Homilies about faith

Finding God's Love and Forgiveness in Profound Grief

Father John

The homily emphasizes the constant presence and love of the Holy Trinity in our lives, even during moments of profound suffering. The priest shares a deeply personal story of his sister's death by a drunk driver and his initial anger at God, illustrating how, through time and prayer, he came to understand God's unwavering support and found the grace to forgive. He encourages the faithful to remember God's faithfulness in all life's challenges.

A Priest's Urgent Plea: Saving Lives in the Congo Amidst Ebola and Poverty

Father Geston

The homily begins by explaining the mystery of the Holy Trinity, using analogies like 1+1+1=1 in faith and the sacrament of matrimony where two become one. It then transitions into a deeply personal and urgent plea for support for the priest's orphanage in the Congo, detailing a harrowing medical emergency involving one of the children and the extreme challenges of providing care amidst poverty and disease like Ebola.

The Trinity and Our Call to Serve the Poor: Stories from Africa and Brazil

Father Akisu Jerat Kamina

The homily begins by explaining the Trinity not as an incomprehensible mystery, but as a truth that human language struggles to fully articulate, emphasizing God's communal nature. It then transitions into a powerful appeal for Cross Catholic Outreach, sharing two vivid personal stories from Africa and Brazil about the desperate need for clean water and food, highlighting how these basic necessities prevent immense suffering and exploitation, especially of children.

Beyond 'Footprints in the Sand': How to Partner with God and Others

Father Ricky

This homily, delivered on Trinity Sunday and celebrating recent graduates, uses a humorous twist on the 'Footprints in the Sand' poem to illustrate the dynamic nature of the Holy Trinity. It emphasizes that while God always carries us, we are also called to actively work and cooperate with God, and to rely on the support of others, embodying the three persons of the Trinity in our spiritual journey.

Why a Priest Failed the Trinity Class (and What He Learned About God's Love)

Father Geneito

The priest shares his personal struggle with understanding the Holy Trinity, emphasizing that its core mystery is God's unconditional love for us. He argues that recognizing this love transforms prayer from an obligation to a conversation, obedience from a burden to a response of love, and fosters trust in God's plan even amidst suffering. He illustrates this with personal anecdotes and the experience of Vietnamese refugees, highlighting that even in the face of profound suffering, the ultimate truth is that we are loved by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Are You Called to Be a Saint? A Radical 'Yes' to God

Father Daniel

The homily, delivered on the Sunday after Pentecost, emphasizes that all Christians are called to be saints, not just canonized figures. It highlights that sainthood is about a radical 'yes' to God's plan, not merely avoiding sin. The speaker shares a powerful personal anecdote about meeting a confessor of the faith who endured torture, illustrating the courage and Holy Spirit's strength needed to live out this 'yes' in daily life.

How the Holy Spirit Whispers Guidance in Grief

Father Rafa

The homily, delivered by a Deacon, focuses on the mystery of the Holy Trinity, emphasizing the often-overlooked role of the Holy Spirit. Using analogies like fire and personal relationships, the Deacon explains the Trinity and then shares a powerful personal story about how the Holy Spirit guided him to help a grieving father find peace after his son's unexpected death, highlighting the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit's whispers.

Your Identity is in Your Relationships: Lessons from the Holy Trinity

The homily explores the Holy Trinity as the central doctrine of the Church, emphasizing that God's identity is defined by relationships (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). It challenges listeners to understand their own identity not by what they do or superficial attributes, but by their relationships and how their love spills out to create life and build the Kingdom of God, reflecting the Trinitarian love.

The Whispers of the Holy Spirit: Finding Peace in Grief

The homily, delivered by a Deacon, focuses on understanding the Holy Trinity and the active, often overlooked, role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It uses analogies to explain the Trinity and emphasizes God's unconditional love and the gift of choice in salvation. A personal story illustrates how the Holy Spirit guides us through whispers, leading to peace and purpose, even in difficult situations like grief.

Rethinking Your Image of God: A Trinity Sunday Reflection

This homily, delivered on Trinity Sunday, takes an unconventional approach by engaging the congregation in a guided discussion about their personal images of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The priest presents various biblical, saintly, and contemporary depictions of each person of the Trinity, encouraging parishioners to reflect on their own understanding and identify which images challenge them most. The goal is to foster a deeper, more personal, and practical relationship with the triune God, moving beyond abstract theological concepts.

How a Father's Dying Moments Revealed the Holy Trinity

The homily explores the mystery of the Holy Trinity through the lens of human relationships, emphasizing love, understanding, and respect. The priest shares a deeply personal story about his father's passing, highlighting a moment of profound family unity and peace that transcended past conflicts, serving as a reflection of the Trinitarian love we are called to embody in our own lives.

Archbishop Casey: Why You Need to Take a Leap of Faith

Archbishop Robert Casey

Archbishop Casey delivers a homily centered on taking a 'leap of faith,' using his personal story of jumping off a cliff as a teenager and his vocational calls to the priesthood and episcopacy as metaphors for embracing God's will. He encourages the confirmation candidates and the entire congregation to move from fear to faith, isolation to communion, and to become proclaimers of good news, emphasizing the joy and gratitude found in trusting God.

El Secreto Más Íntimo de Dios: Eres Su Hijo Amado

Padre Michael Nixon

The homily uses a personal anecdote about the priest's mother's pregnancy to illustrate the revelation of God's intimate secret: the Holy Trinity. It emphasizes that God, as a loving Father, invites us to participate in His eternal communication of love, countering the devil's lie that we are orphans. The core message is that through Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are adopted into God's family as beloved children.

The Enduring Faith of Japan's Hidden Christians

Father Francis

The homily recounts the dramatic history of Christianity in Japan, highlighting how the faith persisted for 250 years despite intense persecution and isolation, without priests or sacraments. The priest attributes this resilience to the Japanese Christians' deep, felt experience of God's overflowing love, which is at the heart of the Holy Trinity. He emphasizes that this divine love is the only force powerful enough to sustain a community through the darkest trials.

Beyond 'I Believe': Are You Willing to Get in God's Wheelbarrow?

The homily focuses on the profound meaning of John 3:16, emphasizing that God's love is perfect and unconditional, unlike human love. It challenges listeners to move beyond mere intellectual acceptance of God's existence to a complete, committed trust, illustrating this with the story of Charles Blondon the tightrope walker and the Greek word 'pistuo' for belief.

The Trinity's Perfect Love: Why God Loves Everyone Equally

The homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity emphasizes that God's love for all people is perfect, unwavering, and equal, regardless of their actions. The priest illustrates this by posing the question of how much love it would take to sacrifice one's only child, linking it to the cross, and shares a poignant story of an elderly woman singing lullabies through a wall to a crying baby, symbolizing God's constant, unseen presence and care for everyone.

Rethinking the Trinity: An Interactive Homily on God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

This homily, delivered on Trinity Sunday, takes an unconventional, interactive approach by having congregants discuss their personal images of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The priest presents various biblical, artistic, and theological depictions of each person of the Trinity, challenging the audience to reflect on their own understanding and to consider new ways of relating to God.

The Trinity, Papal Politics, and John Denver: Lessons for Unity in Faith and Family

Father Tom

The homily explores the mystery of the Holy Trinity, using historical examples of papal decisions regarding the 'Filioque' clause to illustrate the importance of unity and proper priorities in the Church. The priest then connects the Trinity to the family unit, emphasizing the need for shared mission and mutual support, drawing a cautionary tale from John Denver's song 'Follow Me' about the dangers of self-centeredness in relationships.

El Amor de Dios: ¿Por qué no podemos amar a nuestros enemigos?

Padre Esteban

The homily emphasizes that true Christianity is not about being a 'good person' or following rules, but about recognizing one's inability to love and forgive on their own, and thus receiving the Holy Spirit to experience God's unconditional love. The priest argues that this divine love enables one to love even enemies and find true happiness, contrasting it with the world's self-centered pursuit of happiness and the superficial understanding of faith that often alienates young people.

Trinity Sunday: The Unspeakable Love of God Revealed Through a Father's Trembling Lip

Father Michael Liver

The homily, delivered on Trinity Sunday, uses the recent ordination of six new priests as a powerful analogy for understanding the Holy Trinity. The priest recounts the emotional exchange between a newly ordained son and his stoic father, highlighting how the father's trembling lip and a shared sigh revealed profound love, mirroring how God the Father's face is revealed through the Son and the groaning of the Holy Spirit. The core message is that the Trinity is not meant to be intellectually dissected but rather encountered and embraced as an immeasurable mystery of love and mercy that renews us.