By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"This child. This birth. Is there anybody else that two-thirds of the world remembers their birthday every year? I doubt it," Father Perry tells us for our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) vigil Mass. "There is not one name in the universe that has more significance than this name — on a daily, regular, routine, day in and day out basis. Because this child was born we believe all of those scriptures that were proclaimed tonight were fulfilled in him. And we believe because this child was born — that everything that he had within him as a human-divine person — finally came up to that cross and was revealed in a most provocative way by the things that he said while he hung on that cross."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"So right around this birth of Christ ... we bring it to this day, just before the birth of Christ, to put emphasis on the birth," Father Perry tells us for the 15th and last episode of our Advent podcast. "Jesus will say in the Gospel of John that John the Baptist is the greatest who's ever been born of a woman. All of these events come now almost like a funnel, focusing on, putting emphasis on, coming to announce the birth of Christ. Because for us, of course, that's the most significant birth ever, and we come to celebrate it so that it will have great power in our hearts, great power in our lives — lift up your heads and see, see your 'redemption is near at hand.'"

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Do we really believe that out of our barrenness that God will reach into that. Out of the poo poo of our lives that God will reach into that," Father Perry tells us for the 14th episode of our Advent podcast. "And we all have some. There is a little dung in all of us, you know? But do we believe that there in the dung heap, there is where God may work wonders?"

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Today, the answer is really huge and really significant," Father Perry tells us for the 13th episode of our Advent podcast, for our celebration of Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent. "We gotta look at the crib not in isolation, because the crib has got to connect with the cross. One follows the other. Our salvation comes not just because of the crib, but because of the crib AND the cross. And the two are tied completely together. As we long for the feast of Christmas, that we hear the answer of the angel, hear the blessing of Mary but appreciate the same is true in us: we've got to experience Christ born in us, that we are carrying the Christ and that we are giving the Christ to the world."

Por Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco

"Este miedo puede venir de muchas formas. En formas chiquitas y grandes. Y puede controlarnos y preventa a ser todo qué podemos hacer," nos dice Padre Perry D. Leiker, párroco, para él cuarto episodio de nuestro podcast de homilías dominicanas, para nuestra celebración del IV Domingo de Adviento. "Yo creo que los ángeles vienen en muchas formas. La palabra de Dios es un ángel. Nuestra fe es un ángel. Nosotros podemos ser ángel unos a nosotros. Podemos ayudar que este miedo que puede atacarnos y preventa a vivir plenamente podemos tener una confianza que puede liberarnos. La palabra nos está invitando a desarrollar nuestra confianza en Dios. ¿Por qué?"

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"Even in a little doubt — a little fear is also mentioned — that we can become mute and deaf and blind," Father Perry tells us for the 12th episode of our Advent podcast, for our celebration of Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent. "We need to, shall I say, struggle, or work with or against or always let ourselves be challenged by grace. Wouldn't it be nice if we were aware everyday that grace is happening, so that even in our sin, in our struggles, in our doubts, in our questions, that we can somehow cut through it all."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"This story, I think, challenges us to be more open to God in our life every single day," Father Perry tells us for the fourth episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast, for our celebration of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. "In fact, we should be following the example of Mary and others who said, 'What is your will, Lord. What do you want from me?' And I could dare say that probably every single day of our life, we have a little over something. I think Joseph invites us to check out our fears and to see where they do prevent and where they cripple."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"When we listen to this word of God I find it exciting to hear about so much inclusion," Father Perry tells us for the 11th episode of our Advent podcast. "Do we really appreciate what we have been given? Do we really appreciate the power and the meaning of the cross? Do we really appreciate the love and forgiveness that flows from such an awful, awful place? And do we really appreciate when it begins to seep deep into our spirits and we find ourselves loving in the same way or forgiving in the same way?"

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"He found in his life a life of service, always," Father Perry tells us for our celebration of life for Abner Antonio De Guia, longtime St. Bernard Catholic Church parishioner and layperson. "He saw that following Jesus as the way, learning to love others, being there to serve others, was a joy-filled state of life, a joyful way to live life. And when someone discovers that, it transforms and changes you; you're never the same. Once you discover the joy of service, you serve all your life."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

"God falls in love, so to speak, with us," Father Perry tells us for the 10th episode of our Advent podcast. "Not because of anything we've done, not because we're perfect, not because we've stopped sinning, but because God is love. God is good. God is God. And when God looks at us God looks at us with God eyes. And he listens to us with God-ears. And he sees and hears what we could be. He sees and hears the best self that we are — even when we don't achieve very often."