By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Jesus entered into our complete humanity, even accepting death, and as the scriptures say, death on a cross. Extraordinary. What a mystery," Father Perry tells us for our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord at night. "On one level, for me, it almost doesn't make sense, until I have come to an appreciation. It isn't enough that we remember 2,000 years that he was born in a manger. And it certainly isn't enough that we create a little manger scene here to recall that One by making it kind of visually present to us. Because if it just rests there, then the people who walk in darkness haven't seen a great light. But it's when that Christ is born into our hearts, it seems to me, that's what makes all the difference."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"I think this Advent has been one of the most productive ones for me, because for whatever reason I really, in the last year-and-a-half, but this Advent more than ever, have connected the deepest theological meaning of this event. I think we all say that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God," Father Perry tells us for our celebration of the vigil Mass of the Nativity of the Lord. "And I think we admit and accept the mystery that is bigger than is able to be conceived. "He was born into this world with our human flesh, and even accepted death on a cross — he entered fully into our humanity."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Advent has been packed with them, this prophetic sense of someone is coming into this world who would make the difference," Father Perry tells us for the 13th and final episode of our Advent podcast. "How many people everyday think of Jesus? How many people single day turn to Jesus and acknowledge him as Lord, God, and savior? And that's 2,000 years later. That is what has been given to us, and that's what we will celebrate in a very visual way, the foundation of the center and source of our faith."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"God wants to see a change. God, your ways are the right ways. We are being called once again so clearly in humility to recgognise that the ways of the Lord are the ways," Father Perry tells us for the 12th episode of our Advent podcast. "The ways are going to get us to live how we should live, and to know his peace and justice in our lives. And that's what we're being asked, to trust a little baby that came into the world, and a little baby that grew up and ended up on the cross; and even after that, he shows us the way. His resurrection and ascension show us how to get there to be with God and to live with God forever."

Por Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco

"No va a traer la paz. No va a anunciar la paz. El ES la paz. Entonces decimos siempre, Cristo es el Principe de Paz," nos dice Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco, para nuestra celebración de IV Domingo de Adviento, y el cuarto episodio de nuestro podcast de homilias dominicales. "Entonces si estamos aprendiendo eso, aceptando eso, y recibiendo eso, estamos más llenos de paz siempre. Podemos anunciar esta paz y dar esta paz al mundo."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Isn't that what we celebrate at Christmas, the Prince of Peace. He captures peace in his Spirit so deeply. Look on the cross. Jesus came to do the will of the Father," Father Perry tells us for the fourth episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And why would the will of the Father be to put his Son on a cross? It's not that he was forced to the cross; he surrendered himself to the cross. There, he was able to show us how to be not only so human, but so divine in our ability to love and to forgive, even when we are subjected to pain and suffering like this."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"I wonder if the truth is that we also sometimes are struck dumb, because we doubt, because we don't believe in ourselves and all the grace that fills our lives, the goodness that we are, and the goodness that we have," Father Perry tells us for the 11th episode of our Advent podcast. "Don't you think it is so, that God wants to use you and me? We're all anointed in that chrism. We've all been given the Holy Spirit of God — God dwells in us!"

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"For the next nine days, counting today, the emphasis is on the birth of Jesus the Christ, and what that means for us," Father Perry tells us for the 10th episode of our Advent podcast. "That's the great mystery to which we are invited, into which we are being invited to share; and because of it, we are redeemed, and all is made new. And that is what we celebrate in a most special way these nine days leading up to, finally, Christmas."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"What we're getting here is a little piece of darkness. Here we're past the third week ... and we're tasting a little bit of the darkness which is exactly what Jesus came to destroy," Father Perry tells us for the ninth episode of our Advent podcast. "And it comes to the highest climactic in that cross. Right there in that cross is where Jesus also gives the most light-filled, hope-filled, loving response he would give to the world, and which I think the incarnation comes to its climax, because he took on human flesh; then Jesus restored human flesh and humanity to goodness, and forgiveness, and love."

Por Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco

"Porque Dios puede tener bastante interés en nosotros y en cada uno de nosotros? Como? ¡Es Dios — yo no soy nada! Pero él quiere protegerme y amarme," nos dice Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco, para nuestra celebración de III Domingo (Gaudete) de Adviento, y el tercer episodio de nuestro podcast de homilias dominicales. "Dios quiere que caminemos en alegría siempre. Para mí, es curioso. Yo creo que tenemos que tener curiosidad, si Cristo va venir entre nosotros."