From the 7:30am Mass on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica, the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

My two points:

1. Is the Gospel a Burden?
2. Why do we do it? (Why do we practice the faith?)
   • For what we get out of it... worshipping ourselves?
   • Or, for God, worshipping Him?

From the 9:30am Mass on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

My three focuses:

1. St. Peter
2. Forgiving vs. Excusing
3. I Deserve Hell

My C.S. Lewis quotes are taken from The Weight of Glory, pp. 178 & 179. The poem about the Cross is by Elizabeth Cheney, and is often quoted by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Among other places, it can be found in Sheen's little book The Seven Last Words on page 53.

This Mass was livestreamed, the homily starts at 18:38, and can be found here.

From the 7:30am Mass on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Tim, Year A.

Fraternal correction is one of the highest forms of charity. So, why is it so difficult? We explore three reasons:

1. A Lack of Love
2. Not Aware of the Deadly Nature of Sin
3. Afraid to "Lose" Someone

From the 11:30am Mass on Sunday, August 27, 2023, the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak.

My three points:

1. Divinity embraces Humanity
   • God reaches down, and lifts man up
2. The Devil Rebels
   • To check the devil's rebellion, we must be obedient to God... but being obedient to rightful authority
3. Concrete Obedience
   • Obedience to the government (insofar as it shares in God's authority)
   • Obedience to Holy Mother Church

It all gets down to Jesus' question to the Apostles: "But who do you say that I am?" How do we answer Jesus? How do we answer Him with our lives?

From the 7:30am Mass on Sunday, August 20, 2023 at the National Shrine of the Little Flower, the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

The structure of the homily:

1. Our Scripture Readings
2. Today
3. The Person of Christ

Prayer: Lord Jesus, mighty God, I believe, help my unbelief. As a son cherishes the praise of his father, may my heart be open and accepting of the faith You offer me, that one day, my Father in heaven may be amazed at the great faith He finds in me. And so, Lord, I humbly ask You for the gift of faith, the gift of knowing You. Amen.

From the 6:00pm Mass on Sunday, August 13, 2023 at the National Shrine of the Little Flower, the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

My three points:

1. Silence
2. Prayer
3. Adoption as God's sons and daughters

Books referenced:

• The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys are Struggling and What We Can Do About It, by Dr. Warren Farrell and Dr. John Gray
• Guide to Contentment, by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (I don't think this is in print anymore)

From the 9:30am Mass on The Feast of the Transfiguration, on Sunday, August 6, 2023 at the National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak.

My three points:

1. Smarts are not Enough, We Need Witnesses
2. We Need Some Imagination
3. The Transfiguration

This Mass was livestreamed (the link can be found here). The homily begins at 16:25.

From the 6pm Mass at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, on Sunday, July 30, 2023, the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

My three points/reflections:

1. The Pearl of Great Price: The Church
2. Solomon's Request: To Judge
3. Psalm 119: To love what is right, and hate what is wrong

Action Item: Pray

• Pray to know right from wrong
• Pray to love what is right, and hate what is wrong

From the 7:30am Mass on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, July 23, 2023 at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak.