Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. "One day" could become "Day One". So often, there are things that we would like to do "one day". Sometimes those dreams pass us by and we lose nothing. But other times, we must take action otherwise "one day" becomes "never". As Christians, we either Begin or we Begin Again.
Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. You are made for more than a secondhand relationship with God. We have 29 days until Christmas. And so much can change in that time. If we are willing to commit to spending 29 minutes every day for the next 29 days...if we are willing to beg the Lord to reveal Himself to us...everything could be different in just 29 days. Mass Readings from November 27, 2022: Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalms 122: 1-9Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:37-44
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To “give to the max” and support UMD Newman Catholic Campus Ministries, find out more here! Join us for a “Day of Thanks” on Nov. 17 at 7pm CT on the Sundays with Ascension YouTube channel! Subscribe to the channel here! Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. We get what we've chosen. The ending of a story reveals what kind of story it is. Regardless of how we start and how we proceed, we can choose to have a tragic story...or we can choose to have a love story. The determining fa...
To “give to the max” and support UMD Newman Catholic Campus Ministries, find out more here! Join us for a “Day of Thanks” on Nov. 17 at 7pm CT on the Sundays with Ascension YouTube channel! Subscribe to the channel here! Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The things one needs to die well are the same things one needs to live well. As we walk through life, we will all walk into darkness and sufferng and pain. We can still walk in hope, courage, and perseverance. We can be the ...
Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints. Live so that this day will one day be your feast day. The Feast of All Saints is the day when all of those who are in Heaven are remembered and we ask them to intercede for us. They are the great "cloud of witnesses" that surrounds us and cheers us on. Mass Readings from November 1, 2022: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalms 24:1-61 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12
Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Zacchaeus knew that he was a bad man. What he didn't know was if he could be different. Too many of us come to Jesus with the idea that He is willing to change us and change our lives. But what happens when we want Him to merely offer cosmetic changes and He wants to make structural changes? Mass Readings from October 30, 2022: Wisdom 11:22-12:2 Psalms 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-142 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 Luke 19:1-10
To download the Litany of Humility prayer that Father mentions in the homily, please click here! Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Nothing is so worthless as working hard on the wrong things. We can all be so busy, but are we productive? Are we doing things right or are we doing the right things? When it comes to growing through the motions, we need to make sure that the right thing we do is present ourselves before God with humility and not self-reliance. Mass Readings from Oct...
Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The only way to be able to pray in all seasons is to pray in all seasons. Growing through the motions involves commitment, consistency, and companions. It means being willing to go through the motions no matter the season and no matter the circumstances. It is only by doing this that we can have full range of motion in our relationship with the Lord. Mass Readings from October 16, 2022: Exodus 17:8-13 Psalms 121:1-82 Timothy 3:14-4:2 Luke 18:...
Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our Why is a Who. We can know exactly what to do and how to do it. So much of our lives can be spent doing more and more, but never knowing exactly why. But if the reason behind our actions is Jesus, then we can truly be free to love every time we say "yes" to our Who. Mass Readings from October 9, 2022: 2 Kings 5:14-17 Psalms 98:1-42 Timothy 2:8-13 Luke 17:11-19
Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Duty is not the enemy. So much of life is doing our duty. Doing what we are supposed to do. And yet, there are times when this means that we only “go through the motions”. There is a chance for us to do more however…we can choose to grow. Mass Readings from October 2, 2022: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 Psalms 95:1-2, 6-92 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Luke 17:5-10
Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Complacency is being satisfied with how things are and not being willing to change them. We are insulated from discomfort in many ways. And our lives of comfort can lead to complacency. But encountering Christ can lead to compassion. Mass Readings from September 25, 2022: Amos 6:1, 4-7 Psalms 146:7-101 Timothy 6:11-16 Luke 16:19-31
Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The connection between our values and our virtues. We are nothing without the virtue of integrity. As one pastor noted, "If you have integrity, nothing else matters. And if you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." Integrity is the bridge between our desires and our decisions. Without integrity, our lives remain mere piles without purpose. Mass Readings from September 18, 2022: Amos 8:4-7 Psalms 113:1-2, 4-81 Timothy 2:1-8 Luke 16:1-13...
Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Who you are now is who you are. Joy is the abiding sense of well-being. It is a feeling, but it is also a choice. But we do not choose joy itself. We must choose the source of joy. Love is the source of joy. Mass Readings from September 11, 2022 Exodus 32:7-11 Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 191 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-32
Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Loyalty is a force that conquers time. The essence of a eulogy virtue is character. Not merely who people think you are, but who you actually are. A person of character does what they said they would do…despite changing feelings or circumstances. This is loyalty. Mass Readings from September 4, 2022: Wisdom 9:13-18 Psalms 90:3-6, 12-14, 17Philemon 9-10, 12-17 Luke 14:25-33
Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. The Book of Sirach makes the claim that the humble person is loved more than a giver of gifts. But what does it mean to be humble? Does it mean what most of us automatically think of? Or does it mean something deeper...something freer? True humility gives a person the ability to pay attention. Mass Readings from August 28, 2022: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 Psalms 68:4-...
Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. How are you fighting for Heaven? Jesus makes it very clear that our call is to make our pursuit of Heaven exactly that: a pursuit. He is personal and practical when He tells us that each and every one of us must strive for Heaven. Mass Readings from August 21, 2022: Isaiah 66:18-21 Psalms 117:1, 2Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 Luke 13:22-30
Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Sometimes God gives the victory and sometimes God gives what we need to finish the race. Every one of us is in the middle of the race of our lives. God has called us and brought us here, even when there is no victory in sight and even when victory is not possible. But God will always give whatever we need to finish the race. Mass Readings from August 14, 2022: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Psalms 40:2-4, 18Hebrews 12:1-4 Luke 12:49-53...
Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. We sacrifice because we love and we love because we sacrifice. The roots in our lives can be so beneficial. Family and friends, home and homeland. But roots can also become traps. Good things can become Ultimate Things. When we say "I need this" and are willing to sacrifice anything to get or to hold on to it, we become trapped. In this, God loosens the roots and calls us to walk by faith. Mass Readings from August 7, 2022: Wisdom 18:6-9 Psalms...
Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Time and Death make most of what we live for hevel. We are preoccupied with "done", but we are simultaneously addicted to asking "then what?". The wisdom of Ecclesiastes notes that so much of what we live for is impermanent, passing, or meaningless. Yet Jesus reveals that there is a real meaning and a real hope. Mass Readings from July 31, 2022: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 Psalms 90:3-6, 12-14 and 17Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Luke 12:13-21...
Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Who determines the How. The disciples did not merely want Jesus to help them have a "better spiritual life" or a deeper prayer life; they wanted to pray how He prayed. And Jesus taught them. He taught them that Who we pray to determines how we pray. Mass Readings from July 24, 2022: Genesis 18:20-32 Psalms 138:1-3, 6-8Colossians 2:12-14 Luke 11:1-13
Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Feeling anxious, worried, or sorry for yourself is normal. It is also completely unhelpful. We have a problem. And the problem is that we can do the right thing in the wrong way. We can choose to serve...while feeding our worry and self-pity. We can carry our cross...while feeling anxious and sorry for ourselves. Everything comes down to one question; it is not a matter of being tough, it is a matter of trust. Mass Readings from July 17, 2022: G...
Homily from the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I can know all I need to know and still not do all I need to do. There are so many things that we know that we ought to do. There are even things that we know that we want to do. And yet...we just can't seem to act on what we know. How do we start? How do we become people who do what we know we ought to do? Mass Readings from July 10, 2022: Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Psalms 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37Colossians 1:15-20 Luke 10:25-37...
Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time What else is there? Many of us want to grow spiritually. But what does that really mean? What is it that we really want? What is the actual goal of life? Put in the words of Jesus, what should we truly rejoice in? Christ's answer is nothing less than having our names written in Heaven. Mass Readings from July 3, 2022: Isaiah 66:10-14 Psalms 66:1-7, 16, 20Galatians 6:14-18 Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Deliberate. Decisive. Definitive. God continues to call. God calls us to follow Him, making it clear that being a disciple is challenging...that it costs something. Therefore, we need to weigh out our response, we need to avoid hesitation, and we need to choose to follow Jesus in such a way that it actually changes something in our lives. Mass Readings from June 26, 2022: 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-11Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Luke 9:51...
Homily from The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This is everything. The Body and Blood of Christ is one of the most underappreciated gifts God has ever given. In the Scriptures, God gives us His Word. In the Sacraments, God gives us His work. But in the Eucharist, God gives us Himself. Mass Readings from June 19, 2022: Genesis 14:18-20 Psalms 110:1-41 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 9:11-17
Homily from The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is not good for the person to be alone. The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity reminds us of the innermost secret of God: He is Love. It also reveals the innermost secret of humans made in God's image and likeness: we are made for love. Mass Readings from June 12, 2022: Proverbs 8:22-31 Psalms 8:4-9Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15
Homily from Pentecost Sunday. The greatest gift is to make yourself available. The Holy Spirit, poured out on the apostles (and the entire Church) at Pentecost would have gone to waste without the most important reality: the disciples made themselves available to be used by God for the service of the people around them. Mass Readings from June 5, 2022: Acts 2:1-11 Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-31, 341 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23
Homily from the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord. What am I going to do with the gifts I've been given? In the Ascension, Jesus completes the work of redemption. He has taken His once for all sacrifice, bound to time and place, and brought it before the Father. Because of this, we have access to all of God's graces in every time and every place. Mass Readings from May 29, 2022: Acts 1:1-11 Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9Ephesians 1:17-23 Luke 24:46-53
Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter. The great temptation to stay in our own "version" of the Church. God has given us the gift of the Church. The Church is His Body...the Church is His Bride. And we cannot have Jesus without His Church. Mass Readings from May 22, 2022: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23 John 14:23-29
