Mass Readings – Friday of the 7th Week of the Year
The book of Sirach speaks about the great gift of friendship. As we build up our friendships on earth, may we also foster our life with Jesus Christ – the best friend of all.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – The Holy Family
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph helps us see how God works through each of our families. We face our struggles, make sacrifices, support each other, and receive blessings with gratitude…and through it all we grow in grace.
Study: Name a time when your endurance was tested to complete a project. What kept you going?
Pray: Call upon the Lord for strength! Consider the many ways God has touched and blessed your life.
Serve: We all can help lighten the load of others. Who can you help today?
Mass Readings – 20th Sunday of the Year
In the book of Hebrews we hear how living our faith can be compared to running a race. A cloud of witnesses (the Angels and the Saints) are cheering us on, and we set our eyes on a great prize at the finish line.
Yet we know that a race can be filled with difficulty. Our endurance is tested, an injury may occur, an accident or change in circumstances can overturn our best plans. Both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced these types of trial and anguish, reminding us that it happens in our lives as well.
So where do we find our strength? The answer comes from the Psalm Response: Lord, come to my aid! In our need we call upon God for the grace we need to face our challenges and keep our eyes fixed on the Kingdom of Heaven.
May we look to the Lord for what we need today, and even if we fall…trust that Christ will pick us up and set us on the path that leads to life.
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
Like the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke, we are called to be neighbor to all who cross our path – sharing the Love that Christ offers us with one another.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast (Thursday of the 2nd Week of Advent)
God offers to help us in the first reading today. Will we accept it? Will we open the door of our hearts and allow God’s grace inside? Help Wanted!
Fr. Andrew’s Good Friday Homily Podcast (10 minutes)
This homily was given on April 3, 2015 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, WI.
The Cross of Christ – ugly, filthy with the blood of countless victims, jagged, and splintered – becomes the sign of the depth and breadth of agony Jesus endured. As he embraces his suffering, the Cross becomes a bridge whereby he unites with all humanity, meeting us in our most profound moments of weakness and sin, and gives us hope through his triumph over death.
We must understand the Cross in the light of Easter joy:
We look to the Cross and allow Christ’s Passion to touch our lives. We unite with Jesus and give grateful thanks that he has redeemed us in every aspect of our lives.
Come to the Cross and unite your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.
Be redeemed by Love Himself, who gave his life to save and set us free.
Study: Where have I made sacrifices in my life? What do these sacrifices reveal about my values and priorities?
Pray: Reflect on those who are suffering right now. Draw near to them in your prayer, asking the Lord to give them strength.
Serve: Who is carrying a cross in your life today? How can you help them?
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast (10 minutes)
For what would you give your life? For who?
Perhaps this is too extreme as a starting point. Perhaps the first question should be where in my life have I made consistent sacrifices? Where in my life have I given up something because I believed in something more important?
Sacrifices reveal the depth and character of our heart. They show our values, principles, and convictions in straightforward and direct ways. Our sacrifices quickly point out the hidden parts of our soul – either to be confirmed/denied by the words we speak – and proclaim to others our inner self.
In general sacrifice means giving our lives – sometimes in simple service, minor inconveniences, labors of love, seasons of selflessness, or in extreme cases: offering our lives. We make sacrifices all the time.
So did Christ.
As we read the Passion of the Lord today we discover the love Christ has for every human soul; the Lord willingly hung upon the Cross for our sins – sacrificing his innocent life for the pains and hurts we have inflicted upon one another. His sacrifice reveals his love for us (even on our worst days) as something so precious that it is worth all the pain and humiliation that the devil could provide.
Where do we see ourselves in the Passion? What crosses have we been given to carry – participating in some small way with the Cross of Christ? Or are we like Simon of Cyrene or Veronica – assisting with others in their own journey to Calvary? Are we making sacrifices or offering support for others in their need? We read the Passion every year on Good Friday to remind ourselves not only of what the Lord has done for us, but also that we, too, have a part to play. Our crosses participate in the Cross of Christ; our support for one another shares in the comfort which others offered to Jesus.
May this Good Friday drive us to our knees – thanking the Lord for what he did for us, and inspiring us to walk willingly with others in their need.
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The crucifixion, Pieter Lastman; 1616, Museum het Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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!
This is the 3rd of four presentations given at a Parish Mission on March 9-12, 2015 for Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, Arizona.
Fr. Andrew’s Presentation Podcast #3 – Good Friday (33 minutes)
Carrying his Cross for the salvation of the world, the Lord reveals two key insights for Christians:
SACRIFICE – giving up something for the sake of something more important – becomes self evident as the Lord offers his life as a perfect offering. Innocent and without sin, he takes our place and helps us to recognize our own sacrifices as a participation in his Cross.
SUPPORT appears when we look at two familiar figures in the Stations of the Cross – Simon of Cyrene and Veronica. We read about Simon in the Scriptures, and Veronica has been a part of the tradition of this devotional prayer for centuries; both of them show that even the smallest of actions proclaims the value of human life in our relationships with one another. Running toward suffering and sacrifice, we can (like a Firefighter) be agents in great and small ways for compassion, mercy, and tenderness.
Study: Reflect on a challenging time in your life. How did you give and/or receive strength from others?
Pray: For what particular strength do you need to ask the Lord? Come to the “Living Stone” who is Jesus and seek the strength you need!
Serve: Where can you cooperate with others right now? How can your strength help others ?
5th Sunday of Easter Readings Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast
Imagine a piece of construction brick or stone. At a distance the pieces look the same, with similarities in color, texture, shape, and size. Yet on closer examination we perceive that every piece of brick or stone is different; when seen clearly each stone is unique.
We use stones all the time in our building and construction. We use them in walls, fireplaces, foundations, and paving. Stones possess an inherent toughness – they are the bones of the earth – which makes them useful and vital in life.
In the second reading we hear how the Scriptures use the image of a stone in our life of faith. Peter writes that all people should come to Jesus, a living stone, so that we might be built into a spiritual house. Following the example of Jesus, we become “living stones” that all might see God’s kingdom here on earth.
Stones remind us of two important points. First, stones are strong, and we are called to live our faith with the same durability and toughness. Life is not easy, and there are times when we recognize our weakness and failures. Yet through our relationship with Christ we gain strength and power that we do not have by ourselves. Through Christ our talents and gifts become strong resources to be used by God.
Second, in construction stones are used in cooperation with others, and this same cooperation is part of our human experience. Take a stone or brick out of a wall and it becomes weaker; take a person out of a community and a change is felt. Simply put, just as a stone adds strength to those around it, so to our lives make a profound difference on those around us.
As living stones we offer our God-given strengths and abilities to build up God’s people here on earth. Sharing our lives, we become a powerful tool through which Jesus Christ continues to be revealed to all people through time.
Stones teach us about strength and cooperation. These insights are part of every human experience and are used throughout our lives. As God’s living stones we discover that our faith gives us power when we work together with those around us. May that power help us to build God’s kingdom, leading others to Christ.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 