Fr. Andrew’s 26th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
Jealousy and Greed (like most vices) can easily grow in our souls…unless we are constantly vigilant to starve them out and feed on God’s grace. Joshua, John, and the community of James all needed to be reminded, and they will take these lessons to heart. May we do the same.
Study: Reflect on a situation where you have experienced either jealousy or greed. How did you move past it? (HAVE you moved past it?)
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to confront these vices and replace them with the Love, Joy, and Peace of Christ.
Serve: Is there something that you can do to help break the cycle of greed or jealousy in your life today? How can your life show others a better way to live?
26th Sunday of the Year Readings
Whew! While every week the Scripture readings give us plenty to ponder about, we are confronted this week with some particularly nasty (but common) elements that can surface in the human heart:
We know that Joshua and John are great figures in the history of our faith. Joshua, as the successor of Moses, will lead the people as they claim their space in the Promised Land after their enslavement in Egypt. He is God-fearing and righteous. John is a close companion of the Lord, the brother of James, who has been personally called by Jesus to follow and be “a fisher of men.”
Empowered by God with particular graces, both are chosen for special work of leadership, yet they make the common (and altogether too human) mistake of getting their noses bent out of joint because great things are happening of which they are not a part. Sound familiar?
Ever had a moment when you were upset because you were afraid that someone was moving in on your turf? Taking over a work, task, ministry, or role that was yours? While it’s true that there are times when people unfairly gobble up the work of others, it is also true that sometimes we are at fault because our expectations are too limited: we have assumed that the work, task, ministry, or role was ONLY ours to control. We can cultivate assumptions that opportunities are strictly limited – that there is no room to share with others – and that we alone are allowed or expected to act.
Yet this is not how the Lord works! Both Jesus and Moses welcome others to participate in the Good News – to prophesy, to drive out evil, to bring life and hope. Simply put, there is room for others to help, for the obvious reason that the needs of the world are vast. A question then arises: Do we share? Do we welcome and encourage others to join us in God’s work?
James hits us over the head with greed – an inappropriate hunger for more (often wealth) that shows no regard for the needs and rights of others. Greed (one of the 7 Deadly Sins) is one of those ugly vices that we always despise in others and often overlook in ourselves. And while an insatiable desire for money is an easy target, remember that greed can also appear in little ways:
When greed takes over we can lose our sense of balance and perspective. People can get lost as we place a higher value on the thing we greedily seek. The sad thing is, we might get what we desire, but we can lose that which is most important: the opportunity to love and be loved by the people in our lives.
We know jealousy and greed first hand: these are real vices that can fester in our souls. The question today…how will we respond to their presence? Jesus invites us in to the Gospel today to pluck them out! They have no place in Heaven, and here on earth they are obstacles that keep us from the Lord and one another.
Fr. Andrew’s 25th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
All of us face moments of difficult, trial, and temptation. In these moments we are tested, and as we face our challenges we discover meaning and purpose for our lives as we call upon the help of heaven and earth for the help we need.
Study: Recall a time when you were overwhelmed by difficulty. What got you through it?
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the courage and strength to face your challenges.
Serve: Is there someone you know who is struggling? How can you offer your support?
25th Sunday of the Year Readings
Don’t you wish life would always be easy? Wouldn’t it be great if challenges and obstacles disappeared with a simple thought? What’s more, how about if evil, darkness, fear, and violence would vanish from the face of the earth?
I know: I will now wake up from my pleasant dream. Since the dawn of creation evil and sin have been part of our world, and for this very reason Jesus Christ died and rose. The death and resurrection of the Lord confronts the darkness and shines with the light of faith.
As Christians we can thus recognize two fundamental principles:
Simply put, this means that we have hope in the face of difficulty. God continues to give grace and strength, empowering us to face our fears and engage life with the faith to continue in the presence of adversity. We know that life is hard; we know that with the Lord’s help we can carry on.
Where do you find darkness and evil in your life right now? Where do the difficulties and obstacles present themselves? Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge these pitfalls and recognize how they tempt and distract us.
For the minute we understand our struggles, we are equipped with the knowledge to petition the Lord for the help we need. What’s more, as we understand the struggles of those around us, we can reach out with love of Christ to support one another with sincerity and genuine assistance.
May we honestly confront the challenges of life, trusting in the Lord for the grace we need.
Study: Recall a time in life when you were disconnected from God. What helped you restore your relationship with Christ?
Pray: How can you grow closer to the Lord today? What spiritual resources, sacraments, or fellowship can help you thrive?
Serve: Who in your life is disconnected right now? How can you reach out and help them?
The relationship between vine an branches is simple: the branches, connected to the vine, draw their strength and nourishment from it. Cut off, they die.
Raising grapes and making wine were crucial at the time of Jesus (and still important today) and this gardening image provides a powerful insight in two crucial aspects of human life.
As branches connected to Christ, we draw the grace we need from the Lord. It’s his death and resurrection that gives us life; his forgiveness that restores our relationships with God and one another; and his power that we call upon when we confront the obstacles and stumbling blocks in the world. Our lives, dependent on Christ, thrive with his life within us – in the Scriptures, the Sacraments, private prayer, and fellowship with one another.
Yet we also serve as sources of support for others, and the strength of our relationship with God directs our ability to recognize and respond to others. We cannot give what we don’t have, and as we support one another we pass on the grace we receive from Christ and share it with those we meet. Who are these key people who look to us? Some examples:
Our lives are interconnected! Drawing strength from Christ – the central vine – we thrive; his strength in turn becomes the power which we extend into the hearts of those whose lives touch our own.
Today: draw near to Jesus and allow his love to fill our hearts! May we pour his love into the lives of each and every soul we meet!
Study: Where in my life have I discovered God’s strength and grace? How have others helped me?
Pray: Where do I need God’s strength right now? Call upon the Lord with boldness to face the challenges of life.
Serve: How can I be an instrument of God’s strength to another? How can I help someone today?
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast (7 minutes)
I can only imagine the surge of excitement that went through the disciples as the word was shared. Beyond the agony of the Cross and the sorrow of the Tomb on that first day of the week the message was proclaimed: He’s Alive!
And everything changes. This group of disciples – bound by fear and selfishness – are transformed with a new strength and conviction. Their encounter with the Risen Lord will empower them to face the obstacles of this world with joy and hope. They have seen the risen Christ…what is there to fear? They have embraced the one who has conquered sin and death – there is NOTHING that can shake their confidence in the light of Easter morning.
This same strength comes to us. Like the first disciples, we can turn to Jesus and allow his saving grace to renew us with a strength far beyond our own. We can claim a hope that sustains us in the midst of our challenges and struggles. The Easter sunrise brings light to the darkest corners of our hearts.
What in our lives needs to be touched by Jesus Christ? We are invited to boldly come forward, receive his resurrection strength, and face whatever this world presents with confidence: the victory of Christ enlivens us to travel through life with the conviction that the grace he gave his disciples continues in our hearts today.
May this Easter season be a time of transformation and renewal; a time where we embrace the gift of our lives with a new freedom and conviction. In the light of this Easter, may we follow the one who leads us from sin and death to the abundance of life…in this world, and the world to come.
Happy Easter!
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The Resurrection, Sebastiano Ricci; 1715-1716, oil on canvas, 883 mm x 1,187 mm, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, England.
The Cathedral hosted the Youth Rally on March 18, 2015. This homily was given to the 400+ youth who came together for adoration, a keynote talk from Joel Stepanek, and Mass.
Fr. Andrew’s Youth Rally Homily Podcast
Keep praying for our youth that the Lord will touch and bless their lives with grace, wisdom, and strength!
Study: Reflect on a moment when sin has touched your life. Where did you find God’s grace at work?
Pray: Take some time for personal reflection. Make this an Examination of Conscience to recall how God continues to touch your heart and bless your life.
Serve: Consider a simple and practical way that you can care for another this Lent. Something personal…something real.
“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
These are the words we hear today as we come forward to begin a new Lent. We physically mark our foreheads – smudge them with grimy ashes – to recall the simple fact that we are all sinners and stand in need of God’s mercy.
And what great mercy it is! Perhaps that’s why we pause. We need mercy. We crave forgiveness. We hunger to be loved simply and gently, no strings attached, no conditions required.
These ashes remind us that we need….God.
Pause today. We reflect on what is broken or wounded in our lives – to discover where we are hurting.
Then look outward. This is our opportunity to consider how we have broken or wounded others – recognizing that perhaps another has suffered through our thoughts, words, or deeds.
Ashes.
Repentance.
God’s Grace.
Have a blessed and holy Lent.
Study: Reflect on wounded relationships in your life. What needs to be done to bring them healing?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to bring healing to the relationships in your life, especially where suffering has caused misunderstanding or fear has led to doubt and uncertainty.
Serve: Are there people in your life that are struggling in their relationships? How can you be a bridge that fosters unity and reconciliation?
6th Sunday of the Year Readings
Last week I focused on the personal nature of suffering. When we are in pain, when we hurt, we can easily focus on ourselves. This is not necessarily a bad thing; suffering can help us confront reality and strive for healing and wholeness. In our suffering we are aware of blessings that we may have taken for granted – our sight can become sharper as we realize the gifts that have been lavished upon us.
There is another dimension of suffering, however. Suffering commonly affects relationships; when one person suffers, it is often the case that others suffer as well. Consider the following:
There are countless examples, but the point is clear – the pain and anguish a person suffers can directly affect relationships with God and one another. Suffering can become an obstacle that blocks us from the very persons who can bring healing and relief. Often the greatest wound from suffering is isolation: in our weakness we withdraw from the very people who can help us the most.
The 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, and Gospel today reveal both the obstacles of suffering and the bridges that God makes possible through healing grace. In the face of suffering the Lord comes, not just to bring healing to a person, but healing to the relationships among persons. God longs not only to renew our lives but the lives around us as well. Where suffering brings isolation the Lord brings unity – drawing us together in reconciliation and love.
This communal aspect of suffering thus begs two questions for our consideration:
When the Jesus healed the leper in the Gospel today, he did more than give the man back his health – he gave back his relationships as well. The man (formerly cut off from human society) is now restored to his family, his friendships, and his participation in the community. His life has been restored.
As we look to our own encounters with suffering we keep an eye to the ways in which our relationships are harmed/healed. May we call upon the grace of Christ to touch our lives, and bless the lives of those around us.
Study: Recall a time when you were particular grateful for the gift of your family. What made the difference?
Pray: Reflect on the needs of your family. Thank the Lord for your blessings and offer your petitions for their needs.
Serve: How can you help someone in your family right now?
The Feast of the Holy Family Readings
Big or small, far-flung or close to home…we all come from a family. Sometimes our families are in better/worse places, depending on emotions, finances, relationships, illness, death, and a multitude of challenges and blessings that life can throw our way.
And while no family is perfect, every family provides opportunities for us to grow. Whether it is getting along, practicing forgiveness, being patient, working together, or dealing with the idiosyncrasies that are part of every human group…there is no place like family for teaching us lessons that are part of our journey to become the best version of ourselves.
The Holy Family faced plenty of blessings and burdens. Here are a few of the blessings:
But, then, there are some real burdens:
Clearly, this family is unlike any other; yet together they faced situations that are similar to many even today. They knew what it was like to be grateful for what they had, and they knew what it was like to face suffering and pain.
But there’s two points I want us to hold close:
What’s true for the Holy Family is true for our families! We have opportunities to work together, cooperating and uniting to strengthen the bonds within our families – and when we face challenges we call upon the Lord to give us the grace and strength we need to put faith into family, hope into our homes, and love into our lives.
May this season give us plenty of opportunities to work together with God’s grace in our families – the place where we have been located by the Lord to practice our “homework for holiness” as we journey through this life.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
