"Behold, the Virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name Him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) It happened.

"Out of Egypt I will call my son." (Hosea 11:1) It happened.

"He shall be called a Nazarene." (Isaiah 11:1) It happened.

What God says will happen happens.

"Take eat this is my body. Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

"Behold, I am with you, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

Welcome to a special presentation of our annual 40 Hours Devotion, with a homily reflection from Fr. Clark Stiteler, Parochial Vicar at St. John Neumann in Lancaster.

#stjoseph #40hoursdevotion #yorkpa #homily #catholic #blessedeucharist #adoration #fulfillment #Jesus

God the Father entrusted His only Son to St. Joseph, who ultimately saved Jesus' life so the Lord could save us. St. Joseph listened and trusted God the Father's messages, despite it leading to exile, poverty, fatigue, ridicule, and so many other hardships.

Without the sufferings of St. Joseph, we would not have the Savior to set us free from sin and death.

Welcome to a special presentation of our annual 40 Hours Devotion, with a homily reflection from Fr. Clark Stiteler, Parochial Vicar at St. John Neumann in Lancaster.

#stjoseph #40hoursdevotion #yorkpa #homily #catholic #blessedeucharist #adoration

Welcome to a special presentation of our annual 40 Hours Devotion, with a homily reflection from Fr. Clark Stiteler, Parochial Vicar at St. John Neumann in Lancaster.

St Joseph is the perfect person to guide us during our 40 Hours Devotion. In this homily, Fr. Stiteler shares how St. Joseph is a quiet and strong figure, as he was the guide and protector of our Mother Mary and our Blessed Lord during his earthly journey.

#stjoseph #40hoursdevotion #yorkpa #homily #catholic #strength #protector #blessedeucharist

Temptation is an invitation to sin. We can often be tempted to sin (as Jesus was as we heard in the Gospel), but it is not sin itself.

We often think there is something wrong with us when we are tempted, but it is a result of our human nature. It is a trial to be endured.

With patience, true humility, and following Christ every day, we can resist the temptations that come our way.

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

#catholic #homily #Lent #temptation #sin #patience #humility #Christ

"Nothing ever happens in the world that does not happen first inside human hearts." ~ Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

Jesus reminds us this week that if we follow the least of the commandments, we will be "called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

God isn't looking for perfection but obedience, and through that obedience, we see how much He truly loves us, because each of the commandments leads our hearts and souls to be in heaven with Him.

Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37

#catholic #homily #commandments #obedience #Jesus

We are salt of the Earth.

We might think salt is just a common spice nowadays, but it was an essential and necessary item for survival in ancient times.

This means that Jesus is telling us we are essential, and we are intimately connected to Christ in His life, death and resurrection.

Jesus speaks to us today, not just the apostles 2,000 years ago. Let us be filled with the sacraments He gave us, so we can continue to be salt of the earth.

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16

#saltoftheearth #jesus #catholic #homily

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Jesus is speaking of those who are mourning a loss of someone acutely, but also those who lament the present state of our lives, for our sins and what is happening in our world.

Comfort will come, fully and fulfilled, in the life to come in heaven. In this present time, we can come to the Lord with our mourning and our pain.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

#Beatitudes #Gospel #Jesus #mourning #comfort #Catholic

Return to the Scripture. This is what we learn today, about how important the Word of God is in our lives. It our guidebook to this life, something to return to for reference as often as we can. It is where God speaks to us, and it will never leave us or abandon us.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

#WordofGod #Scripture #Gospel #Bible #Catholic

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, the unblemished Lamb that gave up His life for our sins and to open the gates of heaven for us.

How are we reverent to the Holy Eucharist, who is Jesus re-presented for us?

Gospel: John 1:29-34

#LambofGod #JesusChrist #Catholic #Sacrifice #HolyEucharist

Start with prayer.

When we feel on fire for God, ready to do and give and volunteer, it can be easy for us to not take time to pause and pray. Before He began His public ministry, Jesus started with His Baptism. He didn't need to be baptized; He is the Son of God! However, He gave us this example, this purification, this starting point.

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

#baptism #prayer #Jesus #Catholic #christmas #ordinarytime