Fr. Michael Bombak

Dec

20

2016

Mark 11:11-23- The Reason for the Season

FaithGreed, Prayer, temple, West Edmonton Mall

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Imagine if you were a Gentile living in the time of our Lord and didn't know much about the God of the Jewish people, and so wanting to know more, you went to the Temple to check it out. You were allowed into the "Court of the Gentiles," a section just for you, to discover that the whole court was filled with animals to be bought and sold, money changers and yelling voices haggling for the lowest prices. What would you think is worshiped in this Temple by these people? Although this Temple was destroyed…

Dec

16

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 10:23-31- Shed Those Chains

FaithGreed, hope, riches, salvation

Glory be to Jesus Christ! One of the most terrifying characters of any story, but especially a story which is pertinent to us this time of year, is the Ghost of Marley, Scrooge's business partner in "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Marley appears to Scrooge to warn him of the arrival of three ghosts who will help to lead Scrooge to repentance. Marley's ghost is described as dragging chains which he had made in his own life through his daily actions: "The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a…

Dec

14

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 10:11-16- I Did it His Way

Faithchildren, frank sinatra, humility, my way

Glory be to Jesus Christ! In 1969 Frank Sinatra released "My Way" a song which would become immensely popular. Not only would it be a hit for Sinatra himself, but for Elvis Presley amoung others. It would spend 75 weeks on the UK Top 40, a record still to this day! This should hardly surprise us. The song in many ways is the anthem of our modern times, enshrining our most cherished values: choice, rights, self-determination, my views, my ideas, my goals, my reality- My way. Ironically, we can see where this mentality leads us. "My Way" is apparently the…

Dec

13

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 10:2-12- Unrandom Unions

Faithdivorce, identity, marriage, random, sexuality

Glory be to Jesus Christ! When I taught Junior High School a word the students thew around quite a bit to describe a surprising or interesting situation was the word "random." In fact, they used it in so many stations that the definition and meaning of the word truly was random. This word is not restricted to Junior High classrooms, however, but is to many the prevailing view of reality. Relationships, family, marriage, personal sexual identity etc. to many is "random" or arbitrary. Our Lord, while avoiding another trap by the Pharisees, sets out the truth about marriage and the…

Dec

12

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 9:42-10:1- What’s Your Salt Content?

Faithrelativism, salt, truth

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Why is it that we enjoy French Fries so much? Because of the salt. In fact, the salt content is the reason why we enjoy most foods. If you take out the salt you will find very quickly that food stops tasting very good. In our reading today, the Lord tells his disciples that salt is a good thing, and that through their actions they should guard their saltiness. The Christian life is indeed the flavor and savor of life, and not just for us, but for the whole world. But flavoring is not the only…

Dec

09

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Luke 8:16-21- Be a Light

Faithanne, conception of anne; immaculate; joachim, light

Glory be to Jesus Christ! It has been said that a country which refuses to protect its borders is not really a country. There might be a map, citizenship ceremonies and responsibilities etc., but at the end of the day it can be taken and ended. The same is case with laws. Laws which are not enforced remain thoughts and that is all. They may be thoughts written down, organized, numbered and argued about, but they are not laws until they are enforced. A person who hears the lifesaving gospel and "believes" in it with their mind is not a…

Dec

08

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 9:10-16- True Discipleship

Faithdisciple, faith, reason, transfiguration

Glory be to Jesus Christ! At first glance our reading today seems a little confusing, and no doubt, as it is a short passage which relates the conversation the Disciples have with Our Lord as they descend the mountain after the Transfiguration. We must remember that at the Transfiguration, Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus (along with Moses) on the mountain. The experience of the Transfiguration naturally brought up many questions for the Disciples who misunderstood our Lord's passion prediction and the fact that Elijah was meant to appear on the earth once more before the end. Our Lord points to…

Dec

07

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Mark 8:30-34- Get Behind Me Satan!

FaithCross, peter, priorities, satan, Suffering

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Get behind me Satan! There are some of the strongest words uttered against someone by our Lord in all the gospels- period! It only appears even more harsh considering the fact that it comes a few verses after Peter correctly identifies who the Lord really is. And yet, it shouldn't surprise us. Satan tested Jesus in the wilderness with the same temptations- why suffer when you can rule these kingdoms? Why the cross and death? Throw Yourself down and reveal who you are and be done with it! What our Lord is telling us in this…

Dec

06

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Luke 6:17-23- Keep your Eyes on the Flag!

Faithbeatitudes, Cross, golf, Suffering

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Do you enjoy playing golf? I'm not too good at it myself, but I really enjoy heading out on a warm summer day and embarrassing myself for an afternoon. Some of the courses that golfers take on can be quite challenging where you are not sure where it is that you are supposed to be shooting for. It is always a relief when you can see the flag off in the distance, pointing you to your destination. This is what the Beatitudes do for us, brothers and sisters. They point us to where heaven is.…

Dec

02

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Luke 21:37-22:9- Gandalf and Judas

Faithjudas, lord of the rings, temptation

Glory be to Jesus Christ! There is a powerful passage from The Lord of the Rings where Frodo, who has been tasked with the mission of delivering the evil Ring to a council, tries to give it to Gandalf. This wise and powerful wizard refuses it however, because he knows its power and his own limits. He knows how much damage the Ring could do through him if he were to use it for evil. We are given a sobering reminder in our Gospel reading today brothers and sisters. No one is immune to temptation. Judas was called the same…