Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of the Year
We know firsthand the different types of darkness that occur in daily life: fear, grief, loss, pain, anger, loneliness, rejection and doubt. In these moments we call upon the Lord – who casts out the darkness – so that we can live in the Light of Christ.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 1st Week of the Year
We discover from the Letter to the Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark three powerful insights about the Lord which can inspire us to draw near to the one who knows us and meets us where we are in life…that we might grow in grace.
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Photo Credit: Stained Glass Window, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Bisbee, Arizona
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent
The genealogy of Jesus outlined in Matthew’s Gospel recalls the crucial role of family. Our families are crucial networks where we grow and face the challenges of life. While no one has a perfect family (certainly not Jesus!) we all can find within our own families opportunities to foster faith, hope and love.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Jesus offers us a glimpse of the power and beauty of the Kingdom of God, inspiring us to live the Lord’s love today as we set our eyes on the world to come.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent (Feast of St. Ambrose)
As a child rests in a parent’s embrace, so we are invited to draw near to Christ and rest in his love. Are you weary? Tired? Stressed? Come to Jesus and be renewed by his peace.
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 – Thanksgiving Day
Today as a country we practice what our faith in Christ commands: to be thankful for all that God has given us. Let’s count our blessings and be grateful for what we have. May we all thank the Lord for the gift of life and the chance to let the love of Jesus flow through our hearts. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Note: This picture of Msgr. Ed Meulemans and I was taken in July 2015. He is a great friend and mentor…and I am thankful for his presence in my life!
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – St. Elizabeth of Hungary
In the Gospel we find the Lord as he weeps over the city of Jerusalem. May the compassion of Christ touch our hearts, especially when we have sinned, and draw us back into his merciful love.
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Photo Credit: Jesus of Nazareth, 1977.
Mass Readings – 32nd Sunday of the Year
Our conviction that there is a Heaven both consoles and challenges us as we face our struggles here on earth. May we drawn near to the Lord’s Divine Fire of Love as we journey through this life with our eyes fixed on Heaven.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Friday of the 29th Week of the Year
When I come across some gems of Sacred Scripture (like the 1st reading today) I want to cut them out and put them in a place where they will remind me of what we are about as disciples of Jesus. Truly, they are some good words to live by!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
