The PadreCast - Faithful Catholic Homilies

Penance is necessary! Without it, we cannot turn away from sin. | Second Sunday of Advent

What are the top three sins that damn souls to hell?

Wrath is one of the top three. And none of us should be surprised by wrath; revenge, hatred of someone. We pray in the Our Father "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." If I'm simply unwilling to forgive anyone in my life, then I cannot be forgiven and I will go to hell. It's that simple.

Another is stealing. Stealing! A lot of people don't realize that. Significant acts of stealing are not easily forgiven because most people don't pay back the debt. If you've stolen $1000 and never paid that back in some way, shape, or form, you actually can't be forgiven because you're still benefitting from your sin. The Fathers say many souls go to hell - great numbers of souls - because they've never tried to pay back their debt. They've repented of it, but they've never paid it back.

But the number one sin, or sins, that keep souls out of heaven - and this should not be any surprise to anyone - are sexual sins. Sins of the flesh. From the beginning this has been so. Sins against the 6th and the 9th Commandments. I'll just do a quick recap to remind us what's in these categories.

There are the obvious things: adultery, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, masturbation, lust - that's just an act of the mind. Dirty jokes, immodest stories, immodest clothing, immodest actions. Impurity, it doesn't have to be anything particularly grave, just impure. And there are many, many more.

It's these sins in particular that are the number one sins, according to the Fathers and the Saints, that damn souls for eternity.

And that is so not because our Lord isn't merciful or willing to forgive - of course He is. He's given us the Sacraments. He's given us His Life and His Grace. They damn souls to hell first and foremost because those souls who are weak in these sins do not repent. They're not going to confession! Or they're not being honest in confession. How often does it happen that a soul is not forgiven because they have not made a good confession. They've glossed over some aspect of those sins because they're embarrassed or ashamed....

Humble repentance. That's the first and most important thing! If we're not doing that, then there's no hope. ...

So how do we overcome? How do we battle this?

 

Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8

 

The Mass may be viewed in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily beings at 16:07

Compared to the coming of Christ, it's a non-issue | PadreCast First Sunday of Advent

He came the first time with humility, with silence, and with gentleness because He wanted to show His love and His mercy. He wanted to invite us to repentance and holiness of life. He does not force, in His first coming, His Kingship on anyone.

But in His second coming, He will dominate every soul, every being. There will be no longer gentleness, or mercy, or compassion. And so He warns us to be prepared. ...

In our relationship with Christ, in our need - not desire -but our need to be ready for when He comes, we don't always have the strength of will. Why?

It's not because we don't know how important it is. It's just because our hearts are fixed on other things. Other concerns. Other anxieties.

All you have to do is look at your life at anything that causes you anxieties, or fears, or concern. Or hope, on an earthly level at least. It could be relational. It could be social, political, economic, with your job. It doesn't matter what that earthly concern is. But it's that concern that is taking you away from being ready for Christ when He comes. ...

We have to call to mind daily that Jesus is coming soon. And that takes a concerted effort, it's not easy. But that's why our Lord has given us His Holy Church, that's why He gives us His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, that's why He gives us the sacrament of reconciliation, and all of the great devotions we have as Catholics. Devotions to the Sacred Heart, and the Divine Mercy, the Holy Rosary, all the novenas and prayers, the intercession of the saints and angels. All of these things are ultimately given to us to help us keep in mind the second coming of Christ.

I challenge you, especially during this Advent season, whenever you notice yourself becoming anxious or concerned about anything (normal, everyday issues, not sinful things), try to bring to mind the fact that Jesus could come at any moment. Then weigh your anxiety based on that thought.

Worried about a relationship in your life? If Jesus comes tomorrow, is it going to be a problem anymore? If you're worried about politics - if Jesus comes tomorrow, it's not going to be an issue! You see, it doesn't matter what your concern is. Compared to the coming of Christ, it's a non-issue.

 

Is 63:16b-17, 19b, 64:2-7; Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 18:27

Gratitude is essential in the spiritual life | PadreCast Thanksgiving Day

Gratitude always benefits us with God, always. Because it leads Him to be more generous. This is true even for us as individuals. When somebody is truly grateful for some goodwill on our part, it makes us feel good. We want to be more generous. We were designed this way because this is God's own nature.

Now, the mystics teach us that it's not enough to be grateful for the obvious blessings God gives you. These are the things that you like. The things that you wanted or you asked for.

If you really want to be perfect, you have to learn to be grateful for everything. Everything.

 

Rv 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9a; Lk 21:20-28

 

you may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 10:05

Christ's Kingship and His authority need to be first in our minds and in our hearts. | PadreCast, Christ King of the Universe

What's interesting in our Gospel today, is that Jesus gives us the nature of judgement He will make on His flock. ...

Just because one is a member of the flock, just because one is baptized, doesn't mean their salvation is assured. Jesus tells us that He will separate, from His own flock, the sheep from the goats. And what's the difference according to our Lord? ... The difference is those who have loved, and those who have not. Our Lord decides how He judges love.

It's easy for each one of us as sheep individually to say, "Well, I'm doing my best to love." Or, "I'm loving. This is the way I love."

No. We love the way He loves, or we don't love at all. ...

Now, without His grace and strength none of us are able to love as He calls us to love, as He witnesses to us. As He loves us.

And that brings us to an understandable concern many of us have with more upcoming lockdowns. All you have to do is think back to last time when Church was closed. You couldn't go to Mass, couldn't get to Confession. And all of you in one way or another, I'm sure, didn't do really well spiritually during that time. What you found was: the longer it went, the harder it got to love, the more challenging. You lost patience more easily, it was harder to keep up with your daily prayers.

Why? Because you were away from our Lord's grace in His sacraments. We need the sacraments. Without them, without the life of Christ alive within us - without the Kingdom of Heaven being nourished within us, we cannot follow the Lord.

And I don't know what's going to happen in that regard, what the authorities will say. However I have no intention at this time to stop celebrating public Mass, to stop hearing confessions. We'll take it one day at a time, but I have no intention unless I am forced to do so.

Because you need the sacraments. You need the grace of Christ. We all do.

And if Jesus is truly the King, then He sets the rules. It is He Who said: You gather together on Sunday, and you offer My Holy Sacrifice and you worship Me, and I will nourish you. It is He Who said: when you commit serious sin, you come to the priest and confess those sins, and I will absolve you.

Those are necessities. They are not optional. We need them regardless of what physical dangers may come, whether that's the risk of sickness, or the risk of prosecution.

The Kingdom of Heaven is more important than any other kingdom. Christ's Kingship and His authority need to be first in our minds and in our hearts.

 

Ez 34:11-12, 15-17; Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6; 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28; Mt 25:31-46

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 22:08

 

Well fine, don't love Him. Fear Him. | PadreCast Thirty-Third Sunday Ordinary Time

Fear Him, because if there is a God, then you better do what you're told.... We believe God is good so when He gives us commandments, when he places responsibilities on our shoulders, we believe it is for our good. But whether you believe that or not is irrelevant. You should fear Him because if you don't obey Him and seek to serve Him, there are dire repercussions.

 

What happens to the servant in the Gospel today? The good that he did have was taken away from him and he was cast into the outer darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. And we know what that means. Anytime we hear that imagery, that is Hell. Eternal damnation.

 

So how do we know individually whether we fear God sufficiently?... When you know what God wants of you, and you're still not doing it, it's for the simple reason that you don't fear God enough. You fear the thing that He's asking of you more. That's the grave error. And we usually fear it because of the suffering that will come from doing God's will. ...

 

It's important that we look deeply into our hearts and evaluate our degree of love and fear of God. ... Many souls are lost, not because they weren't perfect saints, but because they didn't fear Him enough.

 

Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Ps 128 1-2, 3, 4-5; 1 Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30

 

Mass can be viewed in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 22:36. We apologize for the audio quality.

They judged their love sufficient, and of course they were wrong | PadreCast Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time

What is the mindset that leads to this lack of preparedness? Its a very simple thing: they were foolish because they didn't think they needed more oil. They thought they had enough love in their heart. That was their mistake.

They thought, "Oh, I've loved enough." "I've sacrificed enough." They had decided how much they would suffer for Christ. How much they would give to their neighbor in need. ...

They judged their love sufficient, and of course they were wrong. And so when the Lord came, they weren't ready for Him.

We all fall prey to this error. We judge our love sufficient. And the Lord warns us: You could very well be wrong.

So don't ever assume that you have enough love in your life, that you've sacrificed enough. That you've imitated Christ sufficiently. Seek to do it to excess so that you always have a surplus supply of "oil." And you never have to worry that you'll run out....

Each of us ultimately, individually stands before our Lord on judgement day. And what a terrifying thing it would be to hear these words from His lips: "Amen I say to you, I do not know you."

 

Wis 6:12-16; Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13

 

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily beings at 18:10.

The beautiful thing is that He wants you | PadreCast All Souls Day

God doesn't need your help to save someone else. It's one thing to be moved out of concern for someone and their soul and so to pray and intercede for them. It's another thing to be afraid. As if you had any real power to do anything whatsoever apart from God.

A very important lesson we learned in seminary is that God needs nothing. And God needs no one. At first that can sound a little shocking.

He doesn't need me. I didn't even have to exist and He could be perfectly content without me.

He doesn't need you to pray for anyone you love so that they could receive grace and be saved. He doesn't need you.

He doesn't need any of us. He is the Lord. And don't underestimate that.

The beautiful thing is that He wants you.

He wants to use your intercession and your help. But He doesn't need it. And what that should do for each one of us is take off our shoulders this burden of fear. This burden thinking that our our role is somehow necessary. No. Only the Lord is necessary.

 

Wis 3:19; Rom 5:5-11; Jn 6:37-40

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 11:45

On this day in particular, we should call upon them | 31st Sunday Ordinary Time / All Saints

It's appropriate that on this day - right before our election - to think of the great number of all those little saints in heaven. All of those little aborted babies.

Millions upon millions upon millions of them.

They're innocent... it's very likely they are in glory with the Lord right now. If they are truly there with the Lord, close to Him, being glorified by Him, don't they - like all of the Saints - want to intercede for us.

We should call upon them, all of these little aborted children. We should ask them to intercede for our country. And you know what will be near and dear to their hearts. Not only their family members, and the doctors and politicians who support the murdering of the innocent, but all of the suffering in the country that comes because of it.

On this day in particular we should call upon their intercession. We should ask them to pray before the throne of the Father for us, and for our country.

 

Rv 7:2-4, 9-14; Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12a

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 19:50 and is followed by the praying of the Litany of the Saints

 

It should never have been said. | PadreCast Thirtieth Sunday Ordinary Time

Submission to the will of God, to the Law of God is required to love Him. One of those very basic laws that no Christian can deny unless they reject the Bible, and Tradition, and Christ, is the law against homosexuality. And it is not against the temptation to homosexuality, it's against the practice. You don't go to hell because you're tempted. You go to hell because you do it, because you don't repent, and you don't try to stop doing it.

 

In order to properly love the sinner - whether that's ourself first, or our neighbor - we must be totally committed to God and His teachings.

 

... Bergoglio's statement was wrong and should never have been said for two reasons. The first reason is: it's scandalous. It was scandalous for him to say it, period. ...As the Pope of the Church, offering his private opinion in this matter objectively causes scandal and confusion in the simple and the weak faithful of the Church.

 

The second reason that statement should never have been made is because it's false. It's not true. Civil societies should not make laws that allow for homosexual couples to have civil unions, even if they are striving to live chastely. ...Civil society gives benefits - and they are benefits, not rights - to married couples for the good of their children and for the family. The second reason the statement is false is that homosexual couples should not be living together. Pope Francis assumes that the Christian homosexual couple is trying to live chastely. If they are honestly trying to live chastely, they would not be living together. They're basically living in a near occasion of sin. And if the Holy Father really wanted to help them to love Christ and to get to heaven, he would tell them not that they need civil protection under the law, but that they need to separate and stop being an occasion of sin to each other.

 

This is obviously a very difficult topic, and I don't like making such statements because even responding to this can scandalize the faithful at times. So let me tell you, Bergoglio is our Pope. Pope Francis is our Pope given to us by the Holy Spirit. There is a reason he is our Holy Father. It doesn't mean he is sinless, it doesn't mean he is a saint. Pope Francis needs our prayers for this reason alone: the smallest mistakes he makes will be judged far more harshly by God than great mistakes by us because of the power and influence he has not just in the Catholic Church, but in the entire world. Even Protestants are scandalized by what he said, and they don't accept his authority. Pope Francis needs our prayers.

 

Ex 22:20-26; Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Thes 1:5c-10; Mt 22:34-40

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety at our youtube channel. Homily begins at 17:01

Every human life, including those in the womb, belong to God. Every one. | Twenty-Ninth Sunday Ordinary Time

What belongs to God is God's. And you must return that to God.

 

Where do human beings get their value? Well, we have the image of God impressed upon us. And since we possess this image of God, what is our value? It comes from the Maker, the one Who decides the value. Since it's His own image, and He is infinite, then the value of a single human life is infinite....

If every human life is of infinite value because of the Creator, then we understand why abortion is so great an issue in our culture and in the world...

 

If there is a disagreement on this issue between - let's say - presidential candidates, and one candidate is worse in every other area, if he's more pro-life, you vote for him, or her. Because this one issue, as soon as its corrected socially and culturally and legally, can begin to heal all the wounds of society. Ultimately disrespect for life and its inherent God-given value is the source of all social destruction and disorder.

 

Nothing else matters in comparison. Nothing else. ... We must pray, we must sacrifice, asking our Lord to show mercy upon our nation. Becase if this is not corrected, we, like every great nation in history, will have to be destroyed. ... So when we vote, we must first look at this in particular.

 

We also know that in God's great mercy, He can bring about healing and grace in the life of anyone has obtained an abortion or encouraged another to abort. The Lord can forgive any sin.

 

Is 45:1, 4-6; Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10, 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Mt 22:15-21

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 17:15

Don't miss the invitation to the Feast | Twenty-Eighth Sunday Ordinary Time

"...You're saying heaven is forever the Mass? For eternity?"

Yes. According to the Scriptures, according to the Saints, Heaven is one eternal Mass. A never-ending Mass. ...

If you could see the mystical reality that is actually taking place - if you could truly witness it - you would not be bored. In fact, it's so beautiful, it's so glorious, you would be happy to stay here forever. Forever.

But isn't that what we heard in our first reading today? God's Kingdom is established on His holy mountain. The people of God, they want to dwell there forever. They never want to leave. They want to stay in this Kingdom, this House of God.

Ultimately, that's why we go to Mass here on earth. It's so that Jesus can prepare us to enter his house forever in Heaven.

.... All of these signs and many more continually point and assist us in discerning the Church of Jesus Christ here on earth, because our Lord doesn't want it to be impossible to recognize the invitation and to come to the Feast.

... This places on each of us a great responsibility: to be faithful to Christ and His Church. But also, to do everything in our power - lovingly, respectfully - to help others to receive and accept that same invitation.

 

Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Phil 4:12-14, 19-20; Mt 22:1-14

 

You may watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 14:45

Can I trust my conscience? Not necessarily | Twenty-Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time

The conscience is not necessarily of the intellect. It's more of a response, an emotional response to what you believe is right or wrong. ...

You can't use your conscience to make a decision about things since it happens after the fact. Unless, looking back over the years of your life you recognize a pattern of reaction. These decisions felt good, those decisions felt bad. Using that knowledge, having reflected on my experience, I now make decisions based on what I believe to be true, about my conscientious reaction. That's how the conscience works - we can only use it to make decisions once we've reflected upon it....

 

All of us know that because of original sin, our wills are weakened, our intellects are darkened - meaning we can't trust ourselves when we make decisions or try to understand something on our own. Look how often we don't make the right decision or we don't recognize the Truth.

Since I can't trust myself because of original sin, can I trust my conscience? Should I? If it's my conscience, it's within me. It's my reaction, my response to what I believe to be morally good or morally evil. Can I trust that?

Not necessarily. It doesn't matter how consistent it may be in my past. I should never act according to my personal conscience alone.

This is why the Church and the Scriptures teach us that the conscience must be formed - at least for the Christian - according to faith. That is the moral obligation of every believer. The conscience must be formed by faith.

And what is faith? Faith is the teaching of Jesus Christ and His Church. That's it.... What I think is right and wrong is irrelevant. It's what Jesus says is right and wrong. It's what His Church says is right and wrong.

 

In the end God will judge them, not strictly according to their conscience, but as a Catholic, how well their conscience was conformed to the teachings of Christ Jesus His Son, and His Church.

 

Is 5:1-7; Ps 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-15, 19-20; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 19:20

I pray she had the grace to repent before she died. | PadreCast Twenty-Fifth Sunday Ordinary Time

The moment your body dies and takes its last breath, your soul is now irrevocably, and eternally conformed to its final beliefs. There's no changing.

So when that soul goes before the Lord, especially if it is unrepentant of a life spent rejecting the Gospel truth, and when it is presented with living Truth - God Himself - when it comes face-to-face in a sense with Truth, it can't convert now. It can't repent. And since it has rejected that Truth during its whole life, it's going to reject that Truth in its death.

What will the pronouncement of our Lord be on such a soul? What will His judgement be?

Well, that soul does not want to spend eternity with a God it disagrees with, and God will not force that soul to come to Heaven. Out of justice, He would send it to a place where it does not have to look on Truth. There's only one other place. It's hell.

That's why I pray that she had the grace to repent before she died. It's the same prayer I offer for all of you.

 

We should continue to pray not just for the soul of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she could be in purgatory, but to pray for everyone on the Supreme Court, all government officials, all those in power. Their judgment will be far more harsh than the rest of society, than the average American, because of their responsibility and their authority. We have a responsibility then, to try to help them with our prayers and our sacrifices to receive the grace of conversion, and ultimately, like ourselves, to come to accept our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Is 55:6-9; Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Phil 1:20c-24, 27a; Mt 20:1-6a

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety here. Homily begins at 16:35

If I don't forgive, I will not be forgiven | PadreCast Twenty-Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time

If we don't forgive - our Lord tells us what will happen - we will not be forgiven, which means we will be damned. We'll be lost. That's it. It's very cut and dried.

And yet how often do we struggle to forgive? How often? It's this great effort that we make. I hear it all the time: "Father I'm trying to forgive, I'm really trying. It's just too hard." And I say, "Well clearly you're not trying hard enough. You just need to find the motivation, the reason to forgive."

We hear the reason that all of us should use in our first reading from Sirach. In order to motivate you to forgive someone, for any reason, he says all you have to do is think about the end of your life and your own judgement. That's your motivation!

You have to realize that when you're brought before the Lord, He's going to decide on whether you deserve mercy or not. Now, He wants to show you mercy. He's willing to show you mercy.

But if you have refused mercy to others, then you have none. If that doesn't motivate you to forgive, then what will?

 

Listen though the end to hear Father discuss the hierarchy of offenses against God in the Ten Commandments. Is taking the Lord's name in vain more serious an offense against God than adultery? Murder? We can find the motivation to forgive even the most grievous offenses once we better understand how gravely we ourselves have offended God and yet received His mercy. "Adultery and murder are more human and personal offenses ... if something like that happened to you or someone in your family, you would be far more offended and hurt than if you had used God's name in vain. Or missed Mass on Sunday without a good reason. And yet, God is more offended by your sin than theirs. When was the last time you thought about that?"

 

Sir 27:30-28-7; Ps 116:12-13, 17-18; Rom 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35

 

Watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 18:25

 

 

Are we giving the best we have for the worship of our Lord? | PadreCast Twenty-Third Sunday Ordinary Time

Why would the Church require us to spend so much money on these vessels for Christ? Because nothing in this world is more precious than the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, nothing. Not you, not me, not our children. Nothing is more precious. How often do we seek to buy the best things for those whom we love? Why should that be different for our Lord?

 

If He is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, then we must treat Him as we would treat anyone else. And since He's more precious and more worthy, since He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, then the honor and glory due to Him is even greater.

 

So it's very appropriate that we as Christians should, of course, never neglect the poor... but always honor our Lord by buying the best, by using the best in His sanctuary to worship Him.

 

Ez 33: 7-9; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20

 

Also includes Father's announcements at the end of Mass for new Mass time, Faith Formation, new Missals, some COVID-19 information*, and most importantly, news abut our upcoming 40 Hours Devotion, Thursday September 10-Saturday September 12. Sign up here.

*The article Father references about COVID testing from the New York Times (at 12:34) can be found here.

 

The new monstrance and tabor were donated by parishioner Thomas Hawk who passed away in April of this year. In your generosity, please remember him in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto Him O Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the departed rest in peace. Amen.

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 13:30

It is Divine to suffer out of love for others | PadreCast Twenty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time

The Cross of Christ is redemption. The Cross of Christ is perfect justice and perfect love. There is nothing more divine than the Cross of Christ. Therefore to reject it must be the opposite of God. And Jesus challenges each one of us in the Gospel today. He says not only can you not reject My Cross, but if you deny your own crosses, if you deny your own sufferings, you can't be My disciple. You can't follow Me. You can't hear Me.

And this is the number one challenge for all believers isn't it? It's not just accepting the fact that Christ died for us. That He redeemed us. But it's that we too must share in His Cross through our daily sufferings. In some way, we act satanically, we act like Satan, when we reject the daily crosses that Christ sends us.

When Lucifer rejected the plan of God, he said, "Non serviam", I will not serve. I will not serve the Lord. ... He refused to humble himself before God and accept his role in God's plan.

Ultimately, that's what rejecting the cross means. "I will not serve. I won't suffer in this way." I want each of you just to think about those relationships in your life - and they're always close to home - in which you have said to yourself in some way, "I will not serve. I will not suffer for this person." ... That's satanic. It's a denial of your cross which God has chosen for you.

 

Jer 20:79; Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 13:50

Grace builds on nature | PadreCast Twenty-First Sunday Ordinary Time

God's grace, His power, His love, His goodness, it builds upon the nature of a thing. God's grace can be active in a tree. God can love a tree, and help that tree grow and blossom and produce good fruit. And I mean a physical tree, like an apple tree. But God's grace is not going to make that apple tree get up and start walking around talking to people. It could. But that would be a miracle. That's not an ordinary way that grace works with nature.

Grace works according to the nature of the thing receiving it. Now there's a problem with human nature. Unlike the nature of a tree, out nature has been tainted by sin.

Here we have God's order of being in which He has designed us to receive His grace in specific ways so that we would become saints. Holy. And yet sin has twisted our nature. It has twisted our intellects, our wills, and even our bodies.

So what happens is, grace - which I am actually and truly receiving in the Sacraments - is trying to work with a broken nature. So much of the spiritual life for you and me is trying to grow in natural virtue to allow the grace of God to work more completely and fully in and through us. That's why we fast, that's why we pray, that's why we do these things in our bodies, in our natures, in order to conform them once again to what is natural, what is good. So that the grace of God could work more clearly through us.

 

Is 22:19-23; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel.  Homily begins at 13:45

She is an example of Faith | PadreCast Twentieth Sunday Ordinary Time

This woman doesn't give up does she? She persists. ...

We always must persevere in prayer. It doesn't matter whether God is silent. Or whether His word seems to contradict your hopes and desires. It doesn't matter. Pray. And then pray some more.

And when you're really struggling? When you feel like the Lord is challenging you, what do you do? You humble yourself. You get down on your hands and knees and bow before Him, and cry out, "Please. Help me."

Finally, when He humiliates you, when He says something true but difficult to receive, a bitter pill to swallow, don't give up. Challenge Him back with faith. Question Him! Don't disrespect Him, but question Him. ....

Why do the saints always get what they pray for? They have learned the lesson of the Canaanite woman. They always persevere in prayer. They're willing to wrestle with God, to ask Him the difficult questions, but always be humble before Him.

Each of us can attain to that same sainthood.

 

Is 56:1, 6-7; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel.  Homily begins at 16:53

Why did you doubt? | PadreCast Nineteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

So Peter has this amazing request. "If it is You Lord - if You have the power to walk over the storms and not be effected by them - I want that power too." And that's really a beautiful request in prayer. On some level that's what each of us say to the Lord when we are anxious about the times in which we live. We say, "Lord, give me peace about this stormy weather, about the unrest in society, or about the dangers in the world around me. Give me peace Lord. Help me to walk over the storm like You do." Peter, as the Pope, really speaks for each one of us.

And the Lord says, "Come. Do what I do."

I always picture Peter stepping gingerly out of the boat, touching the surface of the water, and discovering "Wow, my foot doesn't go through." Then, with more courage, he gets out of the boat and starts walking directly toward Jesus. His eyes fixed on the Lord.

Now, Peter knows he can't walk on water. He's a man, he doesn't have that power. So it has to be the Lord Who is empowering him to be able to overcome this storm and the laws of nature.

But what happens? ... Peter turns his head and he sees how strong the wind is. And he becomes frightened.

Instead of keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus, he turns, sees how strong the storm is, and becoming frightened and insecure, all of that grace is just gone. And he sinks.

 

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a; Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33

 

You can watch the Mass in its entirety on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 12:50.

Truth precedes Love | PadreCast Eighteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

If love belongs to truth, then truth must always precede love. This is a very important point of theology. Truth must always precede love. Until you know the truth, you cannot love the thing that is true. ...

What is the purpose of truth? It's to lead to love. Love is the goal. It's the end of all things. ...

When truth becomes overly fixated on itself and only loves itself, then it becomes perverted. In like manner, when you fixate only on love, you lose truth. you're willing to reject various truths, if not all of them, in order to fulfill your idea of love. I would say that this error, this heresy, is probably one of the greatest ones in the world today. Both in the Church, and in society and in politics.

Is 55:1-3; Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21

 

Watch the entire Mass on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 15:05