Fr. Brian Soliven Sermons

Have you ever wondered why we are "Roman" Catholic and not just Catholic? The courageous, 3rd century saint, we remember today shows us why. 

We all want healing in some way or another. We all want that magic pill to make the pain go away. In today's Gospel, we see why the suffering came to Jesus in droves, almost crushing him. They understood the secret -- Jesus is that "magic pill". 

We're not all meant to have churches named after us but we're all called to be holy, glorious, eye-blistering saints. Impossible you say? Your sins are too big? Your love too small? Your faith is more fragile than a snowflake? If this is true about you, then you're precisely whom Jesus wants. Listen to words of St. Paul from the Second Reading, "you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy." (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:1-2) Without Christ, this mountain is insurmountable. However, I remember reading somewhere, "With God, all things are possible." What's my excuse now? 

Have you ever felt ashamed in the eyes of someone? Genesis chapter 3 reveals why. It depicts the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Immediately after the first bite of the Forbidden Fruit, sin rushes in faster than the ocean water into the Titanic after being struck by the iceberg. Our first reaction is to run and hide: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God." (Cf. Genesis 3: 7-8).

Humanity has been hiding from God and from one another ever since. Jesus has come to set us free as we hear in today's first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. We no longer need to stay hidden behind the trees. 

Last week I was in Napa for a priest conference. Over 180 priests from all over the country gathered for a week of talks on Sacred Scripture and prayer. I ran into old friends whom I haven't seen since my seminary days. One in particular, I later found out, is the excorcist in his diocese. He told me the one Scripture passage that demons especially loathe. When you hear it, you'll understand why.  

When Augustine converted to Catholicism he finally found the peace he had been thirsting for. He did not find it in the popular philosophies of his day, nor in a job title, or prestige, or bodily pleasure but rather in a person -- Jesus Christ. He famously wrote in his autobiography, The Confessions, probably the greatest one liner outside of Sacred Scripture: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You." All other earthly pursuits will leave us empty. 

Suffering is a gift! I say it again, suffering is a glorious gift. I know every fiber in your being is rebelling against it and the slithering, guttural voice of the Devil whispers, "See I told you God doesn't care about you. You're all alone." To see the gift, we must look through the eyes of Jesus Christ. Only then will your pain and my pain become radiant with meaning. 

In 2006, I was 26 years old, beginning my third year of seminary formation. I had more hair back then, less wrinkles, and even less wisdom. Nonetheless, my bishop at the time decided to send me to the Pontifical North American College in Rome to continue my theological studies. I would spend the next five years of my life in the Eternal City. By happy happenstance, Pope Benedict XVI was elected as the new pope the year before I arrived. His stalwart fidelity, towering intellect and utter humility would have a lasting impact as a young man preparing for priesthood. One particular instant in September of that year, I would never forget; it inspires me until this very day. 

*** Please enjoy this homily originally preached in 2021 in Holy Family Parish in Portola, Ca ***

There's no better way to begin 2021 then by reflecting on the beautiful Solemnity of Mary, The Mother of God. Each year, we as the Church begin with her. Why? How could we not? Jesus himself began his earthly existence with her. If we want to follow Christ, our master, we follow his lead. Mary, who held the baby Jesus in her arms and stared at the tiny little face when he laid in the manger. Thirty-three years later, Mary would hold the battered, bruised, bloody body of the dead Jesus in her arms below the cross. Same face. Same love intensified. She stayed by the side of Jesus when it mattered, when almost everyone else abandoned him. Mary, teach us how to follow your son all the way to the end. 

Christmas is just getting started! Let everyone else put away the decorations and lights. Not us Catholics -- we milk it. The birth of our Savior takes more than single day to celebrate. Today, the Church gives us St. John the Evangelist as the example of how to follow the light. Now that God has broken into our history as a baby, it demands a change of life.