Why is it so difficult to be good?

In Part 3 of That They May Have Life, we move deeper into the heart of Christian morality. Because of original sin, our intellect is darkened, our will is weakened, and our passions are disordered. Yet Christ does not leave us there. He gives us grace.

This session explores how virtue forms us from within, how conscience guides our moral decisions, and how law and grace work together to transform us into the image of Christ.

Christian morality is not about “white-knuckling” holiness. It is about becoming the kind of person who can choose what is good quickly, joyfully, and with ease.

In Part 3 of the Called By Name series, Fr. Will reflects on the call of the first disciples in Matthew 4. While the Gospel can make it seem like the disciples followed Jesus instantly, the wider witness of Scripture shows that Jesus had already been drawing them into relationship over time.

This homily explores vocation as a twofold call: first into relationship—“Come after me”—and then into mission—“I will make you fishers of men.” Every baptized person shares in the universal call to holiness, while each of us also receives a particular vocation, most often lived through marriage, priesthood, or consecrated life.

The challenge is simple but demanding: like the disciples, we are asked to drop our nets, to let go of what we think will make us happy, and to trust that Jesus truly knows the way to our flourishing.

This session is the second talk in the That They May Have Life: Christian Morality series. Picking up from the previous week’s focus on happiness, beatitude, and conversion, Fr. Will turns to a central question of discipleship: if we are made for flourishing, why do we so often miss the mark?

The talk introduces the Catholic understanding of sin as an offense against love—often described in Scripture as “missing the mark”—and explains how original sin wounds human nature without destroying it. Fr. Will then clarifies the Church’s distinctions between mortal sin, venial sin, and moral imperfections or dispositions, emphasizing that sin is fundamentally a matter of the will and that healing and freedom come through Christ and the sacraments, especially reconciliation.

The session concludes by laying the groundwork for moral decision-making through the three fonts of morality (object, intention, circumstances), showing how acts are judged as good or evil and why some acts are intrinsically evil—wrong always and everywhere—regardless of intention. Throughout, the teaching is presented with a pastoral clarity that distinguishes judging actions from judging persons, encouraging both truth and mercy as Christians seek holiness and real freedom in Christ.

This homily is the second reflection in the Called by Name: Relationship, Identity, and Mission series. Preached by Dcn. Chris Haberberger, it focuses on the unshakable Christian identity revealed in baptism.

Beginning with the simple but searching question, “Who are you?”, the homily examines the many labels we use to define ourselves—our work, relationships, achievements, and affiliations—and the anxiety that arises when those identities shift or disappear. While these roles matter, they are ultimately fragile and unable to bear the full weight of the human heart.

Drawing from the Gospel of John, Dcn. Chris proclaims the central truth of the Christian faith: through baptism, we are not metaphorically but truly made sons and daughters of God. This identity is not achieved through performance or self-construction, but received as a gift of God’s love. From this secure identity flows true holiness, freedom, and vocation—not as anxious striving, but as a trusting response that can finally say, “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”

This reflection prepares the way for the final homily in the series, which will focus on mission as the fruit of relationship and identity.

Powerpoint is availible here

This homily marks the beginning of a three-part series, Called by Name: Relationship, Identity, and Mission, preached on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In this first reflection, Fr. Will Rooney focuses on the foundational truth that our Christian mission flows from relationship with God, not mere activity.

Drawing on the life of St. Louis IX and the Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, the homily explores how identity is revealed through relationship. Before Jesus begins His public ministry, the Father reveals Him as His beloved Son. This relationship—lived in prayer, trust, and communion—is the source of everything Jesus does.

Through baptism, we are invited to share in Christ’s own relationship with the Father, becoming beloved sons and daughters in the Son. This reflection challenges listeners to examine whether their lives are rooted in that relationship and to rediscover prayer, the sacraments, and intimacy with God as the true foundation for any authentic Christian mission.

This Adult Faith Formation session focuses on how Christians can intentionally grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Fr. Will Rooney presents the heart of the Christian life as a response to God’s love—received first as a gift and then lived out through charity, prayer, and daily faithfulness.

Drawing on Scripture, the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, and the wisdom of the Church, the talk emphasizes that growth in relationship with God is measured not by feelings but by growth in love. Participants are encouraged to deepen their relationship with Christ through daily prayer, fidelity to the commandments, frequent reception of the sacraments, and life within Christian community.

The session also includes guided reflection on personal values and the creation of a practical rule of life. By setting concrete, realistic goals rooted in virtue, participants are invited to cooperate with God’s grace and grow steadily in holiness, learning to love God, neighbor, and self more fully.

This homily is the final reflection in a three-part Christmas–Epiphany series on the family. Celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany and preached by Fr. Will Rooney, it focuses on the mission of the family as God’s chosen instrument for making Christ known to the world.

Reflecting on the visit of the Magi, this homily highlights how Jesus chose to manifest Himself not in power or prestige, but within the simplicity of the Holy Family. Their encounter with Christ changes them—and reveals a lasting truth: God continues to evangelize the world through families who welcome Him into their homes. Every family, despite its imperfections, is called to become an epiphany—a visible manifestation of Christ’s light that draws others to Him.

Fr. Will explores how families live this mission concretely by first being evangelized themselves, by forming communities of prayer and sacrificial love, and by allowing the grace of Christ to shape daily life. Through small, faithful practices—praying together, blessing the home, building relationships with neighbors—families become domestic churches where Christ’s light shines outward to the world.

This final homily completes the series by uniting the roles of fatherhood and motherhood with their shared purpose: to educate, empower, and evangelize, so that every nation may come to adore the Lord.

This homily is the second reflection in a three-part Christmas–Epiphany series on the family. Given by Dcn. Chris Haberberger on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, it focuses on the vocation of motherhood as God’s chosen way of giving His Son to the world.

The reflection highlights how God’s self-revelation comes not in abstraction, but within the simplicity of a family. Mary’s motherhood reveals the heart of Christian motherhood in every age: to give Jesus to the world by receiving Him, pondering Him in prayer, and responding with faithful love. Through the often hidden, daily sacrifices of mothers, homes become places where children first learn what it means to be loved, to belong, and to cry out to God as Father.

Recognizing that many families carry wounds or unmet hopes, this homily emphasizes that Mary is not only a model but also a refuge. Christ gives her to us as our Mother, and through her tenderness God continues to bring peace, mercy, and healing into real families as they are. This reflection builds upon the previous homily on fatherhood and prepares for the final installment of the series on the mission of the family at Epiphany.

This homily marks the beginning of a three-part Christmas–Epiphany series on the family, rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation. God chose to enter the world not simply as a man, but as a child born into a family—and in doing so, He reveals both the dignity of family life and its essential mission.

In this first reflection, Fr. Will focuses on the role of the father as provider and protector, drawing from Scripture, St. Paul’s teaching, and the example of St. Joseph. Christian fatherhood is presented as a vocation of authority ordered to charity—an authority that images Christ’s self-giving love for the Church and places the entire family in loving submission to Him.

Recognizing that many families carry wounds or fall short of the ideal, this homily emphasizes that the Church holds up the Holy Family not as an unattainable standard, but as a call to ongoing conversion and healing. This reflection sets the foundation for the rest of the series, which will continue with reflections on motherhood and the mission of the family in the world.

Series Outline (Optional to Include on Website or Podcast Page)

Part 1: The Role of the Father – Provider and Protector

Part 2: Motherhood (January 1)

Part 3: The Mission of the Family (Feast of the Epiphany)