Homilies about vocation

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.

50 Años de Sacerdocio: Las Redes que Sostienen la Fe y la Lucha por Cuba

P. José Conrado Rodríguez Alegre

This homily, delivered by Father José Conrado Rodríguez Alegre on his 50th priestly anniversary, reflects on the 'nets' of support in his life: family, Christian community, seminary, and friends, culminating in God as the ultimate protective net. He shares personal anecdotes about his experiences with the Cuban exile community and his own exile, emphasizing the need for unity, forgiveness, and speaking truth for the liberation of Cuba, drawing parallels to the story of 'Muñeco,' a boy he ministered to who found redemption.

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.

A Missionary's Story: How One Woman's Generosity Changed My Life

Father Richard On Muaro

Father Richard, a missionary from Kenya, shares the story of his congregation, the Apostles of Jesus, and their mission to evangelize Africa and the world. He emphasizes God's patience and compassion, as seen in the parable of the wheat and weeds, and urges the faithful to be patient with themselves and others. He concludes with a powerful personal testimony of how a woman's generosity enabled his priesthood, highlighting the profound impact of supporting the Church's mission.

What Oscar Schindler Teaches Us About Eternal Life

This homily uses the story of Oscar Schindler, a deeply flawed man who converted his priorities to save over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust, to illustrate the Gospel's parable of the unjust steward. It emphasizes the urgency of investing in spiritual relationships and eternal salvation rather than corruptible earthly possessions, urging listeners to make 'friends for heaven' through prayer and sacrifice.

What is Your True Treasure? Lessons from Haiti's Earthquake

The homily emphasizes that the Kingdom of God is the greatest treasure, urging listeners to prioritize God in their lives, much like King Solomon chose wisdom over wealth. The priest uses vivid examples, including the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the loss of material possessions to bandits, to illustrate the fleeting nature of worldly treasures. He challenges the congregation to reflect on what they truly value and to seek spiritual riches that endure beyond earthly life.

Are You Too Comfortable in Your Faith? The Parables of the Treasure and Pearl

The homily emphasizes that the parables of the treasure and the pearl call us to active discernment and engagement in our discipleship, rather than complacency. It highlights the importance of prioritizing God's call in our lives, drawing from both old and new teachings, and illustrates this with the story of Mother Antonia, who sold everything to serve in a Mexican prison.

¿Qué Tipo de Tierra Eres? La Parábola del Sembrador y Tu Vida Espiritual

The homily uses the parable of the sower to encourage listeners to reflect on the 'soil' of their own hearts. The priest shares personal anecdotes about farming with his grandfather to make the ancient parable relatable, emphasizing that the focus should be on preparing one's soul to receive God's word and bear fruit. He urges self-examination to identify and remove 'thorns' and 'stones' like vices, bad habits, criticism, and lack of prayer, and to 'fertilize' their spiritual lives through prayer, scripture, retreats, and service.

How One Gospel Changed a Man's Life in Communist Ukraine

The homily begins with a personal reflection on the priest's own vocation and then delves into the Parable of the Sower, illustrating the power of God's word to transform lives, even in hostile environments. He shares a compelling story of a Ukrainian priest, Father Igor, who converted to Catholicism after reading the Gospel of Mark in communist Ukraine. The homily concludes by connecting the parable to the 'world, flesh, and devil' and offering a practical spiritual communion prayer as an antidote to temptations of the flesh, emphasizing immediate rejection and embracing Christ's love.

A Martyr's Legacy: Honoring Nicholas Gosselin's Life of Service and Faith

This homily celebrates the life of Nicholas Gosselin, a bush pilot who died serving remote communities. The priest reflects on Nicholas's courage, dedication to helping others, and deep faith, emphasizing how he embodied the Gospel's call to serve the 'least of these.' The homily also addresses the family's grief, offering consolation through faith and highlighting Nicholas's lasting legacy and the hope of eternal life.

A Priest's Stroke, a Lifelong Dream, and the Mission to Care for the Abandoned Elderly

Father Dason

The homily is a deeply personal account of the priest's lifelong dream to build a home for the homeless, which evolved into a mission to prepare elderly souls for their last hour, especially those abandoned by family. He shares how a personal stroke opened his eyes to the true suffering of the elderly and the importance of reconciliation with parents, urging the congregation to support this mission through prayer, care for their own parents, and financial contributions.

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.

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.

The Missionary's Motorbike: Bringing God's Presence to Remote Villages in Vietnam

Cha Phêrô Trần Đức Lâm

The homily, delivered by a visiting priest from the Hung Hoa diocese in Northern Vietnam, uses the Gospel's parable of the wheat and weeds to illustrate God's patience and the Church's commitment to its mission field. The priest shares the challenges and hopes of evangelization in his diocese, which is the largest in Vietnam with 31 ethnic groups, many living in remote mountainous areas. He emphasizes the need for basic resources like motorbikes for missionaries and support for young ethnic seminarians to serve their own communities, highlighting that the Church does not abandon its 'field' despite difficulties.

Why We Must Listen to God's Word in Times of Tyranny (Feat. Fr. Eliosbel Pereira)

Eliosbel Pereira

The homily emphasizes the importance of listening to God's word and discerning His will, drawing parallels with St. Benedict's life of renunciation and dedication to prayer and work. It also strongly connects these spiritual principles to the political and social realities of Cuba and Venezuela, urging listeners to resist tyrannical systems and defend freedom and life, reminding them that 'with God everything, without God nothing.'

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.

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.

Finding the Pearl of Great Price: Why Spiritual Riches Outweigh All Else

Father Matthew Norwood

The homily explores the parables of the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, and the fishing net, emphasizing the search for the 'highest good' which is God himself. Drawing parallels with Solomon's request for an understanding heart and a personal anecdote about a woman in Peru seeking spiritual blessings, the priest highlights that spiritual poverty is the greatest poverty and that true wisdom comes from humbling oneself before God and seeking His presence above all else.