Joseph S. Pagano
The Rev. Joseph S. Pagano is an Episcopal priest living in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. He is co-editor of Common Prayer: Reflections on Episcopal Worship and Saving Words: 20 Redemptive Words Worth Rescuing.
Sermons and Bible Studies
A Glowing Oven Full Of Love, Trinity Sunday (A) – 2014
Well, friends, today is Trinity Sunday, the day in the church year when we ponder the mystery of the Triune God, how God is Three in One and One in Three. It is also the day when, throughout the world, rectors usually decide that it is a good Sunday for their assistants to preach. Ask […]
Intensifying the Law, Epiphany 6 (A) – 2014
In the moral life, we can think of commandments in at least a couple of ways. One way to think of a commandment is as a rule by which we can evaluate the rightness or wrongness of a given action. We might think of a commandment like, “thou shalt not bear false witness” as a […]
The Faith of Joseph, Advent 4 (A) – 2013
In our gospel lesson for today, the spotlight falls on Joseph. On this last Sunday of Advent, before we gather to celebrate the birth of Christ, the mystery of God coming to us as a child, we have this story about an ordinary, quiet, faithful man named Joseph. Joseph might have been uncomfortable in the […]
Awaken the Servant, Proper 17 (C) – 2013
There is an old story that goes like this: There was a university professor who went searching for the meaning of life. After several years and many miles, he came to the hut of a particularly holy hermit and asked to be enlightened. The holy man invited his visitor into his humble dwelling and began […]
Father, Forgive Them; for They Know Not What They Do, Palm Sunday (C) – 2013
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Only in Luke’s gospel do we find this statement of Jesus from the cross. It is a truly remarkable statement. In fact, it may be the most powerful and transformative thing he ever said. And the really amazing thing about this statement is that it […]
This Isn’t the Way It’s Supposed to Be…, Advent 2 (C) – 2012
[RCL]: Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4; Canticle 4 or 16; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 Have you ever thought to yourself, “This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be”? Maybe it was the latest report of rockets falling in Israel. Maybe it was images of the security fence along the West Bank. Maybe it was a […]
The Bread of Life, Proper 16 (B) – 2012
Is there anything quite as wonderful as the smell of freshly baked bread? The ingredients are so simple – yeast, flour, eggs, butter, water, salt – but the smell when it comes out of the oven is heavenly. And what could be better than eating fresh hot bread? Slice open a loaf that is still […]
St. John the Baptist (B) – June 25, 2012 John as spiritual massage therapist
Today we celebrate the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. John the Baptist was many things. He was a first-century apocalyptic Jew. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was the forerunner of Christ. But today, on his feast day, let’s think of John as a spiritual massage therapist. An Episcopal priest […]
My Lord and My God, Easter 2 (B) – 2012
Martin Luther once said, “That upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god.” Luther was talking about what it means to have a god. He says, “A god means that from which we expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that […]
Claim Your Identity, Holy Name Day – 2011
Names can tell us a lot about people’s characters and the roles they play in a story. One of the pleasures of reading literature is discovering the meaning of characters’ names. Authors will often give their characters names that tell us something important about who they are and about what they will do in the […]
We Are All Searching, Advent 1 (B) – 2011
We are all searching for something or someone. Not just the small things, like our house keys or a parking space, but also bigger things, deeper things, people, places, and relationships that we hope will fulfill us, bring us joy, grant us peace. Many people are searching for a job, but also more than a […]
Today’s Gospel Lesson…, Proper 18 (A) – 2011
Today’s gospel lesson is part of Jesus’ teaching about our life together in community, how it is that we are to live and love within the Christian community, especially when things go wrong. And because we are talking about human beings living in community, we can be fairly sure that things will go wrong. Our […]
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