Today I am joined by Randi Hochenberger who is the Director of Evangelization at the parish where I am pastor. In our conversation, we reflect on a graphic that was posted on our parish page with a quote from Pope Benedict in which he said, "Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment. Such attraction fades quickly – it cannot compete in the market of leisure pursuits, incorporating as it increasingly does various forms of religious titillation." Since there are many who  applaud the music ministry each week, the post has seen many comments defending the practice. So is there a place for applause at Mass? 

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Here is the homily I gave for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This is the final homily in the series "Come to Me." So many people today tend to cling to their wounds, even though they know they need to be healed. If we truly want to be healed, we need to hear Jesus say to us, "Come to Me."  #frpeterd

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/800330924

We often throw around possessive pronouns as if the object in question were actually owned by us. In a world of relativism, we come to believe that what is yours is yours and what is mine is mine. But in fact, all is owned by God and we are just stewards of all He gives us. 

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Here is the homily I gave for the sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This is part of the series, "Come to Me." Jesus indeed calls us to Himself. But if we accept the call, our lives must necessarily be different. We must make the daily choice to go to Him, again and again.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/798146666

Here is the homily I gave for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is part of the series, "Come to Me." One of the themes we see often in Scriptures is the tension between Light and Darkness. We all need to overcome the darkness in our lives by going to Christ the Light, and we need to bring others whose lives are in darkness to Him.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/796016258

Here is the homily I gave for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. This is the first in the series, "Come to Me." St. John the Baptist uses the words, "Behold the Lamb of God." The same words are spoken at Mass before Holy Communion. It is important to remember that the Eucharist is a Who, not a what. And we should hear Jesus say to us, "Come to Me" for healing through the Eucharist.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/789351842

Here is the homily I gave for the Solemnity of the Epiphany. This is the third in the series, "A Perfect Gift." Christ is the Light that came to scatter the darkness of Sin. We must work toward repenting of the darkness we create in our own lives by making a plan for holiness.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/787361841

The forces that surround us in our culture can be overwhelming. Whether we realize it or not, the more we are exposed to something the more it influences what we believe and how we live. Today more than previous generations we need to expose ourselves to Catholic culture and immerse ourselves in Jesus Christ. If we say we believe in Jesus Christ, then we must spend our lives forming our minds and souls for Him. 

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Here is the homily I gave for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This is the second in the series, "A Perfect Gift." God gave the world the Perfect Gift in Christ Jesus - a Light to a world filled with darkness. To combat the evils of Sin, Christ brings a message of repentance and Peace. Make the following resolutions: 1) Set up a daily prayer time with everyone in your house; 2) Remove social media from your phone and invest your time in others; 3) Listen to the Bible in a Year or Catechism in a Year podcast every day; 4) Commit to going to Confession monthly.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/785553063

Here is the homily I gave for Christmas Day. This is the first in the series, "A Perfect Gift." In the darkness of this world, God sends the Light of His Son.

To view this on video - https://vimeo.com/784243484