Homilies about love

A Priest's Story: How God Loved Me as a Sinner and a Loser

Father David

The homily, delivered by a new parochial vicar, Father David, focuses on God's immense patience and unconditional love for sinners, drawing parallels with the Gospel parable of the weeds and the wheat. Father David shares a deeply personal testimony of his youth, marked by a struggle for acceptance, alcoholism, promiscuity, and resentment towards his parents, culminating in a suicidal crisis. He recounts how a simple question from a friend on a pilgrimage, "Don't you know there is a God who loves you as you are?", transformed his life, leading him to believe in God's mercy and eventually to the priesthood.

Đức Maria: Người Môn Đệ Đầu Tiên và Hoàn Hảo Nhất (Đức Ông Phạm Mạnh Cương)

Đức Ông Phạm Mạnh Cương

This homily, delivered as part of a conference on Mary, emphasizes Mary as the first and most perfect disciple, highlighting her unwavering faith, contemplative spirit, and missionary zeal. The speaker uses personal anecdotes about his family's journey as refugees and his own vocational discernment to illustrate themes of trusting God's plan amidst adversity and the importance of compassionate presence in ministry. He urges listeners to emulate Mary's 'yes' to God, her ability to see others' needs, and her steadfastness in suffering, rather than focusing on external religious practices.

How Brain Cancer Led Me to the Priesthood

Father Dan Kushner

Father Dan shares his personal vocation story, which began with a childhood brain cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. He connects this profound suffering to the Gospel's parable of the pearl of great price, emphasizing that this experience revealed God's unconditional love and the limitless potential available through Christ, leading him to fully commit his life to God.

Cómo Ser Oveja Entre Lobos: Valentía y Confianza en un Mundo Hostil

The homily emphasizes God's infinite and unconditional love, urging listeners to embrace reconciliation. It then addresses the challenges of being a Christian in a hostile world, highlighting the need for prudence and simplicity, and the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. The priest shares personal anecdotes about facing conflict and persecution, encouraging perseverance and courage in defending one's faith.

You Are God's Pearl of Great Price: A Homily on Predestination and God's Unending Love

Father Thomas Petri

This homily challenges the Protestant notion of 'double predestination' often reflected in country music's themes of rejection and despair, contrasting it with the Catholic understanding of God's universal salvific will. The priest emphasizes that God desires everyone's salvation and continuously offers grace, portraying humanity as the 'pearl of great price' for which God sacrifices everything, rather than us being the merchants seeking God.

El Amor es Eterno: Esperanza y Reencuentro en el Duelo

The homily, delivered at a funeral Mass for María Corina, emphasizes that while death brings pain, it is not the end. Drawing on scripture, the priest assures the family that God makes all things new, and that through Christ, they will be reunited with their loved one in eternal life. He encourages them to embrace their grief, find strength in faith and family, and allow the experience of suffering to deepen their love and humanity.

The Weeds Among the Wheat: How God's Patient Love Transforms Us

The homily emphasizes God's patient and merciful love, using the parable of the weeds among the wheat to illustrate how God allows good and evil to coexist, giving sinners a chance to repent. It highlights the Church's growth from humble beginnings despite persecutions and 'weeds' within, guided by God's hand. A personal story of an older brother's sacrificial love for his wayward younger brother, leading to the younger brother's conversion and vocation, underscores the transformative power of love and faith.

Đức Maria: Người Nữ Tỳ và chữ 'Fiat' - Hiểu Sâu Sắc Ý Chúa Qua Ngôn Ngữ

Fr. Micae Phạm Quang Hồng

This homily, delivered by Father Micae Phạm Quang Hồng, is a deep dive into the Vietnamese language, particularly Hán Việt words, to explore the meaning of 'disciple' (môn đệ), 'faithful' (trung thành), 'handmaid' (nữ tỳ), and 'Fiat' in the context of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The priest uses humor and personal anecdotes to illustrate how understanding the nuances of these words can deepen one's faith and relationship with God, emphasizing gratitude, humility, and living according to God's will as a beloved child, not just a servant.

The Three Pillars of a Stable Marriage: Lessons from St. Benedict and Particle Physics

The homily for Jonathan and Mila's wedding focuses on the concept of 'stability' in marriage, drawing parallels from St. Benedict's monastic vows and a scientist's observation of subatomic particles that are stable only in threes. The priest emphasizes that a stable marriage requires the couple and Christ, forming a 'Trinity' of love and support, and encourages them to see and serve Christ in one another.

Finding God's Kingdom: Lessons from a City Built on a Garbage Dump

This homily focuses on finding the 'treasure' of God's kingdom through missionary work and seeing Christ in the poor and vulnerable. It uses personal reflections from mission trips to Mexico and Vietnam to illustrate how serving others, even in challenging conditions, reveals God's presence and brings profound joy and understanding, transforming both givers and receivers.

The Transforming Power of God's Word: A Murderer's Story

Phô Nguyễn Tất Hải

The homily emphasizes the power and generosity of God's word, which is sown everywhere, even in seemingly infertile ground. It highlights that God's word is not a word of force but of love and forgiveness, capable of transforming even the hardest hearts, as illustrated by the story of a Japanese murderer who converted in prison. The priest encourages listeners to open their hearts to God's word daily, allowing it to guide and illuminate their lives amidst the distractions and falsehoods of the modern world.

Beauty Always Wins: Finding God's Infinite Value in Every Person

Father Kevin Moabius

The homily uses the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven and the story of Beauty and the Beast to illustrate that God sees infinite value in every person, transforming us from our 'beastly' choices to our noble, divinized selves. It emphasizes that the Church's mission, exemplified by the Sisters of Life and various social innovations, is to reveal this inherent beauty and worth to all, leading to a life of truth, joy, and hope, with a happy ending in Christ.

Vai Trò Của Đức Mẹ và Phụ Nữ Trong Ơn Cứu Chuộc

LM. Micae Phạm Quang Hồng

This homily, delivered by Fr. Michael Pham Quang Hong, focuses on the last words of Jesus on the cross, "Behold your mother, behold your son," and explores the profound roles of Mary and women in salvation history. It delves into the suffering of Jesus and Mary, the silent strength of St. Joseph, and challenges traditional views on gender roles within the Church, emphasizing the importance of faith through the heart rather than just intellect. The homily also critiques the Church's past treatment of women and highlights their crucial contributions, using humor and personal anecdotes to make theological points accessible and engaging.

How Suffering Gives Birth to a New Humanity

Father Henry

The homily explores how suffering and affliction, like the labor pains of childbirth, can lead to the birth of a 'new humanity' grounded in obedience, humility, and love. Drawing parallels between Jesus' temptations on the cross and our daily struggles, the priest emphasizes that these challenges, when faced with Christ-like disposition, produce character, endurance, and hope. A poignant story of an 11-year-old boy burying his stillborn sister illustrates how profound love and dignity can emerge from tragic circumstances.

La Alegría de Encontrar a Cristo: El Tesoro de Nuestro Corazón

Padre Ariel Suárez

The homily explores three points based on the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven: what treasure our heart yearns for, what we must discern within ourselves, and what is the treasure of God's heart. It emphasizes that true joy comes from finding Christ, who is the ultimate treasure, and that we are God's precious pearl for whom He gave everything.

What Are Your True Treasures? A Homily on God's Priceless Love

Father Aiden

The homily explores the concept of 'treasure' from the Gospel, distinguishing between material possessions and true treasures of the heart. The priest uses personal anecdotes, including sentimental items and comic book art, to illustrate how things gain value through memory and passion, ultimately connecting these to the priceless treasures of God's love, community, and faith.

Finding Your Greatest Treasure: How Suffering Can Lead to Joy

Father George

The homily explores the concept of the 'greatest good' by drawing parallels between an oyster forming a pearl from irritation and human suffering leading to spiritual growth. It emphasizes that seeking union with God is the ultimate treasure, which then brings all other good things. The priest illustrates this with a personal anecdote about collecting chickens and a story about an uncle's 'secret treasure' that turned out to be his family.

Why Your Imperfections Make You Precious to God

Bishop Luca

The homily uses the analogy of coin collecting to illustrate God's unconditional love and acceptance. Just as imperfectly stamped coins can be precious, all people, despite their flaws and sins, are priceless in God's sight. The homily emphasizes that our role is to gather and welcome others into Christ's net, not to judge or exclude.

Why God Allows Evil: Finding Strength and Love in Suffering

Father Michael

The homily challenges the common misconception of good and evil as equally matched forces, emphasizing that God has already triumphed. It encourages vigilance against negative influences and proactive confrontation of evil through charity, drawing parallels to the parables of the wheat and weeds, mustard seed, and yeast. The priest concludes by highlighting that suffering, when embraced with love for God, can lead to deeper faith and hope in the resurrection, rather than despair.

Why Jesus Says 'Let the Weeds and Wheat Grow Together'

Father Joe

The homily explores Jesus' parable of the weeds and the wheat, emphasizing that every person is a mixture of good and bad, and we are loved by God despite our imperfections. It warns against the dangerous temptation to divide people into 'weeds' and 'wheat' in the world, highlighting how this leads to hate and prevents us from recognizing our shared humanity and belonging to one another.