The Power of God: Daily Mass Homily--Thursday, January 2nd, 2014

Note--we celebrated Mass in the private chapel of Bishop Alfred--head of the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga.              

            Fr. Peter and I had the chance to travel the world while in seminary.  We went to Venezuela on a mission trip, the Holy Land and Rome.  Now I am fortunate to be on my second trip to Africa.  While I have noticed many differences in cultures, there are similar characteristics to every place to which I have been.  Each place has great people, excellent food, Coke and cold beer.

            Today we hear in the Responsorial Psalm, “All the ends of the earth have seen the power of God.”  We have seen the power of God and this power is present anywhere you go on earth.  This is especially so in Mass.

            I appreciated what one of you said earlier on our trip—“I’m never going to complain about getting to Mass again.”  For those of us in Duluth, we can drive ten minutes and be at four different churches.  Yet here in Ghana we see men and women walking many miles to get to Mass—and sometime Mass is only offered once a month.

            The power of God is present everywhere.  We don’t have to be 6,000 miles away from home—we simply need to come to Mass.