The King's Corner

We are rapidly closing in on Good Friday. What's so good about Good Friday? Jesus was beaten and brutalized by the Roman soldiers. In mockery he had a weaved crown of thorns pushed viciously into this head. He was forced to pick up his one hundred and fifty pound cross and carry it half a mile. Upon reaching his destination at Calvary, he was nailed to that cross and hoisted aloft for all to see then allowed to die. All this happened on a Friday and we remember that Friday as Good Friday. Why? Good Friday is good because without it we could never have Easter Sunday - the day of the resurrection of our Lord, the day that offers hope of eternal life for all. Good Friday is good because "God who so loved the world gave his only begotten son so that who ever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Good Friday is good because from the pierced side of  the crucified Christ flowed the Church as we know it today, battered and bruised b

Last week the children of our parish made their first penance or as some of us might remember it; their first confession. As young children in Ireland preparing for our first confession, our teacher introduced us to a wonderful and entertaining short story about a young boy who had great apprehension towards making his first confession. The story is written by famed Irish author Frank O' Connor. It's about a fifteen minute read but well worth the time taken. I have attached a link here to  My First Confession by Frank O'Connor. This Lent is an opportunity for all of us to reflect back on our first confession. Are you being called back to the confessional to experience Jesus' unlimited mercy again?

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent Readings for today's Homily

Image Source I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes and felt the urge to write a little bit about it. We do understand that there is a time for everything, however, as we get older, there doesn't seem to be enough time for anything and we become overwhelmed.  Life is moving too fast.  We go from one activity to another to the point that even our minds don't rest. Ecclesiastes offers an understanding of time that can help us to slow down and be more present to what is important, for instance, celebrating birthdays, visiting someone in the hospital or shut-in, having dinner together, even going to church with our families. These are truly important events in our lives, and it is during these events we might become aware that God uses these opportunities to pour His grace on us. Moments like these need our full attention to fully appreciate them. Doing them in a hurry, as if they were interrupting our schedules means we're missing the point of life and God's prence i

Image Source Nine months from today we'll be wishing everybody a Merry Christmas!  Christmas itself is an arbitrary date, but if that is the birth of the Lord then just count backwards nine months and March 25th is when Mary conceived. We sometimes focus on her last words "May it be done to me according to your word.”   But there are a couple of steps before that that really complete the picture.  When the angel greeted her, Luke says that she was greatly troubled.  And then when the angel says "you will bear a son" she says "how can this be?" Maybe in our lives, we have times of trouble.  Times when we are not sure how this can be.  Perhaps we can ask the intercession of Mary to allow ourselves to voice her final words "Let it be done to me according to your word." Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye

I guess this is one of the best ways to develop a relationship with God.  Everyone has their own special way of praying.  Some love the Rosary, some like to spend time in church and read the prayers in the missal, others pray scripture.  There are many ways to pray, prayers of petition, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of praise,  meditation and contemplation. Most of us pray prayers of petition where we ask God for favors, such as finding a new job, helping us through a rough time and when a person close to us is ill, we pray for healing. So why is it that some peoples prayers seem to be answered almost right away while with others it seems like God is not listening at all? There is the story of the man who spent every day praying at the Wailing Wall the holiest shrine in Jerusalem.  He did this for years, then one day someone asked him if God ever answered his prayers.  His reply was," It is like talking to a wall, but, I know he is listening. "

One of the programs offered here at Christ the King Parish is "What's Missing ?" "What's Missing ?" is a information and discussion group to better help us to understand our faith. It was originally geared for people who had received the Sacrament of Confirmation and thought they had graduated and therefore, no need to further their education regarding their faith or their religion. We have found it is not just for the "graduated", it is a program that is beneficial to all, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey. There are so many people who have been misinformed or have a need to understand some of the areas faith and religion which may be confusing. Of course God is mystery, and not all questions have an answer, however, the idea is to explore that area between black and white, to find the spiritual rainbow who is our Lord Jesus Christ. If it sounds like "What's Missing?" may be for you feel free to contact me at

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent  at the Children's Mass Readings for today's Homily

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent Readings for today's Homily

How often do we talk about death and dying? I do a little more than the average person because I work as a Chaplain at the Falmouth Hospital. But I almost never talk to anyone about my own death, or that of anyone close to me. It’s a subject most of us avoid. In my last posting, I mentioned that my Dad, 92, was in the hospital in Minnesota. It was serious, but not serious enough to fly home. But you still think of the what-ifs, and what if I had missed an opportunity to see my Dad one last time. I don’t relish the idea of my parents dying. I know they will, but I normally try not to think about it. My Dad is doing fine and he kept his sense of humor during his stay in the hospital, but that event and a couple of others at the Falmouth Hospital last week caused me face up to the fact that we all die and we normally know not when. More often we are at the bedside of someone close to us who is dying. Do we know what their wishes are? Does our family know what our wishes are when we d

Here at Christ the King we are so lucky to have a great St. Vincent de Paul Society .  I recently had a meeting with some of the leaders who are voicing a serious need to have more storage space for food.  Every week they get 5,000 pounds of food from the Greater Boston Food Bank plus unpredictable amounts of food from schools, banks, individual, etc.  On a positive note, they told me that the local supermarkets have greatly increased the amount of food they give to us rather than simply putting the unwanted food in a dumpster. Every week our modest parish helps feed between 75 and 100 families.  The goal is to give them enough food of their own choosing to feed the family for five days.  Last year alone almost 12,000 people were fed. There are about 90 volunteers who make this happen every Wednesday. People think of Cape Cod, or at least Mashpee, as not having an issue with hunger and homelessness. Not true.The command to feed the hungry is heard loud and clear. Now if I can

When I was a newly ordained priest I recall hearing a senior priest commenting after confessions, "I was really busy today in the confessional.  I had some really big fish today.".  He  meant that he heard some confessions of  folks who were either away from church  for years and/or had asked forgiveness from some serious sins.  Now that I am older I can appreciate what he meant.  During Lent many people hear the call to conversion and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is always so humbling to hear folks admitting their faults, and some serious ones at times.  I often say to folks who have been away for 20, 30 or even 40 years, "Welcome Back.  Thanks for coming today"  Sometimes they are taken aback because they thought they would be scolded or yelled at for what they did and for how long they have been away.  To the best of my knowledge, I have never raised my voice in confession in almost 42 years.  As Pope Francis said, we should never make the con

Image Source Isaiah speaks to each one of us today and says "cease doing evil and learn to do good".  Maybe easier said than done, like lots of things.  But Isaiah goes on to say it can be done.  He says "Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. During Lent in trying to continue the lifelong process of conversion, maybe we can hear those words being spoken to us today.  Cease doing evil and learn to do good. Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye

Image Source "We Do Feet".  That's what it says on the blue Tee Shirts worn by the 16 high school students and 9 chaperones who are preparing for "Mission Appalachia".  Jesus washed his disciples feet and we are told to do the same.  That's why the "We do Feet".  Students and adults from Christ the King and St. Elizabeth Seton parish in North Falmouth will drive in two vans to Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia during the spring break, April 21-26.  They will be involved in various projects sponsored by the Appalachia Institute located at the University.  Some of the things they will do involve construction so the Institute suggested they bring gift cards from Lowe's.  They are available at Stop and Shop.  Members of the team were at all masses the weekend of March 15-16 to collect donations and will be with us the following weekend as well.  Maybe we can all join them in doing some feet washing. Msgr Daniel F. Hoye

Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent Readings for today's Homily

My Dad was just released from the hospital on Wednesday. He’s 92 and lives in Minnesota. I don’t think that I’ve talked with my family as much as I did this past week that he reluctantly spent in the hospital. And I probably haven’t prayed as much in a long time either. Isn’t it interesting how differently we all react to a fairly serious situation. My sister, as usual, was quite emotional about Dad having to go to the hospital. She was lamenting how he has been going down-hill the last couple of months. That same day when I talked to my brother, he said, “I think Dad has been getting stronger the last couple of months.” Me? I think he’ll live forever. Maybe I am afraid to face the fact that, yes, he is getting older, and yes, my parents are going to die. I just don’t know when. I’d prefer later. Why is it that we don’t talk to our families more, especially when we are separated in distance?

Pope Francis continues to be frank and candid and gives us every reason to believe he is worthy of our respect and trust.  Who would ever have believed he would reveal his “dark” secret to the world through the press that continues to help us understand the man under the mitre.  He recently announced this sin that might be shocking to many but actually is just a remarkable revelation of just how human he is and how strong temptation can be. Apparently, when he spoke in early March to pastors of Rome parishes, he revealed that as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires in the early 1990s, he paid his last respects to his 90-year old confessor lying in a church crypt.  After spreading flowers around this priest’s coffin, he noticed a rosary in the man’s hands, and he took it.  He has carried that rosary/crucifix with him in his breast pocket since that time.  He still carries it as a reminder that before he speaks unkindly about someone, he must remember what he carries in

With the Vatican looming on the horizon in almost every skyline photo I snapped, I was reminded that my business trip to Rome would have a gaping hole without one or two stops at my "in-the-cross-hairs" destination.  I'll admit that it was business first, but not at the expense of missing the Vatican including St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum especially the Sistine Chapel. Having purchased an on-line ticket to the Museum, I avoided an early morning 1/4-mile line at the ticket office by going directly to the gate.  A 10-second wait instead of a hour or so made for a good start.  A fast-paced walk through all the exhibits brought me to the Chapel already filled with curious tourists and those appreciating the history and meaning of all the biblical references to the Old Testament. Visual overload!  Colors and images overwhelmed the senses, but what a sight!  Seeing the Chapel in all its glory and magnificence, I plopped myself down on a bench against th

Reading's for today's Homily The word Lent comes from an old English word that means Spring. At least in our part of the world, Lent and Spring go together. And despite the harshness of this winter, maybe a day like today tells us that Spring is here soon! As we hear that Lent and Spring are synonymous, maybe we can look into our own lives and see how the dead of Winter in our spiritual life might be transformed into springtime. Maybe using the three prongs of Lent, prayer, self denial and acts of charity, we may bring new life to our souls. Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye

While attending my business in meeting in Rome at the beginning of Lent, I learned that Pope Francis was to celebrate Mass at St. Sabina, a nearby church just a short walk up a hill overlooking the Tiber River.  With sneakers on I raced to the Church one-hour beforehand to be turned away by the Italian Policia guarding the road leading to St. Sabina. Not easily deterred - after all this was a one-time, lucky chance - I pretended to be one of the locals and wormed my way up a side road and through a barricade to find myself opposite the church door and just two rows back from the street.  Sweet success! Being jostled by little Italian grandmothers for the poll position, I held my ground until the tide of bodies began to push me back.  Just then the motorcycles rushed by, and the Pope's car flashed by.   Holding my camera above my head, I took a picture hoping to capture Pope Francis.   Result: the hood of his car.  Still, I saw him in the backseat where he smiled and waved to

Roman Holiday is a 1953 movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.  Sixty-one years later and during the week of Ash Wednesday I had a trip to Rome, but it wasn't a holiday - just a business trip.  However, it wasn't all business because my first trip to Rome had to include a few important stops such as the Vatican and St. John Lateran, the latter being commissioned by Constantine the Great (307-337) and the first building of public worship erected in Rome and in the entire Christian world.  And what a church it is! Thinking St. John Lateran would be a very meaningful place to receive my ashes, I went early in the morning to a Mass said in Italian.  Where's Monsignor Tosti when you need him!?  But, no ashes.  I later learned that in Rome wet ashes are not applied to the forehead.  Dry ashes are sometimes sprinkled on the top of the head.  Doesn't seem quite the same.

I have to say I have been captivated, charmed and inspired by the quotes of Pope Francis. They can be so pointed in their simplicity, humor and directness. And they always seem to be right-on target. The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) , is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis on the church’s primary mission of evangelization in the modern world. It is written in plain everyday language that everyone can understand. It is filled with poignant, stirring quotes that make us all sit back and reflect on our lives, our relationship with God and our relationship with those around us. Following is a taste of his quotes taken from that document. Deacon Greg Beckel. "The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness" (1) "There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter." (6) "We become fully human when we

Homily for the First Sunday of Lent Readings for today's Homily

Jesus tells us today that he did not come to call the righteous to repentance but he came to call sinners. He expands by saying that those who are healthy don't need a "physician" but the sinners do. So what if you have fully repented, what if you're spiritually sound, what if you don't need a "physician" - for the soul at least. Where does that put you? If the message of Jesus has reached you, then it's your responsibility to share it. At a later point in another gospel - Luke's gospel - Jesus spells this out clearly when he says; much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person with more" (Luke 12:48). These words have become something of an idiom in western culture, paraphrased by many but seen through by few. Perhaps at some point or points this Lent we could take the opportunity to share what we have been given . We could share through our words and our actions to others. An

This week we heard that to come after Jesus, we must take up our cross and follow him, and that by losing our life for Jesus, we save it.  What does it mean to take up our cross and then to be saved?   When someone tells me, “That’s the cross you must bear,” I think of sacrifice.   By taking up my own cross, I carry the cross on which I will “hang” to experience pain and suffering of some sort, be it mental or physical, for the benefit of another.  It’s a sacrificial cross.   For all of us that sacrifice could be caring for a parent or a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease or some other crippling affliction.   In doing so, in a real sense, we lose our life through self-denial and putting someone else’s needs first.  Self interest no longer outweighs virtue associated with compassion, for example. Because we set our interests aside in favor of the other, we do what God intended: for us to show love and care for our “neighbor” whether immediate family or a stranger.   It’s the way w

Homily for Ash Wednesday Readings for today's Homily

click   "Lenten Resource" to go to our resource page filled with Mass times and ideas to accompany you this lent. We hope this page will help you on your Lenten Journey .

Roaming the Sandwich Library’s Saturday-morning, used-book sale, I found a copy of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan.  For $2 how could I go wrong?  Besides, the author’s name, Aslan, reminded me of the lion in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: the Chronicles of Narnia with Jesus being symbolized by the lion.   Always interested in his life and times and knowing this 2013 book was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, I read Aslan’s provocative point-of-view.   What happened in Jesus’ world experienced by Mary, Joseph, and the Jewish people, especially in Nazareth, and then when Jesus was growing up?  We all know we’re influenced and formed by our times (think of the Cold War) be they good or bad, and in Jesus’ case they were quite bad. Aslan describes life in first century Palestine and for me highlights what I only learned after becoming a Catholic in 1994 – the history of Sepphoris.   Whoever heard of Sepphoris that sounds more like a d

Reading for today's Homily We are told in the first reading today that we are to be 'holy'.  Holy?  Me?  Holy is for the saints, or people who live in monasteries or whatever it might be but Peter says, no, "you are called to be holy". Some commentators say that we can understand what biblical holiness is if we think of it's opposite which is sinfulness.  We are to reject sin and thus be holy.  We can do it with the help of the grace of God. Tomorrow we mark the beginning of a season that calls us to be holy.  Perhaps today we can think of how we want to shape our Lenten journey this year.  What is it that we want to add on or take away? It's a season to be holy. Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye

Readings for today's homily Though I tried, I didn't make it to the end of the Oscars last night.  But I think that all of us, in a sense, could be given an Oscar as a believer.  Sometimes we only knock ourselves down.  Today, in the Letter of Peter, perhaps we can lift ourselves up because we can identify with his description of a believer as he says: "Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls." Yes, we believe. Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye

When giving my presentation “Two scientists and their faith” to the CTK Women’s Club and Knights of Columbus in January, I mentioned prominent Vatican II Catholic theologian Hans Küng and his 2007 book The Beginning of All Things: Science and Religion .  Then, when reading the February issue of “The Tablet” found in our Church’s library, I discovered an interview with Küng entitled “Frank exchanges” highlighting that Pope Francis is “taking an interest in Küng’s vision of the Church.” Having read many of Küng’s books such as Credo: The Apostle’s Creed Explained for Today (1993), Women in Christianity (2001), and Tracing the Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions (2002), I was pleased to see that Küng appears to be getting positive reviews from the Pope himself.  According to Küng, “There are people in the Vatican now who are in a state of fear, of silent opposition.  The question is whether the Pope will be able to overcome this opposition.”  Küng is the Pope’s advocat

Pancake night is coming. It will be here on Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday that is. The word shrove comes from an old English word shrive which means to confess all sins. In Britain and Ireland the tradition of making pancakes the day before Lent stems from the fact that all dairy products and eggs were to be consumed before lent since abstinence from these food items was mandatory through Lent. As children, it was common for us  to smother the cooked pancakes with strawberry jam and lemon juice (it's an Irish thing!) then eat to our hearts content before our Lenten abstinence began. Some of us may or may not eat pancakes this Tuesday but the evening will certainly be an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the walk with Our Lord in the weeks ahead. Deacon Brendan Brides

Homily for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last night I took my two kids to see the movie 'The Son of God', which opened yesterday.  It's playing in Hyannis and at the Heritage Theatre in Sandwich.  We chose to go to Sandwich and we purchased our tickets early before grabbing some Sandwiches (ha ha) for Dinner.  As I was paying for the tickets, the manager told me that he didn't know what to expect for a turnout at the 6:15 showing and he seemed to indicate that we'd be viewing it in the smaller theater of the complex. I'm not writing this to you with any suggestion of being a film critic, but instead I want to share my experience and my hopes.