10/27/13 Game Changers: Honest Prayer

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"Here is the deal: you don't have to convince God to pay attention to you. And also, you can't convince Him not to pay attention to you. It goes both ways."

Mass Readings from October 27, 2013:
Sirach 33:12-14, 16-18
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14

10/20/13 Game Changers: The Word

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"He [St. John Chrysostom] says this, 'Let not anyone say to me those silly and in-contemptible words, "I don't have time to read the Bible. I am stuck at the courthouse all day," or "I am tied up with political affairs," or "I am in an apprentice program (a.k.a. university)", "I've got a wife," "I'm raising kids," "I am responsible for a household," "I am a business man." Or if people say this, "Reading the Bible isn't for me, that's for those monks over there."' St. John Chrysostom says, 'What are you saying, man?! It's not your business to pay attention to the Bible because you are distracted by thousands of concerns? Then Bible reading belongs more to you than the monks! ... It is more important for people living in the world than for monks to read the Bible, because they are behind their walls and they are kept safe. But you are on the front lines every single day of the week. You are the ones that are under attack by flaming arrows and spears. And so you need the Word of God absolutely more than anyone else.'"

Mass Readings from October 20, 2013:
Exodus 17:8-13
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8

10/13/13 Undeclared: God's Choice

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"I don't want a tattoo. Why? Because I don't want it etched into my body. But in Jesus Christ, He has had your name etched into His Body. Your name is etched into the nail marks on His feet. Your name is etched into the spear in His side and your name is etched into the palm of His hand. Realize this, when Christ rose from the dead, He didn't give up His wounds. He kept them, and that keeping of those wounds is His declaration that He will never ever change His answer when it comes to loving you. ... Are you willing to choose to live today like God actually loves you? Are you willing to actually make the decision today to be able to say, "I'm going to stop asking why He loves me and I'm going to start saying 'Thank you'?"

Mass Readings from October 13, 2013:
2 Kings 5:14-17
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19

10/06/13 Undeclared: Integrity.

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

"Here is Ignatius, he said to make a list of pros and cons, take your counsel, think it out, pray it out, and then take some tentative steps, and if you need to adjust, then adjust. And the last tip from Ignatius was this: after all of that, if you still don't know what to do, use your imagination. Imagine: what would the best version of myself choose right now? If I was faced with this choice, what would the best me choose at this point? He also said this, "What choice do you want to hand to the Lord when you die? After you've died, if you had these two decisions, these two choices, which one do you want to present to the Lord and say, 'God, I chose this. And I chose this for You'? If it ever becomes clear, choose that one.' "

Mass Readings from October 6, 2013:
Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Luke 17:5-10