Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily – Tuesday of the Octave of Easter
Both Peter and Mary Magdalene are transformed by the power of the resurrection: Peter, formerly bound by fear, is now on fire to spread the Good News; Mary, overcome by sorrow, is now filled with joy. What in our life needs to be touched by the power of Christ’s resurrection? How can Easter transform our lives today?
Study: Reflect on your life right now. What needs to be touched by the power of Christ’s resurrection?
Pray: The resurrection of Jesus brings power and hope to all believers; pray for God’s grace in your daily life.
Serve: How might the Good News of Christ shine through your words and actions today?
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast
I continually marvel at the power of the Resurrection of Christ in the lives of the apostles. They are different people! Standing in the light of Easter, touching and speaking to the Risen Lord, they can’t go back – their lives are forever changed and empowered to proclaim Good News. Check this out:
Note this: it wasn’t the miracles, healings, or teachings of Jesus that brought about this change. It was the resurrection; all these people who formerly followed Jesus are transformed into a new creation by the experience of the Easter. They are freed from fear and no longer bound by sin. Their lives are shot through with grace, mercy, peace, and joy.
I want this. I want this for every person I meet, for every person I know, and certainly for my own heart. To bask in the light of Christ raised from the dead – to know that God has built a bridge that covers the gap from our weakness to the glory of Heaven – is to live with a power and conviction that brings the Lord’s life to a world in need of Good News.
So today:
Our faith is not a history lesson. Christ’s resurrection continues to bring change and renewal to our lives today. May we open our hearts to the Lord and allow Easter glory to shine in our lives.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – the Feast of Sts. Timothy & Titus
We pass on the faith that was handed to us. Like Saints Timothy & Titus, we are part of a vast chain of disciples – sharing the faith we have received so that the Good News of Jesus Christ may continue to touch hearts in our world today.
Study: What is your favorite way to read Scripture – a devotional, chapter-a-day, daily Mass readings, or just a bookmark in the Bible?
Pray: Consider using a little bit of Scripture as part of your daily prayer – think of it as a “spiritual multivitamin” for your health!
Serve: How is God’s Spirit directing your life – is there a task or opportunity that you feel prompted to act?
3rd Sunday of the Year Readings
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast
The readings this week are filled with power as we hear how God’s Word and Spirit touch our hearts.
I suggest two thoughts for your consideration this week. First, God’s Word continues to proclaim Good News in our world today, and we are invited to embrace the Lord’s message – allowing the mercy, love, joy, and peace of the Gospel to soak into our hearts.
My point here is about actively seeking the Lord in our daily life, making God’s Word a part of our regular spiritual diet. By dwelling on the Good News we foster our Christian perspective to engage the challenges of daily life with courage and wisdom. We know that there are plenty of difficulties and obstacles; we feast upon God’s Word for the strength to engage life at full power.
Second, with God’s Word in our hearts we live our faith as part of a larger community – sharing our particular gifts and talents for the good of all. No one person possesses all gifts; rather, we cooperate (like Paul’s example of the parts of a body) and contribute our skills so that all might be blessed.
That means we:
So, three final questions for your reflection:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
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CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Fr. Andrew’s 4th Sunday of Advent Homily Podcast
Joy is one of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit that flows from the heart of Heaven. It bubbles up from the Good News that we welcome with eagerness and share with conviction. Two thoughts as we prepare for Christmas:
May the Joy of Jesus fill our hearts, transform our lives, and spread to those God sets before us today!
Fr. Andrew’s 14th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
Sometimes there are obstacles that are keeping us from saying what needs to be said…or hearing what needs to be heard. What’s more, before we can face the challenges of speaking or listening we might be better served by naming the obstacles in our lives. And once we can give it a name, we can bring it before the Lord for the help and strength we need to pull these obstacles out of the way.
Study: Reflect on a time when someone told you a truth that you did not want to hear. What caused you to want to resist?
Pray: Are there any tough decisions or actions facing you right now? Ask the Lord for guidance, courage, and strength.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who needs to hear an important message? How can you help them receive it?
14th Sunday of the Year Readings
Have you ever been angry because someone told you what you needed to hear when you didn’t want to hear it? Who wants to be told they’re wrong, that something needs to change, that they have work to do? In our best moments we can accept constructive criticism with a tentative openness, but if we are vulnerable, defensive, doubtful, or in any sort of tough spot – we often will dig our heels in and resist.
Perhaps it’s just plain human nature – our free will comes with a liberty to choose any number of possibilities. Sometimes, however, we simply do not choose what is best…
This is the situation which confronts Ezekiel and Jesus in the Scriptures today. Sent to proclaim a message, they both encounter resistance. Ezekiel is told by God that the people will not want to hear him; Jesus is rejected by the community that knows his extended family. While both will fulfill their mission, the response of those addressed remains one of resistance.
Sound familiar? Consider the times in life when you’ve resisted a message. What was the issue? Ego? A relationship? Personal pride? Control? Sometimes the best thing we can do is discover what are the obstacles that keep us from the goodness of God.
Here’s a simple test: when was the last time you turned away from something important? What held you back? What was the road block that kept you from joy? Remember, the Lord longs to fill us with love; our job is to be open and receptive to what needs to be heard.
Maybe today we haul the obstacle out of the way…so God’s grace can transform and renew our hearts.
Study: Reflect on a moment of profound change in your life. What lessons did you learn?
Pray: Ask the Lord for guidance to proclaim the Good News in your current situation.
Serve: Do you know someone who is experiencing great change right now? How can you help them?
Feast of the Ascension Readings
About this time of year students experience transition. The academic year is coming to a close, classes are wrapping up, papers are written and exams taken. It is a time where one can clearly see change: teachers and classmates conclude their studies and look to new opportunities and experiences in the summer.
For some it might be work; others might attend summer school; still others might experience a move to a new location. Change takes many forms, but through it all some key points emerge:
The Feast of the Ascension is one such moment of profound change in the early Church. Rejoicing with one another over the Resurrection, the apostles were flying high – the Lord is risen! In this moment of enthusiasm and hope, the Lord (truly in the role of Teacher) shares with them a new lesson – it’s time to change and grow.
Now they are the ones who must teach; they are the ones chosen to proclaim the Good News; through their efforts the Holy Spirit will empower them to heal and drive out demons. Simply put, the Ascension of Jesus clears the way for the disciples to apply the Lord’s teaching in their own lives as they continue Christ’s mission in the world.
We are part of that mission. We received our faith from those who came before us, and today we have an opportunity to proclaim the Good News to those in our lives. Here are some thoughts:
The Good News takes many forms, and in our moments of transition we are given new opportunities to act. May the Ascension of our Lord inspire us to look for change in our own lives and seek ways where we can live joyful lives as disciples of Jesus Christ!
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Ascension, Francisco Camilo; 1651, oil on canvas, 81.5 x 53.94 inches, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelonia, Spain.
Pastoral Note: This post was originally given on April 12, 2014. I share it once again in the hope that all of us will enter more fully into the gift of this sacred time. Fr. Andrew
Study: Recall a time in your life when you experienced death and new life. Where did you find the strength? Who helped you through this time?
Pray: Spend some time reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week. Read Mark 14-16; Matthew 26-28; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21. Take in as many prayer opportunities as possible in your parish.
Serve: Who in your life is dealing with life and death issues right now? How might you be present to them to offer help, comfort, or strength?
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We enter into the heart of the Christian mystery: Holy Week offers us a time to pause, reflect, and pray as the Church ponders on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This mystery, often called the Paschal Mystery, recalls us to the saving work of the Lord. His death frees of from the burdens of sin and death, and his resurrection opens for us the path to eternal life. This mystery is profoundly experienced over the Triduum – the 3 Great Days:
On Holy Thursday we find ourselves in Jerusalem, eating with the disciples at the Lord’s Supper and feeling awkward as he washes their feet – wondering how we would react if he did that for us. We might identify with Peter or Judas – especially when we consider the times we have willingly betrayed or turned our back on the Lord.
On Good Friday we experience the physical pain, emotional abandonment, and personal humiliation on the path to Calvary (also called Golgotha or Skull Place) and look on with horror at the cruel death of Jesus. We might also consider the times we have helped others – as Simon did when he was forced to carry the Cross of Christ. And then we stand in profound sorrow with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, helpless as the innocent suffer injustice.
On Easter we wait in vigil and rise early in the morning with Mary Magdalen, only to find to our wonder and joy that the tomb is empty: Christ is alive! Our world, like that of the apostles, is changed forever as we experience new hope and life.
A word to the wise – we get out of Holy Week what we put into it. Here are some simple ways for an incredible experience.
May this be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and one another.
Below are all the recorded homilies and presentations offered at the Parish Mission for Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, AZ from March 7-12, 2015. Special thanks to the wonderful people at OLV for their hospitality – what a joy to be among you!
Sunday Homily Podcast – 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year B) – Saturday, March 7, 2015.
Monday Homily Podcast – Monday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 9, 2015.
Holy Week Presentation Podcast #1 – Palm Sunday – March 9, 2015.
Tuesday Homily Podcast – Tuesday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 10, 2015.
Holy Week Presentation Podcast #2 – Holy Thursday – March 10, 2015.
Holy Week Presentation Podcast #3 – Good Friday – March 11, 2015.
Thursday Homily Podcast – Thursday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 12, 2015.
Holy Week Presentation Podcast #4 – Easter – March 12, 2015.
In addition, I wish to thank the parishioners at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Solon Springs, WI who welcomed me to preach a concentrated version of this Mission on Saturday, February 28, 2015 – thank you for your kindness…these presentations grew out of our day together!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 