to this practice. Get back to going into prayer by yourself especially when things are getting too busy. That mental break at the park will do you so much good. I pray you make the time to spend a few hours reflecting on what God is doing in and with your beautiful life.

Friday July 31, 2026

Matthew 13:54-58

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him.

This little passage has caused some headaches for some believers. What does it mean that he had brothers (named) and sisters. In fact one of his brothers, St James became the bishop of Jerusalem and he was called in extra biblical literature as James the Just or James the brother of Jesus who was called Messiah. You should read the Epistle of St James, it sounds like Jesus speaking. A very practical piece of scripture for the early Church.

Anyway something changed with Jesus, he grew into his ministry and what a broth it was. He learned to lean into the Spirit and Voice of God. You and I can do that too you know, we can learn to trust the Spirit. Today I want to pray for your spiritual growth and transformation. You can learn to trust the Voice of God within you. This growth is not linear though. Sometimes the growth shows and other times it does not. My growth has been keeping my homilies short. Trust me, they are short.

Thursday July 30, 2026

Matthew 13:47-53

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds.

I remember this fishing technique when I lived in Kafue, Zambia. It was not a pretty sight at all. Everyone was dirty from the mud that comes along with the fish and the smell was terrible. However it was a lot of fun too. You have to lighten the mood when the work is that messy.

Of all the things our Lord could liken the Kingdom of Heaven, this one is interesting. Maybe he is saying that even the ugly parts of our lives are sacred ground. Our imperfections and perfections have to be comfortable side by side. In fact maybe we learn from both sides of our personalities. St Paul says he is aware of a thorn in his side which he has tried to pray away. On another occasion he says “the good that I want to do, I don’t do…”

You know, the Kingdom of God is like boarding school! Those who have had that experience know the drama, the fun and the discipline of it.

Wednesday July 29, 2026

John 11:19-27

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him.

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus the friends of Jesus. You know I have said before that everyone needs a place to go where they can just be. It is a gift to have friends who take you as you are and meet you were you are in life. Of the three I think Martha is quite the Character. I have no evidence about this but she strikes me as a particular color haired woman. She is fiery and speaks her mind. On this particular day she went to meet the Lord. And Lordy Lordy did she have some words for him.

See they had sent word that Lazarus was very sick. Jesus delayed in responding and now Lazarus was very dead. Martha either pointing her finger or striking Jesus chest (In my mind) says “if you had been here, my brother would still be alive..” Just sit with that frustration for a second. Have you ever said that prayer? She is super frustrated but still believes.

Lord if you had been around…. I have to say that as a teenager when I learned of my father’s death, I said the same thing.

Let us pray today for all those like Martha who sometimes say things in frustration that hurt others. Let us pray also for a Martha in our lives, one who won’t mince words but speak the difficult truths that we might need to hear.

Monday 27 July 2026

Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus put a parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

We totally miss the scandal of likening the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard shrub because we are separated by geography and time. But the scandal of it all is what preaches the most for me. See the kingdom of God was always likened to a Lebanon Cedar. It is great, majestic and rare. The Lebanon Cedar has stature. Jesus picks the most common even annoying shrub that grows everywhere and makes it a symbol of this holy great kingdom of God.

He is telling his disciples and us that God grows or is comfortable everywhere. In other words, God has broad shoulders and can house all kinds. You know I have said jokingly that if King David is in heaven given all the shenanigans he pulled, you may want to relax a little.

Thursday July 23, 2026

Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them.

The past two Sundays we have been reading from the 13th chapter of Matthew. We have one more week of parables this coming Sunday. Take a listen to those homilies. They are posted on our website.

Most of us think that Jesus regularly taught in parables and that these parables are cute little stories. This is a mistake. Even the disciples questioned him when he spoke in parables. This means his regular teaching was plain talk. Simple and straightforward. Parables are complex, they also confront us at the core. Think about the powerful parable that we find in the Hebrew Scriptures. The one told by Nathan to King David when he was being a total dushbag. That parable convicted David and brought him back to his senses.

So our Lord will use a parable when he cannot get through to their senses. These are powerful stories that should arrest the listener. Think Good Samaritan. The message there was so powerful that to this day we are only scratching the surface of it. So read or hear these parables with this in mind: Do I get it now?

Wednesday July 22, 2026

John 20:1-2,11-18

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.

Today we celebrate the feast day of St Mary of Magdala. What a fascinating woman she must have been. I wish her gospel account of the life of Jesus had made it into the canon. I gotta tell you a story about a woman in Lebanon Ky who made an appointment with me. I was a young priest then fresh out of seminary. Well this angel of a person in Lebanon came to see me. In our meeting she said “father my issue is with Mary Magdalene. If that woman thinks she will have Jesus all to herself in heaven, she has another thing coming to her. I love love our Lord!” Seminary had not prepared me for such a love and my response was “….I think there is enough Jesus to go around…”

I had no idea how women love. Well let me say some women. It is a different kind of love than I have for our Lord. Mary Magdala loved our Lord. Not even the Roman soldiers would scare her and the other Marys away. My favorite episode is when she recognizes him. Scripture says she embraced him. I think she threw herself into his arms and gave him the biggest maybe most awkward hug. She would not let go!! Scripture says Jesus told her “let me go…”. Anyway do you have a friend like that? Can you be or are you a friend like that? I love it when I meet people who have been friends since grade school. If you have kept a friendship over 25+ years or since grade school there is something special about you.

Today check on your friend.

Tuesday July 21, 2026

Matthew 12:46-50

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him.

This little passage has caused some headaches for the church for two reasons. Immaculate conception and Family Drama. However I think there should be no tension at all. This is life. Whether our Lord had siblings or cousins or the whole issue of misunderstandings within family does not take away from how holy this family is in my opinion.

Many of us at some point in our lives have been grossly misunderstood and judged. This is probably one of the most painful moments of our Lord. His family is here to take him home because people think he is mad. I bet, word was sent to the family to come take him. I can sense the pain of it all.

Today I invite you to say a prayer for those who cannot seem to fit in. Pray too for their mothers who suffer alongside them.

Friday July 17, 2026

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22,7:2

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life…

Folks nothing is written in stone with God, he can change his mind. When you get some time please read this passage. First Hezekiah gets some terrible news from Isaiah. He is told by the prophet to put his affairs in order for he was going to die. Well Hezekiah, goes into prayer and asks for more time. God hears the cry and changes his mind.

Think of a time in your life when you thought this is it. It’s over now but you also dared to pray for a miracle. You somehow pushed through and by God’s good grace you saw another day. I still remember the day I left the monastery. I had Spent seven years in there. Seven years seems like a short period but it was all I knew. Like Mary in the Sound of Music I stood outside the gates with my suitcase and wondered what I would do? I can’t go back home… ok I will go to America. That in itself was a miracle.

Today retell your miracle. I know you have a couple. God has heard your prayer.

Monday July 13, 2026

Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword.

The disciples and our Lord most probably, did not want to rough up any feathers. These were peaceful people who would bare a lot on themselves in order to make peace. But at some point some very difficult decisions had to be made. They had to draw a line which inevitably caused some tensions.

You have done this in your life as well. It is the hazard of growing up. We would hope that people will understand that these differences we have should not mean that we are enemies. It simply means we have non negotiables. Unfortunately we are at a place in history where demonizing each other and attacking each other’s character is so common place. Think of the people who became enemies because of COVID-19.

Your decision to follow Christ will gain you some friends and some enemies. Take it in strides.

Monday June 29, 2026

Galatians 1:11-20

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Today we celebrate the feast of St Peter and St Paul. These two great apostles were and are still instrumental to the formation of our faith. They also tell us something else when we look close enough!! The work of Christ MUST continue despite our differences. These two could not stand each other. At one time St. Paul called St. Peter a flip flopper. Now how do you come back from that. But they worked it out. They learned to respect their differences and they pushed forward.

The mission must come first folks. Today I invite you to find common ground with someone you may not agree with on everything. It takes all kinds to make this world go around. One of the saddest things I have ever seen is parents who are separated and use the children to settle scores. I know, I have not been in that situation and should not speak of it but I have seen enough. Don’t use children to get at each other. The mission of raising these beautiful souls must take precedence.

Let us pray for the grace to be respectful of our differences and the courage to work together to spread kindness and goodness.

Wednesday June 24, 2026

Luke 1:57-66,80

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Today we celebrate the Birth of John The Baptist. Incidentally I just finished watching a clip of a Preacher with Cerebral Palsy. This guy Pastor David Ring is amazing. Through his difficulties he preached the word of God and challenged us with a simple question “What is your excuse?” We never hear about the insecurities of John the Baptist or St Peter or The Lord himself. Yet if they were fully human like us, you know they fought through things.

Last week I was talking to another sergeant at work about an upcoming Lieutenant test where I have to present before a panel. I am worried about my accent, it always gets in the way. His response was “lean into it…” He said out of 30 people, you will be the only one who sounds like you are from BFE, that is your super power. They may struggle to understand you but you will be unforgettable. I tell you what, that guy can sell ice to an Eskimo.

Anyway John The Baptist understood his mission and pressed on. May you have no excuses today to find your peace in Christ. You have everything you need.

Tuesday June 23, 2026

Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.

He certainly had a way with words. I would love to hear this in the original Aramaic and how it landed on the ears of the first listeners. We often talk about energy or power in relationships. I think this little passage addresses those who are exhausted trying to make themselves understandable or welcomed but are met with rejection. Don’t waste your energy on people who have already made up their minds on you. Those people will with one little blunders on your part, will tear you to pieces. They never accepted you in the first place. As we grow we learn to choose our company carefully.

This I believe is about self love. If you love and value yourself enough, you will not give your precious energy to those who don’t value it.

What is holy? What is the pearl in your life? Your precious time and energy. Guard them!!!

Friday June 19, 2026

Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.

Here is another reminder from the Lord that your soul, the part of you that never dies is on a journey. That journey includes the earth experience but there is more. You are spirit too and we have to invest in the other journey.

So recently I have been watching some clips from the paranormal couple. This is a couple that goes into cemeteries and tries to make contact with souls. They use some kind of gadget which can translate energy. I have to say that I was always a skeptic of mediums. In the old country they would absolutely scare me. My mother often spoke of her dead mother as if she was still alive. Grandma visited her many times even after her death. Now I did not get the intuitive gene or if I got it the Jesuits certainly took care of that intuition in minor seminary leaving me dry as a desert. Philosophy and Theology disconnected me from traditional intuition. Anyway this paranormal couple is talking to souls that are either lost or still have unfinished business. Some forgiving that has to be done or seeking help with this or that. Another soul did not know that the body had died and needed some direction. In the past I would dismiss all this. Nowadays I pause and wonder what if this is a gift from God. What if truly God has given gifts to some who are on earth to guide souls that might seem lost? Now this kind of thinking will get you kicked out of church but ….. what if?

Listen, take care of your soul too as you build your wealth here on earth. Yes some things you can take with you into the afterlife. Good works and a strong relationship with your brothers and sisters and with GOD is true investment.

Fr. Chibundi

Thursday June 18, 2026

Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

I absolutely love languages so a few years ago I wanted to learn the Lord’s Prayer in Jewish Aramaic. I wanted to say this beautiful prayer the very same way Jesus prayed it. So I asked on Facebook if anyone in Louisville could read Aramaic. That very week someone showed up at Church who spoke the language of Jesus. It was the greatest coincidence.

Anyway I took him into the sacristy and recorded him saying the Lord’s Prayer and translating it as close as possible to the original version. I know that something is always lost in translation.

Anyway since that day I pray every day in Aramaic. There is one little line I want to share with you. In English we pray “…your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” in Aramaic it is “… your Will be done in heaven as it is on earth..” Listen carefully, your Will be done everywhere else, in other lands as it is done in my life. The Will of the Lord is being done in my life and how I wish everyone allows it to happen in their lives.

So no matter what happens to me, I know one thing, God’s Will is done here. It is empowering to know that you are anointed and no matter your mistakes, God is accomplishing his will through you to your family and work place. Sit with that for a second.

Monday June 15, 2026

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance.

Do you know how strong you are? Yes, you have great discipline because there are many time you bit your tongue and never said anything when everything in you wanted to lash out.

Recently God spoke to me and how I wish he had not just for a split second. You know I have the blessing of having an accent in this part of the world. And some people take that as a mark of stupidity or weakness. So on this particular evening at my other job I had a colleague talk to me with such disrespect and I was ready to fire back an email. Then God said “do not respond to that one.” I knew it was God speaking but he used the voice of my partner at work. I paused. Five hours later my supervisors responded to the nasty email and settled the matter. Sometimes we need to pause, God will sort it out.

Your strength lies in your ability to control your instincts my friend. Sometimes not responding to crazy is more powerful than engaging.

You got this!!!

Tuesday June 9, 2026

Matthew 5:14-16

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

Notice how our Lord does not tell the disciples that they will become salt of the earth or they need to become salt of the earth. I always thought I had to do something or become something else so I can have an impact. There is nothing extra to do my friend. Why? Because something has already been done long before we ever showed up. God wanted to breathe us into being at this time and place in history. Yes he gives us free will but I also believe we have been carefully placed. There are just so many things that have happened in my life that cannot be coincidental. In my other job that I cannot speak of, God has pulled support for me from people I never ever thought would stand for me when someone tried cause trouble.

So you are salt of the earth because God wants you where you are right now at this point in history. Sometimes we don’t see our why because we are trying too much. Just relax and ask, Lord what is my role at this point?

Fr Chibundi

Friday June 5, 2026

2 Timothy 3:10-17

You know what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra – all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord has rescued me from every one of them.

Can you tell the story of how the Lord has rescued you from situations that would have totally destroyed you? Or maybe tell the story of how the Lord is rescuing you as we speak from a no win situation. I have found that naming and pointing out or simply recognizing the workings of the Lord is halfway to victory. I think every week you should tell yourself or tell a close friend about the little ways and mighty ways God showed up. And if you feel God has not been showing up for you lately, don’t feel bad or guilty recognizing that. You are simply in the season of waiting.

Let’s make it a habit of giving testimony. It does not only lift others up, it lifts our spirits too. Sing with me the beautiful song from Sunday School “What the Lord has done for me, I cannot tell it all…”