St Francis Catholic

John 5:1-16. Homily from Sacred Heart Parish Retreat Day 2.

When Jesus saw the crippled man at the pool in Bethesda, He truly saw him and truly knew him. It is the same with all of us; and as with the crippled man, Jesus asks us all: Do you want to be well? Do we really want to be well? Do we want to be free of sin badly enough to fight against it moment by moment, day by day?

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John 4:43-54. Homily from Sacred Heart Parish Retreat Day 1.

Saint John wrote his gospel account to show us how to be friends with Jesus. In today’s gospel, we see someone show tremendous faith in the words of Jesus, and then come to believe in Jesus Himself. Father Michael Casey offers ways we can grow in friendship and faith in Jesus as well.

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John 9:1-41. Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

When Jesus heals a man born blind, the man’s own parents and religious community turn on him. In the midst of his struggle to convince them all that he was healed by Jesus, the man comes to know Jesus in a far deeper way, going from calling him “the man” to calling him “Lord” and worshiping him. The same thing can happen to us: through our struggles, we can come to know the Lord in a deeper and more profound way.

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John 4:5-42. Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

Jesus goes to Samaria out of love for the woman at the well and for the Samaritan people as a whole, who she represents. The way He talks to her can help us learn how Jesus approaches all of us and how we can talk to Him in prayer.

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Matthew 17:1-9. Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

Jesus’s call to take up our cross daily and follow Him can be difficult. As a way to encourage His disciples, He showed them Himself in glory in the transfiguration. This is still an encouragement today as we try to live lives of radical holiness. It is possible to be holy, and Jesus wants us to be.

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Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11. Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

Sin is a disease that entered the world when Adam and Eve succumbed to the devil’s temptation. It has spread ever since. In His earthly ministry, Jesus went to the desert, the devil’s home turf, to battle Satan and sin, and He emerged victorious. In Lent, we take the offensive in the battle against sin in our own lives by further uniting ourselves to Jesus.

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Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Homily from Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a time for returning to God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Father Michael Casey discusses each of these practices, giving both the reasons for doing them and practical advice for doing them well.

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Matthew 5:13-16. Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jesus calls all christians to be salt and light in the world. We need to bring flavor, keep corruption at bay, and bring up the temperature of holiness, like salt; and we need to give those around us the feeling of safety and truth, like light. Salt and light blend in seamlessly to their surroundings, and we should do the same, bringing the light of Christ to others in a natural, not ostentatious, way.

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Matthew 5:1-12a. Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jesus begins His most famous sermon with a list of eight qualities that should characterize His followers. Father Michael Casey discuses each one, explaining what they mean and showing how they are applicable to us in our present circumstances.

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Matthew 4:12-23. Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jesus called the first disciples to leave their fishing nets and become fishers of men. This is an apostolic mission for every Christian. Father Michael Casey draws out the analogy of fishing in the context of evangelism, showing how when people come to Christ, they leave the dark waters of sin to come to new life in the light we were made for.

To learn more, visit www.stfranciscatholic.org/