The PadreCast - Faithful Catholic Homilies

Why does God pre-ordain that His children are going to suffer? | PadreCast Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary Time

He does it, quite simply, for the reason that they become like Jesus. He ordained that His own Son suffer. That's why our Lord came into the world, to suffer and to die for sin.

Do you think that we the elect will have any different mission than that of Jesus Christ our Lord?

Our struggle is that we don't want to suffer. We don't want to bear the crosses that Christ bore for us. And yet, this is God's ordination, this is God's design. This is why we must trust, that even in the midst of our sufferings, it will work out for the good. All of it will.

So we, being conformed to Christ in these ways by God's pre-destination, He justifies us with His grace, so we are made righteous, or just, holy in His sight. ...

Ultimately, at the heart of every Saint, is a profound faith and trust in God's providence, and a great humility knowing that all good things come from Him. ...

Every exchange between us and the Lord is meant to teach, to instruct and to guide. To help us grow closer to Him.

 

1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Ps 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52

 

You can watch the entire Mass on our youtube channel. Homily begins at 15:30. Apologies for the audio quality on the video.

It's all about Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament | PadreCast Sixteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

We need the Lord, we need the Holy Mass. We need the Blessed Sacrament, without it, we are spiritually dead.

We who can come (to Mass) without fear of the virus, have a greater obligation to help those who are more fearful, so that they can come and feel safe, and be with the Lord, and offer the Sacrifice, and receive the Body and Blood of our Savior. It's all about Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament.

This also factors into how we receive Holy Communion because it's not just the wearing of masks that's an issue. .... I'd like to talk to you again about a worthy reception of Holy Communion. Not just spiritually - meaning "I'm in a state of grace, I've gone to sacramental confession if I needed it" - but even how I approach.... Our Lord comes to you so humbly, so you receive Him in like humility.

Father explains the most reverent posture from which to receive Holy Communion, and discusses in detail the correct way to receive either in the hand or on the tongue. These are good pointers for all of us to remember as we approach the altar for Communion.

Wis 12:13, 16-19; Ps 65: 10, 11, 12-13, 14; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43

Watch this Mass on our YouTube channel. Homily begins at 12:29

This is what the Catholic Church is | PadreCast Fifteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

This is what the Catholic Church is, in every age. She is advanced beyond any culture, beyond any people. Its knowledge is not just "future knowledge."... It is knowledge that comes from eternity, from outside of time itself because God has deigned to send His Word into the world and to reveal the Truth to us.

We who have this Word, Jesus Christ incarnate - not only the written Word, the scriptures; but the Sacraments themselves, the living life of the Body of Christ - we who have this Word posses a knowledge, information, and access to benefits that no one else has, and that don't make sense to the rest of the world.

Now we can struggle with this at times because the Church, possessing such knowledge, is able to give us moral teachings, definitive answers about human nature, and destiny, and what is good and what is evil in particular choices that we make, that you and I could never figure out on our own.

She's got this knowledge that was given to her by God the Creator. ...

Jesus in the Gospel today speaks about scattering the seed. He is the sower. And the seed is the Truth, Himself ultimately, the Word of God.

 

Is 55:10-11; Ps 65: 10, 11, 12-13, 14; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23

 

Watch this Mass on our YouTube channel. Homily begins at 14:50

Come to Me. | PadreCast Fourteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

Jesus tells us to come to Him, we who labor and are burdened, and He will give us rest....

When we come to Him, when we spend time with Him - especially in His Eucharistic presence - when we listen to His Word and meditate upon His life, we can learn these lessons and start putting them into practice for ourselves. And that's how we begin to change.

The best one to help us do this is the Blessed Virgin Mary. You know how often I speak about the holy rosary. Apart from the Sacraments themselves, it is the greatest prayer in the Church because you have the best disciple ever, the Mother of the Lord, teaching you about the life of her Son through the meditations, through the holy mysteries. It's even more powerful when you pray it in His Eucharistic presence.

 

Zec 9:9-10; Ps 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30

 

Watch this Mass on our YouTube channel. Homily begins at 13:30. The first few seconds were not recorded due to signal issues.

Thoughts, Words, and Deeds | PadreCast Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

Saint Gregory of Nyssa, an early Bishop and Saint of the church wrote that, "The Christian life is composed of three parts", aspects that govern each individual Christian life. And those are: thoughts, words, and deeds.... There's an important relationship between thoughts, words, and deeds that if we don't recognize we won't be able to grow in holiness and change.

 

Most of us who want to do the deeds of God, to follow the example of the lives of the saints, struggle to attain that. We say, "How do the Saints do it? How do they become so virtuous in their actions?" And the very simple reason is: because everything flows from their thoughts.

 

Saint Gregory teaches us that all of our actions, and even all of our words, flow from the thoughts and beliefs that are in our mind. Until those are totally conformed to the Divine Ideal, there is no way that our words and actions will be perfectly holy. It's just not possible.

 

Of course the Divine Ideal is Jesus Christ. He is the model for all of us, in everything. His teachings are given to us, His actions are performed for us, so that we could conform our thoughts to what has been revealed.

 

That's our goal. That's our prayer as Christians to do this. To spend as much time and energy as we have to conform ourselves to Jesus Christ. First and foremost in thought.

 

 

2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a; Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19; Rom 6:3-4, 8-11; Mt 10:37-42

 

 

Watch this Mass on our YouTube channel. Homily begins with Father's announcement at 13:20. Please note, due to streaming issues, the end of the homily in the video is cut off.

 

How can you help me to be a better father? | PadreCast 12th Sunday Ordinary Time

I follow the Lord, even if you don't, and that's part of my sacrifice, that's part of my responsibility as "high priest". Hopefully, through doing that, I draw you back to Jesus. I teach you about the Lord and you grow in holiness. ... I'm also the first to offer sacrifice, in this case it's the sacrifice of Jesus Himself.

 

But, as the high priest I need to do that in every way. I need to strive to be more humble than every one of my children at St Dorothy's. More virtuous. More patient. More understanding. More prayerful. I don't always do it, certainly. But this is a (goal) that I have to strive for, because as the high priest, I'm the one who sets the example for everyone else.

 

Now ultimately, Christ is the example, so even when I fail... just look to Jesus. But our Lord appoints me to this position because it's helpful for you - His children - to see a living example of it.

 

So you fathers - we fathers - have this burden in our homes, this great responsibility.... A lot of times our judgements are incorrect, or at least flawed. I may make a decision as father, as high priest of St Dorothy's, that, you know, in the end wasn't very prudent or wise. But it's mine to make.

 

And what do you do? What should be your response in those situations? ... There is something that all of you can do for the benefit of your fathers when they're struggling, when they're not doing well, when they're not great leaders or priests.

 

Jer 20:10-13; Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33

 

Watch this Mass on our YouTube channel.  Homily begins at 17:10

Who has the real power to effect change in the world? | PadreCast Feast of Corpus Christi

"The hearts of the powerful are in the Hand of God, and He directs them wherever He wills." (cf Prv21:1)

So the natural question should be: "Well, why is God directing the hearts of the powerful toward all this chaos?" He seems to be. And I don't necessarily disagree with that analysis. So, why?... Why would God be willing this?

Before I answer that question, I want to remind you of the fact that God doesn't need a virtuous person to do His will. And especially in those who possess power, He doesn't need them to have the right intention. And the easiest example of that to use is Pontius Pilate.... He had all the wrong intentions, all the wrong intentions. In fact, he sinned for his part. But the consequence was actually the will of God, because it was the Father Who wanted Jesus crucified so He could save us from our sins.

... For our part, we have to have faith and trust that whatever happens because of these powerful individuals throughout the world - over whom we have little to no influence or control - we need not worry, because their hearts are in God's hands, and He directs them according to His will for our good and for the salvation of souls.

Now! That doesn't mean the story ends there. It actually gets much better than this....

 

Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a; Ps 147: 12-13, 14-15, 19-20; 1Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-58

 

Watch the video here. Homily begins at 20:00.

 

 

My job is to follow Jesus Christ | PadreCast Trinity Sunday

Religion comes from this desire within us, to know and have a relationship with God. Because of sin, this becomes problematic. And instead of coming to know God and worship Him easily, it becomes an effort to even know Him at all. So, more often than not, when humans, trying to know the Lord come up with whatever ideas they have, they get it wrong. And these "religions" that sprout up throughout centuries, throughout cultures, are just wrong. They don't really know Who God is....

...Because of our sin, because of our weakness, we can't know God by our own efforts. And so our God, out of love for us, came into the world and revealed Himself to us. He did this slowly, throughout the Old Testament, with the Israelite peoples. And then He sent His Son, and His Son revealed the Holy Spirit. From this, we now know that God - something we could not have know on our own - is a trinity of persons.

Truly the most profound mystery of our faith: that a single God is three persons....

My job is to follow Jesus Christ the way He set down for me, and to the preach the Gospel that He left us. By that, hopefully, I'll be saved, and I'll be a witness to others who don't know Him, and by His grace they can come to Him.

It's false love to try and water down the faith just to get along with other religions. It's false ecumenism. This idea that we just need to agree to disagree; or let's just get along, let's just find a way to work together...

We must believe that our Church is the only Church of God, the only true religion. All others are false, to varying degrees. Because that's what's taught us.

St Paul so clearly teaches in the Word that the Church is the Body of Christ. Not "is like the Body of Christ" or is "one of" the bodies of Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ. There can be no other.

Our responsibility is to ascent to this in faith, to proclaim it when necessary, to live it ourselves, and not to judge the individuals of other religions.

 

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; Dn 3:52, 53, 53, 55, 56; 2Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

 

Homily begins at 13:02

To play this video, view this post from your live site.

 

 

The Spirit is always given first for the Sacraments | PadreCast Pentecost Sunday

...We hear in the Gospel today the Resurrection account as we complete the Easter season with the feast of Pentecost. We are reminded of the act of redemption in Jesus Christ, and the first gift given to the Church after that redemption of course, is peace, the forgiveness of their sins, and the gift of the Spirit to the Apostles for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

Why is that? The Holy Spirit is given to the Apostles in this special way as the first Pope and Bishops, as the first clergy of the Church, so they in the name of Christ can go out with the power of that same spirit and forgive the sins of those who want to come to Jesus, who want to be filled with the Holy Spirit....

 

Today we celebrate Pentecost as the culmination of the Easter season because now, it's the Holy Spirit being poured forth on the whole Church. It's the whole body of Christ now, receiving the gift of the Spirit, and being filled with His life and His gifts.

 

The Spirit is always given first for the Sacraments, to the clergy, so that through the clergy, through the Sacraments of the Church... the Spirit can be received for everyone. That's what the Lord wants. He wants all of His holy people to dwell in Him, and He to dwell in them.

 

 

Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104: 1, 24 29-30, 31, 34; 1Cor 12:3b-7, 12, 13; Jn 20: 19-23

 

Watch the video here. Homily begins at 19:30.

Today we complete the cycle of Theology | PadreCast Feast of the Ascension

We believe in the God-Man. The fact that God, who created us and all of the world, came down and took upon Himself our nature. And then to redeem that sinful and broken nature, He died upon the cross, and He rose from the dead. And then on this day, He ascends to the Father.

 

Now why is this Feast so essential?

 

Because today, we complete the cycle of theology if you will. God, Who became man to redeem humanity, now takes that human nature back to God. Now we can follow Him.... Gos has come down and scooped up our nature in His own Being and united it in the Holy Trinity. Human nature now dwells in heaven in God.

 

Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7. 8-9; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20

 

Watch the video here. Homily begins at 13:20.

He is the Good Shepherd | PadreCast Fourth Sunday of Easter / Good Shepherd Sunday

 

Standing in His personhood are the shepherds of His flock. His priests, His Bishops, the Pope who for the last two thousand years are shepherding the flock of Christ in the world in His name. The Kingdom of God is once again now reigning in the world.

 

Originally it was the dominion of Adam, then because of sin - Satan's dominion. And it still exists to this day. But since Christ has come and conquered sin and established His holy Catholic Church, His kingdom actually exists in the world.... There is a spiritual battle constantly going on between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

Those who can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, they come to Him. They receive His Sacraments - they are "baptized and repent of their sins". Then they follow Him and His teachings. They live in His Sacraments. That's the kingdom of Heaven.

 

What Good Shepherd would ever abandon His flock? We have His words: He is the Good Shepherd... what would He not do for us?

 

So whether we can get to the Sacraments readily or not, He will not abandon us .

 

It doesn't mean we don't still have responsibilities as His sheep. We need to listen to His voice, keep up our daily prayers... especially for my own parishioners, if you really need to get to confession, call me. I'll make it happen.

 

Pray for one another. The sheep are not scattered - even at this time.

 

The Lord says that He opens the gate, and He leads His sheep out into pasture. And that beautiful line at the end of the Gospel that He gives us. He reminds us why He came: Jesus came, regardless of our fears or concerns, so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

 

And He wants us to believe that.

 

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; 1Pt 2:20b-25; Jn 10: 1-10

We don't know why God has chosen | PadreCast Third Sunday of Easter

The fact is, we don't know the mind of God. So we don't know why God has chosen this person or that person. ... One thing that we've learned from the saints over the years is that God chooses them and gives them special graces for special ministries precisely because they're weaker. ... The scriptures say that God can work more powerfully through the weak, regardless of their weakness.

It's important for us not to ever be concerned, or even attempt to make judgements, based upon why somebody is chosen over me. In the end, what we have to know and believe and trust is that, if God in His infinite wisdom has made a choice, has decided or ordained that this person hold that role, or receive that gift, it's never advantageous for us to envy it because we don't understand why He's made that choice.

So during this time in which we're all struggling, in which oftentimes the crosses that we're bearing are enhanced because of the lockdown and isolation, we need to give the judgement to God, and not presume upon any comparisons, or the sin of envy. And put our faith in the Lord, knowing that He will take care of things according to His will.

 

Acts 2:14, 22-23; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; 1Pt 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35

 

Watch the Mass or Father's homily on our youtube channel

To love Jesus is ultimately to mix sorrow and joy | PadreCast, Easter Vigil

One of the things that we learn from the resurrection of our Lord and our faith is that to love Jesus is ultimately to mix sorrow and joy. Consider for a moment what it cost our Lord to give us this joy today. The price was steep. And yet He was willing to pay it because of His love for us. And we can be saved - we are saved - precisely because of what He went through over these last few days. How can we not remember the sorrow, and even experience it ourselves because it was our sins that brought it about, while we simultaneously rejoice?...

 

On this night, I think it's important for us to consider why our Lord is asking this particular suffering of us as a Catholic people. You can't attend the holy liturgies. You're prevented from receiving Communion. Why would Jesus be asking this of you? Because He is. It's happening....

 

Suffering is the means by which salvation is brought about. And we who are united with Christ in His holy Body, the Church, must therefore share in that same Cross and in that same ministry.... For us, as we grow in holiness, our crosses, our suffering - body, mind, spirit, all of them - ultimately should be our joy.

 

Gn 1:1—2:2; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35; Gn 22:1-18; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Ex 14:15—15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18; Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Bar 3:9-15, 32—4:4; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 ; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-2; Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6; Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mt 28:1-10

 

Watch the entire Mass here.

 

Why would He ask this of us? | PadreCast Palm Sunday, vigil

It's important to remember that the most tragic event in all of human history, was also at the same time, the most glorious event in human history. As believers, this is an essential point which we can never forget. The most tragic event: the crucifixion and death, the torture, of the Son of the loving God, was the most glorious event where God loved us so much that He would sacrifice Himself for our salvation and open up the gates of mercy.

 

Remember, every tragedy, every cross, every crucifixion, every agony, ultimately - when it is borne patiently and humbly, when it is united with the Passion and cross of our Lord - bears great fruit.

 

Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66

 

To watch the Palm Sunday Mass in its entirety, please see our PadreCast channel

The Prayer of Azariah in time of persecution | Tuesday, Third Week of Lent

It's really a beautiful prayer in the time of persecution when the Israelites were not permitted to offer the sacrifices. It's a prayer of trust, and confidence in God. And a prayer that even though we are not allowed to participate in and offer the Holy Sacrifices, the Lord is still pleased by a humble spirit, and a contrite heart. So be humble, be repentant, say your prayers with your families at home on your own, and the Lord will be pleased....

 

There is a reason for all this in the will of God. We just have to pray and wait upon that will.

 

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, To whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea. For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

 

Dn 3:25, 34-42; Ps 25: 4-5ab, 6 & 7bc, 8-9; Mt 18:21-35

The Holy Mass is the greatest act we can participate in | Third Sunday Lent

For us, the Holy Mass is the greatest act we can participate in as humans because it is the greatest act of Jesus Christ the Lord. It's His suffering, His death and His resurrection in a ritual, a sacramental ceremony through which we get to participate in these holy events.

 

Since worship is the greatest thing a human can do, worship its God, the Lord, and this is the highest form of worship, then there is nothing greater a human being could ever do than go to Mass and participate in it.

 

So what happens when we can't do that? When we can't do that which we were made to do?

 

*In a private Mass for his family, after Sunday liturgies were canceled, Father Miller offers them and us advice on how to participate in the Sacrament even if we cannot physically attend a Mass.

 

Ex 17:3-7; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42

That's why faith is such a gift to us | PadreCast Second Sunday of Lent

But there are many examples of this tension in our daily lives. There are any number of beliefs that we have, and desires in our hearts, that when confronting reality don't jibe. We don't find peace. Things don't work out the way we wanted, or that we hoped. We get thrown into confusion, and we have to step back and re-evaluate - what? Not reality. It's there. You have to re-evaluate your beliefs and your desires. And that's very difficult.

The world deals with this in many different ways. Those who don't believe in God - those who don't have faith - have nothing really to fall back on.

Oftentimes what they do is look at the world and blame the world. "We need to change the world. It can't be my beliefs, it can't be my desires that are wrong. The world itself must be wrong and therefore, it must be changed."

That's why you see so much conflict in politics. Each side fighting, convinced that the other needs to change in order for things to be made right. Because anyone who doesn't have faith, doesn't have the truth to lean back on to re-evaluate themselves. That's why faith is such a gift to us.

 

Gn 12:1-4a; Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; 2Tm 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

This is a legal argument because this is a legal matter | PadreCast First Sunday Lent

The offense is tallied according to the Law. But the justification is infinite. ... The beauty of this is that not only when I am baptized does He pay the price of my sin and restore me to grace, but each time I sin and go to confession, He's always willing to pay that price over, and over, and over again. You can't exhaust the "funds" Jesus has reserved for your salvation. You can't exhaust them.

 

But since Jesus is the one paying the price, He's the One Who determines the manor in which the price is paid. There's a reason Jesus has established confession as the ordinary means of forgiveness.

 

He will withhold nothing from us - no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness- if we but come to Him in the manor in which He has established.

 

During this season of Lent, especially at the beginning of this season of Lent, everyone needs to take the opportunity to go to confession. Everyone.

 

Gn 2:7-9, 3:1-7, Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17, Rom 5:12-19, Mt 4:1-11

It is God's Love that gives us value | PadreCast Ash Wednesday

As worthless as we are in and of ourselves, look how much He loves us. ... This dust and ashes that has sinned against its Creator, can be forgiven.

 

Jl 2:12-18, Ps 54: 3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14, 17, 2Cor 5:20 — 6:2, Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

How do we weaken the body and strengthen the soul? | PadreCast Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time

This particular Church Father said you have to start tying up the "strong dog" (your body) and starving him, giving most of the food to the weaker one (your soul) so he becomes stronger and can fight back.

We do this primarily through acts of fasting. Since it is our body that's our enemy on some level - and we're not trying to kill the "bad dog", just trying to get him to submit - fasting forces that dog to become weaker. And then we can strengthen the spiritual side of us.

We're coming up on Lent, a time all about fasting. I really encourage you to choose for yourself some type of discipline that has to do strictly with the desires of your body. Deny your body something.

 

Lv 19:1-2, 17-18,  Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13,  1Cor 3:16-23,  Mt 5:38-48