Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Christmas Weekday (Jan. 3)
John the Baptist testifies that Jesus is the one who takes away our sins. As we renew our faith each day, may we seek Jesus above all else and commit our lives to his saving grace.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Friday of the 4th Week of Advent
John’s birth and his naming foreshadow the glory of Jesus. God’s great work of salvation leads us to rejoice as we witness how the Lord involves many (including us!) in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent (St. John of the Cross)
Jesus tells the disciples of John the Baptist to report what they see and hear – wonders that show that Jesus is Lord. May we carry the same message into our lives today!
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Advent
Christ’s words to the disciples of John the Baptist proclaim Good News. The Lord’s work – filled with power and might – brings hope to all who receive God’s gift of grace.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 2nd Week of Advent
Like Elijah, John the Baptist came to help the people return to the Lord. May this Advent season help us to draw close to Christ and be filled with the Lord’s love.
Study: Is there anything keeping you from God or another person right now? What steps do you need to take to make it right?
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the strength to repent and seek forgiveness. Remember – the harder it is the more powerful the healing!
Serve: Is there some way you can be an agent of forgiveness? How can you bring people closer to God and one another?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist comes on the scene blazing like a torch as he exhorts the people to repent of their sins. He minces no words with the Pharisees and Sadduccees; rather, he makes it clear that the path to God leads through the good fruit of our actions.
John is blunt and direct. There is no spin in his message, no soft touch. He comes to us as a verbal bulldozer, seeking to carve out a direct route that leads to the Lord. I can only imagine what it was like to be in his presence, eager to hear his words yet feeling the sting of his speech. After all, repentance is a great thing to talk about…but often painful to put into practice.
And yet nothing brings about healing faster than forgiveness. When relationships are wounded and we find ourselves in a broken and fragile place, repentance clears the ground and allows us to rebuild our lives in an honest and direct fashion.
Repentance has some key components:
As we prepare in this Advent season for the birth of the Messiah, we have the opportunity to examine our hearts and consider what is not worthy of the Lord. Using a good examination of conscience or just the common sense in our souls we have the chance today to repent of our sins, seek forgiveness from God and one another, and live each day in the light and power of Christ.
John tells us that while he baptizes for repentance, the Lord will baptize us in Spirit and fire – allowing us to draw into the very heart of God’s love. Only through repentance will we be able to encounter the burning intensity of divine charity; for when we stand before the Lord whatever is not fitting will burn away. May we cast out whatever is not worthy, and prepare to welcome His holy fire with open hearts.
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St. John the Baptist Preaching, Luca Giordano, 1695.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 17th Week of the Year
Here’s a question: Would you be willing to die for your faith? Both Jeremiah and John the Baptist are put to the test, and we know that today people are killed for following Christ. May our lives reveal our love for the Lord…in both life and death.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – (23rd of December in Advent)
Like Malachi and John the Baptist, we are messengers. What message are we sending? What messages do we seek? May others see Christ in the words we proclaim and the actions we offer.
Fr. Andrew’s 3rd Sunday of Advent Homily Podcast
“What should we do?” is an excellent question to keep before us in our daily prayer. We often know what needs to be done; sometimes it’s just hard to carry out. But there are also times when we come before the Lord searching for the direction, wisdom, and strength to live our faith with conviction and power.
Study: Where in your past have you seen ways that you made a positive difference in the lives of others? How might that pattern be repeated today?
Pray: Ask the Lord for guidance to see clearly and respond swiftly to the needs before you.
Serve: What is a little act of kindness that you can do today to help another?
We hear in the Gospel this week that the crowds ask John the Baptist a simple question: “What should we do?” His answers might be summarized in the following ways:
Pretty simple, right? Yet this homespun, practical desert wisdom is still apt for our modern world today. These direct reminders can help guide our decisions in these last two weeks of Advent – inspiring us in our everyday encounters to put them into practice.
But let’s not stop here. “What should we do?” is a good question for all of us to ask…daily. As we look around to the needs and circumstances in our lives, we have unique opportunities to make a difference. What’s more, this question is particularly useful in our daily prayer – guiding us to seek the Lord’s direction as we determine how we can speak and act as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Take a good look at the world around you. Consider some ways you can make a positive change. See seek the wisdom of our Faith. Then work as hard as you can to do something that proclaims the Good News today!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 