Homilies about relationship

Corpus Christi: How to Truly Receive the Body of Christ

Deacon Dawn

The homily for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi emphasizes the Eucharist as the central gift that allows us to enter into a divine relationship with God. It explains the 'who' and 'why' of the Eucharist, connecting it to the manna in the desert and highlighting its role in uniting the faithful as one body in Christ. The homilist also provides practical guidance on how to receive communion reverently, stressing the importance of conscious participation and unity.

The Trinity: God's Essence is Pure Relationship and Love

The homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity emphasizes that God's essence is pure relationship and love, not a static reality. It highlights that while the Trinity is a mystery beyond full comprehension, it reveals God's intimate desire to walk with humanity, even in its sinfulness, and calls us to reflect this relational love in our own lives and communities.

Your Family is an Icon of the Trinity: Understanding God as Relationship and Love

The homily emphasizes that the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith, revealing God as a communion of persons in radical relationship and love. The priest explains that God is love (not just 'has love' or 'loves') and uses the analogy of a family (lover, beloved, and the love that unites them) to illustrate the Trinitarian nature, highlighting how human families are an icon of the Trinity and participate in God's divine life.

Trinity Sunday: A Mystery to Be Lived, Not Solved

The homily on Trinity Sunday emphasizes that the Trinity is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. It highlights that God's nature is one of perfect community, life, and love, which extends to humanity, calling us to live in relationship with God and each other. The priest uses analogies and stories to illustrate how the Trinity infuses our daily lives and calls us away from a self-centered culture towards community.

The Holy Trinity: A Dynamic Love That Moves Outward

The homily explores the mystery of the Holy Trinity, moving beyond a purely intellectual understanding to emphasize its dynamic, outward-moving nature. It uses the imagery of a spinning circle to represent the internal dynamism of God that expresses itself in revelation and love, contrasting this with self-contained religiosity. The priest references St. Augustine's struggle to comprehend the Trinity, highlighting that our faith is an experience of relationship and mystery, not just a collection of truths.

Why You Can't Find God Alone: The Trinity and the Power of Community

The homily emphasizes that the Holy Trinity, while a mystery, reveals the importance of relationship and community. The priest shares a personal anecdote about finding profound loneliness in seminary when he focused solely on individual prayer, realizing that true fulfillment and closeness to God are found in connection with others. He encourages parishioners to foster real human connections by putting down phones and reaching out to friends and family.

Corpus Christi: The Eucharist as a Lived Reality and Mission

Father Joseph Benedict

The homily for the Feast of Corpus Christi emphasizes that the Eucharist is not merely confined to the tabernacle but is a lived reality of relationship and mission. Drawing on a personal experience in Mexico and the farewell of a beloved community member, Tom Pnney, the homilist illustrates how the Body of Christ extends beyond the altar into homes, workplaces, and relationships, transforming the world through acts of love and service.

The Trinity: The Central Mystery of Who God Is

The homily emphasizes that the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Catholic faith, not just what God does, but who God is—an eternal exchange of love and relationship. The priest explains how this mystery is revealed through scripture and sacraments like baptism, and how it calls us to partake in that divine relationship, both with God and with each other.

God is Love: Why Relationship with the Trinity Transforms Everything

The homily emphasizes that the Most Holy Trinity reveals God as love and that our Catholic faith is fundamentally about having a relationship with Jesus Christ, not just following rules. The priest highlights God's unconditional, self-donating love, which seeks to heal rather than condemn, and how this relationship undergirds all Christian teachings and leads to transformation and joy, contrasting it with the emptiness of a life without God.

Understanding the Unknowable: Two Pitfalls in Praying to the Trinity

The homily addresses the incomprehensible nature of the Holy Trinity, warning against two common pitfalls: believing we can fully understand God and falling into subordinationism. The priest emphasizes that God is infinite and will always reveal more, making heaven eternally engaging. He also clarifies that while there is an order of relation within the Trinity, there is no hierarchy of power or authority, highlighting that relationship is the highest form of reality because God himself is a Trinity of relationships.

How Baptism Makes You Part of God's Kingdom

The homily uses the historical analogy of colonial land claims to explain how baptism marks individuals as belonging to God's kingdom, making their souls a dwelling place for the Holy Trinity. It emphasizes that this mystery reveals God's desire for a deep personal relationship with us and teaches us how to love by emulating the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in building life, healing, and guiding others toward truth.