Homilies from the National Shrine

By The Marian Fathers

These difficult times demand that we turn back to the beautiful mystery of who God is and what it means to be His cherished children. Listen in to the daily homilies from the Marian Fathers at the Nat... more

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Number 1: The 7 Sorrows of Mary: Did Mary Feel Pain The Way We Do? | Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
In this powerful teaching, Fr. Chris Alar reflects on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, showing how deeply Mary was united to the Passion of Jesus. Scripture reveals her Seven Sorrows: Simeon’s prophecy, the flight into Egypt, losing Jesus for three days, meeting Him on the road to Calvary, the Crucifixion, receiving His body, and His burial. Mary gave birth to Jesus without the pains of labor according to a longstanding Christian tradition, but at Calvary she experienced the painful spiritual labor of becoming Mother of the Church. Jesus gave her to us when He said, “Behold, your mother.” If we are truly her children, we must ask a difficult question: Are our sins, divisions, indifference, and rejection of Christ continuing to pierce the heart of our Mother? Mary continues to sorrow over the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, because a mother suffers when her children turn away from her Son. This call to repentance is powerfully connected with Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda, where devotion to the Seven Sorrows was emphasized in the Church-approved apparitions. Let us recommit ourselves to praying the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, asking Mary to obtain for us the grace to recognize our sins, sincerely repent, and experience true conversion. May we stop being children who add to our Mother’s sorrows and instead become children who console her heart by loving, following, and remaining faithful to Jesus. Our Lady of Sorrows, Mother of the Church, pray for us and lead us to your Son. Readings for September 15th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091526.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. Fair Use Policy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/house/fair-use-policy ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media! 📸 Instagram: / thedivinemercy 🔵 Facebook: / divinemercyofficial 【ꚠ】TikTok: / marianfathers Download our AD FREE app Divine Mercy Plus: https://divinemercyplus.org/our-apps ★ Support this podcast ★
September 15, 202617min
Number 2: From the Golden Calf to Burning Man: The Paganism of Today | Fr. Chris Alar, MIC
In his teaching on anger and the Seven Deadly Sins, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, points to Burning Man as a striking microcosm of a culture increasingly confused about the meaning of freedom. Its emphasis on radical self-expression can reflect a deeper temptation of our age: I decide for myself what is good, what is true, and how I will live. When freedom becomes detached from God, truth, and moral responsibility, self-expression can become self-worship. Scripture gives us a different path: “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor 15:33), and Christians are repeatedly called to flee from what leads us into sin. Like the golden calf, the danger is ultimately idolatry; not necessarily worshiping an animal or statue, but placing the human person and our desires where God belongs. This connects directly with anger and the deadly sins. Our culture increasingly promises instant pleasure, instant gratification, and freedom without restraint; when our desires are frustrated, anger easily follows. Christianity proposes something radically different: authentic freedom is not the ability to satisfy every desire, but the grace and strength to choose what is good, even when it requires sacrifice. The desert has long symbolized spiritual combat: Christ faced Satan there, and the early monks entered the desert to confront temptation through prayer and self-denial. Catholics should therefore discern carefully the environments they enter and what those environments celebrate. We do not need to “play with fire” to understand it. We are called instead to pursue holiness, discipline our passions, reject modern forms of idolatry, and worship God rather than ourselves. Readings for September 13th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091326.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. Fair Use Policy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/house/fair-use-policy ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ★ Support this podcast ★
September 13, 202620min
Number 3: God’s Plan Is for Our Salvation, Not Our Comfort | Fr. David Gunter, MIC
Fr. David Gunter, MIC, teaches that suffering, persecution, and the trials we face each day can make us more Christ-like. Difficulties are not necessarily signs that God has abandoned us. God remains with us and gives us the grace we need to endure what comes. When we become consumed by anxiety and worry, we can ask whether we are truly trusting in God’s providence. Often, our struggle comes from focusing on our own will, what we want to happen, rather than surrendering ourselves to the will of God. God has a plan, but His plan is ultimately directed toward our salvation, not simply our comfort. In moments of suffering, disappointment, or uncertainty, we can ask: “Lord, what are You trying to teach me at this very moment of my life?” The words of St. Paul remain relevant today, just as they were two thousand years ago. Sin and selfishness weaken our relationships and our world. We see how quickly people become angry and how difficult it can be to receive and give genuine love. The deepest problems of the human heart cannot be solved by politics alone. Rather than allowing television, news, anger, and the troubles of the world to consume us, we can turn our attention back to God. The invitation is simple but challenging: surrender to God. Trust Him. Seek His will rather than our own. Remember that He has never abandoned us, and allow every trial to draw us closer to Christ. Readings for September 16th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/0916-memorial-cornelius-cyprian.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. Fair Use Policy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/house/fair-use-policy ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media! 📸 Instagram: / thedivinemercy 🔵 Facebook: / divinemercyofficial 【ꚠ】TikTok: / marianfathers Download our AD FREE app Divine Mercy Plus: https://divinemercyplus.org/our-apps ★ Support this podcast ★
September 16, 202610min
Number 4: Understanding God’s Grace: Catholic vs. Protestant | Fr. Chris Alar
In this homily, Fr. Chris Alar explores the Grace of God and the key differences between Catholic and Protestant understandings of grace and salvation. Discover how God freely gives us His grace, how we are called to respond and cooperate with it, and how that grace transforms our lives in Christ. A meaningful reflection for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of faith, grace, salvation, and our relationship with God. ★ Support this podcast ★
August 26, 202619min
Number 5: From Calvary to the Altar: The Mother Christ Gave to His Church” | Fr. Daniel Klimek
In this powerful teaching, Fr. Daniel Klimek reflects on Mary’s maternal role in the mystery of Christ and in the spiritual battle for salvation. Mary does not compete with Jesus or take His place—she always leads us to Him. From the Cross, Christ Himself entrusted His Mother to the beloved disciple: “Behold, your mother.” Fr. Klimek emphasizes that the Mother who stood beside her Son at Calvary remains spiritually present as the Church celebrates the sacrifice of the Mass. Her presence always points toward Christ and His saving sacrifice. The Rosary, therefore, does not distract us from Jesus; it draws us more deeply into the mysteries of His life, Passion, death, and Resurrection through the contemplation of the Mother who remained faithfully beside Him. Fr. Klimek also warns against theological and liturgical interpretations that can unnecessarily separate Marian devotion from the worship and spiritual life of the Church. In an age of spiritual confusion and deception, his teaching calls Catholics to rediscover Mary as Mother of the Church, Queen of Heaven, and a mother who intercedes for and protects her children in the battle against evil. His final call is urgent: we are engaged in a profound spiritual battle against Satan, and we must not forget the Mother Christ gave us from the Cross. Scripture presents the woman and her offspring in opposition to the serpent, an image Catholic tradition has long contemplated in relation to Mary and Christ’s victory over evil. This is why the Rosary is so important in spiritual warfare: through Mary, we contemplate Jesus and remain anchored in the mysteries of our salvation. Take up the Rosary, remain close to Our Lady, and never allow the Mother to be separated from the Son to whom she always leads us. Readings for September 26th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092626.cfm © 2026 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. All rights reserved. Fair Use Policy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/house/fair-use-policy ⭐️ Support our Ministries: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/donate... ✝️ Explore Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Plus! https://divinemercyplus.org/?source=YT ⛪️ Plan Your Visit to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy! https://www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/?... Follow Us on Social Media! 📸 Instagram: / thedivinemercy 🔵 Facebook: / divinemercyofficial 【ꚠ】TikTok: / marianfathers Download our AD FREE app Divine Mercy Plus: https://divinemercyplus.org/our-apps ★ Support this podcast ★
September 26, 202619min