Homily Library

The homily is part of the Liturgy of the Word at Mass. It is a living commentary of the Word of God just proclaimed. Pope Francis says that the homily is like a mother teaching her children. There is a long tradition of monastic homilies. The homily in a monastery is usually a kind of oral and public lectio divina on the part of the monk who is delivering it. Every day the brother who presides at Mass gives a brief homily that is at once personal and also sheds evangelical light on the realities the brothers and guests are living through at the moment. We are happy to offer some of our monastic homilies here.

Below are links to a number of homilies preached at New Melleray and Our Lady of the Mississippi by members of our community.

September
Fr. David BockSeptember 29, 2023Feast of Saints Michael and All Archangels
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 27, 2023Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 26, 2023Tuesday in the Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 24, 2023Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 21, 2023Feast of St. Matthew
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 20, 2023Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim and Companions at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 19, 2023Tuesday in the Twenty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 16, 2023Saturday in the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 13, 2023Wednesday in the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 12, 2023Tuesday in the Twenty-Third Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 10, 2023Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 9, 2023Memorial of St. Peter Claver
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 6, 2023Wednesday in the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestSeptember 4, 2023Labor Day, Mass of St. Joseph the Worker
Fr. David BockSeptember 3, 2023Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
August
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 30, 2023Wednesday in the Twenty-First Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 29, 2023Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 27, 2023Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Brendan FreemanAugust 23, 2023Funeral Mass for Br. Robert Simon
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 23, 2023Wednesday in the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 22, 2023Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth
Fr. Brendan FreemanAugust 21, 2023Homily for the Funeral of Daniel L. Power
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 20, 2023Solemnity of St. Bernard of Clairvaux at Missisippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 16, 2023Wednesday in the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 15, 2023Solemnity of the Assumption
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 11, 2023Memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi
Fr. David BockAugust 6, 2023Feast of the Transfiguration
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 2, 2023Wednesday in the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestAugust 1, 2023Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori
July
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 30, 2023Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 26, 2023Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 25, 2023Feast of St. James the Greater, Apostle
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 23, 2023Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. David BockJuly 22, 2023Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 20, 2023Thursday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 19, 2023Wednesday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 17, 2023Monday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 16, 2023Solemnity of the Dedication of the Church of New Melleray
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 15, 2023Memorial of St. Bonaventure
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 13, 2023Thursday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time: Mass for the Deceased
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 12, 2023Wednesday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. David BockJuly 11, 2023Solemnity of St. Benedict
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 9, 2023Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. David BockJuly 9, 2023Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. David BockJuly 7, 2023Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of St. Raphael, Dubuque, IA
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 6, 2023Thursday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJuly 5, 2023Wednesday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Brendan FreemanJuly 4, 2023Golden Jubilee of Sr. Nettie Gamble at Mississippi Abbey
June
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 28, 2023Wednesday in the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 27, 2023Tuesday in the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 25, 2023Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Brendan FreemanJune 22, 2023Golden Jubilee Mass of Sr. Kathleen Marie Lyzotte at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 21, 2023Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Brendan FreemanJune 18, 2023Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. David BockJune 18, 2023Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Brendan FreemanJune 17, 2023Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Fr. David BockJune 16, 2023Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 15, 2023Thursday in the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 14, 2023Memorial of Blessed Gerard of Clairvaux at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 7, 2023Wednesday in the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 6, 2023Tuesday in the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 4, 2023Trinity Sunday
Fr. Stephen VerbestJune 2, 2023Friday in the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
May
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 31, 2023Feast of the Visitation
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 30, 2023Tuesday in the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. David BockMay 28, 2023Pentecost
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 27, 2023Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 24, 2023Wednesday in the Seventh Week of Easter at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 21, 2023Seventh Sunday of Easter at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Brendan FreemanMay 21, 2023Solemnity of the Ascension
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 18, 2023Thursday in the Sixth Week of Easter
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 17, 2023Wednesday in the Sixth Week of Easter at Mississippi Abbey
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 14, 2023Sixth Sunday of Easter
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 11, 2023Memorial of Abbots of Cluny
Fr. Stephen VerbestMay 10, 2023Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Easter
Fr. David BockMay 7, 2023Fifth Sunday of Easter
Fr. Brendan FreemanMay 3, 2023Dedication of the Church at Mississippi Abbey