Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter.

The first step is to stop.

Once we realize that we have to repent...that we are called to "change our minds"...the first step is to stop. To examine what it is that we are thinking and to which thoughts, sins, and false images of God we have made agreements with. And then to break those agreements in order to say "Now I begin".

Luke 24:35-48

Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday.

Mercy is the love we need the most and deserve the least.

We all want to get what we deserve. We want justice, and God is Just. But there are times when we need something more than justice...there are times when we might deserve justice, but need mercy.

John 20:19-31

Homily from Easter Sunday.

Are Jesus and the Mass merely optional...or essential?

We have such full lives and such small hearts that we are relieved when things get cancelled. But, for the things that are neccesary, we would be devasted if we missed them. Who Jesus is to us will determine our response when we are not able to get to Mass or receive the Eucharist.

John 20:1-9

Homily from Good Friday.

Jesus won the world in His weakness.

We would like for our Lord to be triumphant in His conquering of sin and death. But the people around Him as He saved the world were largely ignorant, indifferent, or antagonistic. Yet, Jesus won the world through His wounds.

John 18:1?19:42

Homily from Holy Thursday, the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper.

We all have unique sadnesses. Jesus enters into all of them.

Holy Thursday is a day that marks the gift of the Priesthood, the Eucharist, Christ's humble service, and the beginning of the Triduum. Today, we reflect on Peter, Judas, and Jesus in their unique sadnesses.

John 13:1-15

Homily from Palm Sunday.

You are meant to be a part of the story.

As Christians, we know the Story and we believe the Story. We know how God has saved the world by entering into suffering and death. But we are called to more; we are called to participate in the Story. Our apostolate is marked by Acceptance, Access, and Action.

Mark 14:1?15:47

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

You don't have to find God's will in this moment and these circumstances...this moment and these circumstances are God's will for you.

The greatest lesson that anyone of us can learn is simple, but it is not always easy: you can trust God in every moment and all circumstances.

John 12:20-33

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

We often feel owned by the past or powerless in the present.

Once something is broken, is it really lost forever?

John 3:14-21

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

The greatest grace is to know the depth of our brokenness and to know the depth of His love.

Father Walter wanted to be like his heroes. We all want to think that we will be strong in the moment of truth. But the actual moment of truth comes after our weakness has been revealed.

John 2:13-25

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

If I know Who, then I can say yes without knowing why.

Do I have any conditions on my response to God? Will I pray or serve or say yes to Him as long as I understand why He is asking?

Mark 9:2-10

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

When expectation meets reality, we have a choice.

All of our lives are marked by a certain degree of expectation. But what do we do when we encounter the reality of life? We can choose to either avoid reality or accept reality.

Mark 1:12-15

Homily from Ash Wednesday.

We hope He sees. We have faith it matters to Him. We do it because He said so.

During Lent, we have the chance to make our lives an act of hope, faith, and love. More than growing in discipline or self-improvement, Lent is a chance to live what we believe by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The moments are holy when the moments are His...and the moments are His when the motive is Him.

When something is dedicated, it is transformed. It is elevated and becomes something more. When a moment is dedicated to God, it becomes a holy moment.

Mark 1:40-45

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You can only share what you have.

Holy moments are shared moments. We share like Jesus (and make moments holy) when we are generous and honest.

Mark 1:29-39

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Holy Moment is the present moment.

When we live lives of distraction we cannot live lives of wonder or joy or holiness. Distraction steals life away because it takes us away from the present moment. And the present moment is the only moment that has the potential to be a holy moment.

Mark 1:21-28

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Holy moments are ordinary moments reconsidered.

An ordinary life is not an obstacle to a holy life. In fact, every extraordinary life is made up of ordinary moments that we choose to make into holy moments.

Mark 1:14-20

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God has a claim on your life...and God has a call for your life.

We can often be hesitant to make decisions in life. Not only because we do not want to make the wrong decision, but also because we want to make the best decision. But the point of life is not merely to optimize our happiness. We experience a new freedom and meaning when we realize that our lives are not our own...and we live to respond to God's call.

John 1:35-42

Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord.

We give God our best, our heart, and what He has asked for.

As we know, the heart of religion is worship. But we need to put our hearts into worship. We give God our best, our heart, and what God has asked for. Not because He needs anything, but because it is right and just.

Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

The Holy Family was holy, but not without struggles.

Jesus entered into this broken world by entering into the reality that all of us have experienced: family life. He did not insulate Himself from the harsh realities of life by embracing a life of wealth. Rather, all He had was borrowed.

Luke

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas).

The reality is that God is not a professional. He is an amateur.

There are many things in life where we merely like the "idea" of that thing. The reality is another story, because the reality makes demands on us. Christmas is a reminder that we not only cannot love the "idea" of God, but that He does not merely love the idea of us.

John 1:1-18

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Whatever You ask of me, the answer is yes.

One of the more challenging reminders of this series is that God is the point of all of this. He is not only the Main Character, but this is also His Story. Nonetheless, we have been given a role; we have been created and redeemed in order to play our part.

Luke 1:26-38

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent.

We won't be able to rejoice, pray, or give thanks always unless we rejoice, pray, and give thanks now.

Main Character syndrome can lead us to believe that we are in control. But there are many circumstances that are out of our control. We can often only control how we respond to our circumstances. As Christians, we choose to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

Perfectionism can move us from caring to quitting.

Spiritual perfectionism can lead people who care about the Faith and who love God to a place of harshness and hurry so much that they just want to give up. But the Gospel reminds us that God is gentle and patient.

Mark 1:1-8

Homily from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary was preserved from sin by the merits of her Son's life, death, and resurrection.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a testament to God's goodness. He gives what we need for the mission to which we have been called. And He calls all of us to enter into deeper relationship with the Family of God by cultivating a relationship with Mary, the Mother of God.

Luke 1:26-38

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

You are God. I am not.

When we encounter the true and living God, there is only one response...it involves six little words, but makes a world of difference.

Mark 13:33-37

Homily from the Solemnity of Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

Your part of the story (Act IV) remains unwritten.

Jesus has bridged the unbridgable gap between God and humanity. We can believe that and remain unchanged. But if we are willing to respond, we can write the final act of the story. We can place ourselves under the Lordship of Christ and live an entirely new life.

Matthew 25:31-46

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It could have been otherwise.

We have been created good by the good God. But we have been captured by sin, death, and slavery. In Jesus, God has rescued us and transferred us into His Kingdom?His family.

Matthew 25:14-30

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Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There's good news and there's bad news.

We have heard the first part (Act One) of the Good News. But before we can move forward, we need to be aware of and understand why things are so broken. Before anything else, we need the bad news.

Matthew 25:1-13

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Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Am I basing my life on the gospel of the world or the Gospel of God?

We are surrounded by stories. Stories that try to make sense of the world. But not every story is true. In fact, there are many stories that are false. We are called to base our lives on the true story? The story of the Gospel of God.

Matthew 23:1-12

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.

One day, this day could be your feast day.

The Feast of All Saints is offered to us as a day to praise God for all of the unnamed and unknown saints who have run the race well and have entered into the glorious and unadulterated Presence of the true and living God.

Matthew 5:1-12

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You are called to be love.

When a person is lost, they need to know where they are. We know: you are here. But we also need to know where we are going and how to get there. We know that as well: we are called to be saints and the way is love.

Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Between the Promise and the Promised Land.

When a person is lost, it can feel like every step is taking them further and further away from where they need to be. But with Christ, we trust in the promise that we are not lost, but led...and that every step is taking us closer to where and who we need to be.

Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

This is life.

We need to understand that life is not waiting for us to start. This is life. This is your life. You are here. But we do have to ask the questions: should I be here? And is what God wants for me enough for me?

Matthew 22:1-14

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

What if? Or What is?

Not knowing where we are, where we are going, or how to get there can be incredibly daunting. It can bring us to a place of worry and anxiety. We can be tempted to avoid the uncertainty and discomfort of the journey. By focusing on God's presence and blessings, we can have the courage to move.

Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The freedom to love when you no longer feel like it.

The precondition for love is freedom. Both the freedom to say no and the freedom to say yes, regardless of passing moods or circumstances. Tough love is willing to choose the good because God asked us to and because we said we would.

Matthew 21:28-32

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

We choose our rivals.

We are all confronted with the temptation towards resentment, when we see the blessings or gifts that others have. This temptation towards envy can be overcome when we choose to receive the gifts we?ve been given with gratitude, and choose to rejoice in the gift of others.

Matthew 20:1-16a

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Forgiveness is a decision.

One of the most difficult commands that Jesus has called us to is that we must forgive those who have hurt us and who have hurt those we love. Loving like this is difficult. It is truly tough love that is willing to weigh up the hurt and release the offender from the debt that they owe.

Matthew 18:21-35

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do I love enough to listen? Do I love enough to speak?

In loving the people around us well, one thing we have to contend with is loving them well in our words. We avoid all unnecessary negatives, love enough to listen, and love enough to speak.

Matthew 18:15-20

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

"No" paves the way for "yes".

Jesus gives us the conditions for discipleship. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. But what does it really mean to deny ourself? And how can this giant "no" pave the way for an even greater "yes"?

Matthew 16:21-27

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

There are some questions that only you can answer.

In the Gospel today, Jesus asks two questions. But there is a third unspoken question that needs to be asked and answered first: Who does Jesus say that He is? This question (and answer) will determine everything for the rest of our lives.

Matthew 16:13-20

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Knowledge without action is useless.

Too often, our problem as followers of Christ is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of courage. In order for us to live the lives Jesus has made possible by his grace, we do not need to know more. We need to be brave enough to act on what we know.

Matthew 15:21-28

Homily from the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary is the New Ark of the New Covenant.

It is fitting that Mary was assumed into Heaven since she is the fulfillment of the Ark in the Old Covenant.

Luke 1:39-56

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A distraction issue or a decision issue?

In order to achieve any worthwhile goal, we need to focus. Yet, distractions abound in our world and in ourselves. A distraction is anything that takes our focus away from what we need to be doing. But in order to know what a distraction is, we first have to know what it is we need to be doing.

Matthew 14:22-33

Homily from the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Claimed. Respected. Trusted.

Jesus Transfigured on the top of Mount Tabor precedes His journey to Mount Calvary. On Tabor, He is not merely transfigured...He is Claimed, Respected, and Trusted as the beloved Son. We too need the Father's voice to voice His claim over us, His respecting us, and His entrusting a mission to us.

Matthew 17:1-9

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

When we are faced with the challenges and obstacles of following Christ, it is easy to become overwhelmed. But we do not have to solve all of the potential issues. We are simply called to face this problem and take the next step.

Matthew 13:44-52

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The enemy can't win, he just wants you to lose.

The Church has been established by Jesus Christ Himself. And yet, the Church has sinners and sin within Her ranks. The enemy of God and humanity has done this. We need to be aware of sin in the Church and sin in our own hearts. If we stay awake and alert, we can guard against sin in the Church and in our lives.

Matthew 13:24-43

Homily from the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We may want to run, but things get in the way.

God provides the grace that we need to be able to grow as fully and freely as possible. But life is full of obstacles that make this growth a challenge. With God's grace, we can be prepared for these battles.

Matthew 13:1-23

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Hurry is the greatest threat to the spiritual life and the way of Jesus."

We constantly experience the temptation to "max out" our lives by racing from event to event, task to task. The goal of life is union with God and anything that takes us away from this goal is a major threat to this goal...including hurry.

Matthew 11:25-30

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Just one more thing that could go wrong.

To protect one's heart is the safest way to live. But since we are made in God's image and likeness, we are made for love. Without love, we remain safe...but we remain incomprehensible to ourselves. To love is to be vulnerable...it is to risk. To receive the gift means we must be open to grief.

Matthew 10:37-42

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

We must cultivate the fear of the Lord in our lives. If we do not, then we will have only a partial vision of who God truly is. If we do not cultivate the fear of the Lord, then we will never have the proper relationship with God that we are made for.

Matthew 10:26-33