The Great Ah-Ha! Love Changes Everything - April 17,2022

Love casts out darkness. Love heals every wound. Love overcomes every kind of evil. Love is victorious. That is the message of Easter. Love has the power to change everything. That is the great ah-ha! Love changes everything! (Read more…)

Here is the my homily for Sunday. Earlier, I tested positive for COVID and was unable to celebrate the Triduum and Easter Sunday this year. I had prepared my homilies for these celebrations and share them with you in this forum. I am happy to say that I am better and I have tested negative for COVID. I am still recovering my full energy but I well on the mend. See everyone this Sunday at masses!

God's Silence Can Be Trusted - April 15, 2022

May we know that God’s silence can be trusted. May we trust his silence and know that he is there in the midst of our suffering. He does not abandon us. He suffers with us. He will resurrect us from our deepest and darkest moments and we can trust his silence. Maybe we can be there for someone’s else silence and be the healing presence of Christ. (Read more…)

Here is the my homily for Good Friday. Earlier this week, I tested positive for COVID and am unable to celebrate the Triduum and Easter Sunday this year. I had prepared my homilies for these celebrations and share them with you in this forum. Please feel free to share it with others.

I am self quarantining and only have very mild symptoms. I appreciate all of your prayers for my recovery.

Only a Service Entrance to Heaven - April 14, 2022

Christ gave us the model. Wash each other’s feet. A symbol to serve one another. Symbol to love one another and allow others to love you.

Here is the my homily for Holy Thursday. Earlier this week, I tested positive for COVID and am unable to celebrate the Triduum and Easter Sunday this year. I had prepared my homilies for these celebrations and share them with you in this forum. Please feel free to share it with others.

I am self quarantining and only have very mild symptoms. I appreciate all of your prayers for my recovery. (Read More…)

Be Like Simon: Carry Someone Else’s Cross - April 10, 2022

The power of the cross can have many different forms in our life. Maybe this week what we can do is to look in our own lives and see if there is someone in our own life who’s cross we can carry with them and be aware of the privileged moment; or can we allow somebody else to carry our cross if it is too much to bear. The power of the cross is in sharing it.

Here is the my homily for the Sixth Sunday of Lent. Please feel free to share it with others.

The last session of my new retreat called " From Here to Eternity: How to Live and Die Well is tonight, April 12, 2022. The sessions begin at 7:00pm and you can join via the livestream at St. Simon Presents.

Let Go and Live in the Moment - April 3, 2022

Today's Gospel is the story of the women caught in adultery. The lesson for today is about mercy and forgiveness. We need to understand what forgiveness is not: Forgiveness is not condoning the behavior; it is not agreeing that it was okay; and it is certainly not saying that it is okay to continue to do this behavior. Even Jesus says to the woman: “No one has condemned you and neither do I. Now go and sin no more.” We too are called to do the same thing. (Read more…)

Here is the my homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Please feel free to share it with others.

The last session of my new retreat called " From Here to Eternity: How to Live and Die Well is scheduled for April 12, 2022. The sessions begin at 7:00pm and you can join via the livestream at St. Simon Presents.

And since we have a week off, you can review the three previous sessions at this same website.

Come to Our Senses - March 27, 2022

We always called it the Prodigal Son reading but really, we are better off calling it the Prodigal Father because he does the same thing for both sons. He goes out of the house to greet both sons because both sons need to come to their senses. Both are wrong. (Read More…)

Here is the my homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Please feel free to share it with others.

And please join us again this evening March 29 for the third session of a new retreat called " From Here to Eternity: How to Live and Die Well. "The sessions begin at 7:00pm and you can join via the livestream at St. Simon Presents. You can also review previous sessions at this same website. Here are the details:

False Dilemmas - March 20, 2022

There is something called a false dilemma or false dichotomy. It is a rhetorical tool to win an argument. It is not a tool that seeks truth. It puts two apparent opposites as a contrast to force somebody to choose one or the other when the truth lies somewhere in between. It is the false idea of either/or versus both/and. (Read more…)

And please join us again this evening March 22 for the second session of a new retreat called " From Here to Eternity: How to Live and Die Well. "The sessions begin at 7:00pm and you can join via the livestream at St. Simon Presents. You can also review previous sessions at this same website.

Look at Jesus; Listen to Jesus - March 13, 2022

IGod tells us through this Transfiguration today that he wants us to listen to his chosen Son. Let us find some stillness somewhere and slow down enough to study the language of God in nature; in the Word of God; most especially in the poor and the broken; the wounded and then above all else within our own hearts.

Here is the my homily for the Second Sunday of Lent. Please feel free to share it with others. (Read more…)

And please join us every Tuesday evening beginning March 15th and ending April 12 (we will not have a session on April 5 due to the Chrism Mass) for a new retreat called " From Here to Eternity: How to Live and Die Well. "The sessions begin at 7:00pm and you can join via the livestream at St. Simon Presents.

Father of All Lies - March 6, 2022

The devil is known by many different names in scripture: The evil one; Satan; the ancient serpent or as we will hear later in today’s liturgy, the ancient tempter. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, refers to the devil calls him the Father of All Lies!

Here is the my homily for the First Sunday of Lent and as you will hear in this homily, I am at St. Monica Parish giving a Lenten Parish Mission called Cairns on the Second Mountain of Life. Please join me on this retreat via the livestream at https://stmonica.net/mass.

The mission begins tonight, Monday March 7 and continues through Wednesday, March 9. Each night is from 7 pm - 8:30pm. Please feel free to share it with others. (Read More…)

Good Fruit - February 27, 2022

Lent begins this Wednesday, March 2. I don't know what will work for you but maybe this year try something new for Lent. Try to go deeper into God’s Word and to listen to Christ in your own life. I promise you the growth will come. ( Read More…)

Neural Pathways of the Heart - February 20, 2022

Today may we become what we receive: the Body and Blood of Christ. May we follow Jesus, who tells us how to be in the world; to be kind; to be gentle; to be forgiving; to be loving at all times.If we continue to do that, over and over again, we will create a new neural pathway of the heart. (Read More…)

Hope Not Optimism - February 13, 2022

There is a great deal of difference between optimism and hope. Optimism says “Everything is going to turn out all right. Don’t worry.” Whereas hope or in particular Christian hope says, “No matter how things turn out, God is going to be with you at all times. Don’t worry.” (Read more…)

All Are Valued and Loved By God - February 6, 2022

This week's Gospel describes how Jesus climbs into Peter's boat and just sits down and says, “Pull out a little bit from shore.” How incredibly intimate that must have been. Here he was preaching to thousands of people on the shore and Jesus chose his boat and sat down right next to him. (Read more…)

Here is the my homily for the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. This was the second week of our Annual Diocesan Appeal and pledge weekend. Please feel free to share it with others.

Move Closer to the Truth - January 30,2022

We are all called to follow Jesus but unless we move in close, we are not really going to be able to fully follow him; because from a distance what Jesus says and asks us to do is crazy. (Read more…)

The Body of Christ - January 23, 2022

What can we do as we celebrate Christian Unity Week? We can certainly pray for those who are not part of our own Christian circle but are part of the wider Christian circle. We can look for the weak and the broken in our own community. And seek to serve them so that we can be that Body of Christ that God calls us to be today and every day. (Read more…)

Love Without Borders - January 16, 2022

When Mary says to the servers: “Do whatever he tells you.” She is saying that to us. “Do whatever the Lord tells us to do.” Use your gifts for the greater good of the community and today, let our joy increase because it is abundant. (Read more…)

The Divinization Process - January 9, 2022

Let’s cooperate with God’s grace and become what we receive. Let us become the gentler and the kinder version of ourselves because the Divinization process lasts a lifetime and today, we can recommit to what we committed on our Baptism day and that is what the Baptism of the Lord promises today and every day.

Here is the my homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This feast marks the end of the Christmas Season for the church and now we enter back into Ordinary time until Lent. Let's start something new. (Read more…)

Humility, Obscurity and Poverty - December 25, 2021

My mother taught me that the real Christmas message was about the hidden face of Christ in others and that when Christ became one of us, he did not come in the grandeur of a palace as some first-born king. (Read more…)

Hold Onto Love - December 19, 2021

Mary and Elizabeth give us a great example to follow. They hold on. They hold on to faith. They hold on to believing. When they do not understand, they hold on. And what do they hold onto? They hold onto hope; that they know there will be something here . I will do the Lord’s Will even though I do not understand it. (Read more…)

What Should We Do? - December 12, 2021

Sometimes the beauty of a moment or of something we are looking at or experiencing, forces us to pause and sort of take it in. The beauty is at another level. It is not on the surface. It is beneath the surface. One has to work a little harder to experience the beauty not just see the beauty. (Read more…)

Thank you again for the incredible outpouring of love and support these past few weeks. While it was hard to preside at my brother Paul’s funeral, I was grateful to so many of you for your prayers for strength . It was a a beautiful Funeral Mass and Celebration of Paul’s life.

Focus on the Important Things - December 5, 2021

God is the destination. Jesus is the way. As long as we keep on asking what would Jesus have us do, and keep choosing Jesus then that will keep us on the right road. That is the main highway. Jesus is the highway. As long as we choose Jesus, we keep on choosing the right road. That is what this whole Advent time is all about. Here is the my homily from this past weekend. Please feel free to share it with others. (Read more…)

My bother Paul McGuire’s funeral will be held on Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 3PM at Holy Spirit Church (1200 Redmond Avenue, San Jose CA 95120). The Mass will be livestreamed and can be viewed at: https://holyspiritchurch.org/live-stream-mass/

To family and friends in Ireland, we will be holding a Memorial Mass at Holy Redeemer Church in Bray, Co. Wicklow on January 3, 2022 at 11AM. Brendan will preside over the Mass and Maria, Daniella, Dominic, and Sean will be present.

Many have asked about donations in Paul’s name to his favorite organizations. As many of you know he had a very special connection to Amigos for Christ in Nicaragua where he spent many summers (with our entire family in tow) working side by side with the Nicaraguan families building schools, digging trenches and constructing clean water systems. He also led the Amigos Gifts of Opportunity Christmas fundraising campaigns at Holy Spirit raising hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, which made a difference in the lives of countless Nicaraguan families. If you would like to make a memorial gift in honor of Paul, please visit www.amigosforchrist.org/paul.

Thank you for the incredible outpouring of love and support these past few days.

Look and Look Again - November 28, 2021

Let’s focus on the presence and the grace of God here and now. So be vigilant at all times but to what? To God’s grace. To God’s beauty right here, right now in the midst of all of this. God is among us here. Let’s notice with wonder and look with fresh eyes and celebrate the gift of God’s presence today. Here is the my homily from this past weekend. Please feel free to share it with others. (Read more…)

I am sorry that is is later than usual but it is with a heavy heart that I share with you that my brother and best friend, Paul peacefully passed away on Tuesday, November 30 at 3:40 p.m. in the afternoon at Stanford Hospital surrounded by his wife, Maria, his children Daniella, Dominic, & Sean, and myself. He fought as hard as anyone could have but this cruel type of pancreatic cancer was relentless and he endured incredible levels of pain and suffering over the past 6 1/2 months since diagnosis. We are all devastated and heartbroken over the loss of an amazing father; husband, brother, uncle, brother-in law, son-in-law, friend and co-worker that made each of our lives better in some impactful way. We pray for all who are mourning his passing and hope we can all support each other together during this unimaginable and painful time.

In addition to this loss, my Spiritual Director and close friend, Fr. Dave Ayotte also died on Monday night following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Funeral arrangements for Paul have yet to be determined but will take place at Holy Spirit Church in San Jose. More information will be provided as it is known. Thank you for all your love and support.

Please pray for my family and me.