Fr. Brian Soliven Sermons

When you go to Mass, you'll notice the scripture passages will take on a seemingly ominous new emphasis  -- the end of the world. 

Ah, let me ask you a question—a great question, one that we too often overlook in the rush of our busy lives. What do you think God wants? At this very moment, in the stillness of the universe, what is it that God desires? It may seem like a strange question, doesn't it? A question that shakes us from our daily distractions, our routines, and our self-focused thinking. After all, when we think of God, we think of Him as having everything; He's practically the biggest king on the throne. What could this all-powerful and all-knowing God possibly “need”?

What’s more common for us to think about is our daily lives. Many of us shoulder tremendous burdens, don’t we? We worry about what we need—our work, our responsibilities, our ambitions, our families. We wonder what we will eat for dinner, how we will tackle the demands of the day, how we will fulfill our duties. These are all good things, worthy of our attention.

But this Sunday, the Gospel passage challenges us to stop and consider His will, His heart, and His desire in this moment. For too long, we’ve been fixated on our own needs, our own wants, and our own plans. But if we truly seek to walk in the ways of the Lord, we must ask ourselves: What is God asking of us today? What is His heart beating for, right now, in this very moment?

We find Jesus sitting down “opposite the treasury and observing how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.” At this point, we must ask: Why does God need our money? After all, God is all-powerful and all-knowing. What does God need money from me? I have my own bills to pay and children to feed, we might think to ourselves. Yet, from the very beginning of the faith, all the way back to the early chapters in the Book of Genesis, God demanded from Cain and Abel, the children of Adam and Eve, that they give a percentage of their income back to Him. It is the same for us now. Our beautiful parish here survives or dies based on your kindness and generosity. We have no other revenue streams than what you and I give in the collection basket. We must ask ourselves: Why is giving money back to the Church and to God a critical part of the Christian way of life?

The answer is in the next sentence of the Gospel passage: “A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. … ‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’”

There it is! This poor widow gave God the one thing that the God of the universe does not have—her heart! The reason we give back to God a percentage of our income, like this poor widow, is because it forces us to trust in God’s care for us. We only give our hearts to those we trust. This poor widow in the Gospel did that. That is why she gave what little money she had—because her heart was given over to God first. Only people in a loving relationship with the living God can give in this way. If we want to grow in love with God, we must first surrender to God. Oftentimes, that means letting more of our ego die by giving more of our money away.

On the evening of September 30, 1897, a group of Carmelite nuns gathered in the convent infirmary to witness the final moments of one of their own. “For more than two hours, a terrible rattle tore her chest,” wrote one sister present that night. “Her face was blue, her hands were purplish, her feet were cold, and she trembled throughout her body. Perspiration formed large droplets on her forehead and rolled down her cheeks. Her breathing difficulties intensified, accompanied by involuntary cries.” The scene was heart-wrenching, leaving the sisters to watch in silent agony as her last breaths escaped her frail lungs. Suddenly, she clutched the crucifix with her remaining strength, gazing intently at the image of the crucified Christ, and cried out her final declaration of praise: “My God, I love you!” With that, she passed away, her head falling back against the pillow.

The individual in question was none other than St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Her last words epitomized her life’s mission: to love God “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”, as we hear Jesus tell us in today’s Gospel passage. These simple, “My God, I love you!” yet profound words encapsulate her entire doctrine and interpretation of the Gospel. The act of love expressed in her final breath represented the continuous essence of her soul and the rhythm of her heart. Her life was dedicated to a fervent pursuit of God through acts of love manifested even in the smallest gestures. Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, referred to her as an “expert in the scientia amoris” (Science of Love).

St. Thérèse’s life story has captivated people worldwide, with her autobiography published in eighty-nine editions and available in over sixty languages. In France, The Story of a Soul ranks second only to the Holy Bible in terms of distribution. The widespread appeal of the Little Way over the past century can largely be attributed to its profound simplicity and applicability. One does not need to retreat to the isolation of the Egyptian desert, as the Desert Fathers did, nor reside within the cloistered walls of a medieval monastery to embrace her spirituality. It is not necessary to practice radical poverty, as exemplified by St. Francis and St. Clare, or to traverse the countryside preaching Christ’s message like St. Dominic and his early followers. Furthermore, a towering intellect, akin to that of St. Augustine or St. Anselm, is not required to grasp its depths. All that St. Thérèse asks is a genuine willingness to love God in all aspects of life. This love can be expressed anywhere—within the confines of a convent, on mission fields, within families, in workplaces, and across different eras.

As the name suggests, the Little Way does not demand grand gestures or heroic deeds. It can be practiced in the ordinary circumstances of daily life, regardless of the unique vocation each individual is called to pursue. The spirituality of the Little Way is not merely a single, direct path to sanctity; rather, it consists of vital components united by a singular motivation. Just as a grand orchestra is composed of numerous musicians, the Little Way is centered around love as its fundamental theme.

When we love in this manner, we embody the love of Jesus Christ. The saints we celebrated just a few days ago on the Solemnity of All Saints shows us that we too can love Jesus like they did.  

The saints serve as a poignant reminder of our shared familial bond. Death cannot sever the ties that bind us in Christ; rather, it enriches our existence, affirming that we are made even more alive in the embrace of Heaven.

St. Mary's is a popular place for weddings. As part of the preparations for the big day, I ask each couple why they are marrying the other person. I'd like to share with you a response from a recent bride. Notice, the heart of her search is the gnawing desire of love we all seek: 

I am marrying Jacob because I love him. He is a holy man of God and I know that he will bring us to heaven and raise up a holy family for Christ. He has a deep love for God and I can see that through everything he does and says. He is so gentle, loving, and kind. He gets along with everyone and cares so deeply about each person he comes in contact with. He is a genuine person. He is so handsome and funny and has such a fun personality. I immediately fell in love with everything about him. He loves me so much and shows his love for me through his words and actions. He cares for my whole being, and for my soul. When I am anxious, he takes me to adoration. He is patient with me when I am stressing about school or work. He just cares so deeply :)

I prayed for my vocation so often. I thought I needed to “figure it out” as soon as possible so I could begin to discern either marriage or religious life. Deep down, I always desired to get married. I desired so deeply to be a mother and raise up a big beautiful family, but I was always open to whatever the Lord wanted for me. When I first met Jacob, I had a feeling that we would get married one day. I just knew. But I was so hesitant and nervous to date him because I didn’t yet discern the religious life and I had thought that I should discern and pray about it more. I knew I wanted to date him, but I didn’t know if the Lord wanted me to. So when he asked me out, I turned him down. I was so heartbroken, I immediately ran to the chapel and cried. I wanted to date him, I wanted to marry him! Why did I turn him down? I prayed about it and asked the Lord what he wanted me to do. I decided to pray a surrender novena and just accept what the Lord was trying to do in my life. I sought advice and spiritual direction during the next 9 days. My spiritual director told me that dating is a form of discernment, which is so true. Through my prayer, I felt like the Lord was calling me to just trust him. It was not a coincidence, it was through God’s providence that Jacob ended up in Vacaville for baseball and was already committed to UMary before I met him. And it was also Divine Providence that led to my decision to stay at UMary after a difficult first year. God was placing Jacob in my life for a reason. I just needed to trust him. After the surrender novena, I talked to Jacob and told him that if he asked me out again, I would say yes. He said he wanted to, but he asked if I wanted to pray a surrender novena before he did! So I prayed a second novena, with Jacob this time! Our first date was on October 1st, the feast day of my patron saint, St. Therese of Lisieux! Everything was just so perfect and it was so clear that God was present throughout our entire relationship and arranging things so beautifully. Through Jacob’s and my relationship, I realized that God places desires on our heart for a reason. He knows our desires and wants to fill our joy abundantly. God is so good and I am so grateful to him every day for everything He has given me. 

I have so many beautiful memories with Jacob. Solely by the grace of God, we were able to go to Rome with the University of Mary together. We experienced the physical beauty of the Catholic Church together and fell more in love with the Lord. In Italy, I prayed so much about my vocation. I surrendered everything to God. We had been dating for 8 months and I was pretty sure I wanted to marry him, but I was still open if the Lord wanted to call me out of the relationship. Our group went to Assisi one weekend and it was such a moving experience! It was so peaceful there! We were both praying in front of the San Damiano crucifix (in separate pews:) This was where St. Francis received his vocation and radically changed his life. So I prayed that if there was ever a better time for the Lord to ask me to be a sister, now was that time. I asked the Lord how He wanted me to serve Him. I felt that the Lord was telling me “Elise, keep loving me how  you are loving me.” I immediately felt so much peace knowing that we were doing the right thing. I feel like it was there that my prayer switched from “Lord, what is my vocation?” to “Lord, how can I live this vocation well?” After that day, I was sure that I was going to marry Jacob.

Another one of my favorite memories with Jacob was our engagement. We were long distance last summer and he flew in and surprised me with the proposal. When he proposed, Jacob told me that he wanted to serve God through loving me and serving me and our future family. He washed my feet as a gesture of his love and service. It was such a beautiful moment!

What do you love the most? To get at the heart of this answer, we can ask ourselves what we spend the most time and money on. These are usually connected. If I love something, I spend most of my attention on it. If something is near and dear to me, I will give it the utmost care and attention. Whatever commands my time and resources, is usually on the highest pedestal of my love. Take for example a modern American city. Apply this principle to its landscape and ask, what buildings does this city spend its most time and resources on? If you drive past downtown Sacramento, the tallest building that dominates the city skyline is the Wells Fargo building. In the center of the city, the Sacramento Kings play in the new Golden One arena surrounded by a glistening new shopping and restaurant district, costing over 7 billion dollars. If you take a drive past downtown San Francisco, the tallest building that pierces the sky is the 61 story Salesforce Tower. Just south of there, along the shore of the Bay, sits the white Chase Center, where the Golden State Warriors play in a palatial 1.4 billion dollar complex. What do we tend to love as a modern American culture? What do we spend our time and resources on? The answer is clear – we love money and entertainment. 

What do you love? In the famous story between Jesus and the rich young man, our Lord is attempting to answer this question. The young man comes up to him and asks, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What a fantastic question! At least this young man is beginning with the proper question. He is at a place in his life where he is pondering and reflecting on the bigger questions of life. He is not merely concerned about the traditional distractions we can all get distracted with, like money, power, honor and pleasure. He asks rightly, “How do I get saved?” Jesus quotes to him part of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He responds, “All of these I have observed from my youth.” He is earnestly striving to be holy. But Jesus knows he lacks one thing… love. When Jesus asked him to let go of his worldly possessions, he went “away sad”. He loved money more than God. 

What do you love? That is the question that Jesus forces us to grapple with this Sunday. What do I spend my most time and money on? In a few short weeks, we are launching a new short Bible Study on the Biblical roots of the Holy Mass. We will have it in both English and Spanish, to help accommodate our diverse parish family. In it, we will get to the heart of this question of love. The Holy Mass has been the center of our Christian civilization for the last 2,000 years. The Holy Mass has been at the heart of our time and resources of generations of Catholics over the centuries. Great cathedrals, musicians, and artists have given their time, talent and treasure to what we do each Sunday. If you want to understand more deeply about the Mass, the Bible Study is for you. If you find Mass boring, the Bible Study is for you. If you want to know why the Mass is the most important event of your life, the Bible Study is for you. 

Jesus touches on one of his most controversial teachings in today's Sunday Gospel -- divorce and remarriage. He tells the Pharisees when they ask, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" He responds, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  (Cf. Mark 10:11-12). Ask any priest, this topic of divorce and remarriage occupies many of our meetings with parishioners who come to our office with heartbreaking stories. We have to balance fidelity to Christ's clear teaching and the unique circumstances of each family. It's rarely easy or smooth. To help us understand, we must go back to God's original plan for the family in the book of Genesis. 

There is nothing on earth more precious than a child. No amount of wealth, money, gold bars, fast cars, or mansions, or lands can ever equal the value of a human soul. Always go back to the foundational scripture verse that undergirds our view of human rights in Western Civilization: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Cf. Genesis 1:27). From this first principle, we were taught that every human person has intrinsic dignity and worth and must be fiercely guarded. If you’ve ever wondered why the Catholic Church vehemently trumpets the cause of the Pro-Life Movement and fight against assisted suicide, or as the poignant saying goes, “From conception to natural death” is because of the Book of Genesis. The Church will always fight for the unborn and the vulnerable. It cannot do otherwise, if we want to stay faithful to the words of Jesus Christ. 

In today’s Gospel, our Lord is strikingly clear. He says “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (Cf. Mark 9:42). He uses an image of horrible death to convey the care that must be shown towards life, especially weak life. Children, the elderly, and the sickly are especially vulnerable. They need others to care for them. For us who are strong, we are called to defend them, not exploit. For us with wealth and influence, we are entrusted with their well being and not be silent. The Christian disciple, at their most noble, is a ferocious warrior for life. 

That is why the Catholic Church has a proud legacy of being the largest charitable organization that has ever existed. We run over 18,000 clinics, 16,000 homes for the elderly, 5,500 hospitals (65% of these are in Third World countries). According to the Pontifical Academy of the Pastoral Care of Healthcare Workers, which tracks these statistics, the Catholic Church runs over 26% of the world's healthcare facilities. In education, “the Church runs 74,368 kindergartens worldwide attended by 7,565,095 pupils; 100,939 primary schools for 34,699,835 pupils; 49,868 secondary schools for 19,485,023 pupils. In addition, it follows 2,483,406 high school pupils and 3,925,325 university students” (Agenzia Fides).

I share these statistics to show the great and often, underreported work that our fellow Catholic brothers and sisters are doing on any given day throughout the world. So oftentimes, we only tend to pay attention to the bad news, which is always one too many. Nonetheless, the work of Jesus Christ continues and will never stop until the day he returns in the Second Coming. Until then, the next time you look at innocent life, remember whose “image and likeness” they are created in. 

Jesus became poor for our sake. In response, we must love the poor among us. They are Christ in disguise. 

Every Christian has a gift. The only question is what do we do with it?