Homilies+

France needed to fall in love with the priesthood again, and God sent St. John Vianney.

What if the greatest gift in your life right now is the greatest need you have in your life right now? We know that God loves us and provides for us, but it is only in our needs that we discover if we really depend on him or on ourselves. Our Lord reveals to us that our needs are exactly where he wants to meet us in our life and perform miracles for us. Why do we run from our needs, from God? The Lord Jesus is inviting us to live in the abundance of confidence in his providence instead of the scarcity of relying on ourselves for our needs.

Most of our worst decisions that we make in life are not because we lacked information, but because we lacked perspective. Our lives are too often governed by the urgency of present emergencies rather then the certainty of eternal promises. Jesus teaches us that the present moment can only be understood from the perspective of the end to which all things are moving. When I make my daily decisions, am I being governed more by earth's emergencies or Heaven's certainties? The Lord invites us into the freedom of the gift of hope which endures all things in this life for greater fruit at harvest time.

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

"O God, who consecrated that abundant first fruits of the Roman Church by the blood of the Martyrs, grant, we pray, that with firm courage we may together draw strength from so great a struggle and ever rejoice at the triumph of faithful love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever." Collect for Today's Mass

"...two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self." - St. Augustine

"I only really love God as much as I love the person I love the least." - The Servant of God Dorothy Day.

Does God need our works? Why are our works vitally important in our relationship with God?

Our Lord promises to send the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and condemnation.

Peace is not just the absence of war, but the tranquility of right order.