St. Patrick Catholic Parish Podcast

**Due to a technical error, the audio of this homily is poorer than normal.**

On the night Jesus gave us the Priesthood (Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026), Fr. Joshua invites us to reflect on the famous phrase from St. John Vianney: "The Priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." The priesthood reveals the heart of Christ for his Church, and it is his gift to us. Though often misunderstood, Fr. Joshua expounds on how priestly celibacy is an essential part of this vocation: that it mirrors Christ's own heart for his people.  Jesus knew what he was doing when he gave us the Priesthood. He knew that his Church needed Fathers. We need to pray for priests, and for the Lord to raise up more laborers for his vineyard

On Palm Sunday, March 29th, 2026, Father Joshua invites us to be shaken out of our routine, just like the people of Jerusalem were shaken by Jesus' entrance. This isn't just another Sunday of another week: this is the holiest week of the year! We must give an answer to the question asked in the Gospel: "who is this?" Who is Jesus? Is he my savior and Lord? Is he the center of my life? Or he is he something else? Allow yourself to be shaken this week, by the death of God on a cross for you.

In this homily on March 22, 2026, Fr Mathias preaches on the the raising of Lazarus and reflects with us on Jesus's response to Martha and Mary's line: "Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died."  To Mary, he responds by weeping with her for Lazarus. To Martha he responds by revealing himself as the Resurrection and the Life and seeks to draw out faith. Father exhorts us to allow Jesus to weep with us when we lose a loved one and to place our faith in Jesus the Resurrection and the Life, so we might see our loved ones once more.

On this third Sunday of Lent, Fr. Joshua calls out all the grumblers: those who grumble about the state of the World, the Country, the Church, and the state of their own lives. Instead of grumbling, he invites us to hope. To hope in the Love our Father who has given us access to his heart. To hope like the women at the well who, in spite of her difficult circumstances, hoped for a Messiah. Hope is powerful! Our world desperately needs people who choose to hope rather than to grumble.

This week was also the opening of the Diocesan Services Appeal: an annual appeal the funds all of the vital ministries of our Diocese, from pro-life work, to caring for the poor to providing for the education and formation of our Seminarians. If you missed it, check out Bishop Boyea's appeal here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9e0XTfDfq0), and make your contribution online below

https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/appeal

In this homily on March 1st 2026, Fr Mathias preaches on the Transfiguration of the Lord as an invitation to go up the mountain with Jesus to encounter him.  Father exhorts us everyday to pray "from the heart" so God can reveal himself in our lives.  He ends the homily challenging us to understand our Lenten Penances as occasions of going up the mountain to encounter Jesus. 

On the first Sunday of Lent, February 22nd, 2026,  Father Joshua points out that while you sometimes feel like your problems are unique, or your life is singularly challenging, you actually aren't that special. This is a good thing, because t means we aren't alone. We share in the brokenness and sinfulness of our first parents, Adam and Eve. And the wounds that affect our heart today go back to that fateful day in the Garden. But, the good news is that we also share in the redemption of Christ. He put himself under that same condemnation, and redeemed us. This Lent, Christ wants to bring about that redemption in you life, in your marriage, and in your family. Let this Lent be a Lent of Restoration and Redemption.

In this homily, delivered on February 15, 2026, Dcn. Peter reflects on the truth that our origin is a gift, that we are called to make a gift of ourselves now, and that we are promised a life of self-gift in heaven. However, very often, people fall short of living out this beautiful dynamic of self-gift. Instead, they turn to lust, which grasps instead of receives, uses others instead of loving them, and ultimately turns one in on oneself in selfishness. Dcn. Peter speaks three truths of hope to those who may be struggling with lustful sins. He then invites those who have been married outside the Church to have their marriage convalidated, that is to say, to make a new consent within the Church, so that they can receive Holy Communion and live in the sacramental graces of marriage. He ends with the challenge to read Genesis 2 and ask the Father to reveal even more deeply the gift character of our existence.

We each have assumptions and ideas about what "the good life", a life of happiness looks like. In this homily, given on February 1st, 2026, Fr. Joshua Fons encourages us to consider our sources: are they reliable? What if we are wrong? What if we have been chasing the wrong things? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus starts off with the Beatitudes, the keys to happiness, and he doesn't list off any of the things we might expect. And this, in fact, is good news, because the way he shows us is the way to true happiness! But it starts with our willingness to admit we have been wrong all along.

In this homily, delivered on January 25, 2026, Dcn. Peter preaches on the power of God's Word. He begins by considering Isaiah's prophecy and stating that it doesn't seem to be true in daily living. Are we going to say that the Bible (and therefore, God) is lying? Dcn. Peter explains that Isaiah's prophecy actually is true because Jesus is Who He says He is, which means that reality is transformed. He then affirms that the Word of God has power and challenges the congregation to pick a Scripture and pray it at least once during the week when something difficult happens so that Jesus and the power of the Word of God can transform that difficult situation.

In this homily on January 18th, 2026, Fr Mathias preaches on the mystery of the Church as the light to the nations.  Each member of the Church has a unique mission to mediate the light of Jesus to the world around them. Some Christians are aware of this mission, while others not.