09/29/13 Undeclared: Caring Enough to Choose

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"The rich man, he lost Heaven not because he was mean but because he was apathetic: he didn't love the poor, and God loves the poor. [He lost Heaven] Not because he was cruel, but because he was cynical: there's nothing worth singing about, there's nothing worth fighting for, there's no one worth truly loving. And the question I have to ask myself today is this: is my heart like the rich man's or is my heart like God's?"

Mass Readings from September 29, 2013:
Amos 6:1, 4-7
1 Timothy 6:11-16
Luke 16:19-31

09/22/13 Undeclared: Think, Prioritize, Decide.

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"Paul says this, he says, 'Listen. There is one God. And there is one mediator between God and humanity: Jesus Christ. There are a lot of important things in the world, family, friends, work, other things. But there is one absolute important thing in the world, and that is Jesus Christ. My invitation for us today is this: Have I thought about that? Have I thought, 'Is Jesus my number one priority?'"

Mass Readings from September 22, 2013:
Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13

09/15/13 The Logic of Love

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"When I mention this, that God loves some people more than others, why did I bring that up? Because it's the test: Which son am I? If, when I mention this, that God loves some people more than He loves others, not affectively but effectively, when I said that, did it cause you to be fearful? 'Maybe He doesn't love me?' 'Maybe I've lost His Love.' 'Maybe He's ashamed of me.' 'Maybe He's not proud of me.' Well, then you're the younger son. If the idea that God loves some people more than others makes you afraid, then maybe you are the younger son. Then the thing you need to hear is no, no, no, no, no, the Father rejoices in your presence. The Father rejoices when you come to Him. The Father rejoices in you. If it was one of those things when you heard that God loves some people more than others, if it made you feel kind of resentful, 'Typical. That's how it always goes, someone loves other people more than they love me.' Maybe you are the older son. And what you need to hear is this same kind of thing, this reality, this truth that actually right now, in this place, in this Mass, the Father loves you exactly how much you need, not how much you deserve. He doesn't prefer anyone to you, He loves you in a completely unique way. Because He is infinite, He can do this. ...I invite you to just let this sink into your heart: God has never loved anyone like He loves you."

Mass Readings from September 15, 2013:
Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-32

09/08/13 "More"

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"Jesus is laying it down here and He says, "You can have Me as one of your buddies, you can travel with Me. But if you want to be my disciple, then you have to love Me more. You have to want it, you have to want Me more.' The question is, 'Well, more than what?' The answer: more than anything. But especially more than whatever is Jesus' chief rival for your heart. That's the question I want to ask all of us tonight: what is Jesus' chief rival for my heart tonight? ...Are we willing to do something about it? Even if it means we have to struggle?"

Mass Readings from September 8, 2013:
Wisdom 9:13-18B
Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Luke 14:25-33

09/01/13 Dropping the Pose

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"When I get to class the first day on Tuesday morning, when I walk into that classroom, how am I going to walk in? Am I going to walk in with the idea of, 'Okay, I need to keep the pose...', I want to be concerned with how people are looking at me, or am I going to say, 'You know what? I don't need to be caught up in that slavery. I don't need to be posing. I'm just going to drop the act, I am going to drop the pose, and I am going to focus on how to give. I am actually intentionally going to sit next to whomever, someone who doesn't help me, someone who doesn't offer me anything, but so that I can be the one who sees them in the way that Christ shows me to see them.' Because the reality is, here is God Himself, Jesus, and how does He go? He goes, not concerned with His own welfare, but concerned with us. And how does He give? He doesn't give with the mindset that says, 'What can I get from these people?' He goes with the mindset of, 'How can I make their lives better?'"

Mass Readings from September 1, 2013:
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24A
Luke 14:1, 7-14