You've written someone off. Maybe it's the relative who "isn't ready" to hear about God, the coworker you decided not to bother inviting, or the person in your own house who's hard to love right now. Maybe it's you. Father Alfonse says that's not your call to make — and he's got proof in a story about Abraham Lincoln you've never heard preached from a pulpit before.Note: If you'd like to attend the..Women's retreat (Aug 22-23) you can register here -https://forms.gle/ZHZqdPH5yHXFQb6q7)Men's retreat (Aug 29-30) you can register here -https://forms.gle/UPLQ11m2DKB4EV7LA)✝️ God throws His grace at every kind of ground — fertile, rocky, and hardened — without exception✝️ You don't get to decide who's "ready" to hear about God's love✝️ Father Alfonse admits he doesn't remember a single childhood homily except one✝️ Abraham Lincoln's stepmother — defying every "wicked stepmother" stereotype — helped shape a president who freed millions✝️ When someone offers you love, a hug, or a conversation, you don't earn it — you just have to let it in⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Welcome & the Parable of the Sower0:56 – God's Extravagant Generosity — Seed Thrown Everywhere1:45 – Father's Confession: The One Homily He Actually Remembers2:57 – The Rain That Falls on Every Kind of Ground (Isaiah 55)4:26 – The Unlikely Stepmother Who Shaped Abraham Lincoln7:08 – Let Them In: Receiving the Love Placed in Your Path9:27 – Announcement: Christ Renews His Parish Retreat🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:Lord, show me the person I've quietly decided isn't ready for You — and give me the courage to stop guarding the door. Soften the hard ground in my own heart too, so that when love, forgiveness, or grace is placed in front of me, I don't push it away. Let me be as generous with Your seed as You are.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:Isaiah 55:10-11 — "The rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there till they have watered the earth..."Matthew 13:1-23 — The Parable of the Sower🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:Think of one person you've privately decided "isn't the right time" to talk to about faith, or one person offering you love right now that you've been keeping at arm's length. This week, either say one honest sentence to them about where you stand with God, or simply let them in — answer the call, accept the hug, sit with the conversation you've been avoiding. Or go to Confession and answer God's call to closeness.💬 Share your experience in the comments below.We read every comment and lift up your prayer intentions. 🙏👍 LIKE if this spoke to your heart🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly homilies from Father Alfonse📤 SHARE with someone who needs to hear this📱 CONNECT WITH US:🌐 Parish Website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/📚 Substack Newsletter: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com📺 WATCH NEXT:Feeling Alone? This Is What God Wants You to Know Right Now — https://youtube.com/watch?v=P9VyTKGDhmgWhy Are We Mean to Family But Nice to Strangers? A Priest Explains — https://youtube.com/watch?v=df-5JRD1W-MThe Truth That Freed Me From Shame: God Already Knows and Still Loves Me — https://youtube.com/watch?v=tSE2ngUi88U#FatherAlfonse #CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #CatholicFaith #Forgiveness #SpiritualGrowth #Redemption #Family #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #LifeLessons #Inspiration #PersonalGrowth #Hope #Trust

Good people make us jealous. They challenge us. They raise the bar just by

walking into the room — and honestly, it can be maddening. But Father Alfonse

says that irritation is hiding something holy: the people who annoy you may be

God's way of growing you. And by the end, a mother's funeral reveals what that

really means.

✝️ Why the good people in your life get under your skin — and what God is doing through it

✝️ The one habit that quietly makes you better: who you surround yourself with

✝️ You were anointed at baptism — priest, prophet, king — and most of us forget it

✝️ "Who is Jesus to YOU?" — and why your words carry more weight than you think

✝️ A grieving mother, her three sons, and the four words that changed everything: "you are mine forever"

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 – Good people can be so annoying

0:26 – "Is it a sin to find a priest attractive?"

1:31 – Surround yourself with better people

2:54 – The Lord removes those who won't give their all

4:12 – "Who do you say that I am?"

5:12 – Your words have tremendous impact

7:21 – A mother, three sons, and "you are mine forever"

9:36 – God isn't here to annoy you. He's here to raise you.

🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:

Lord, when the goodness of others exposes what is small in me, keep me from

resentment. Make their light an invitation, not a wound. Inspire my words today,

so that someone hears exactly what they need — and meets You through me.

📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

- Isaiah 22:19–23 — "I will thrust you from your office"

- Romans 11:33–36 — "For from him and through him and for him are all things"

- Matthew 16:13–20 — Peter's confession, "Who do you say that I am?"

- Alluded to: Acts 20:35 · John 15:13 · Matthew 18:22 (forgive seventy times seven)

🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

Before you speak to someone this week, pause and pray four words: "Lord, inspire

my words." Then say the true, kind, or encouraging thing you'd normally hold

back. Do it once a day. Watch what God does through an ordinary sentence.

💬 Who is the "annoyingly good" person in your life? Tell us in the comments —

we read every one and lift up your prayer intentions. 🙏

👍 LIKE if this spoke to your heart

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for a new homily from Father Alfonse every week

📤 SHARE this with someone who needs to hear it today

📱 CONNECT WITH US:

🌐 Parish Website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch

🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/

📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com

📺 WATCH NEXT:

Stop Overthinking the Holy Spirit — It's in THIS Everyday Moment → https://youtu.be/z7A4Jo3fBUo

Feeling Alone? This Is What God Wants You to Know Right Now → https://youtu.be/P9VyTKGDhmg

Death Doesn't Separate Us, It Brings Us Closer Together → https://youtu.be/ME1Oq5i3ba0

#FatherAlfonse #CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #CatholicFaith #HolySpirit

#SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #Homily #Inspiration

#LifeLessons #Trust #CatholicChurch #Motivation

Going through a hard time? When you've done everything right and still feel like you got slapped in the face, Father Alfonse Nazzaro gives the one shift in perspective that turns despair into endurance. "No good deed goes unpunished" — we've all felt it. But there's a key that changes how you carry it.In this short, powerful Friday homily, Father Alfonse points to the lives of the martyrs — including St. Boniface, killed while preparing people for confirmation — and shows why your suffering isn't a punishment or a detour. It's the very path Christ walked, and it's how the saints found the strength to keep going.If you're carrying something heavy right now, this is the encouragement you needed to hear today. 🙏👉 Subscribe for weekly homilies that meet you right where you are — and share this with someone who needs strength today.✝️ KEY POINTS FROM THIS HOMILY:✝️ Why "no good deed goes unpunished" feels true — and what to do with that feeling✝️ The marks of a true apostle: faith, patience, love, endurance, and perseverance (St. Paul to Timothy)✝️ The story of St. Boniface — cut down by pagans while doing God's work✝️ The simple practice that resets your perspective in any hard season: read the lives of the martyrs✝️ Why suffering with faith is not a detour from the Christian life — it is the way of Christ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 — The marks of a true apostle0:28 — "No good deed goes unpunished" — the grievance we all feel0:55 — St. Boniface: faithful to the end1:30 — The practice that resets your perspective2:00 — Faith, patience, love, endurance2:25 — Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:The next time you feel discouraged, unappreciated, or "slapped in the face" for doing good — before you give in to self-pity, read the life of one martyr or saint. Just one. Let their story put your trial in perspective, then carry your day with the same faith and patience they showed. Tell us in the comments which saint you chose.🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:Lord, when my burdens feel unfair and my good is met with hardship, lift my eyes to those who endured far worse and stayed faithful to the end. Give me the perseverance of the martyrs, the patience of St. Paul, and the courage to walk the path You walked. You are the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:2 Timothy 3:10–12 — "You have followed my teaching, my way of life…" (faith, patience, love, endurance, persecution)John 14:6 — "I am the way, the truth, and the life."💬 Who is one saint or martyr whose story has carried you through a hard time? Share it below — it might be exactly what another viewer needs to read today.📱 CONNECT WITH US:🌐 Parish website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/=📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com/#CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #SpiritualGrowth #Catholic #CatholicFaith #FatherAlfonse #MaryImmaculate #Perseverance #Martyrs #StBoniface #Homily #Faith #ChristianEncouragement #Suffering #PrayerLife #CatholicChurch

Are you afraid to fail? Afraid to take the step, say the words, or admit you were wrong? In this Father's Day homily, Father Alfonse Nazzaro takes three readings that sound like bad news — "terror on every side," sin, death, things hidden in the dark — and shows that every one of them is secretly saying the same thing: Be not afraid. God has your back.Using a Jane Austen film about love almost lost to silence, the grit of his own immigrant father, and a healthy dose of humor, Father Alfonse makes the case that fear is the real thief — and that the greatest gift any father can pass on is the courage not to panic. He also shares the top way to keep your children in the Faith, even after you're gone. If you've been waiting, hiding, or holding back, this one is for you.👍 If this speaks to you, give it a LIKE — it helps others who need it find it.🔔 SUBSCRIBE for a new sermon from Father Alfonse every week.💬 Comment below: What's one thing fear has been keeping you from doing?🗝️KEY POINTS IN THIS HOMILY🗝️✝️ The three readings sound like bad news — but each one carries the same hidden command: do not panic.✝️ A Jane Austen movie becomes a lesson on the words, feelings, and steps we're too afraid to take.✝️ Fear of failing — and fear of looking imperfect — is what keeps us from love and from truly living.✝️ "God has your back": not trying is the real failure, and second chances are always offered.✝️ A father's greatest gift is to imitate our Father in heaven — teaching by sharing his story, not by being perfect.✝️ The quiet power of a father who admits his mistakes and goes to confession: his children will follow him.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – The readings: "Terror on every side"0:50 – Happy Father's Day? The "unfair" readings1:30 – A movie about the words we never say4:00 – Why the English aren't afraid to fail5:40 – Every reading says the same thing: don't panic6:40 – A father teaches by sharing his story7:30 – "Remember where we came from"8:40 – God has your back — what's worse than failing?9:50 – Don't take yourself so seriously10:30 – "I am not perfect"11:10 – Second chances and the witness of confession12:20 – A blessing for every father🙏 PRAYER REFLECTIONHeavenly Father, when terror presses in on every side and I am afraid to fail, remind me that You have my back. Give me the courage to take the step, to speak the words, and to admit my mistakes without shame. Help every father to reflect Your love, and heal all those wounded by the imperfections of their own fathers. Be not afraid — for You are with us. Amen.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCESJeremiah 20:10–13 — "Terror on every side… but the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion."Psalm 69 — "For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face." (Responsorial)Romans 5:12–15 — "Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death."Matthew 10:26–33 — "Fear no one… nothing is concealed that will not be revealed… do not be afraid."🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGEDo the one thing fear has been stopping you from doing. Make the call. Say "I love you." Apologize first. Go to confession. And if you're a father, tell your children one true story about where you came from — so they learn from you that they can get through anything, and that they never have to panic.📱 CONNECT WITH US🌐 Parish website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com/#CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #SpiritualGrowth #BeNotAfraid #FathersDay #Catholic #Faith #FearOfFailure #Perseverance #HopeInDarkness #FatherAlfonse #Homily #ChristianMotivation #DontPanic #GodHasYourBack

My dad made me spend an entire summer building a patio I never wanted. He's gone now. The patio is overgrown. And I finally understand what he was trying to teach me — and what I missed.We live in a world that has learned to reduce people to what they're worth. Politicians see voters. Corporations see customers. Governments see taxpayers. And if we're honest — sometimes, parents see cheap labor. But Jesus looked at a crowd of thousands and didn't see logistics. He saw souls. And He calls us to do the same.✝️ God doesn't see a nation, a race, or a demographic — He sees you, personally, as His own✝️ Christ died for us not when we were worthy, but while we were still sinners — and still does✝️ The disciples saw a crowd; Jesus saw fears, loneliness, confusion, dignity, and souls✝️ The world reduces people to data, votes, and transactions — Christians are called to see differently✝️ Your children won't be home in ten years. Don't let the chores outlast the relationship.✝️ Artificial intelligence can process your data. It will never love you. Only people can.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — What connects three very different Sunday readings1:20 — "You are my special possession" — what God actually means2:30 — Christ died for us while we were still sinners (the most reassuring passage in Scripture)3:30 — Jesus saw souls. The disciples saw a logistical nightmare.4:15 — How the world reduces people: voters, customers, subjects, taxpayers5:10 — The summer I dreaded: my father, a patio, and cheap labor6:40 — My father is gone. The patio is overgrown. Here's what that means for you.7:30 — What Pope Leo's encyclical on AI reveals about our humanity8:45 — The mission: go have fun. Seriously.9:30 — What Christians are actually called to be experts in🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:Lord, forgive me for the moments I looked at the people I love and saw tasks instead of souls. Give me the eyes of Jesus — to see past the surface, past the inconvenience, past the to-do list — and to recognize the dignity in every person You have placed in my life. Especially the ones closest to me. Amen.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:Exodus 19:2–6 — "You shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people"Romans 5:6–11 — "While we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly"Matthew 9:36–38 — "At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity"🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:After Mass today — don't go home to the chore list. Take your children, your spouse, or someone you love and do one thing that has no purpose except enjoyment. Get ice cream. Take a walk. Sit outside. And while you're there, put the phone down and actually look at the person across from you. See them. That's the whole mission.💬 What moment in your life made you realize you were reducing someone to less than they are? Share in the comments — we read every one and lift up your intentions. 🙏👍 LIKE if this sermon spoke to your heart🔔 SUBSCRIBE for a new homily from Father Alfonse every week📤 SHARE with a parent, a spouse, or anyone who needs permission to slow down📱 CONNECT WITH US:🌐 Parish Website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com📺 WATCH NEXT:→ "Warn Your Children Before It's Too Late" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrWqUf1MJkM→ "Every Mom Knows: You Can Win Every Argument and Lose a Soul" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9MKN33RikA→ "What I Found in My Dad's Safe After He Died" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J7ZpBc7sGI#CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #FatherAlfonse #CatholicFaith #Parenting #FamilyFirst #SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #GriefRecovery #LifeLessons #Mortality #Legacy #CatholicParenting #Inspiration #PersonalGrowth

God doesn't quit on you. Father Alfonse Nazzaro reveals why the Eucharist is the feast of everyone who has ever wanted to give up. Before Christ could give His Body and Blood, He had to endure everything — betrayal, hunger, mockery, death. This Corpus Christi homily is for anyone fighting a battle that feels like it's breaking them.✝️ Why the Body and Blood of Christ is the gift at the end of a long road of suffering✝️ The lesson hidden in a meatball sandwich, his mother's plate, and five Q-Tips a week✝️ What Moses told Israel to "remember" — and why it speaks to your hardest season✝️ How a disease that meant certain death now has a 90% survival rate — and what kept people fighting✝️ Why you're allowed to cry, but you are never allowed to quit⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – A gift that took everything1:00 – Growing up Italian & learning not to waste3:45 – Five Q-Tips a week: the seminary lesson5:15 – "Remember": Moses, manna & the living bread6:45 – Everything Christ endured to give Himself7:45 – The feast of those who do not give up8:15 – From a death sentence to 90% survival8:50 – You can cry — but don't quit9:15 – The Pope, Bad Bunny & escaping reality10:15 – Freedom: give back what you've received🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:Lord, You endured betrayal, hunger, and death before You gave us Yourself in the Eucharist. When my own road feels too long, remind me that endurance is not the absence of faith — it is faith. Give me the grace to rise, to keep giving, and to never give up.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 — Remember how the Lord led you forty years and fed you with mannaJohn 6:51-58 — "I am the living bread that came down from heaven... my flesh for the life of the world"1 Corinthians 10:16-17 — Though many, we are one body🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:Name the one battle you're most tempted to walk away from right now — a relationship, a recovery, your prayer life, a vocation. This week, don't quit it. Do one concrete thing to keep going: make the call, show up again, kneel one more time. Then bring that exact struggle to Mass this Sunday and offer it as you receive the Eucharist.💬 Share your battle in the comments below. We read every one and lift up your intentions. 🙏👍 LIKE if this spoke to your heart🔔 SUBSCRIBE for a new homily from Father Alfonse every week📤 SHARE this with someone who is ready to give up📱 CONNECT WITH US:🌐 Parish Website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com📺 WATCH NEXT:If this message moved you, try these videos:"I Almost DIED Choking - What God Showed Me Will CHANGE Your Life" https://youtu.be/0pjAL44OHgk"Feeling Alone? This Is What God Wants You to Know Right Now" https://youtu.be/P9VyTKGDhmg"Warn Your Children Before It's Too Late (A Priest's Urgent Message)" https://youtu.be/HrWqUf1MJkM#FatherAlfonse #CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #CatholicFaith #Eucharist #CorpusChristi #Suffering #Hope #SpiritualGrowth #NeverGiveUp #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #Inspiration #HealingJourney

Why do the most powerful words in the Bible also sound the loneliest? On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Father Alfonse reveals why "I AM WHO I AM" is not a declaration of isolation — and why the person sitting right next to you may be the greatest mystery you will ever know.

God is not solitary. He is a communion of love — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — and you were made in that image. So you discover who you really are not on your own, but through the people who love you, challenge you, and believe in you. The person beside you is a sacred treasure. Stop taking them for granted. That is the blueprint, and the payoff is an explosion of love.

✝️ KEY POINTS:

✝️ Why "I AM WHO I AM" sounds lonely — and how the Trinity answers it

✝️ God is "more one by being three": to be one is to be in relationship

✝️ The person next to you stays a mystery, even after 45 years of marriage

✝️ God came not to condemn you, but to save you (John 3:17)

✝️ Real love is the one explosion that creates instead of destroys — the Big Bang of the soul

✝️ How the right relationships make you the person God created you to be⏱️

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 — One God, three persons: the Trinity

1:00 — Made in God's image: God is a family

1:55 — Pulled over before Mass ("Father." "Son.")

3:30 — Why being alone makes us think we know it all

4:30 — "I AM WHO I AM": the name God gave Moses

5:40 — The loneliest words in Scripture — and why God is never alone

6:50 — The person beside you is a treasure and a mystery8:15 — God so loved the world: not to condemn, but to save

9:15 — Mend your ways, encourage one another: the Trinity blessing

10:15 — The Big Bang as an explosion of love

10:50 — Two little girls at the airport

12:15 — An unexpected reunion

12:50 — Become who God created you to be

🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

Choose one person you have been taking for granted — a spouse, a parent, an old friend. Do two things this week: tell them out loud and specifically why they matter to you, and let them in on one thing you have been carrying in your heart. Then bring that same honesty to God in five minutes of prayer. Watch what explodes.

🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — one God who is never alone — teach me to stop performing and start loving. Open my eyes to the treasure sitting beside me. Help me see the people in my life not as familiar furniture, but as mysteries You created and entrusted to me. Let my love for them become an explosion of Your love. Amen.

📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Exodus 34:4b–6, 8–9 — The Lord descends in a cloud and proclaims His name (First Reading)

Exodus 3:14 — "I AM WHO I AM," the name given to Moses

2 Corinthians 13:11–13 — "Mend your ways... the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" (Second Reading)

John 3:16–17 — "God so loved the world... not to condemn, but to save" (Gospel)

Matthew 22:37–39 — Love God, and love your neighbor (the two great commandments)💬 If this spoke to you, tell us in the comments: who is the one person you needed this reminder about? And if Father Alfonse's words moved you, subscribe so you never miss a Sunday homily, like to help someone else find it, and share it with the person sitting next to you.

📱 CONNECT WITH US:

🌐 Parish website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fatheralfonse

🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/

📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com/#CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #SpiritualGrowth #HolyTrinity #TrinitySunday #FatherAlfonse #Catholic #Homily #ChristianFaith #GodIsLove #Relationships #CatholicChurch #Prayer #Loneliness #Faith

Every gift God gives you comes with one condition most people miss. In this Pentecost homily, Father Alfonse reveals what every gift from God has in common — and the responsibility that begins the moment you receive it.

✝️ Why the apostles immediately gave away the gift they received at Pentecost

✝️ Father's Italian-American confession on hiding his heritage to fit in

✝️ The $500 question that reveals real maturity — and one teenager's stunning answer

✝️ Why even poor health can be a gift that blesses others

✝️ The hidden command inside Jesus' words "peace be with you"

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 – The Gift of Pentecost

0:45 – An Italian-American Confession

3:15 – The $500 Question

4:30 – A Teenager Stuns a Priest

6:30 – Why Bad Health Can Be a Gift

8:30 – Inside "Peace Be With You"

🙏 PRAYER REFLECTION:

Holy Spirit, open my hands. Help me see the gifts You have already given me — my faith, my health, my time, my willingness to forgive — and give me the courage to spend them on others before I count what is left for me.

📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Acts 2:1-11 — The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

John 20:19-23 — "As the Father has sent me, so I send you"

🎯 THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

Identify one gift you have been keeping for yourself — a talent, time you have protected, money you have set aside, or a forgiveness you have withheld — and give it away to one specific person before next Sunday's Mass. Don't announce it. Don't explain it. Just give it.

💬 Share your reflection in the comments — we read every one and lift up your prayer intentions. 🙏

👍 LIKE if this spoke to your heart

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for weekly homilies from Father Alfonse

📤 SHARE with someone who needs to hear this

📱 CONNECT WITH US:

🌐 Parish Website: https://www.maryimmaculatechurch.org/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryimmaculatechurch

🖋️ Blog: https://fralfonse.blogspot.com/

📚 Substack: https://fatheralfonse.substack.com

#FatherAlfonse #CatholicSermon #SundayHomily #CatholicFaith #Pentecost #HolySpirit #Confirmation #Gratitude #SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #LifeLessons #Catholicism

When his father died, he began going through everything the man had kept. Tucked in with the saved papers and old photographs was a diary — his own, started at twelve, the year his parents' marriage came apart. The pages were thick with anger, the worst words blacked out by a child's hand. And he realized his father had found it years earlier, read every line, and said nothing.

This episode is about what happens to a family when the ground shifts — and what we quietly reach for when it does. Father Alfonse Nazzaro tells the story without flinching: the anger that moved in after the divorce, the rooms his family slowly stopped walking into, the years he was certain that prayer was useless and that no one was listening. It's an unsparing look at how we replace what steadies us — with resentment, with avoidance, with the kind of busyness that looks a lot like coping — and how one quiet, unremarkable woman held a place for him until he could find his way back.

There is no toxic positivity here. No "everything happens for a reason." Just a grounded conversation about loss, the things we leave unsaid, and the difference one steady person can make in someone else's life. It speaks to anyone moving through anxiety, burnout, or the particular grief of losing a parent — and to anyone trying to find meaning in what a person leaves behind.

In this episode:

• The diary, and the years of anger it held — written by a twelve-year-old watching his parents divorce
• Why grief and anxiety so often get buried instead of spoken — and what that silence quietly costs a family
• The slow, nearly invisible way we trade our center for something less steady when life overwhelms us
• What it means to become the steady presence for someone else — and why it is never too late to start

If this conversation meets you somewhere real, follow the show so the next one finds you. Share it with someone carrying a loss they haven't spoken about — and if it helped, leave a review so others searching for the same thing can find their way here.

There is a mother in your life right now who is waiting for you to call. Or there was. And you didn't. And now the calling is no longer possible, and the grief sits in the seat next to you when you drive past her old house. Or she is still here, and the relationship is complicated, and you have spent years quietly asking her — without ever saying it out loud — to please stay out of your life. To stop asking how you're doing. To stop noticing when something is wrong. To stop loving you quite so much, because her love is inconvenient and your life is full and you do not have time for it right now. This episode is for you. Father Alfonse Navarro delivered this talk on a Mother's Day morning to a room full of people who were not ready for it. He opens with a child's letter — a girl named Claire who handed him a note minutes before he walked to the front of the room and told him, with the confidence only children have, to read it aloud. He does. And then he turns the entire room around. What follows is not the Mother's Day talk you have heard before. There is no greeting card sentiment. There is no praise of mothers in the abstract. Instead, there is a confession — about the years he refused to kiss his own mother goodbye, the embarrassment of being a teenager whose mother rolled down the car window in front of his friends and waited until he came back, and the slow recognition, decades later, that the thing he resented as a boy was the only commandment of love he could never repay. 

The episode moves through a series of recognitions that anyone navigating parental relationships, anticipatory grief, or unresolved family wounds will feel in their chest: 

— The reframe that the impossible thing we ask of our mothers is not the driving, the cooking, the funding, the showing up. The impossible thing is asking her to stay out of our lives entirely. To stop being interested. 

— The mortality turn at the heart of the talk: she will get old. She will get sick. She will be hurt by things you say without thinking. She is a human being with a finite nervous system and a finite number of years. Sit by her side while you still can. 

— The paradox of mothering: the children who feel safe enough to push back, to demand things, to tell you exactly how they feel, are the ones who were loved well. Compliance is not the metric. Trust is. 

— The closing observation, drawn from the prophet Isaiah, that the only time the sacred is described in scripture as a mother is in the context of unconditional love. The closest human analog we have for what we mean when we say love is unconditional

— the love that does not leave, does not forget, does not give up

— is the love a mother carries for her child. This is offered as observation, not doctrine.

You can sit with it however you need to. What this episode is good for: 

— Listeners working through anxiety about a parent's aging or decline 

— Anyone holding complicated grief over a mother who has died, especially if the relationship was unfinished 

— Adult children navigating burnout, life transitions, and the quiet estrangement that happens when work and distance and self-protection take over 

— Anyone in a season of meaning-seeking who is looking for spiritual authenticity without institutional pressure 

— People processing the question of what they owe the people who raised them, and what gets lost when that question goes unanswered 

Father Alfonse is a Catholic priest in Texas whose talks have been listened to by millions of people. He's telling you: write the letter you have been putting off. There is still time. Until there isn't.