The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030426.cfm

Father Tyler Mentzer, MIC, invites us to contemplate what it truly means to “reign with Christ.” He opens with a striking analogy: a modern “geodome” that creates a flawless, wind‑less environment for trees. In that artificial sanctuary, the trees flourish at first, but their roots remain shallow. Without needing to withstand the wind, the trees become top‑heavy. Their fragile roots cannot anchor them, and they eventually topple.

Father Tyler draws a parallel between those fragile trees and a life that lacks adversity. When we seek a perfect, trouble‑free existence, we attempt to eliminate the “wind” that deepens and strengthens our spiritual roots. The Gospel warns us that greatness in the Kingdom is measured, not by position, but by humble service. Jesus tells the disciples that the first shall be the greatest only when he becomes everyone else’s servant.

Father Tyler reminds us that the very trials Jesus endured — 40 days in the desert; the temptations of Satan; the agony of the Cross — were the winds that proved His unshakable love for the Father. Likewise, the request of James and John to sit at Christ’s right and left reveals a self‑inflated desire for power. Jesus redirects them, teaching that true headship is found in laying down one’s life for others, echoing the servant leadership modeled at the Last Supper when He washed His disciples’ feet.

In our own lives, the “wind” can be professional setbacks, relational conflicts, or the quiet suffering of daily duties. When we meet these challenges with faith, we are compelled to deepen our roots in the Father’s love, allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen us from within. The Sacraments — especially Confession, Baptism, and the Eucharist — provide the nourishment that sustains us through the storm, reminding us that we are already participants in Christ’s reign when we serve selflessly.

Father Tyler urges us to ask: Do I seek the comfort of a wind‑less dome, or do I welcome the gusts that shape my character? By choosing to serve, to love, and to sacrifice, we already reign with Christ, even if the world does not notice. At the final judgment, the Church teaches that we will be judged by the depth of our love of God and neigbor—; that is, by how far we have sunk our roots into the Father’s boundless mercy.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030326.cfm

Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC, reminds us that true love begins with God and flows outward to every human soul. He explains that those who love themselves more than God impose heavy burdens on those around them, while those who love God above all seek to lift the weight from others. In this spirit, St. Katharine Drexel, born into immense wealth in 1858, chose to see the world through God’s eyes.

Educated by devout parents, she inherited more than $7 million — a fortune that would equal hundreds of millions today. Yet she recognized that money was not as valuable as the good works it could perform.. Guided by the prophetic call “wash yourselves clean … make justice your aim,” she turned her inheritance into works of mercy for orphans, widows, African‑American families, and the Native‑American peoples.

She requested missionaries for Wyoming from the Holy See, and the Pope’s reply — “why don’t you become a missionary?” — sparked a radical conversion. She surrendered her fortune, prompting headlines that read “Drexel Gives Up $7 Million.” From that surrender sprang 51convents, 60schools, and 145 missions across the United States, including Xavier University, the first historically Black Catholic university.

For St. Katharine, the Eucharist was the living source of every act of charity. She taught that when we behold Christ hidden in the Sacrament, we also see Him hidden in each person we serve. The humble sacrifice of the Mass empowers us to love without selfish gain, inspiring and enabling her own life of self‑offering.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030226.cfm

Father Chris Alar, MIC, reminds us that Jesus’ warning, “Judge not, lest you be judged” applies to condemning persons, not discerning sin. He explains that while an act may be objectively grave — abortion, theft, or any violation of God’s moral law — we often lack full knowledge of the person’s heart and circumstances, so we must address the action, not label the individual.

Father Chris warns against the cultural tide of relativism that blurs objective truth. He points to the Equality Act, describing it as a legislative effort that would force churches, schools, and hospitals to abandon the Church’s teaching on marriage, gender, and the sanctity of life. He calls this “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” urging believers to stand firm on the truth revealed by Scripture and the Magisterium.

Balancing mercy with truth, he cites Augustine: “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” True mercy involves lovingly correcting the errant behavior that endangers souls, not excusing it. He stresses that the Church’s works of mercy include admonishing sinners, protecting the vulnerable, and upholding the dignity of every human person while defending the objective moral order.

Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC, opens his homily by declaring that the true test of love which distinguishes Christians is the love of the enemy. He reminds us that Christ commands this love, and that it is the hallmark that sets the Church apart from both believers and non‑believers. By examining the lives of the saints, we see that genuine love is measured not by affection but by the willingness to wish the good of the other, especially their salvation, even when that person has caused us great pain.

He cites G.K. Chesterton’s insight that love becomes a virtue only when it embraces the unlovable. Father Matthew stresses that loving those who love us yields no spiritual reward; the real treasure lies in loving those who have nothing good to give us. Drawing on Aquinas, Father Tomeny explains that love is the willing of the other’s good, not a feeling of fondness. He challenges listeners to ask themselves whether they truly love their enemies or merely love the good that can be obtained through them.

To illustrate sacrificial love, he recounts the story of Monsignor Flannery, an Irish priest who, during the Nazi occupation of Rome, built a network of safe houses that saved countless Jews. After the war, the very Gestapo officer whose life he had saved—Colonel Kepler—sought Flannery’s help for his own family. Flannery’s unconditional love led him to aid the former enemy, ultimately guiding Kepler to baptism fifteen years later. This transformation demonstrates how love of the enemy can soften hardened hearts and draw even the most sinful toward God.

Father  Matthew warns against the temptation to seek vengeance, noting that true heroism is not the triumph over evil but the willingness to lay down one’s own safety for the good of the other, receiving nothing in return. He reminds us that God’s love is given freely, without expectation, and that we are called to mirror this divine generosity. While setting healthy boundaries is permissible, the ultimate goal is to love in a way that reveals God’s mercy to the enemy, breaking cycles of hatred and inviting conversion.

He concludes with a prayerful invitation: may the Blessed Virgin intercede for us so that, like Christ and the saints, we may love our enemies out of love for God, allowing His mercy to flow through us to a world desperate for healing. May we each ask for the grace to love without condition, trusting that such love reflects the very heart of the Father.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022726.cfm

Father Chris Alar, MIC, begins by reminding us that forgiveness is often misunderstood. He explains that we are called to let go of resentment, not to forge a friendship with the one who harms us. Forgiveness, he says, releases the heart from hatred while leaving space for justice.

He then draws us into a powerful story from the 2014 World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. Pastor Mira Garcia, a Colombian mother, endured the murder of her father, the killing of her husband, the kidnapping and death of her daughter, and the brutal loss of her son. Yet, amid unimaginable grief, she chose to care for the very man who had killed her child. By praying to the Blessed Virgin for the strength to forgive, she moved beyond mere forgiveness into true reconciliation—a mercy that restores, not merely releases.

Father Chris emphasizes that the Church calls us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, not simply the Sacrament of Forgiveness. In that Sacrament, God does not turn us away after we are absolved; He draws us back into communion with Himself. Mercy, therefore, surpasses forgiveness: it heals the wound and rebuilds the broken relationship.

Father Chis warns against “false mercy” that ignores accountability. Justice and correction, offered in love, are themselves works of mercy. We are invited to confront wrongdoing, seek restitution, and yet pray for the grace to forgive, following Christ’s example.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022626.cfm

Father  Daniel  Klimek, PhD, challenges us to let the Golden Rule become the litmus test of every relationship. He reminds us that the command “do to others whatever you would have them do to you” is not only the law of the prophets but also a mirror of the contrasting dynamics found in the angelic and demonic hierarchies. In the demonic community, power is exercised through control, abuse and isolation, with stronger demons exploiting the weaker. The angelic community, by contrast, models generosity: The seraphim, nearest to God, receive the deepest experience of divine love and willingly transmit that love to the lower angelic and saintly orders, fostering communion rather than division.

Father Daniel invites us to examine our own interactions. Do we, consciously or unconsciously, impose control, emotional abuse, or isolation on others or ourselves? He urges a radical empathy that goes beyond polite respect, asking us to mentally inhabit the other person’s suffering, poverty, and woundedness. Such empathy opens the path to forgiveness, because we begin to see our hurt, not as merely an affront to our ego, but as the consequence of another soul bruised by pain.

Viewing others through “supernatural eyes,” as Fr. Daniel puts it, means recognizing the inherent human dignity both of ourselves and of our neighbors. 

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022226.cfm

Father Chris  Alar, MIC, invites us to reconsider the Genesis story in light of both tradition and modern discoveries. He notes that scientific genealogy now points to a single ancestral woman, reinforcing the plausibility that Adam and Eve were actual historical persons. He stresses that the biblical account employs symbolic language to convey theological truth, not to serve as a scientific textbook. The garden, he explains, symbolizes the state of grace—a divine communion that humanity originally shared with the Father. By locating the entrance of Eden to the east, the ancient tradition connects the garden with the tabernacle and the Holy of Holies, the most sacred space where God dwelt among his people.

Father Chris distinguishes the two creation narratives, showing that one offers a chronological outline while the other provides a vivid visual metaphor of God shaping man from the earth. He reiterates that humanity is a unique composite of matter and spirit, endowed with a rational, immortal soul that separates us from animals. The episode of the tree of knowledge, according to Fr. Chris, is less about acquiring moral awareness and more about the tragic attempt to seize God’s legal authority over good and evil—a theme that mirrors contemporary attempts to legislate morality.

Father Chris also links the garden imagery to the Church’s Sacramental life, describing the tabernacle as a miniature Eden where the Holy of Holies resides. He reminds listeners that the Sacraments are the ordinary channels through which God continues to offer the grace first granted in Eden. By understanding these layers, we can love our faith more deeply and recognize that the Our Father, the Mass, and the Sacraments are extensions of that original divine intimacy.

During this Lenten season, Fr. Chris encourages the faithful to use the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to enter more fully into the mystery of Eden, allowing the heart to be transformed by the same grace that first animated Adam.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022426.cfm

Father Mark Baron, MIC, invites us to move beyond a superficial recitation of the Our Father and let this prayer become the heartbeat of our Lenten journey. He reminds us that the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, calling us to the three classic practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines are not ends in themselves; they are pathways that lead us into a richer relationship with the Holy Trinity.

Father Mark stresses that Jesus warned against “babbling like the pagans,” whose prayers were empty repetitions aimed at manipulating distant gods. In contrast, our Father knows our needs before we ask, and He invites us into an engaged, relational dialogue. Father Mark explains that God created us as image‑bearers so that we can reflect His holiness in our words, deeds, and community life. When we pray the Our Father slowly, ruminating on each petition, we align our will with the Father’s, asking that His kingdom come; that His will be done; for daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation.

He points out that true prayer ordinarily requires the support of the Sacraments — the Eucharist, Confession, and the other means of grace that sustain us when our human strength falters. By receiving the Sacraments, we open ourselves to the grace that makes our repeated prayers meaningful rather than mechanical.

Father Mark also addresses a common misunderstanding: that repetitive prayer is “babbling.” He notes that Scripture itself contains beautiful repetitions (e.g., the Psalms) and that Jesus Himself prayed repetitively the night before His Passion, demonstrating that sustained, heartfelt prayer deepens faith. Likewise, contemporary worship songs often repeat refrains to embed truth in the heart.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022326.cfm

Father Chris  Alar, MIC reminds us that works do not earn salvation; only God’s grace saves (CCC, 1987). Yet the Church teaches that we must co‑operate with that grace. As Fr. Chris explains, each soul faces a particular judgment at death, meeting Christ in His human nature, and later a general judgment when Christ returns to judge all humanity (see Jn 5:22‑23). The Scriptures picture this final assembly in the “valley of Jehoshaphat,” drawn from Joel 3:2, where angels separate the good from the bad.

Father Chris contrasts David’s flight from Jerusalem with Jesus’ deliberate return to be judged, showing that avoidance leads to condemnation while Christ embraces the sacrifice for our redemption. He cites the familiar parable of the wheat and the weeds (Mt 13:24‑30) and the separation of sheep from goats (Mt 25:31‑46) to illustrate the ultimate sorting of souls.

A central point is the necessity of Confession. Unconfessed sins are exposed at judgment, whereas confessed sins are sealed (CCC 1451). Father Chris stresses that God’s justice is always tempered by mercy: “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” (Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska, 723). This mercy flows through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose prayers unite with ours and draw us toward the divine will (CCC 2675).

Father Chris also addresses contemporary objections that “Jesus did it all, so there is no hell.” He refutes this by affirming human free will: God’s love respects our freedom, and those who freely reject Him choose separation, which is the reality of hell (CCC 1037). As C.S. Lewis observed, “The gates of hell are locked from the inside,” underscoring that the choice belongs to the soul.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022126.cfm

Fr. Gabe  Cillo, MIC challenges us to examine the condition of our souls: “Who here wants to be healthy spiritually?” The Gospel reminds us that “those who are well need no physician, but those who are sick do” (Lc 5:31; NABRE). In this Lenten moment the priest points to the universal sickness caused by sin, emphasizing that our only cure is the grace of God initiated in Christ.

The Catechism teaches that justification is “the free and unmerited gift of God’s grace” (CCC 1987). As Fr. Gabe explains, the first instant of conversion is wholly God’s initiative; human effort alone cannot bring the dead in sin to life. This aligns with Saint Augustine’s insight that the “doctor of grace” must be empowered by divine mercy, for without Christ’s sacrifice even the Immaculate Conception of Mary rests entirely on His redemptive work.

Turning away from God is likened to turning one’s back on a parent—a gesture of profound disrespect. The priest uses this vivid image to illustrate that rejecting Christ is a betrayal of the Father, while conversion is the act of turning back. Scripture affirms this: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice…that they may turn and be saved” (Hos 6:6; NABRE). The Holy Spirit, moved by love, calls us to repentance, yet the power to change resides in Christ alone.

In practical terms, the homily urges believers to recognize their spiritual illness, to seek the physician of Christ through the sacraments, prayer, and sincere repentance. By embracing the divine bridegroom’s invitation, we exchange the “hand that turns away” for the “hand that reaches out,” experiencing the healing that only God can provide. May this Lenten season become a genuine turning‑back, restoring our health in the Spirit and preparing us for the wedding feast of the Lamb.