Have you ever felt like the saints are just to perfect? Looking in the mirror it can be hard to see holiness, much less a halo forming. Yet, as distant as they may seem, they dont need to be. Today I spent time talking about one simple trick from the saints playbook that we can all use to get a bit holier – obedience.

It sounds wild but trust me it works. Obedience leads to holiness.  Now this is not an obedience that carries burdens begrudgingly, but lovingly, because the one who asks is love itself.

Listen in below to hear more!

Picture by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes (CC/BY)

 

The context for this homily is a bit different. This homily was given at the end of a retreat called Awakening at St. Mary’s.

I was excited so please enjoy a few stories from my childhood!

What does Jesus, Bob Barker, and Mickey Mouse have in common? Listen in!

Photo by Jeff Krause (CC/BY)

 

Will you fight back?

Do you have the desire to fight for your soul?

Christ is calling you out. Will you step up to the plate?

Can you be a courageous chicken, pick fight with the devil and then let Christ fight for you?

Listen below to hear what I’m talking about.

Photo by Martin Vinacur (CC/BY)

(Taking marriage cues from Adam)

Christ holds the line and upholds marriage as an institution that should not be divided but in doing so he does so much more. In upholding the indissolubility of marriage Christ foreshadows his love of his bride, the Church.  What do I mean? Listen in below!

(also, apologies for the noise bump around the laughter. I messed up some editing and didn’t catch it.)

 

In my experience, there is little more destructive to a Christian community than the use of truths as weapons. We  call it polite conversation but its nothing more than gossip. In today’s Gospel Christ is not distrtacted from the gossip and false facade and dives into the root of our sin.

Photo by Agnese Morganti (CC/BY)

25th Sunday in Ordinary in Time

 

Today I spoke from the heart about how we’ve isolated others and ourselves from the love Christ offers. We ignore others and ourselves, not honoring the beauty within and preferring to treat ourselves and them, as place holders which should have never been.

Listen to my personal story and I pray it opens your heart.

Photo by Robert M. Donovan (CC/BY)

 

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There is a constant theme I see in the Confessional, that runs wide and deep. Its a simple and misguided thought but in today’s scriptures we have a beautiful chance to not only talk about its misconception but to rebuke it. When you feel Christ correcting your behavior, rebuking the sinner within, he is not rejecting you. His critique is not a closure of the door but an invitation to more. Listen to hear more about how Christ calls us to a deeper sanctity.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

If prayer is a communication of our hearts with the divine heart, has sin caused your heart to develop a speech impediment?

Photo by Ashley Rose (CC BY)

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Has sinned spun you about? The reason most of us out of sorts and a bit lost isn’t that we aren’t trying hard enough. The reason we’re lost is we haven’t turned to the real source. We’re going about it all wrong.

Photo by Geoff R (CC)

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Freedom isn’t often what we think it is. In world filled with thousands of good choices have we chosen something good over the only thing that matters?