11/25/12 The Royal Family

Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King.

"When you were baptized, you were brought into a family. That family is called the Church. And if you want to belong to Him, you have to belong to it. If today I'm going to worship Christ the King and I'm going to say 'Jesus is my King,' what I have to realize now is that I am part of a Kingdom. And if I am part of a Kingdom, if I am part of a family, then that family is going to be able to make demands on me. ...We can't weigh the Church based off of the people who don't listen to the Church and apply it's teachings, what we have to do is weigh the Church based off it's saints."

Mass Readings from November 25, 2012:
Deuteronomy 7:13-14
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33-37

11/18/12 Your Body: A Living Sacrifice

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"In the Incarnation, Jesus shows us that the body is good and that it's worth loving. In the Sacrifice of His Body, Jesus shows us that even though the body is good, it is not worth being worshipped. But it is worthy of sacrifice."

Mass Readings from November 18, 2012:
Deuteronomy 12:1-3
Hebrews 10:11-14,18
Mark 13:24-32

11/11/12 The Real Owner

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"What's one of the reasons you and I offer sacrifices? One of the reasons is because you and I need it. ...In the old covenant, they understood the power that money can have over someone's heart, how it could enslave someone, because almost nothing can enslave someone like money can. So they said right away to just give God your best, give God your first fruits. And the question I can ask myself tonight is this: do I give God my best? Or do I give God whatever's left?"

Mass Readings from November 11, 2012:
1 Kings 17:10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

11/04/12 The Great COMMANDments

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"If I am going to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, love means keeping His law. When you and I obey His commandments, that's an incredible, powerful act of love. What does pride do? It brings me in on myself. What does love do? Love calls me out of myself. Love sets me free from the tyranny of my feelings. Actual love, the command, sets me free from the dictatorship of my emotions. Because even when I don't feel like it, I am called to live in love."

Mass Readings from November 4, 2012:
Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34