Our Lady Of Lourdes Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lourdes Denver
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ | 06.07.2026 | Dcn. Michael Baird by Lourdes Denver
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ | 06.07.2026 | Dcn. Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | 09.21.2025 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Exhalation of the Holy Cross | 9.14.2025 | Fr. Meme (mission appeal weekend) by Lourdes Denver
The Feast Of The Presentation Of The Lord | 02.02.2025 | Fr. Zachary Michalczyk by Lourdes Denver
The Solemnity Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King Of The Universe | 11.24.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 9.15.2024 | Visiting Priest - Fr. Christi - Mission Appeal Weekend by Lourdes Denver
God is Faithful | 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 8.04.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
He will satisfy our hunger | 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 7.28.2024 | Dcn. Michael Baird by Lourdes Denver
God works through you | 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 7.21.2024 | Fr. Zach Michalczyk by Lourdes Denver
Trust in God's Providence | 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 07.14.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Sufficiency of Grace | 14th Sunday in OT | 07.07.2024 | Fr. Brian's 1st Homily Since Sabbatical by Lourdes Denver
Fr. Witold's Last Homily | Moved by Faith | 13th Sunday in OT | 06.30.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Conquering Fear | 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 06.23.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Sufficiency of Grace | Fr. Brian's First Homily After Sabbatical | 07.07.2024 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Greatest Non-Profit | 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 06.16.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
His Broken Heart | Corpus Christi Sunday | 06.02.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Utterly Transcendent, Utterly Imminent | Trinity Sunday | 05.26.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Stirring the Spirit | Pentecost Sunday | 05.19.2024 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Descend to Ascend | Ascension of the Lord | 05.12.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Led by the Spirit | 6th Sunday of Easter | 05.05.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Verso l'alto! (To the Heights) was Frassati's motto, and though he didn't know it, it was serendipitously part of the Italian liturgy, as well. "In Alto, i Nostri Cuori" (To the Heights, Our Hearts) From the Mass, we say:"Lift up our hearts. We lift them up to the Lord."
The Grace to Weep | Divine Mercy Sunday | 04.07.2024 | Deacon Michael Baird by Lourdes Denver
Restorative Peace | Third Sunday of Easter | 04.14.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Return to Jerusalem; Return to Me | Palm Sunday | 03.24.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Your Mission | 5th Sunday of Lent | Feast of St. Patrick | 3.17.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
The Foot of the Cross | 4th Sunday of Lent | 03.10.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Redefining Humanity | 3rd Sunday of Lent | 03.03.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Was it Worth It? | 2nd Sunday of Lent | 02.25.2024 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Worth the Wait | 2nd Sunday of Lent | 02.18.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Renew Our Hearts | First Sunday of Lent | 02.18.2024. | Fr. C.J. Mast by Lourdes Denver
Invade Our Caves, Lord | Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes | 02.11.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Redemptive Suffering | 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 02.04.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Fear No Evil | 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 01.28.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Selective Listening | 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time | 01.21.2024 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
The Meaning of Life | 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time | 01.14.2024 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
The Gift We Can Give | Epiphany of The Lord | Deacon Michael Baird | 01.07.2024 by Lourdes Denver
Parenting Perfection | Feast of the Holy Family | 12.31.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
The Obedience of Faith | 4th Sunday of Advent | 12.24.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
God on Trial: The Courage to Testify | 3rd Sunday of Advent | 12.19.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Prepare the Way | 2nd Sunday of Advent | 12.10.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Out of The Darkness | First Sunday of Advent | 12.03.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Unstoppable | Feast of Christ The King | 11.26.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Fear of the Lord | 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time | 11.19.2023 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Living in The Escaton | 32nd Sunday In Ord. Time | 11.12.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Transparent Faith | 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time | 11.05.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Greatest Commandment | 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 10.29.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Intentional Generosity | 29th Sunday In OT | 10.22.2023 | Stewardship | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Charity | 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 10.15.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Wedding Garment | 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 10.15.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
The Fruits of the Vineyard | 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 10.08.2023 | Deacon Michael Baird by Lourdes Denver
How You Think | 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 10.01.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Justice for All | 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 09.23.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
The Evil Eye | 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 09.24.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Non-Repayable Debt | 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 09.17.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Courage & Humility in the Unexpected | 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time | 09.10.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
From the Outside In | 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 08.20.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Assumption of Mary | Anticipatory Mass | 08.14.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
True Treasure | 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 07.30.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Gambling on the Word | 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 07.23.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Love Spreads | 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 07.16.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Debts & Credits | 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Fr. Brian Larkin | 07.02.2023 by Lourdes Denver
He Who Knows Us Most Intimately | 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time Dcn. Michael Baird 06.25.2023 by Lourdes Denver
The Truth about Fathers | 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Fr. Sean Conroy | 06.18.2023 by Lourdes Denver
The Real Presence | Corpus Christi Sunday | 06.11.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Capturing the Trinity | Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | 06.04.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Confirmation Homily | Fulfillment of Baptism in Confirmation | 05.06.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Mothers & The Holy Spirit: Your Paraclete | 6th Sunday of Easter | 05.14.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Nuptial Mystery of Christianity | 5th Sunday of Easter | 05.07.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Universal Priesthood | 5th Sunday of Easter | 05.07.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
More Than Enough | Good Shepherd Sunday - Fourth Sunday of Easter | 03.30.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
God's Greatest Attribute | Divine Mercy Sunday | 04.16.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
One Degree Off Course | 3rd Sunday of Easter | 04.23.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
“Oftentimes when we hear that question, we think of the wondrous things God has done.” … “God’s greatest attribute is mercy.”—Fr. Sean ConroyDivine Mercy Sunday“Oh blood and water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.”—Divine Mercy ChapletSt. Faustina’s Diary: This image is in your soul. A desire that there be a feast of mercy. I want this image, which we will paint with a brush to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is to be The Feast of Mercy.” ... “Later on, Jesus says this to St. Faustina: “These two rays, issued forth from the very depths of my tender mercy, when my agonized heart was opened by the lance on the cross. Ask my faithful that on this day, he [priests] tell the whole world of my great mercy. Ask my servants—those who preach—that on this day, he may tell the whole world of my great mercy, that whoever approaches the Fount of Life [the confessional] on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God.” Jesus’s words to St. Faustina.“His mercy…that’s what we celebrate today.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“With mercy—the forgiveness of sins—God takes what is dead in the soul, someone who’s been separated through sin from God, and he restores them to new life. It is a miracle of grace, and every time we go to confession, we experience this. The returning into good standing and goodness with the Lord. “God’s greatest attribute is mercy.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“St. JPII wanted to show us that, despite the bloodiest century in history, God’s mercy is so much more than that, and may this new millennium be marked by God’s Divine Mercy. Mercy is always greater than anything we think about our sins.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“St. John Paul the Great claimed that Divine Mercy Sunday was the happiest day of his life. What’s the happiest day of your life?”—Fr. Sean Conroy“Five years later, on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, St. John Paul the Great dies. Powerful stuff.”—Fr. Sean ConroyJesus to St. Faustina: “My Daughter, know that my heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul who has approached me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of my mercy. And every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My Daughter, I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world, through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in my mercy, which I so ardently desire for all souls.”“Misery are those obstacles that prevent us from experiencing God’s grace. Where are you miserable in your life? What’s weighing you down?”—Fr. Sean Conroy“God’s Mercy is for you.”—Fr. Sean Conroy————————St. Thomas—“Doubting Thomas”“Easter Sunday night: The women have come, the stone was rolled away. Jesus’s followers don’t know where to go or what to do. They have hope and they have joy, but they don’t know what to do. All of the disciples are there, except Thomas. They all tell Thomas what they have seen, but he doubts. He can’t believe until he puts his hands into the nail marks. Eight days later, the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus still encounters Thomas, despite that doubt, and says, “Peace be with you.” Why is it that Thomas doubts? Why can’t he just trust his friends? We struggle to believe when we are not inside the Church. Brothers and Sisters, Faith cannot be lived on its own.”—Fr. Sean ConroyWhat was early Christianity like? Acts 2:42“God’s Mercy is for you.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“Brothers and Sisters, be in the Church. We exist in a community of believers. And it is only in the Church that God is able to shower upon his mercy. Today, draw close to the mercy of God. His mercy is for you.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“My Lord and my God, help us to kneel and bow down and worship you above all things, and Jesus we beg you to shower us in your mercy, today.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Easter Sunday HomilyThe Keys of Heaven and HellFr. Brian LarkinGary Larson“Sometimes we laugh and joke about things that are too serious for us to engage.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Today is about heaven and hell. And today especially, today is the day of unbelievable joy. Today is the day that changes everything. You should walk out of church today with a joy that you can’t even put into words.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Heaven is real. And I wish it weren’t, but hell is also real. And sometimes we don’t quite understand how to engage that reality, and so it’s easier to laugh at it.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Reason has words, but only the lover sings.”—St. Augustine “To understand heaven and to understand how powerful today is, we have to understand what happened yesterday, on Holy Saturday.”—Fr. Brian LarkinRevelation 1:18St. John is in heaven, and he has this vision of Jesus. He falls down at the feet of the Risen Christ, and Christ says, “Fear not. I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore. I have the keys of death and of Hades.”“If anything should give you joy hope and life, it’s this.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“In this life, all of us at different moments, experience some horrific fruits of that infernal place.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Each one of us have moments where we feel we are not loved. We have relationships that end. We have the Evil One say to our hearts, ‘You are worthless.’”—Fr. Brian LarkinThere are terrible things that Satan has wrought in this world. The gates of hell are locked from the inside. —C.S. Lewis If we lock that gate, we keep God out. “There are people in our world and in eternity who have locked themselves against God. And Jesus Christ holds the keys of death and of hell itself, and there is nothing greater than that.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“The sufferings of Jesus are not primarily physical, they are spiritual. And as Jesus bears the consequence for our sins, he goes to the depths.”—Fr. Brian LarkinIcon of the Resurrection: Jesus has the keys of death and of hell. Christ is reaching out his hands and pulling two people out of their tombs. Those two people are Adam and Eve. Underneath him are a thousand keys lying on the ground. This was inspired by Revelation 1:18Brothers and Sisters, every one of us are putting forth a great look, but many of us in this church today have locked ourselves into prison. Jesus has the key to your prison. “His love that went to the depths has broken every bar, unlocked every chain, and can free every one of us for eternity. What amazing news!”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Get on your knees today and ask Jesus to free you from this prison.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“When you taste this, Sunday Mass is not a day of obligation. Sunday is the day of our freedom.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Brothers and Sisters, our work is just getting started here at Lourdes. When you taste the goodness of Christ and his victory, the only proper response is for us to go out there and bring the good news to those who are in chains.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Today is not just any day. Today is the day the Lord has made. Today is the day of our eternal joy.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“After Peter and St. John run to the tomb, they will spend the rest of their lives running out to the world to bring freedom to prisoners.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Today is not just any day. Today is the day the Lord has made. Today is the day of our eternal joy.”—Fr. Brian Larkin“Jesus, renew our faith and our hope and our love. Bring life to those in death. You, who has conquered Satan and his Kingdom. We pray for anyone who has locked themselves in prison. Anyone whose sin has overpowered them. Jesus, You are the first and the last. You died, and behold, you live forevermore. Jesus, you have the keys of death and the keys of hell.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Palm Sunday Homily: "He's Already Won"April 2, 2023 Fr. Witold KaczmarzykIn ancient times, palm branches were used to symbolize victory. “You should ask yourself the question, ‘Why are we celebrating a victory before it has happened? Jesus celebrates before the victory happens, because he is God. He knows he’s going to win.”“Palm trees are not native to Italy. They were brought there, because when the Romans began to conquer, they wanted to bring something as a souvenir which commemorated their victories back to Rome. That was the palm tree.”“Jesus is coming into Jerusalem today, and people are waving palm branches, but they don’t know what the victory is going to be like. They thought it was going to be a political victory against the Romans.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “When people saw Jesus, who feeds people for free, heals people for free, raises people from the dead for free, it is awesome that he finally reaches Jerusalem.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “He told people not to tell others about who he was, or what he had done, and he went into hiding for a time until his time had come.“What victory are we talking about? Jesus is declaring the victory over original sin. He is telling them now [on Palm Sunday] that ‘I am coming to defeat The Enemy.’”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “The very first sin of the human race is disobedience to God. You don’t listen to God. So when Jesus comes as the New Adam, he wants to reverse the whole process [of death and disobedience]. ‘I have to be obedient. I have to do my father’s will.’”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “Jesus is coming to defeat the ultimate enemy—not the Romans, but the devil.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “In our world, what usually comes to mind when you think about a donkey? You are ‘stubborn as a mule.’ I will use this image to show that when Jesus is riding this donkey, the donkey is moving, because he is unafraid—the King is here.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “Donkeys were not associated with stubbornness in Jesus’s time. They were symbols of two things: humility & obedience.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “Christ humbles himself in obedience to the point of death.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “A victorious general who rides a donkey is defenseless, vulnerable, and humble. He knows they’re going to come to kill him.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “He dies everyday when we celebrate Mass. Mystically, He dies every day.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk Homework: 1. Take Good Friday Off (if you can). Don’t eat meat.2. Come here at 3 PM on Good Friday, and Watch The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson (sans kids) when you go home. “We are so in luck, because we know the ending of the story, already. We know that there is going to be a happy ending. The Apostles had no idea. So, we can really celebrate the whole victory of God, even a few days ahead of time. Let’s really go deeper into our faith, this week, because it’s Holy Week. It will help you to say thank you, every Sunday, starting today.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “His victory is yours. Let’s be thankful, and let’s be ready for the Holy Week.”–Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Finish What You Start | 5th Sunday of Lent | 03.26.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Believing Is Seeing | 4th Sunday of Lent | 03.19.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
O Living Water: Conversion Is Everything | 3rd Sunday of Lent | 03.12.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Expect the Unexpected | 3rd Sunday of Lent | 03.12.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
How to Listen to The Lord | Second Sunday of Lent | 03.05.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Not on Bread Alone | 1st Sunday of Lent | 02.26.2023 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Called to Holiness | 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 02.20.2023 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Preparing To Love | 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 02.19.2023 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Preparing to Love | 7th Sun. of Ord. Time | 02.19.2023 | Deacon Tom Uschold by Lourdes Denver
Which Comes First? The Law or the Love? | 6th Sun. of Ord. Time | 02.12.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Light of the World & Salt of the Earth | 02.05.2023 | 5th Sunday Ordinary Time | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Beatitudes vs. The Logic of The World | 4th Sunday of OT | 01.29.2023 | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
Beatitudes vs. the Logic of the World | 4th Sunday of OT | 01.29.2023 | Fr. Sean by Lourdes Denver
Twitch Upon the Thread | 3rd Sunday of OT | 01.23.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Behold, the Lamb of God | 2nd Sun. of Ord. Time | 01.15.2023 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Feast of the Epiphany | January 8, 2023 | Fr. Witold KaczmarzykTomorrow is the end of the Christmas Season—the Baptism of the Lord, when Jesus Christ begins his ministry.—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“You can leave your decorations up until February 2nd! This was the tradition before Vatican II, and I do it. You can do it as well.”—Fr. Witold KaczmarzykGold: Means God is KingFrankincense: God is the God Man sent to us here on earth to be worshiped “In Christian symbolism, frankincense can represent Christ's sacrifice.”Myrrh: An oil used in the preparation of death—used in embalmingTwo different responses of Christ’s arrival: King Herod: Terrified. Not sane. He was a puppet who was also afraid to lose his crown. He killed his wife and several children, and many years later, on his death bed, he ordered thousands of his best servants and ministers to be led into a stadium and slaughtered. He did so to ensure mourning upon his death. The Magi: Came to pay homage. They came with great rejoicing. Instead of protecting and coveting their treasures, they gave it all to God. Whenever Christ enters our lives—which He does every day—we must choose in whose steps we must follow. Are we afraid to do God’s will or do we rejoice? Pope Benedict XVI’s inaugural homily: “Are we all not perhaps afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that he might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? No. If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great. Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide; only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence; and only in this friendship do we experience beauty. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long, personal experience of life, I say to you, do not be afraid of Christ.”https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20050424_inizio-pontificato.html#:~:text=Are%20we%20not%20perhaps%20all,that%20makes%20life%20so%20beautiful%3FWhy did Herod try to destroy Jesus, but the Magi tried to worship him? One major difference: Humility —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“To become more like the Magi, we must know ourselves. We must know the level of our selfishness, because then we will be able to kneel before the Lord, and give him our gifts and sacrifices.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“When potential opposition shows up, do we do what Herod did? Do we try to stop any obstacle? When things don’t go my way, do I explode like Herod?”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem, the star suddenly disappeared, so their plans were foiled. What did they do? They looked for another solution. They persevered in doing good, and this is how God wants us to act. We need to learn to trust God in all circumstances—whatever happens in our lives. He’s in charge. He is God. He is wise and all understanding.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“Today, after Holy Communion, let’s ask God for the strength to fight against the Herod in our hearts—to have the courage and perseverance of the Magi. The Mass should change something in you.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk‘If you come close to God, and if you really pay him homage, you really have to change.”—paraphrased from many saints “It’s about changing your life for better.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk“Let’s ask ourselves today, ‘Do I really do anything? Do I really change my life? And if I don’t, let’s ask God to help. I don’t want to be Herod—I don’t want to kill you in my life, I really want to listen to you, because you are the King.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Loneliness to Light | Nativity of the Lord | 12.25.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
To Jesus, Through Mary | Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God | Fr. Sean | 01.01.2023 by Lourdes Denver
Week 1: What is charityCharity in its simplest form is friendship with God. We desire to be friends with God. We desire to know him.Week 2: What are the enemies of Charity? Sloth, envy, & prideWeek 3: Why is charity important? Because it’s the essence of holiness. We can do all the right things, but without love, there is no point in doing it. Week 4: What are the fruits of charity? Joy, peace, and mercy. When I seek to love God above all things, and my neighbor as myself, I am joyful, I have peace, and a desire to receive and give mercy.Tonight: What is the sacrament of charity? It’s the climax…Sadly, most people who go to Mass every week don’t believe in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. In 2024, the Church aims to change that.2024: There will be a big Eucharistic congress in Indianiapolis, and all are invited. 4 Eucharistic processions from four major cities will end up on a pilgrimage to Indianapolis. The Eucharist as sacrifice, presence, and communion: 1. Sacrifice: “It’s not a meal. It’s a partaking of a sacrifice that happened more than 2,000 years ago. Every time Mass is celebrated, redemption is at work. Because what happens here on this altar is a representation of what happened on Calvary 2,000 years ago, when God poured out His blood for you and me.” 3rd Eucharistic prayer: ‘May this sacrifice of our reconciliation, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world.’” This perfect sacrifice helps us spread it throughout the world. 2. Presence: The Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of Jesus.3. “Communion: Through the Eucharist, God wants to espouse himself to us, that we become and we share in the same union through this communion. God doesn’t want to just be among us, he wants to be inside of us. This union transforms us, once again, to go and bring Him to others whom we meet.” More on Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: St. Paul, today, talks about the obedience of faith: “Sometimes we doubt. Sometimes we struggle to believe God is there. ‘God, you say you’re there, but I don’t experience it that way. God, where are you?’“When I became a priest, it took a lot more faith for me to believe God gave me the power to say those words. ‘Lord, help me to believe, because sometimes it just looks like a piece of bread.’ When we struggle to believe or have certain doubts, that’s precisely where we need the obedience of faith, handed down to us by Jesus—to be obedient to that faith. Whenever we give ourselves in obedience to something, you will fall deeper in love with it. So, for those people who might struggle to believe—maybe in the Eucharist—maybe in another hard teaching of the church, I invite you to surrender in obedience to the faith of the Church. When you give yourself in obedience to something, you will fall deeper in love with it.” —Fr. Sean Conroy“The Eucharist is a sacrament of charity because Jesus gives himself to us—body, blood, soul, and divinity.”—Fr. Sean Conroy“Jesus, as we approach the altar today, help us receive this Eucharist as the first, the last, and the only time we ever get to receive you. And may it transform us to be more like you. May you be with us and in us.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Joy as a Byproduct | 3rd Sunday of Advent | 12.11.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Enemies of Charity | 1st Sunday of Advent | 11.27.2022 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
For You | Jesus Christ, King of The Universe | 11.20.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
No Shortcuts | 32nd Sunday of Ord. Time | 11.06.2022 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
The Image Bearer | 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 10.23.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
"When God points at you in the depths of your soul, you know it’s you. That is the moment of faith. Deep inside of you, there is a ‘yes’ or there is a ‘no.’"
Homily Notes 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk "The Power of 'Thank You'"
"You say thank you every Sunday. It's not for me...it's for Him—for what He has done on the cross."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Prayers by Children: "Dear God, Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much." ....... "Dear God, Thanks for the nice day today. You even fooled the T.V. weatherman." ....... "Dear God, Do you have any helpers in heaven? I would like to be one of the helpers in heaven when I have summer vacation." ....... "Dear God, Tomorrow is my birthday. Could you put a rainbow in the sky." ....... "There is this great wisdom in kids. Kids are always themselves. They never pretend. They tell you what they think. We need to become like children on a spiritual level when we talk to God." —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"We have to be like the leper...the 10% who said thank you."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"You may think there is no hope. Jesus is my last hope, so the smart move would be to come to Him on Sunday, and say, 'Thank you.'" —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Confidence in Christ: "The biggest enemy for us, of course, is the devil and his demons. These guys are trying to undermine our total confidence in Christ every day. The devil knows that if we are just thinking of Christ as a wise teacher, if we start thinking in this way, we can start to lose simple, strong confidence in faith that the lepers had in Jesus."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"I know following Christ's commandments and the teachings of the Church is not always easy for us—I understand. Christ demands that we go against our fallen nature, instead of giving in to it. God always helps with His grace."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"If we start thinking of Christianity as one religion among many, or the Pope as one leader among many, then we will have a great excuse for picking and choosing what we want to do and what we want to follow."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"When the Pope speaks ex cathedra, he is not mistaken."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk ...The last time this happened was 70 years ago.
The Message "Each one of us is sick—it's called original sin, which was washed away in baptism, but still we suffer, because we commit sins. But, God can heal us. We have to come to Him, and thank Him. Thank Him in your heart for saving you. Be like the kids, and thank Him honestly in your heart."
Watch the Homily above or by visiting the Lourdes YouTube page, at YouTube.com/LourdesDenver
What it Means to Have Christian Faith | 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 10.02.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Active Vs. Passive Faith | 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 09.25.2002 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Homily Notes The Heart of God | 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 09.11.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin “You and I need to be rooted & grounded in Scripture. The Bible is a Catholic Book.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Luke 15: The Prodigal Son—This is the only place in the New Testament where this story is mentioned. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/15
Luke 15 tells three parables that are actually three forms of the same story: -The parable of the shepherd who searches for his lost sheep (Luke 15: 1) -The woman who searches for her lost coin (Luke 15: 8) -The parable of the Father in search of his lost son (Luke 15: 11)
“Open your heart; this story is the heart of the Gospel.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“If you let this story enter not just your ears, but your heart and your soul, it’ll make you a son or a daughter. This story is about the heart of God.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Satan loves to give us a false image of the Father. And the world needs the truth so desperately—we need to know the heart of God. It has to start with us.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
The Meaning of Christianity: “The Father loved us with a costly love.”—Fr. Brian Larkin A common doubt among Christians: “I’m here all the time, and I know God loves other people, and I know He has costly love for the sinner who goes astray, but surely for me, God is ashamed.”
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy” —Luke 15: 4
“The heart of God is not like your heart.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The good news of the Gospel is that the Heart of God the Father is a heart that rejoices in being good and merciful to you. His love for you cost Him his son.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Go Home and realize that The Father’s Heart rejoices in you.” —Fr. Brian Larkin Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for salvation for everyone who has faith.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The power of the Gospel will change your life. And with this, we’ve got to get the order right”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Too many times you and I start with the Law. These things are all true, but they are second. What we should start with, is love.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Your homework today is to go home today, and listen to Josh Garrels’ song, ‘At the Table.’ It’s the story of the Prodigal Son.”—Fr. Brian Larkin Josh Garrels’, “At the Table,” is a song about the Prodigal Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L87sCyCjrE
“The Prodigal Son is a remix.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“What Jesus is doing here: We tend to think of God’s mercy to be individual—just for one person. Today’s story is the story of the people of God.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Genesis 33: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/33 The patriarch, Jacob, returns home. This is the only other time in the Old Testament that this happens. His father runs to him, and falls on his neck, and kisses him.
“This is God’s promise to us that, when we leave The Father’s House, in Christ, that promise is fulfilled that someday, He will bring us home.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“My identity is that I am a slave who is adopted by a Good Father. And he lost His son, because He loved me.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“We have been redeemed by the Blood of Christ. The centerpiece of Christianity is the redemption of slaves. And, if we get that right, many, many others will come to the Father’s House.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
23rd Sunday of OT Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“I love today’s Gospel, because Jesus gets straight to the point… in a way, what you shouldn’t do.”
Point #1: "Jesus wants us to have no illusions about following him. It’s difficult. This path is a hard path. Our nature is fallen, of course, and to get back up again, even with his grace helping us is going to be hard.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Point #2: “Following [Jesus] is more than feelings. You have to be smart. You have to sometimes really sit down and think. Faith is not just about emotions and feelings, because they change. Think about really loving God, not on the level of emotions, but really decisions.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?"—Lk 14:25-33
"You have to be smart. We have to sit down and think. Faith is not just emotions and feelings, because they change."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Star Wars: “Another message from this great franchise..." :)—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “Who is the ‘God the Father’ of Star Wars? George Lucas.”
"We need to decide to take our faith seriously. It takes time."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Even for George Lucas, progress and well-thought-out plans take time: “How did you write the screenplay?” “I grew up in a middle-class Midwest-style American town with the corresponding work ethic. So I sit at my desk for eight hours a day no matter what happens, even if I don’t write anything. It’s a terrible way to live. But I do it; I sit down and I do it. I can’t get out of my chair until five o’clock or five thirty or whenever the news comes on. It’s like being in school. It’s the only way I can force myself to write.” – George Lucas https://overlydevotedarchivist.net/tag/george-lucas/page/21/
(Paraphrased) Sometimes the best work doesn't come until the end of George Lucas's shift. When his goal is to write five pages, sometimes he doesn't write page 1 until hour #7, and the rest come in that last hour. Hours of planning pays off, but it takes time.—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“I think this picture with George Lucas and with the third graders show us that we need to really sit down and think what we want to do, and we need to set a time to do it, and we cannot cheat.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"We have to take up our cross—There are no shortcuts."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"We live in a world where everything is smart, now. Sometimes I think we forget about ourselves."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
"We need to sit and think about how we can move forward with our faith."—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“The first reading and the Gospel are almost always mutually interpretive. Both talk about humility, today.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Hebrews 12 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/12 Mt. Sinai & Mt. Zion as an image of the two covenants: The Old & New “You have come to Mount Zion, the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” … “You have come to a judge who is God of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect.”
“That right there is New Testament proof of the Catholic dogma of Purgatory.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“All those who go to heaven are not merely those who have been forgiven by Christ, but those who have been made perfect.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“If we make it to Purgatory, we’ll be on our way. God will make us not just saved, but He will make us perfect.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
G.K. Chesterton Orthodoxy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87665.Orthodoxy What led Chesterton to Catholicism was when he started to see proportionality in accusations against Christianity, and how they contradicted each other. “What if Jesus was the perfect man, but all other humans looked at Him and they judged them by themselves. But, what if Christ actually had the perfect proportion?” …which is, of course, true.
“I want you to see how the modern world has Christian virtues in all the wrong places.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Christian man was always certain about the truth, but is uncertain about himself. The modern man is uncertain about the truth, but is certain about himself, and so his certainty is misplaced.”—G.K. Chesterton
“The Modern world wants you to doubt that there is any such thing as morality. But, it wants you to be absolutely certain that whatever you feel is solid ground.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Modern world puts us in temptations that our forefathers could never have dreamed of.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The modern world puts sexual temptation in front of every one of us, and pushes it and pushes it and pushes it, and when people fall, there is no forgiveness. And notice how the wisdom and the beauty of our mother, The Church, is exactly the opposite.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Our mother, The Church, knows that if you fall, there is mercy…there is forgiveness.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Beauty is about proportionality. It is about having the right things in the right places. It is not enough, Brothers and Sisters, for you and I to have one virtue.”…”We’re called to all of them.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“A lot of Christians today, we think that we’re really virtuous if we’re merciful. But, we’re not just.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Humility is the virtue that is most prized by the city of God, because it is exhibited so perfectly in Christ.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Humility goes hand-in-hand with magnanimity.””For you as a Christian man or woman, your humility is not opposed to your magnanimity.”—St. Thomas Aquinas Magnanimity: Greatness of soul. Their love calls them to serve great things. “The common root of magnanimity and humility is love.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Humility is present from all eternity in the Trinity.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Philippians 2:4 (RSV): Describes the humility of Christ https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/2 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Greek version differs and says, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
“Jesus Christ on the cross was both humble and magnanimous.”
“Humility means we choose the lowest place. The most powerful part of our faith, Brothers and Sisters, is that’s what that is (reference to the Crucifixion).”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Doúlos = Slave
“A Christian is concerned with great things. So we take out the trash and we pick up chairs, because we care about the salvation of the world. This is the character of a Christian disciple.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Striving to Enter through the Narrow Way https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082122.cfm
“If we preach a gospel that is cheap and easy, it is not The Gospel.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Gospel is a state of pure joy that will cost you your entire life. It will cost you everything.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Psalm 16:11: “Lord, you show me the path of life. In your presence, there is fullness of joy. In your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
“Following God leads to eternal joy, but it starts, Brothers & Sisters, on a hard path.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Luke 13 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13?22
Matthew 7: “Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
The Holy Land is an incredible place. St. Jerome called it “The Fifth Gospel.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
The Church of the Nativity’s main door is tiny—4 feet tall. To enter the church, you have to make yourself small. They did that because, “In Bethlehem, God made himself small, to choose humility and smallness.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
The Narrow Way: A Scripture Scholar’s work that Fr. Brian read: “We are to imagine a city, and there’s two gates. One is the normal way—easy to access. The other one is so small that the only thing that can make it through is you.”
“The Christian life is such good news that it will cost you everything. You can’t enter that door and carry your pride. You can’t enter through that door and carry your vanity, or your unforgiveness, or your false gods. When you enter through that gate, everything else will be stripped behind.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
There’s a debate among scholars that says whenever there is a gate, it leads to destruction. Some disagree.
“No one is a Christian by default, because being a Christian is the person who enters through the narrow gate.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The knowledge of God is q Way. It means discipleship. This Way is not revealed to an uncommitted, permanently neutral observer, but rather is disclosed in the measure in which one sets out on the way.” —Pope Benedict XVI
“In other words, you’ll never be a Christian if you stay at home.”
“To be a Christian, you’ve got to risk something.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
From the marriage retreat: “I don’t care when your wedding date is. My challenge today for you is, if you’re living with your fiancé, you need to move out tomorrow.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“Being a Christian means walking with and following Christ where He goes.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Christianity is the most complete revolution that has ever been preached. In fact, it is the only true revolution, because all other revolutions demand the extermination of someone else, but for Christianity, it means the death of the man, but for all practical purposes, you have come to think of as your own self.” —Thomas Merton (Monk)
“If I had not found Jesus…if He had not found me and rescued me from my selfishness, I would do the exact same thing. And maybe you’re the same way.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Do you want the way to Life? Love the poor.” —Matthew 7
“To forgive someone who hurt you deeply is a death.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Men & Women who lose their life through the narrow gate are not sad people. They’re not depressed. Sometimes they’re weird—that’s true. They’re joyful. They have found the gate that leads to life.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The world tells us that following Christ is difficult and miserable. It’s hard—it is a hard way, but I promise you it will bring you joy.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus, today, may we love nothing more than you.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Christ Comes for Division, Not Peace? | 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 08.14.2022 | Fr. Sean Conroy Today’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm
Polish man named Raymond: had a vision of Mary holding a red crown (martyrdom) and a white crown (purity/celibacy) Years later, he became a Franciscan. Started a radio station, and talked about Mary and the saints to bring people hope. This all arose at the same time of the world wars. September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west, and a few weeks later, Russia invaded Poland from the East, which made Poland the center of the war in many ways. During the invasions, many priests were arrested, including Raymond—twice. The second time, one man was arrested for escaping, and they lined up the male prisoners for execution. The escapee begged for his life, because he had a wife and children. Raymond immediately stepped forward and offered his life in his place. The SS soldier was so touched by Ramond’s compassion, he spared him at the beginning, but he was eventually put in the starvation chamber. And so, Raymond began to sing for hope, because…
“There’s something in this life worth fighting for, There’s something in this life worth living for, and there’s something in this life worth dying for.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Eventually, the Nazis injected Raymond with a lethal dose of carbolic acid.
"The guards wanted the bunker emptied, so they gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Kolbe is said to have raised his left arm and calmly waited for the deadly injection. He died on 14 August 1941. His remains were cremated on 15 August, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary.”
“Life can be hard; life can be challenging. When we live the Gospel, it’s going to be challenging. We’re going to be made fun of—we’re going to be persecuted—we may even have to shed our blood, but there is always Christian hope.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Jer 38:4-6, 8-10
Jeremiah sank into the cistern full of mud, but he never lost hope. “Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.”
Psalm 40: “Lord, come to my aid! I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me. R. Lord, come to my aid! The LORD heard my cry. He drew me out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud of the swamp; he set my feet upon a crag; he made firm my steps. R. Lord, come to my aid! And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in awe and trust in the LORD. R. Lord, come to my aid! Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the LORD thinks of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, hold not back! R. Lord, come to my aid!”
“What is fire? Fire is often seen as judgment. But fire also brings hope, because it purifies us. So why does Jesus want to cast fire upon the earth? It’s not to condemn us. Why does he want to bring division? Jesus wants to get rid of anything that does not belong of Him. Like fire-tried gold.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Ask Jesus to purify anything that’s in us that’s not of Him. Jesus, we ask you that as you do this, you might give us the grace to be truly in for You. To pull us out of any despair that we may be in. Give us courage to speak Your truth; give us courage to live the Gospel in this world. That even if we’re persecuted, we might be willing to give our life for You, just as St. Maximilian Kolbe did. Amen.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
The Obedience of Faith | 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time | 08.07.2022 | Fr. Brian Larkin Fr. Brian Larkin Today’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080722.cfm
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19: Fr. Brian’s Bible verse that inspired him to live a life dedicated to God
Hebrews 11: All about the faith of the men and women of the New Testament
What does Faith even mean? C.S. Lewis & Tolkien (who was a big influence on Lewis at Oxford)—“How can you grow in faith? Faith means you think this is true. Either you do or you don’t.” C.S. Lewis didn’t understand that word.
“Tonight’s story about Abraham in Hebrews 11 is a challenge from God to you in your life. What way will you live?”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Abraham here in Hebrews 11 illustrates how to be a person of great faith. If you are going to be a man or a woman of great faith, you must leave your life behind.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Come follow me to a place that I will show you.”—God to Abraham in Hebrews 11
“We always want a destination. Alright, God, if I’m going to leave something behind in my life, I want to at least know that I’m going to be OK…He doesn’t tell us that. He just says, ‘Brian, come follow me.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“It’s a radical challenge, but you can’t be a Christian if you stay at home.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“What is faith? If you have faith in what it truly is, faith will save you.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Romans 1:5 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/1 “Jesus Christ, through whom we have received grace & apostleship, so that we might bring about the obedience of faith.” Romans 16: “…to bring about the obedience of faith.” St. Paul bookends Romans with an emphasis on the obedience of faith. This is called an inclusio or bookend.
“I’ve never met someone who has authentic faith who hasn’t felt like they had to leave everything.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The drama of your life and the drama of all of human history is a story about the obedience of faith, or about disobedience, which culminates in Romans 5.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Romans 5 for me is maybe the most hopeful chapter in the entire New Testament.”—Fr. Brian “It’s the story of Adam and the story of Jesus.”
“What Adam did in The Garden, they did not trust God, they did not have faith, so they disobeyed. This is my story.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “If you don’t trust God at times in your life, you are not wicked—you’re just human.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Romans 5:18 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/5 “One Man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men. So One Man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For as by one man’s disobedience, many (in Greek, it’s 'all') were made sinners, so by One Man’s obedience, all will be made righteous.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “When the New Testament talks about what Jesus did on The Cross, it calls that the moment of Jesus’s faith.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Greek: Pistis = faith or faithfulness
Pope Benedict XVI: “A true person of faith realizes they are actually grasping something bigger than themselves.”
Balthasar describes faith as a measure: “When we try to measure God, the person who has faith realizes they were the ones being measured by Him.”—Fr. Brian referring to Balthasar’s description of the measuring of faith
“The most amazing thing in that moment, and what I knew in that moment that his truth and his goodness measured me and not the other way around, what I knew in that moment was that I was loved and accepted, and that changed everything.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Faith does not mean that you believe something is true. Christian faith is like Abraham, who encountered God and left everything behind. Christian faith is like Jesus, who trusted The Father so much, that he surrendered everything, and was crucified a naked slave. That’s faith. That kind of faith will save you—it will save your soul.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Steadfast & Immovable | 18th Sunday of OT Fr. Brian Larkin Today’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073122.cfm
Almsgiving—Store up grain, which is wealth in the ancient world Charity—Book about almsgiving (can be found in the church library)
Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23
“I want the house to be clean when they tear it down.”—Goonies
“Why clean your house if it’s just going to get torn down?”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Why have I labored so hard? I’m just going to die. Jesus, thank you, that you have answered that riddle, and you brought it to fulfillment.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Today’s readings can give the impression that as Christians, we are men and women who abandon this world. This is a mischaracterization of Christianity, but some of us as Christians do this.” “Throughout Christianity, one of the main accusations of us is that we abandon this world for the next.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Year 248 Origen argues with Celsus: Book: Contra Celsus 1.24 https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/20237615.Origen_Contra_Celsus_1_24_transl_Henry_Chadwick_1953_
Nietzsche’s Book: Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Zarathustra was a pagan prophet) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51893.Thus_Spoke_Zarathustra
“I adjure you, my brothers, remain true to the earth. And believe not those who speak to you of super earthly hopes.”—Nietzsche “Once blasphemy against God was the greatest blasphemy. But God died. And therewith, all those blasphemers. To blaspheme the earth is now the deadliest sin.”—Nietzsche
“Today, Brothers and Sisters, Jesus refutes Celsus, Nietzsche, Marx, and he brings the hope of Qoheleth and of all of us to fulfillment, and it’s all about the Resurrection.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “One of the things that you and I get wrong as Christians, and when we get this wrong, Brothers and Sisters, the world has a legitimate critique is about escapism. 'You’re gonna die someday, so forget about this world and set your eyes on heaven,' but that’s a misread—the paradigm is not escapism—it’s that God invades, breaks into, redeems, and transforms this world.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Vanity/futility in Greek: mataiotēs
Romans 8: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8 Genesis 3: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3 When the curse that fell on Adam was shared with the earth.
“Creation was made subject to futility, not by its own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Here’s what we believe in: We believe in the resurrection, and the life of the world to come.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Christians and Jews believe in resurrection, and no one else.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Your soul will not just go to heaven. Resurrection means your soul will be reunited with your body in glory, and the whole point of that is that God doesn’t give up on this world.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Gnosticism: A heresy
“Here’s where Nietszche gets it wrong. Christianity is not God calling us to abandon this world; it is Jesus Christ conquering this world and redeeming it from the inside out. That’s Christianity. This will change your life.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
N.T. Wright— Surprised by Hope—Completely changed FB’s life. His teaching on the Resurrection is dead on.
1 Corinthians 15: The longest Treatment of the Resurrection in all the New Testament https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15 “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.”—St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15
“In this world, you are going to die, and that should bring you sobriety and wisdom.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The work you do in the Lord will not be in vain.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
17th Sunday of OT Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk—July 24, 2022 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072422.cfm
“Teach us how to pray.”——Disciple
“Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."
“We think, ‘If you ask for this, you will get that,’ but it doesn’t work this way.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“With prayer, it usually doesn’t work that way to ask for a specific thing and receive it.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“The young one usually asks for something, and the parent knows whether or not it’s good for them. The kids usually want to eat cookies before dinner, but the parents always say no, because they know what is best for them.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“No matter if you are 10 or if you are 80, you always ask for a cookie, so stop it.” :) —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“If we ask for a specific thing, we usually don’t get it.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“I was praying for the specific things. Did I get them? No. Now I have hundreds of people calling me father. You can get much more than you ask for.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
A friend of Fr. Witold’s stood up for his beliefs and declined to support a sinful industry. He lost his job because of it, and one of his mom’s friends heard his story, and in turn, offered to pay for his expensive college education. God’s will was done because of the steadfast faith of his Christian friend.
“Thy will be done.” —Jesus/The Our Father “We always ask for God’s will, because He always knows best.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“If you take the chance, and you really say, ‘That’s what I want to do in my life, but let’s see what you want me to do.’ Your life will be changed completely.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“If you take the risk. If you keep knocking—keep seeking, you will find it. The doors will be opened. It requires faith, but if you do this, God’s will will be done.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“If you ask for His will, I can tell you, you will get much more than you can imagine. This is faith, not magic. Faith is, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I believe that This Man, God Himself, knows best.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071722.cfm
Lk 10:38-42 "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."
“Anxiety is a poison for your soul.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“You and I live in a world that is anxious, and it speaks to us all the time."—Fr. Brian Larkin
Greek Word: merimnaō = anxiety Luke 10: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10 Luke 12: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/12
Greek Word for “Troubled”: therompátsoma
“Martha has allowed her soul to be in a state of uproar.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Do not be anxious about your life.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus, I’m scared about the future. I’m scared about the state of the Church. Jesus, there is a storm of anxiety in my soul. But, brothers and sisters, do you know what Jesus does with a storm? He silences the storm.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Psalm 65: 7 “God you still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. Jesus, you calm the storm in my soul.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“If you’re anything like me, the problem is not that God can’t do that; it’s that we don’t show up.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Peace is not an outside reality. You will not have peace in your life because things go smoothly, because you have enough savings, or because there’s relatively little conflict. That is not Christian peace. Christian peace is a state of soul where you and I are in union with God.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“When you and I have that union with God, whenever that storm may come, you and I can maintain our peace.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
More on Peace: Matthew 13: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13 The Word of God grew inside of me, and your Word changed my soul.
“But, anxiety, Jesus tells us, is like thorns in that soil. And so the Word grows, but so do the thorns. And, they choke the Word of God inside of us. This is our major problem— why we lack peace.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“What we do is we pray about the thorns. Don’t pray about the thorns when you go to prayer. God knows what you need before you even ask him. If you spend all your time praying about the thorns, you’ll never listen to Him.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“We need to figure out how to cast those thorns out.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
John 16: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16 “Be of good cheer; I have conquered the world.”
St. John of the Cross: Poem: The Ascent of Mount Carmel “One dark night Fired with love’s urgent longings Awe of the sheer grace I went out unseen My house be now all stilled.”
“He’s talking about the soul that’s on its way to union with God.” “St. John of the Cross says you cannot achieve union with God until your soul is quieted from passions.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Practical tips for peace from FB: Turn off your radio. Play Gregorian chant music, and pray the Rosary. We have to have silent prayer with God.
“To perceive means to listen in silence.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8130077-the-screwtape-letters Says the demons hate silence, and love noise
“Jesus, may you give us your peace.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Deuteronomy 30: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/30 The Gospel says: “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, your soul, and your strength…You will love your neighbor as yourself.” How do you get people to love you? Luke 10: The Parable of the Good Samaritan is actually a parable about Christ: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10 “Who is my neighbor?”
Revelation 11: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/11 “Jericho is a city that represents humanity—it’s low, it’s earthly.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “In the story of Joshua in Jericho, when the city falls, they march around it for seven days, and they blow a trumpet seven times on the seventh day, and the walls of the city fall. In Revelation chapter 11, we’re told the City of Man (the earthly city) at the end of time, there will be seven trumpet blasts, and the city of man falls, and the city of God triumphs. Jericho in Scripture is an image of humanity that needs God.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“A man was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among robbers.”
Mount Calvary: https://www.elal.com/magazine/en/portfolio-items/travel/galilee/walk-jesus-footsteps-israel-pilgrims/ Golgotha: The Place of the Skull. “The skull in the images of the Crucifix, according to tradition, is Adam’s. In the tradition of Christianity, Jesus dies in the same place that the first human being died in as well.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Good Samaritan is Christ and the man he seeks after and finds is Adam—it’s the human race.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Leviticus 21: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/21 In ancient times, a priest or Levite could not walk next to a dead body, because they are thought to be “unclean.”
Greek word: spláchna=Bowels “The verb form that is used today in Luke means that Jesus, or the Samaritan, was stirred from the depths of his bowels.”—Fr. Brian Larkin You are loved by God in a way that should shock you, that should get you out of bed in the morning, in a way that you don’t deserve, and that’s such good news.
The key point to the parable today is understanding the question that the lawyer asks: “Who is my neighbor?” What that means to a Jew is, “Who belongs to my family? Who are the people who are mine?”
Leviticus 19:18 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/18
N.T. Wright: https://www.amazon.com/Lent-Everyone-Luke-Daily-Devotional-ebook/dp/B00APMP6RU/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=Nt+wright+lent&qid=1553011903&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmrnull
https://ntwrightpage.com/2016/03/30/the-road-to-new-creation/ “The point was not that the samaritan regarded the Jew in the ditch as his neighbor, nor is the story simple a moral encouragement. More directly related to the question, ‘Which of the three turned out to be neighbor to the Jew in the ditch?’ In other words, which person in the story counts as the neighbor? Who’s in the family? The Jew in the ditch, the person lying on the side of the road, discovered that the Samaritan was his neighbor. And by all implications, he also discovered that the two travelers on the road were not his neighbors.”
“Divine love begins where human love ends.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“We become lovable because we were first loved.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The people out there who think they hate Christianity, the person who thinks that you’re a bigot because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, who thinks that you’re judgmental and hateful—when you love that person till the end, they don’t discover that you’re a good person, they discover that you are their family—that they belong at a table they didn’t think they did.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The mark of Christians, brothers and sisters, is not human love—it’s divine love.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“When we love others—when we love the poor, when we love the loveless, they know that they actually belong somewhere.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Why does this [relics] matter? Why is it important? How does God want to speak to us through one of his saints?”
St. Ignatius of Antioch—one of the first martyrs, eaten by lions in the Colosseum in Rome. https://catholicexchange.com/st-ignatius-of-antioch/
“We having taken up his bones, which were more costly than precious stones, and refined more than gold deposited them where it was fitting. And in that place when we meet together as we can, the Lord will grant us to celebrate with joy and gladness the birthday of his martyrdom.”—St. John Henry Cardinal Newmanhttps://www.newmanreader.org/works/development/chapter10.html
A.D. 155, St. Polycarp was burned at the stake: https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=107 A 4th Century Writer wrote: “Corpses were an abomination in Judaism. But when death is for Christ, the relics of saints are precious. It was anciently said to the priests and Nazarites, if anyone shall touch a corpse, he shall be unclean until evening, and he shall wash his garments. Now, on the contrary, if anyone shall touch a martyr’s bones, by reason of the grace dwelling in the body, he receives a participation of his sanctity.”
“Here’s what happens in the bodies of the saints: God made the world good. And when sin entered the world—God’s good world—was corrupted. And the ultimate consequences of corruption in the world is death. Guess what Jesus does in the resurrection: He conquers death. And he works to make all things new.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“The basic logic of relics is that when God wanted to redeem us, he didn’t stay in heaven. He took a human nature to himself, and divinized it. He rose from the dead on the third day. And those who grow in holiness, who give their lives to Christ—God’s new world breaks into this world in them.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The story of Christianity is when God invaded a broken world to make it what it should be, and He did that in her (St. Bernadette’s) life. A body that through the working of God’s grace, defies the effects of death itself. What an amazing witness of hope.” “God works through his saints, and we pray that he does it in us.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“We all know that [the overturning of Roe v. Wade] was a victory of Your Sacred Heart.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“The end of abortion isn’t here yet. We’ve got to fight for that, by our holiness of life, by submitting ourselves in faith, hope, & love to God you and I are the men and women who fight against corruption and death in this world. That’s who we are. That’s who God calls us to be.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Galations 5:13 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/5 “Your call to freedom, brethren—do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, be servants of one another.”—St. Paul
“Americans love freedom. That’s the word, isn’t it? When people think of America, or at least when we think of ourselves, we think of ourselves as the Land of the Free. True freedom is always, always, always at the service of what is good. And when freedom is not at the service of what is good, it’s corrupted, and becomes a counterfeit.—”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The only way to authentic freedom is that freedom always is tied and is subordinate to what is good.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Our job right now—but also with your children and your grandchildren—is to teach them that real freedom is always submissive to what is good, and true, and beautiful.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“God wants to break into this world to make all things new. And He did that with this poor girl in the middle of nowhere France. She lived a destitute poverty, she was uneducated, and her very corpse is a rebellion against death itself. That’s who we are.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Luke 9: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” —Mother Teresa:
Readings for Corpus Christi Sunday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061922.cfm
Dads: What Is Your Word? | Fr. Brian's Homily | Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ | 06.19.2022 "Today, the Eucharist calls us as men to something incredibly profound."—Fr. Brian Larkin
"In the history of religions and philosophy, the general movement of religious people and deep thinkers is to move away from the flesh."—Fr. Brian Larkin
"According to Plato, the body was a prison for the soul, so death was never a sad thing."—Fr. Brian Larkin "Either death is a state of nothingness and utter consciousness, or, as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another. Now if death be of such a nature, I say that to die is to gain; for eternity is then only a single night."—Plato https://www.azquotes.com/quote/671403
"For spiritual people, death is also freedom, because it allows us to ascend to the heavenly realms."—Fr. Brian Larkin
"Today’s culture is hedonistic. Our culture revels in sensuality, and almost worships the body."—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Today we celebrate the true presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. God breaks the dichotomy. The flesh is healed and purified, and even united to God. The fact that we have a feast day that celebrates a body would have struck ancient people in a very strange way.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The normal thing for us is that we want to escape the flesh and become spiritual people.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Et verbum caro factum est.”—And the word became flesh (The writing on the mural above the sanctuary in the church)
“I am a family man. I traded in my mustang for a mini van This is not what I was headed for when I began”—Song, Andrew Peterson https://genius.com/Andrew-peterson-family-man-lyrics
Luke 9: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9 “Jesus’s miracle today is in anticipation of the Last Supper. These are the same words Jesus will use in Luke 22 where Jesus gives us his flesh and blood.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus provides ordinary bread that will point to the Eucharist, which is supernatural and mystical.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“All you men: There is a natural level where God brings us to live for others, but that is meant to point you even deeper. Just like today’s miraculous multiplication points to the very flesh and blood of Christ, natural fatherhood is meant to point us to the supernatural love of God.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Natural fatherhood is meant to transform you into something supernatural.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
"In the Eucharist, the flesh becomes a word. Today, when you come forward to receive the flesh and blood of Christ, I hope you hear a word—the word of the Cross. And I pray that you hear that word.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“As often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Eucharist is the crucifixion of Christ. And the Cross of Jesus, ironically and powerfully, the moment the word is silenced, that moment is the most powerful word he ever spoke.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“This is my body, which is for you.”
“What happens is God calls you into your vocation, and you begin to feel like you are losing your life…and I hope you do.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The purpose of your life, gentlemen, is to be able to say to the people you love: ‘This is my life—this is my body, which is for you.’ This is the logic of the gospel.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Dads, your life is called to be a word. And your wife and your children—the day you die—they should be able to look at you and say, ‘His life was a word.’” —Fr. Brian Larkin
"What is your word?"—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Father God, thank you for your word. Dads, what’s your word? What’s your word to your kids? There’s the small, everyday things that are important, but underneath that, are you teaching your family that they are loved, that God is real, that there is wisdom in Jesus Christ? This is our calling.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Readings for Trinity Sunday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061222.cfm
Idols & Immorality | Fr. Brian's Homily | Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | 06.12.2022 The Reason You Were Created
Balthasar: Trinity Image https://zoboko.com/text/lmm3j22r/the-holy-trinity-hans-urs-von-balthasar-and-his-sources/5 A Ray of Light/Prism=all the feasts of the year The Ray of Light equates to every mystery of our faith.
Romans 1: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/1 Idolatry: The greatest sin of humanity Paul’s Critique of the world is this: The central problem with the world is idols. “Immoral behavior is the twin sister of idolatry. The one that is always born first is idolatry. The ray of God’s trinity heals us of that sin.”
Your central problem with God is not a sin of weakness. It’s not a sin where you’re prideful or love money too much. The root of our sin is that we worship false gods.
Matthew 22: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22 “To be a Christian means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” “How can I possibly love God more than [the one I love]?” By the end of Fr. Brian's conversation with the young man who struggled with this idea, the young man said, “You know, FB, maybe I’m not there yet, but I think I understand how that’s possible.”
“The sin of idolatry comes in three forms: power, pleasure, and money.”
“Another form is when you and I worship other things that we think will fill us up, but are not God.”
Romans 1:23 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/1 “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.”
“The one message I have for you tonight is that God is infinitely more beautiful than you have ever imagined he is. Beauty captivates us, and when we have an image of something beautiful, it’ll help us get through anything. It’ll help us to overcome temptations, get us through struggles—beauty heals our souls. So, what Satan wants to do is give us a false image of God. When we have a false image of God, everything else is thrown off.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“All glory means is ‘divine beauty.’”—Fr. Brian Larkin “When we don’t see God correctly, what happens is we set our hearts on lesser things.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Perpetual light, perpetual glory… this is why you were created.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “You were created for one reason—to share in God’s glory.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“When your heart is set on something beautiful, you reject lesser things.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
One image of God’s perfect exchange of love: “God is the eternal foundation of that mysterious word we call, ‘love.’”
“God is infinitely wealthy, and he is also infinitely poor. In trinitarian theology, we Catholics believe that God possesses all wealth; He is infinite in himself. But because he’s infinite, each member of the Holy Trinity perpetually loses himself in the others. The Son can be infinitely poor because he knows that the Father infinitely and eternally empties Himself into the Son. So, they never have to cling to anything because they are pure love.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“When you understand who the True God is, it destroys idols.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Christ has the freedom to be infinitely poor. And His wealth and his poverty go hand-in-hand.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Set your sight on the Trinity. If you live a good life and cast idols out of your life, and you learn to worship the only true God, you will, for all eternity, participate in this mystery. It is something above you; it is something that will give you eternal joy, and it will change your life, here.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Holy Trinity, tonight, may your glory cast down our idols.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Fr. Sean’s Pentecost Homily Peace from 2 aspects: 1. With Jesus in the readings, today 2. Pentecost & the coming of the Holy Spirit
“The Lord desires to give us peace, today.” Peace: The absence of division “I think we all know when we have that peace within us.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
“We all desire peace in our lives.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Peace at The Last Supper: Matthew 26:17–29 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/26 Mark 14:12–25 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/14Luke 22:7–38 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/22I Corinthians 11:23–25 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11
“Jesus knows his men will betray him, yet what does he tell his apostles at the Last Supper? ‘Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.’ Despite knowing the betrayal and the fractures that would happen in the Church. Then, the Apostles go and abandon him when He needs them the most.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
“The first words Jesus speaks after the Resurrection were, ‘Shalom’—‘Peace be with you.’ In the city of peace, Jesus speaks peace.’” —Fr. Sean Conroy
“One of the last things Jesus says before his death, and right after he resurrects—‘peace.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Where do we find anxiety? Where do we find divisions in our hearts? What is weighing on us? What do we need to bring to the altar today where Jesus will pour out His peace upon us? Not just what, but who?”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Matthew 18: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18 “‘Seek forgiveness from your brother before you approach the altar.’ ‘This is why at every Mass we have the sign of peace, so we can reconcile with one another before we approach the Lord.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy Today’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060522.cfm
“Jesus sends the Holy Spirit—the fire, the wind, the breath… where is the Holy Spirit? What does He give us?”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Galations 5:22–23: The Fruits of the Spirit https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/5 “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Self Control” When the Holy Spirit is active in our lives, we have peace. Pentecost comes 40 days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit bursts forth on the Apostles “Do you have the presence of peace in your life? Do you have the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life?” —Fr. Sean Conroy
“Who do we spend more time with?”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“The Holy Spirit wants to give us peace.”—Fr. Sean Conroy “Do you feel called to be a priest by the Father, the Son, or by the Holy Spirit?” —one of Fr. Sean’s interview questions upon entering the seminary
“In the Holy Spirit, there is no waiting room for God. The Holy Spirit gives us access. Why? Because from the love of the Father and the Son processes forth the Holy Spirit—the personification of the Father and the Son. And in the Holy Spirit, we don’t have to wait.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
”The Holy Spirit breaks into our world, and says, come to know The Son in Me.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, Oh Lord. Our hearts have no peace until they find peace in You.” —partially taken from St. Augustine, and added interpretation by Fr. Sean Conroy
Come Holy Spirit Prayerhttps://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/come-holy-spirit-13402 “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of the faithful And Kindle in them the fire of your love Send forth your spirit And they shall be created And you shall renew the face of the earth.”
You Cannot Serve Two Masters | Fr. Sean's Homily | 6th Sunday of Easter | May 22, 2022 by Lourdes Denver
Today’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051522.cfm
“Heaven is real; it’s my inheritance, and because it’s real, I can walk through this world in a different way than I would have otherwise.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.”—Old Axiom
“The greatest desires of you heart are far more than you could ever hope for. God has something like that for you.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Satan cannot offer you anything real. The only thing Satan can do is to take something God gives us, and make a parody of it.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“It’s tempting to settle for the parody—to settle for something much less in this world.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Acts 14: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/14?21 St. Paul is on his first missionary journey with Barnabus
“If you’re gonna be Christian, you’ve got to be strong. And part of my job and our job for each other is to strengthen each other to renew our hope in heaven.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Acts 14: 22 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/14 “Through many tribulations, we must enter the Kingdom of God.”
The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis https://www.cslewis.com/uk/books/paperback/the-great-divorce/9780060652951/
Homework: Read Revelation 21 & 22: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/21
“12,000 stadia is 1500 miles.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Revelation 22: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/22
“Heaven is beyond anything you can imagine. And what the world wants to do is offer what only God can give us—it wants to give us a cheap imitation. And if you and I don’t live Easter…if we don’t have that city set in our hearts, I promise you you’ll fall for the counterfeit.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
End of the book of Revelation, there are two cities: The Heavenly Jerusalem and Babylon Babylon doesn’t look ugly—it looks amazing, because it imitates Jerusalem.
“If you don’t have your homeland in your heart, you’ll fall for the imitation. You’ll stop walking; you’ll give up.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
St. Francis de Sales (paraphrased): Picture the most beautiful place you’ve ever been in your life. Imagine it’s bright as can be—it’s beautiful. But imagine that at the same time, there is a night sky, with a billion stars overhead. Then, he says, imagine the saints—how perfect their joy; their perfect love for each other. No more pain, no more crying.—Fr. Brian paraphrasing St. Francis deSales' image of heaven
“In heaven, Brothers and Sisters, there will be perfect love and perfect communion. We’re going to be there together someday. It’s worth waiting for. If you don’t think about that enough, you’re going to fall for earthly things.”
Back to Acts 14: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/14?21 “They’re preaching the Gospel and telling people that it’s going to be hard. And, the only way you’re going to endure those tribulations is if you really know He can give you your heart’s desires.”
G.K. Chesterton: The Ballad of the White Horse: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1719/1719-h/1719-h.htm https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1160501.The_Ballad_of_the_White Horse “And there was death on the Emperor And night upon the Pope: And Alfred, hiding in deep grass, Hardened his heart with hope.”
“If you have the hope of heaven, you can get through anything.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus, I believe in the Resurrection. I look forward to the life of heaven and the world to come. Jesus, I hope to be there someday, for all of eternity, in perfect love, and perfect joy, and perfect communion. Jesus, I believe, but I forget. I forget about it all the time, and this world drags me down, and I settle for less. Jesus, today, set our hearts on heaven and on the Resurrection, and harden our hearts with hope.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Interpreting the Cross | Fr. Brian’s Homily for Mother’s Day | 5.8.2022 5/8/2022
Mothers
“Good Shepherd: Are you calling me to give my life for you?” John 10: Good Shepherd Sunday usually dedicated to vocations “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Romans 8: “I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
Fr. Gawronski: Mandarin: The word for “goodness” is based off an image of a woman holding a child “What’s better in society than a woman holding her son or daughter? That’s what goodness is.”
“Thank God today for mothers and for the feminine heart, which brings receptivity into this world. Mothers, you have a heart that we men don’t have. It’s different. You bring something to all of us that we so desperately need. And our society today doesn’t like that—it wants to undermine that.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Regarding Abortion: “Isn’t it ironic how [hands off my body] undermines the words of Christ?” “This is my body, which will be given up for you.”—Fr. Brady Wagner
“We’ve got to convince the hearts and minds of those in the world around us that true goodness in life—true fulfillment, true happiness, is not when someone says, ‘This is my body. I can control my life.’ It’s when Jesus says, “This is my body, which will be given up for you.’ Mothers, thank you for doing that for us.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Moms: Your job as Christian women is to interpret the Cross for us—your sons and daughters.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“At the center of the Church’s heart, there are two hearts: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And it is no accident that both of those hearts are wounded.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“We are called to fight for life.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“There are a lot of hurt people who do not know how to interpret the Cross.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Pothane mothane” = “To suffer is to learn.” “Pothane agapane” = “To suffer is to love.”
Hans Urs von Balthasar, speaking of Mary from the book, “The Christian State of Life:” https://books.google.com/books? “She is so pure and loving she needs no cloister to remain undefiled by the world. Wherever She goes, she brings purity, love, and heaven with Her. Her love is its own cloister.”
“Moms, what you do in this hard world, and what you’re called to do more and more—Moms, you’re called to be more like the Blessed Virgin Mary.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“The world doesn’t follow God because it doesn’t understand the Cross.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “Mary loved, so a sword pierced her soul.”
“If you love with the kind of love that God wants us to have, you will suffer.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Perhaps there is nothing more incomprehensible and supernatural in Mary’s life than this: that she does not die with her son. For in fact, she lives by the Son, no less than He lives by the Father. The Father in the Holy Spirit encompass her and keep her supernaturally erect while she is deprived for three days of the center of her soul—Her Son.”—Hans Urs von Balthasar
“We do not use the weapons of this world. Mary conquers with her Immaculate Heart—she conquers with a love that suffers. What could be better than that?”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“If any of you has ever been involved in an abortion, you are loved by God, and there is mercy, and there is forgiveness. And the two hearts that reign in our church—the hearts of Jesus and Mary—they have born your sufferings, and they love you.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Today, may we be more like Mary. Do not be as afraid of the cross, but surrender to it. That kind of love will convert the world.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
The Discomfort of Failure | Fr. Sean's Homily | 3rd Sunday of Easter | 05.1.2022
Today’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050122.cfm
“Failure is Not Final.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Jesus, I go to confession over and over again for the same sins. I’m still struggling with gossip. Or Internet use. Or pride and vanity. And I come to confess them, but I feel like a failure. I hope this doesn’t cripple you to the point that you no longer pursue the Lord. Because, your failure is not final.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“How could it be that He [the Messiah] falls? How could it be that he seems like a total failure, and then he dies?” “The good news is that that failure was not final.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
“Through Jesus’s resurrection, he shows us that death—failure—is not final.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
John 21: Epilogue to the Gospel of John https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21
Meant to be seen as parallel to Luke 5: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5
6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.” 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” 9 For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10 and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”d 11 When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything* and followed him.e”
“Three years later, after the death of Jesus, and the Apostles don’t know what to do, so they return to their normal way of life. Jesus appears on that same shore, and tells them to cast their net to the other side of the boat.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
They caught 153 fish, which St. Jerome speculates was the total number of known species of fish during that time.
John 21: The net does not begin to tear. This symbolizes that The Church will not go astray under the guidance of Peter.
Peter jumps out of pure joy and swims to Jesus on the shore.
“You will deny me three times.”—Christ to Peter, on the most important night of Christ’s (and Peter’s) life. Peter, despite being handed the priesthood on the night of the last supper, still walks away. However, he did not allow his struggles and his weaknesses to become what defined him, but his profession in Jesus and love for Jesus.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Your sins do not define you. Our failures are not final. Despite our wounds, weaknesses, and struggles, Jesus, we still love you. And if it’s still not enough, I’ll say it once….twice….three times.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Failure becomes a necessary precondition to receive God’s grace. If it weren’t for our weaknesses, would we surrender everything to Him?”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“The fact that God loves us as we are is what defines us.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“Jesus, as we turn to you today, we come to you with gratitude, for saving us—for loving us. In thanksgiving for always giving us a second chance…a third chance. To recognize that our failures are not final. So with St. Peter, we also pray, ‘Lord, you know everything, and you know that we love you.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Today’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/reading... “Mercy creates a community.” Fr. Brian Larkin
Blaise Pascal: “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.” https://kidadl.com/quotes/blaise-pasc...
“I want to invite you into being that saint. I want to invite you into that freedom of knowing that you are a sinner who is loved.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
John 20: 19: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20
2 reasons you lock the door on your life: 1. "Because you have a sin in your life that you have to hide from everybody. Maybe you feel you even need to hide it from God. It isolates us, and keeps us from actually loving each other."—Fr. Brian Larkin 2. "Maybe some of you don’t know that you’re sinners."—Fr. Brian Larkin
“But Jesus breaks in, and that’s the good news. No door can keep His resurrected presence out.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Psalm 107:15–16 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/107 “Let them thank the LORD for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam. For he broke down the gates of bronze and snapped the bars of iron.”
“The good news of the Gospel is NOT that you got your act together, and that you conquered your sin, and therefore God Loves you. The Good News of the Gospel is that the love and the mercy of God cuts through chains, and in your isolation and shame, brokenness and aloneness, the love of God can break through those doors.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus Christ didn’t have to die on a cross, but it was fitting. Christ went to such lengths so you would have no doubt how much you are loved.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“Lord, I believe—help my unbelief. Help me to know tonight, to the depths of my soul, that your mercy could be even for me.”—Fr. Brian Larkin ………………………. 2nd Homily: The Christian Community: Maybe some of you don’t know that you’re sinners.
“What created our church was love on a cross. We love each other because we are sinners who are loved. We know that we’re sinners who have been redeemed.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/lif...
“You do not need to go on lying to yourself and your brothers as if you were without sin. You can dare to be a sinner.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“What binds us together is that I don’t deserve the love of God. I don’t have my act together as a priest. I don’t. I am a sinner who does not deserve the mercy of God, and that’s what binds us together. When you hide that truth from each other, what happens is the world outside does not believe the good news of redemption, because you and I pretend to be perfect.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“I know what everybody wants—it’s the same thing I want. I want to be close to people. I want to have deep, abiding friendships here at Lourdes and St. Louis, and I want to have people in my life who know me and love me, and, brothers and sisters, be in a church of mercy, which means that you and I are no longer locked in those rooms with our sins.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“When Christ breaks into that room of yours, the doors open.”…”The question for us is will we let that mercy of God live in us? Will our church be a place where men and women can dare to be sinners? Where we can be who we really are? Where we can let down our masks and stop pretending that we have it all together, and we can rejoice, because every one of us is a sinner who has been loved and redeemed.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
You can find great consolation in this: Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer who also murdered Bathsheba’s husband. They were horrible sinners who were loved. And so are you and I.
Readings from Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord's Supper: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041422-supper.cfm
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041722.cfm
Washing of Feet: John 13: 1–17 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13
Origen says Christ washes his disciples’ feet to make them beautiful. He also says the Apostles are going to be the first witnesses of the Gospel. So, in accordance with the prophecy (below), Jesus washes the feet at the Last Supper.
Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/52
“Beauty evokes desire.”—Fr. Brian
Balthazar (paraphrased): “If we don’t have beauty in our faith, we might know it’s true, but it doesn’t move our hearts, it doesn’t transform us.” http://ccalouisville.org/blog/seeing-the-form-of-glory-von-balthasars-theology-of-beauty
Luke 24: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/24 Greek word: Léros = nonsense https://biblehub.com/greek/3026.htm
The Easter Vigil: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/triduum/roman-missal-and-the-easter-vigil The Easter Candle is the only light in the church as the Vigil begins. “The Light of Christ” …. Response: “Thanks be to God.” “The servers and the priests light their baptismal candles, and the flame spreads, and the church is lighted by a light that seems sacred and otherworldly. That is an image for us.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“The Gospel story is not like a physical science, and God does not want it to be that way. What God asks of us is not to prove things, but to be witnesses.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“….We need someone who is a witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
“What happened in my life is I couldn’t see the light of Christ. …What I saw was someone else’s candle. When the Resurrection of Christ touches you, brothers and sisters, it puts the light of God into your soul.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“I was so blessed when I was 19 years old. I had no interest in religion, but I had seen my mother’s candle. I had seen the light and joy of the Gospel inside of her. The light was spreading.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“You know what the best proof of Christianity is? It’s Christians.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“People don’t come to Christianity because of an argument. It’s Christians. When Christians are joyful, and they’re kind, when they walk in this world, and they know that they belong to the next; When they don’t hate other people; When they are not self-righteous; When they are humble; When they worship something greater than themselves; Christians are living gospels—They are the best proof of Christianity. Unfortunately, the best argument against Christianity is also…Christians. …When that happens, the flame dies.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“You are called to be a witness. To be a person who walks through this world with joy. If you do that, there’ll be a song on your lips. If the Resurrection touches your heart and your soul, there will be a song on your lips wherever you go.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
St. Augustine: “What does it mean to sing with jubilation? It means to be unable to express in words or to verbalize the song that sings to you in your heart.” https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/sing-to-the-lord-a-new-song/
“If ever there was a day to sing with jubilation, it is today.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“I never would have been a Christian if it wasn’t for people like you. But I met people who have the light of Christ in them. And somehow, by the grace of God, I joined them.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jesus, today, you have broken my chains. You have brought me to the joy of eternal life. Lord, you have freed the world from sin and death. You have opened the gates of heaven. Lord I know that all of us, if we are to be witnesses, we have to have that song on our lips, and Lord, I know the world will think we’re crazy, but Jesus, may we sing anyway.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done April 10, 2022 Fr. Brian Larkin This week’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041022.cfm The Lord’s Prayer: https://www.usccb.org/prayers/our-father
“You and I are not like other people; we are bought by the blood of Christ.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Holy Land: Topography & landscape
St. Jerome calls the Holy Land the “5th Gospel.”
“I thought that going to the Holy Land would limit my imagination… but was wrong. When you go to the Holy Land, it’s as if your faith is brand new.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
House of Caiaphas: https://www.holylandsite.com/house-of-caiaphas
Mount Calvary: https://holy-land-tours.com/gordons-calvary-the-garden-tomb/
Steps of Jesus https://abcnews.go.com/International/holy-stairs-believed-climbed-jesus-prior-crucifixion-unveiled/story?id=62331625
Jesus spends most of his life up in Galilee, then moves to the Jordan River, then moves to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest place that’s above water, on earth. That’s where Jericho is. Luke 19, Jesus heals a blind man and encounters Zacheus. Then, he starts climbing. He keeps telling the same parable over and over, about a king who has been away and who is returning.
The parable of the Talents: Matthew 25: 14–30 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25
Messiah: Means, “The Anointed One,” but it refers to the great king whom God would send to make all things right. Are you the Messiah? “Jesus keeps avoiding the question.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
“They’ve been climbing, and you have to imagine the energy of the crowd. He’s making his way to Jerusalem, and the crowds are following, and everyone is wondering if he is The One. On Palm Sunday, he doesn’t just acknowledge that he’s the King, he shouts it from the rooftops. ‘If they don’t say it, the very rocks will cry out.’” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Jerusalem is the symbol of your soul.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Today, the Lord comes to reign as king in Jerusalem, which is your soul. Jesus couldn’t have said it any louder.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Zecheriah 9:9 “When the Messiah comes, he will come humbly, riding on a donkey.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/9
Palm Sunday is the fulfillment of that prophesy.
“It’s like a king who left his city. Today, he comes back.” —Fr. Brian Larkin “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” Psalm 118: The Psalm that is sung at the coronation of a king. This is the chant they sing when a king receives his crown. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118
“I have surrendered my soul at times to different rulers besides you. I’ve surrendered my soul to false gods, to egoism and vanity, to jealousy, to avarice and lust and pride. Lord, I’ve surrendered myself to these things. The reason Jesus enters Jerusalem, brothers and sisters, and for all of us today, …is because your Savior desires to reign in your soul. But, the way he does it—He does not ride into Jerusalem on a war horse. He does not come with a conquering army—he will not force you. The way the Lord gains his kingdom is by humility and suffering. And that’s what He’ll do for you.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Your task is to allow Him to cast out every other ruler that reigns inside of you. That there would be no one and nothing that rules inside your soul except Jesus.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Zechariah 9: “Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king* is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/9
“That prophesy was written for you.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“Lord in every soul today, ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done.’” —Fr. Brian Larkin
5th Sunday of Lent | Identity, Shame, & The Healing Power of Confession | Fr. Sean Conroy by Lourdes Denver
The Prodigal Son: Jn 9:1-41 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/reading...
Homily 1: Basic Message of Reconciliation “The Good News that you have a place at the Father’s table. If you don’t know that, this is the good news of Christianity.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
Origen’s 2nd commentary of Leviticus 2: “Even to the end of the world, the day of reconciliation is today.” https://www.google.com/books/edition/...
The story of all christians is a story of slaves and sons. Today is the day of reconciliation. Today, you belong in the Father’s house.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Homily 2: “God has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
2 Corinthians 5: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corint...
Pliny the Younger: The story of the slave who has become a freed manhttps://bible.usccb.org/bible/philemon/0
Today's Sponsor: N.T. Wright: Paul (Book) https://www.audible.com/pd/Paul-Audio...
Onesimus=Useful (Latin name) “I, Paul, an ambassador, and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment. Formerly, he was useless to you. But now, he is indeed useful to you and to me. I am sending him back to you—sending my very heart.“
Luke 15: When the son turns back, he takes a risk https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/15
Josh Garrells’ song, “At the Table: “There will always be a place for you at my table.” https://open.spotify.com/track/0CuihK...
“The good news of Jesus Christ is a Father is seeking after you.” —Fr. Brian
“You don’t have to have your act together. The prodigal son returns to the father’s house in tatters.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“In the father’s house, the father tells them put the best robe on him. The best robe in the house is the father’s, and he puts it on his son. This is the good news.”—Fr. Brian
2 Cor. 5: 17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corint...
“Christianity is not about forgiveness; it’s about divine adoption.” —Fr. Brian
“The Mission of the Catholic Church is a ministry of reconciliation.”—Fr. Brian
“The most joyful part of being a priest is watching slaves come home. That’s our mission.”—Fr. Brian
2 Cor. 5:20 “We are ambassadors for Christ. Got making his appeal through us.”—Fr. BrIan https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corint...
“I believe in a life of selflessness, and I am selfish. I believe in a life of forgiving others, and I hold grudges. I am someone who believes in humility and chastity, and all these different things, and I have broken every rule that God has given me. And He has made me an ambassador of reconciliation.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
“You and I don’t glory in our sins, but we reveal that you and I were slaves who became sons and daughters, that’s when people come home.” —Fr. Brian Larkin
3rd Sunday of Lent Deacon Tom: True North & Continual Metanoia
Exodus 17 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/17?3
The Miracles of Water Exodus 7: 14–25: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/7 Moses’s Staff turns the river to blood Exodus 14: Crossing the Red Sea, dry shod https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/14
Miracles of food: Manna from Heaven & quail in the evening https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/16
Israelites still mistrust the Lord, and death follows in the desert.
Joshua leads the Israelites to the Promise Land across the River Jordan https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joshua/0
The Woman at the Well & the Living Water: John 4: 4–42 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/4 The longer Christ talks to the woman, the more her tone and attitude change—it becomes a metanoia for her to hear that Christ is the “Living Water.”
“Maybe our own personal metanoia is minimal, but important if you want to ‘get where you’re going.’” —Deacon Tom Uschold
Deacon Ernie McNally, of Camden, NJ Experienced a major metanoia in his life, and transformed his life from a legalistic manner to a holy one, through his 20-year dedication to the diaconate. His funeral visitors exceeded 5 hours, such that, they had to turn some of the people away. He had only made a minor change—a few degrees—and it was a few degrees enough to shock his children at the funeral turnout.
“We also need to keep adjusting and repenting, having metanoia, so that we are making sure that we are spending time in prayer, asking God how we follow him more closely. How we put our lives into His hands.” —Deacon Tom Uschold
Homily #1: Transfiguration is at the top of the list for the richness of text.
Homework for the week: Feast of Booths—A Jewish Feast https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/blog/sukkot-feast-booths-known-some-feast-tabernacles
Homily #2 Christian Hope Luke 9: Worthy of prayer https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031322.cfm
“I was wrestling with loneliness and hardship, and I looked out into the ocean. I was listening to ‘Beyond the Blue,’ and he says, ‘“I'll let go of all I could not hold onto For the hope I have in you’” “…the hope beyond the blue.”
“Beyond the Blue” lyrics by Josh Garrels: https://www.google.com/search?q=beyond+the+blue+josh+garrels+lyrics&sxsrf=APq-WBvslVMKwnrpzj6303rbGmOA3IAsMw%3A1647192765315&ei=vSouYv3pEuT99APisL3YAg&oq=beyond+the+blue+josh+g&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMYADIFCAAQgAQyBQguEIAEMgUIABCABDoHCAAQRxCwAzoHCAAQsAMQQzoHCC4QsAMQQzoPCC4Q1AIQyAMQsAMQQxgBOgwILhDIAxCwAxBDGAE6BAgAEEM6CAguEIAEENQCOgcILhDUAhBDOgQILhBDOgYIABAWEB5KBAhBGABKBAhGGAFQ5QVYmRVgjBxoAXABeACAAVGIAeQDkgEBN5gBAKABAcgBEsABAdoBBggBEAEYCA&sclient=gws-wiz
“God has a hope for you beyond the horizon. He has a hope for you that is beyond all the things you hope for. But, to get there, you have to let go of the things you hold onto in this world.” ...”This is what the Transfiguration is all about.” —Fr. Brian
“Christianity is the story of men and women who encountered a beauty so great, that their hearts came alive. And that beauty makes us incapable of giving our hearts to the world.”—Fr. Brian
“Whatever may happen in your life…whatever good may come… you will still desire something beyond that horizon. God made your heart for the transcendent.” —Fr. Brian
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”—St. Augustine
St. Gregory of Nyssa: “Once the soul striving for the heights has begun to share in so far as it can in the divine benefits, then once more the Word draws it as though it were still at the start of its ascent. Once again he says, ‘Arise’ to the one who has already risen, and ‘come’ to one who has already come.” —St. Gregory of Nisseh:
“When God calls you, He says, ‘Arise. Come deeper. Expand your desire.’”—FB
“In truth, to rise at all, one must rise forever. And for those who run towards the Lord, there will always be a greater distance to cover. The Word demands that one constantly arise and never cease to run forward, and every time, He gives the grace of a greater advance.”—St. Gregory of Nisseh
“Do you know what heaven is? Heaven is the perfect union of fulfillment and ever greater desire for God.”—Fr. Brian
“If you want to be good at Lent, be there on the Mount of Transfiguration. You saw the glory of God. You know what that means? That means you can go to the cross.” —Fr. Brian
“If your heart has seen the glory of God, you can do anything.” “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a savior. Lent is about getting in touch with that desire.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
Philippians 3:17–4:1: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/3?17
“At the heart of Christianity is beauty.” “Glory is the divine beauty that’s beyond this world.”—FB
“The shoulder-shrugging functionalism of post-war architecture coupled with the passivity born of decades of television has meant that for many people, the world appears to offer little but bleak urban landscapes on the one hand, and tawdry entertainment on the other. When people cease to be surrounded by beauty, they cease to hope.” —N.T. Wright https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2319645.Surprised_by_Hope
“The only thing that can conquer the temptations of this world and the struggles and the difficulty, is a more beautiful hope. That is the only thing that will make you a real Christian.”—Fr. Brian
“What will make you ‘better at Lent’ is a hope that’s greater.”—Fr. Brian
Simple signs tell you what did or didn’t happen, such as when a child still has ashes on their forehead three days after Ash Wednesday. Today’s Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030622.cfm St. Luke 4:1–13 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4?1 David and Goliath: a premonition of the Tempting in the Desert: 1 Samuel 17 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/17 Into the Desert Fasting for 40 Days: “The Devil comes to you when he knows you are weak. He knows your Achille’s heel.” —Fr. Witold “Pleasures and comfort are OK in our lives, but God is always first. Then, we know the limits in our lives.” —Fr. Witold The very first temptation is: Idol of comfort & pleasure
Idol of Power: (all the kingdoms) we want control Idol of Popularity/Pride: the desire for people to worship you The moment of the Great Fall of Adam was the moment the power over the world was handed from Adam and Eve to Satan.
On the War in Ukraine: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/tags/1954/ukraine-war “The president of Russia is blinded by power, right now. He thinks he can take what he likes. People are being killed because of the decision of one man.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk This kind of entitlement attempts to place ourselves in God’s role, and destruction follows. Satan: The Divider A smart creature, but he made a huge mistake. He uses Psalm 91 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91
“Be with me Lord when I am in trouble.” ....but he (Satan) makes a huge mistake. He actually gives Jesus a hint, because he is tempting Him, and he quotes this part of Psalm 91, when it's actually talking about himself: “With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.” Psalm 91: 12–13
“We should not put God to the test. When we put ourselves into danger, it is our own fault, so don’t blame God when something happens. “—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk “This gospel is for all of us: Satan comes to us when we are weak, he always lies, and he is trying to convince you that whatever you do in your life, you’ll be much better if you do it without God. Jesus says put God first, and everything will be fine.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk The devil knows if you are close to God and he will not convince him or her to commit a sin, so I will attack him to show them ‘who is in charge.’” Each and every day in Lent, we are called to get closer to God, because if we are closer to God, Satan is weaker. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Acknowledge: We are not God Never talk to the temptation: ask yourself, “Should I do it?” Your conscience will tell you, “no,” but it’s still up to you to follow through. This question slows you down, and you start thinking, and you’re more likely to say “no” to the temptation.—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk Scriptures are the key to evasion of the devil.
The message of hope for this Lent is to get closer to God. The closer we are to God, the easier life is, and the more likely we are to become saints. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk Say yes to God. When you receive him in the Eucharist, ask him to help you to say "no" to temptation. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk Lent is a huge reminder that you need God. —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Bearing Good Fruit Parables: “Jesus Style”
“The blind man cannot lead the blind man. You cannot trust the man who removes his glasses to get you safely to your destination. He or she cannot see, so they cannot find the way.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“Each week, Jesus brings your spiritual vision to 20/20 again for the next six days. Not the priests, but Jesus Christ.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“I wouldn’t depend on your own eye. You cannot correct someone if you have problems. If you have problems, you cannot advise. Fix yourself first, so you can help others along the way.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“Fruits: if you see an apple, it means that it comes from a tree. It doesn’t just appear. If you are a Catholic, and you want to bear good fruit, you have to be connected to the tree. You cannot sufficiently fulfill your vocation, the way God wants, if you are not connected to God through his ‘tree.’” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
War in Ukraine is official, because of the deeds of one person. We can speak to the world through the way we behave. We can show that we bear good fruits.
“The Body of Christ, once a week, makes your sin weak.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“If we take the words of Jesus seriously—into our lives—we will show the world and our friends and family members what matters. We will give them good fruits—fruits that are sweet. That’s why Jesus said you should be the light of the world, and you should be the soul of the earth. You give life, light, and taste to this world. And, we can really bring health to the world if we follow Jesus’s words.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“First we need to acknowledge we are sinners, we need rescue, we need to start with ourselves. Then I can finally see clearly 20/20, and I can bear good fruit, and we can finally bring health and wellness to this world.”—Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Prayers in times of war and civil disturbance: -https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/in-times-of-war-and-civil-unrest#:~:text=be%20a%20shelter%20and%20strength%2C%20their%20haven%20and%20hope.&text=in%20the%20embrace%20of%20your,of%20peace%2C%20pray%20for%20us
-https://aleteia.org/2022/02/22/pray-to-the-mother-of-god-for-ukraine/
Bishops call for prayer and fasting for the War in Ukraine https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/us-bishops-president-echoes-pope-francis-call-prayer-and-fasting-ukraine
Annual Ash Wednesday Collection Benefits the Church in Central and Eastern Europe https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/annual-ash-wednesday-collection-benefits-church-central-and-eastern-europe-0
2 Latin Words: Ressentire: To feel something over again—origin of “resentment” https://translate.google.com/?sl=la&tl=en&text=ressentire&op=translate&hl=en
Respectare: “To look at something again,” or, “to look back”—origin of “respect” https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/respecto#Latin
1st Reading: 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/26?2
The Book of Samuel is all about the rise and fall of King Saul and King David—King Saul does not repent, but King David does.
Psalm 51: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51 “Have mercy on me, O God, in your kindness. In your compassion, blot out all my offense.”
Psalm 103: 12: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.”
How far is the east from the west? Eternal.
Saul has everything going for him as king—handsome, tall, everything a king should be. And, along comes King David.
David is the one who sets Israel free from Goliath, and everyone rejoices, because they have been rescued.Resentment grows between David and Saul, because of the envy of David’s success.
1 Samuel 18: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/18
“When those jealousies grow, and we don’t turn to the Lord, they turn into resentment.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
Throughout Samuel, it’s all about Saul’s envy for David, and how he’s going to attack David. Despite the fact that Saul becomes his enemy, David refuses to lay his hand on him because he is the “anointed one by God.”
“If you allow your anger your resentment to get the best of you, it’ll kill other people, but David says, ‘No. I will not lay a hand on the anointed one.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy
David teaches us to love our enemies.
“When people have wronged us, do we just want to seek justice, or do we look at that person again and choose to forgive them? Do we allow resentment to grow? Do we look at that again and again? Or do we say, ‘I choose to still love you; I choose to forgive you.’”—Fr. Sean Conroy
“If we have melancholic tendencies, do we surrender that to the Lord and do we look again? To look again, and to forgive.”—Fr. Sean Conroy
The Greatest Sermon Christ ever gave: Lk 6:27-38: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022022.cfm
“Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you.” “Love your enemies.” “The Gospel is not good advice; it is good news. Good news that we are called to follow.”
“Be merciful just as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” This day in age, it’s all about seeking eye for an eye. The Law of Talions. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/talion Jesus says, “Don’t just get justice back. Be merciful.” “Mercy is to pardon injustice.” —Fr. Sean
“May we have that same contrite heart [of David] and may we seek to forgive the injustices that others have committed against us. To look again at The Other.”—Fr. Sean
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With Lent just around the corner, Fr. Sean encourages us to pray now. “Lord, what are you calling me to give up for Lent? But even more importantly, Lord, what do you want me to do for You, this Lent? How are you calling me to be in a deeper relationship with You? And maybe just one encouragement: the challenge to give up resentment, so to be merciful.” —Fr. Sean Conroy
To Taste Is Wisdom Sapore—Latin for “to taste”— An axiom or phrase that existed in the early Church said, “A man is truly wise when all things taste to him as they truly are.”
Jeremiah 17—https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/17 reflects Psalm 1—https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/1 “To understand the entire book of Psalms, you have to look at it through the lens of Psalm 1.”—Fr. Brian
Psalm 1 talks about a tree planted by streams of water. Only the people of the Holy Land truly understand the meaning of this. Most of this place is desert, and yearns for the rain.
“All of today’s readings are about God’s blessings in your life. The tree in Psalm 1 is not just any tree—it’s about the Tree of Life, and what God wants today is to make you like the Tree of Life.” —Fr. Brian
“It does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and it is not anxious in the season of doubt, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”—Psalm 1:3
“God wants to plant us by that stream of living water in the Garden of Eden, and when there’s hard times—right?—in your life, there’s bound to come years of drought. There’s bound to come heat; there are bound to be trying times. But, if you learn to love the things of God, you will have no fear of the heat or of drought, for your roots will go right down to those streams.”
“How do we do that? Psalm 1 tells us. ‘Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.’”
Jewish tradition called the "Honey Ceremony" was used to illustrate the sweetness of learning. Rabbi would let the young scholar lick honey off the Torah to help the student associate learning with sweetness.
“Everyone believes something, Everyone hopes for something, And everyone loves someone.…But what makes us different as Christians is the object of our faith, our hope, and our love.” —St. Augustine (paraphrased)
“Being a Christian does not just mean following the rules; being a Christian means, Jesus, I delight in You. My heart doesn’t just want to fight what’s bad. Lord, my heart yearns for You. Jesus, I have acquired the taste for those things that are truly good and truly beautiful.”—Fr. Brian
Sponsors: Dr. Tim Gray, book on Prayer, called Praying Scripture for a Change…talks about Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17: “The just man delights in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night.”
Hagah—Hebrew word for “meditate” to reflect upon and quite often to vocalize one’s ruminations.
Simple challenge of the Word of God for us, today: Where does your heart find delight?
“Christianity comes with developing a certain taste.”—Fr. Brian Larkin “What you delight in should tell you a whole lot about what kind of person you are.”—Fr. Brian Larkin
The way temptation works in your life: It Walks… This is when the whispers of sin start. It Stands… This is when the dialogue of sin starts. It Sits…. This is when you decide to remain in the way of wickedness.
Be hungry. Long for the things of God. —Fr. Brian “You’ve got to delight in God’s word. And you can’t do that if you don’t have space for it in your life.” —Fr. Brian
“God’s law is not meant to be something that is just hard on us; God’s Law is meant to fill us with joy, contentment and happiness. But to do it, you have to say “no” to the things out there—you have to delight in God’s Word. Brothers and sisters, turn away from those things. Don’t walk in that counsel of the wicked, but let God plant you right beside those living waters. And to be able to do that, you have to listen to Him. So, Jesus, make all things taste to us as they really are.”
“I was in my room, on my knees, crying—to be honest, I don’t do it a lot, like Fr. Brian, but I was on my knees, and I just couldn’t resist anymore. I was on my knees, in my room, in complete darkness, and I was asking God, ‘I don’t have anymore plans for my life. What I had planned, it has been crashed. So I don’t know what to do. You have to tell me.’ He did. Ten years later, here I am in front of you, and I am so happy.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
“I still love physics, but God is my wife now. I am married to the Church.” —Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
Paraphrased from a friend of Fr. Witold: “I cannot work here when the sin is supported, but I have to work to pay my tuition. I don’t know what to do." He lost his job to follow Christ.
"We love to know what’s next, and when something is going to happen. Jesus doesn’t care about schedules—He has His own time. And, He knows what’s best for us."—Fr. Witold
"We need to fill both boats, both parishes with Catholics. But we have to do just one thing—what St. Peter does. We have to accept Jesus when He comes—uninvited, sometimes—we have to trust, and then we can see the miracle." —Fr. Witold
"Put out into deep water. Trust me. If you do, it’s gonna be good. Do what I say, and you will be catching men. Do not be afraid." —paraphrased from Luke 5:1–11
Luke 5:1–11: "While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.' Simon said in reply, 'Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.' When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, 'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.' For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.' When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him."
“What’s next in my life? Because I am a sinful man, and I don’t know what’s next, but You do. With your help, we will change the world.” —Fr. Witold
-Each and every one of us in this room is called to something amazing. Each and every one of us is called to something unique. Something that only you can fulfill in the Body of Christ. Each and every one of us has a mission, a specific mission that God calls us to. A specific vocation that God calls us to. —Fr. Sean
-vocare (Latin): to be called
-"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
-"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." (Jeremiah 1:5)
-"God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:27-28)
-Each one of us is called to have an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. That may sound Protestant, but how beautiful it is that God calls each one of us to a unique, intimate relationship. We are called to strive for holiness. -Fr. Sean
-"'Ah, Lord GOD!' I said, 'I do not know how to speak. I am too young!' But the LORD answered me, Do not say, 'I am too young.' To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:6–8)
-What does "Emmanuel" mean? God with us. This is God's promise, that no matter what sufferings, no matter what hardships, no matter where we feel inadequate, no matter how much fear we have, God calls us and He says "I will be with you." —Fr. Sean
-"We need them in life’s early morning, We need them again at its close.... And the hands that make us pure as angels, Are the beautiful hands of a priest. At the altar each day we behold them, And the hands of a king on his throne Are not equal to them in their greatness Their dignity stands alone.... When we are tempted and wander To pathways of shame and of sin ‘Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us. Not once but again and again. And when we are taking life’s partner Other hands may prepare us a feast But the hands that will bless and unite us, Are the beautiful hands of a priest." (from The Beautiful Hands of a Priest poem)
-The greatest act of love, the greatest gift of love that we see, is Christ on the cross. Christ who extends His hands on the cross, who dies out of love. He lays down His life for us. The bridegroom lays down His life for His bride. -Fr. Sean
-Spousal love says, "I choose you and only you. And I will give everything for you, despite when things are tense, despite when my kids are frustrating me, despite all these things, I still choose you and only you." And on your wedding day, you made this beautiful promise. -Fr. Sean
-"I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." (Vows exchanged for the Sacrament of Matrimony)
-These two great sacraments: Holy Matrimony and Holy Orders. Vocations don't just pop up out of nowhere. Priests don't just come right out of the womb, a thousand things have to go right. Good holy marriages don't just pop up out of nowhere. Young men and young women who follow after Christ and serve the Lord in that vocation of matrimony don't just pop out of nowhere.... Vocations don't just pop out of nowhere. They come from loving homes and families who encourage them to grow. -Fr. Sean
"'The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field' (Mt. 13:44)...That field, it seems to me, is the scripture, planted with what has become clear in the words and other thoughts of the histories, law and prophets (for the planting of these words in the whole of scripture is great and varied). But the treasure hidden in the field consists of the concealed thoughts (underlying what is manifest) of wisdom hidden 'in mystery' (1 Cor. 2:7) and in Christ, 'in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:3)." -Origen Spirit and Fire, 98
-"Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous by faith will live.'" (Romans 1:16-17)
-"If a book should be put into the hands of a man who cannot read to be read, he would say, 'I cannot read'; if it should be put into the hands of a man who can read, he would say, 'it is sealed.' Whence it is shown that we must not only employ zeal to learn the sacred literature, but we must also pray to the Lord and entreat 'day and night' that the lamb of the 'tribe of Judah' may come and himself taking 'the sealed book' and deign to open it." -Origen, Exodus Homily XII, pg. 373
-"I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?' But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it. I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it." (Revelations 5:1-4)
-And the main thing I want to say to you today, brothers and sisters, it that God's word in the Scriptures, in the Bible, was not written for someone else. It was not written for people in a different time. It was not written just as a fact book, it's not a car manual, it's not even a narrative. It is a narrative, but it's so much more. The Scripture is God's word specifically to your life in 2022. -Fr. Brian
-"He said to them, 'Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:21)
-"And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced..." (Romans 13:11-14)
-"Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28)
-"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4–8)
-"When I had looked upon the mystical body of the Church, I recognized myself in none of the members which Saint Paul described, and what is more, I desired to distinguish myself more favorably within the whole body... " -from St. Therese of Lisieux's diary
"Jesus told them, 'Fill the jars with water.' So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.'" (John 2:7-10)
-The Eucharist is not possible if we don't have wine. There is always wine, because without wine, there is no Eucharist. The wine, this wine, in a few minutes will become the Blood of Christ, another miracle. The whole message in today's Gospel is not about drinking and knowing your limits, it's about inviting God into our lives. -Fr. Witold
-"When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'" (John 2:3)
-If your life doesn't taste great, invite God, and He will change water into wine. He will give you so much joy. -Fr. Witold
-"His mother said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.'" (John 2:5)
-We have to do what the servers did.... The servers, as you can see, they did not ask any questions. They just did what they were told. First, trusting Mary, because she said, "Do whatever he tells you." And then Jesus Himself, who performs this miracle. So we are like the servers sometimes, we have to really trust. -Fr. Witold
-If you invite God into your life, He will change it. He will give you taste, the best taste that you can have. God in your life, He will give you this flavor. Life will have new meaning. That's what Jesus does. And when He comes, and when He changes your life, when He changes water — your problems, issues, struggles —into the joy of being with Him, your whole life is changed. -Fr. Witold
Who you are in your life and your knowledge of who you are, touches everything you do. There's two places you can get your identity from. You can either get it from your relationships, or you can get it from what you do....Most of us draw our identity from what we do. Almost every one of us. -Fr. Brian
-"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1)
-"And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:22)
-What if you actually believe this about yourself? What if you actually believe that God the Father saw you, and He said, "Behold, this is my son, this is my daughter, in whom my soul delights." -Fr. Brian
-When you were baptized, you came to share in the identity of Christ. His father, became your father, His mother became your mother, His siblings became yours—the saints are your brothers and sisters. Your baptism brought you into a family because it united you with Him. -Fr. Brian
-"Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4)
-To be redeemed is to be inserted into the death of Jesus Himself.... The day you were baptized, you died to the world. -Fr. Brian
-"Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:2-4)
-You're not like other people, brothers and sisters, you died with Him. The day you were baptized, you sacramentally died with Jesus Christ, and you were given the promise of eternal life with Him....The whole Christian life is a movement of orientation. To orient yourself, that word literally means, to face east. Everything it means to be a Christian, is to turn away from darkness towards the light. -Fr. Brian
-And now your task is to turn your life towards Him. Everything it means to be a Christian is just what happened at your baptism. It's that you were loved, you were redeemed, you were brought into the family of God, which is the Church. -Fr. Brian
-"Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.... Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:5, 9-10)
-If you're going to be a Christian, you can't live on your parents' faith. You have to live on your faith.... How do you turn away from the world, away from darkness? How do you reject Satan and turn to the light? Here's how you do it: You remember that you are a son. You remember that you are a daughter. -Fr. Brian
"When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem." (Matthew 2:1)
-"Caravans of camels shall cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and heralding the praises of the LORD." (Isaiah 60:6)
-"I was still praying, when the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision before, came to me in flight at the time of the evening offering. He instructed me in these words: 'Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding.'" (Daniel 9:21-22)
-Love will make you poor. When you truly love someone, love always leads us to poverty. Always. -Fr. Brian
-I don't mean, necessarily, that you will be materially poor. You might be. There's a reason why priests and religious are supposed to be at least materially simple. What I do mean is that anyone who loves, loses their life. -Fr. Brian
-"They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:10-11)
-Jesus has no need for these gifts. Jesus is a baby, what use has a baby for gold? What use has a baby for frankincense or for myrrh? Jesus has no need for these gifts. And maybe that's the point. There's a beautiful analogy here in our lives. We want to give things to God. If you love Him, you want to offer Him what you have. God doesn't need us. -Fr. Brian
-The point isn't how talented I am, or how gifted, or how smart I am. Those things don't matter, God doesn't need that. What matters is there's something in our hearts that says, 'Lord, I love you so much, I can't help but fall down and worship and open my treasures to you.' -Fr. Brian
-“Blessed are the poor in spirit." (Matthew 5:3)
-The biggest poverty isn't material poverty.... The biggest poverty is when my life is no longer mine. Everything I had, and everything I wanted before, is now laid at the feet of the child in the manger. -Fr. Brian
-If you're not in a place where you've really surrendered to Jesus, I want to encourage you to open your heart. -Fr. Brian
-"Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions." (Matthew 19:21-22)
-"He said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:19-20)
-"A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents." (Mark 12:42)
-"When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. There were some who were indignant. 'Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.'” (Mark 14:3-5)
-It's not just that we should be generous, this is not just a moral injunction....this is the law of what it means to love. -Fr. Brian
-"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25)
kerygma - the basic Gospel message
The hardest to break through with the Gospel is not people who have big sins, it's people who are apathetic. They just don't need God. Everything is great. -Fr. Brian
Churches are meant to say to us that we can walk into the mystery of the Christian life.... If a church is built properly, we walk into it, and the mystery of Christ surrounds us. -Fr. Brian
As Christians, we don't believe Christianity starts with you. Christianity does not begin with you getting your act together. It does not start with you doing the right thing and going to serve the poor, it doesn't start there. It starts with Christ, with His love for us. Once that's happened, you and I have to respond. -Fr. Brian
Faith is a surrender where you and I hand over our lives and take a step toward God. -Fr. Brian
When I gave my life to Jesus, I didn't experience it as I have to give up all this stuff.... I experienced it as something I never even realized open up in front of me. Heaven is actually real. My life has a meaning and a purpose and a calling on it that God put on my life. And, Jesus, how could I do anything but walk through those doors. This is what faith is. -Fr. Brian
It's not a moral calling, it's a calling into joy. That's faith. -Fr. Brian
There has never been a human being who embodied the fullness of faith in the way that Mary did.... What we don't think about is the cost of Mary's faith. -Fr. Brian
"Mary said,'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.'” (Luke 1:38)
-kerygma - the basic Gospel message
-If you don't know the heart of the Gospel and the basic story, you're always going to put the emphasis in the wrong place. -Fr. Brian
-The Gospel is not good advice, it is good news. And I think part of the reason people in the culture don't want to hear from us—they are sick and tired of hearing from Christians—and I think part of the reason is because when we encounter the world, we're always kind of scolding them on how they should be living a moral life. Which we're not wrong about, they should be, but who wants to hear that all the time? -Fr. Brian
-"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another."(Titus 3:3)
-There are three things that Satan does to every one of us to keep us in slavery: (1) Accuses. (2) Discourages. (3) Lies.
-Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel by Fr. John Riccardo
-"And even when you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it." (Colossians 2:13-15)
-On the cross, the moment when Jesus was so humiliated, was actually the moment when he captured our enemies. That's not good advice, it's good news. -Fr. Brian
-Today, we set aside the concerns of the week that we may honor the Lord and His resurrection. Today we put aside our labors, that we may honor the Lord and remember the eternal life to which He has called us. (Prayer from the Companions of Christ)
-God didn't just save you from the Evil One, that wasn't enough for Him. He didn't just capture your enemy, He captured your enemy, shamed him, and then He said, "By the way, you are my son, you are my daughter, and I love you." And you were brought home into the family of God the Father. -Fr. Brian
-"This was the tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the tree upon which the Lord like a brave warrior wounded in hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a tree brings life." (St. Theodore the Studite)
-"God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:10) -John Paul II talks about, in the Created Order, there were four good relationships: us with God; us with creation; us with other human beings; us with ourself. Before the Fall, these were perfect, and all of these led to a deeper intimacy with God. -Fr. Daniel -When they looked within, when they looked in the eyes of their beloved, and when they looked at creation around all them, all they could do was praise, glorify, and love their Creator. Now if that doesn't stir your hearts, I don't know what does.... That was how it was meant to be. That was how God created it for us. -Fr. Daniel -(Wisdom 2:23-24) -Jesus is King of the Universe, but in many ways, Satan is still king of this world. And we long for and wait for the final coming of our king. This is one of the aspects that we celebrate in Advent. -Fr. Daniel -For us to understand truly the gift that God has given us in His Son—what it means to be rescued—you can't understand our redemption and being rescued unless you understand what we're being rescued from. -Fr. Daniel -"Without Jesus Christ, we wound, we kill, and we go down to hell." (paraphrasing St. Ignatius of Loyola) -The reality is, to understand the gift of redemption, we must understand our fall. -Fr. Daniel -In our brokenness, we see what is good, and in fear, and in selfishness, and in a lack of trust in the goodness of God, we reach out and grasp, so that we might have control. So that we might take it to ourselves without needing to be dependent upon our Creator. And Satan does this so easily. All he needs to do is enter into a little area where truth resides, and twist it. -Fr. Daniel -Notice the conversation between the serpent, Satan, and Eve: Did God really say that? He sows a seed of doubt: Surely you will not die. Which in a way is true, but it's also not true. They won't physically die when they take of the fruit, but their relationship with God is divided. And from that severing, that division between them and God, all of the other dominoes fall down in an horrendous way. Their relationship with creation: broken. Their relationship between themselves: broken. Their relationship within their very own identity: broken. -Fr. Daniel -After the Fall, we turn within, we look within, and before Jesus Christ, what do you find? Emptiness. Absence. The image of God is ruptured, as a statue would be cast upon the ground. When we look at each other, we no longer see the glory of God in fulfillment, but we see an enemy, someone who can hurt me. When we look within ourselves, we see weakness, sinfulness, darkness, again and again and again. This should spurn in us, then, the longing for the return to the garden. The longing for the harmony and the peace that can be found there and only there, where we dwell with God and walk with Him side by side. And ultimately, it can only come in Jesus Christ. -Fr. Daniel -(Genesis 3:23-24) - (Baruch 5:6-7) -"John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" (Luke 3:3-6) -If we have one prayer, if we have one desire today, it's "My God, I am in need of a Savior, because I want to go back to the Garden. I want to go to the place where creation is fulfilled. Where my words flow from my heart in trust. And where, when I look within myself, I see wholeness, beauty, goodness, that I desire to share." -Fr. Daniel
Homily #1 -Advent is a new beginning. You might not have woken up today and thought of this, but today for you as a Christian, today is New Year's Day.... Advent is a season of hope, and what Christians do during Advent is they look to the time that Christ returned to make all things as they should be, and then towards the end of Advent, we start looking back at the time that He first broke into this world. But the theme that runs throughout Advent is that God wants to make all things new. -Fr. Brian
-God wants to make you new. What if you believe that? What if this Advent, over the next four weeks, you were utterly convinced that God could make you new? What would that look like? -Fr. Brian
Homily #2 -kerygma (Greek) - the basic Gospel message
-The good news of Christianity is not that you got your act together and so God decided to love you. That is not what Christianity is. That's not good news. -Fr. Brian
-Simply Good News by N.T. Wright
-John Muir (b. 1838 - d. 1914), Scottish-born American naturalist
-Tonight, at the beginning of the kerygma, we've got to start with a sense of awe. -Fr. Brian
-I'm convinced that the number one cause of atheism in the world is artificial light. Because we're so wrapped up in the things down here that no one looks up into the heavens any more and realizes that they are small. And that there's something mysterious going on in this magical, amazing universe we live in. -Fr. Brian
-Sir Fred Hoyle (b. 1915- d. 2001), British mathematician and astronomer
-Your life is an absolute miracle. The wonder of what happens in this universe, and the fact that you and I are here tonight, brothers and sisters, it is an unbelievable mystery. And sometimes when we think about this, it frees us to ask more important questions and it gets us outside of our day-to-day anxieties. But it gets better. As Christians we believe something far greater than that. -Fr. Brian
-"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)
-logos (Greek) - rationality or wisdom
-You and I live in a universe that was created by Truth Himself. At the primordial moment of time, God spoke meaningfulness into the world. You live in a world that is not devoid of meaning, a world that is not devoid of truth, and ultimately....He created a world where every one of us was made for love. And that's written into the very fiber of your existence. -Fr. Brian
-"Jesus answered, 'My kingdom does not belong to this world.'" (John 18:36)
-kerygma (Greek) - the basic Gospel message
-"If I had a $1,000,000" (1992 song) - Or rather $10,000,000, adjusted for inflation and the cost of living in Denver.
-Money has everything to do with your relationship with God. -Fr. Brian
-"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." (Matthew 6:21)
-What we do with our money says something about where our heart is. Even small things. A lot of sins in our life, Jesus doesn't tell us to really be watchful. Money is tricky, because none of us thinks that we are a greedy person. But if I'm honest, I'm a greedy person. There's a piece of my heart, I just like nice things. -Fr. Brian
-"That which someone cherishes above all else, admires and loves above all, this is that person's God." (Origen)
-Our money is not about paying the bills at the church. Your money has everything to do with what you worship. -Fr. Brian
-"Come, Lord Jesus, take away scandals from your kingdom, which is my soul, and reign there, you who alone have the right. For avarice comes to claim a throne within me; haughtiness and self-assertion would rule over me; pride would be my king; luxury says, 'I will reign'; ambition, detraction, envy, and anger struggle within me for mastery. I resist as far as I am able; I struggle according as help is given me; I call on my Lord Jesus; for his sake I defend myself, since I acknowledge myself as wholly his possession. He is my God; him I proclaim my Lord; I have no other king than my Lord Jesus Christ!" (St. Bernard)
-The first danger is idolatry, is that something is our god other than Jesus. There's something else that's going to make us happy. If I had $10,000,000.... The other danger is fear. It's that, God, there's not enough. Jesus, I don't really trust you, because tomorrow is a little scary. -Fr. Brian
-"For Christ, in being beaten and nailed to the cross, revealed the fountains of the new covenant." (Origen)
-"The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?' (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'" (John 4:9-10)
-"Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" (John 4:13-14)
-In all the world out there, everyone lives from scarcity. There's not enough. And if I just had that house. Or, Lord, I'm just scared of the future, what if I could just pay my bills? The world lives from scarcity. You and I don't. You and I live from the abundance of the fountain of the new covenant. -Fr. Brian
-"Two evils my people have done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; They have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (Jeremiah 2:13)
-"Jesus said to his disciples: 'In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.'" (Mark 13:24-25)
-It's yours. This is your house. You paid to the church to help to renovate the sanctuary. But we do this to build up the Church. Money as you know is not good, it's not bad. Money is neutral. It depends how you use it. —Fr. Witold
-Jesus spends 25 percent of preaching on money in the New Testament. He never said that you're supposed to give ten percent or five percent to the Church. No He has never said something like this, never ever. He said that we are supposed to support the poor, help the sick, this is needed. Money, as you know, doesn't bring happiness. But it can help someone, so we can bring happiness by using money. -Fr. Witold
-The way you give money, for example to the Catholic Church, is to help you to not be attached to the money. -Fr. Witold
-The Fifth Precept of the Church: "You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2043)
-We need to let go of money, because then there is space in our hearts so that God can come with His love. And then when we have love, we can spread the good news. -Fr. Witold
Fr. Brian Larkin preaches about the readings for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time on November 7, 2021.
-lepta (Greek) — coin (two lepta = 1 quadrans)
-quadrans (Latin) — Roman coin (one quadrans = 1/64th of a denarius)
-denarius (Latin) — one day's wage for average person in ancient world
-"For, remember, you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, redeemed you from there; that is why I command you to do this. When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; let it be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings. When you knock down the fruit of your olive trees, you shall not go over the branches a second time; let what remains be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow. When you pick your grapes, you shall not go over the vineyard a second time; let what remains be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow. For remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt; that is why I command you to do this." (Deuteronomy 24:18-22)
-"A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents." (Mark 12:42)
-paroikia (Greek)— parish
-As Christians, brothers and sisters, we've got to be dedicated to this idea that character is what God sees. -Fr. Brian
-Jesus is someone who is condemned as a criminal, an imposter, a blasphemer against God Himself. But that's not who He was. -Fr. Brian
-shofar (Hebrew) — a ram's horn
-"He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums." (Mark 12:41)
-We are all tempted to vanity. Brothers and sisters: What a tragedy the day you die if everyone thought you were amazing but you knew it was a lie. That everyone thought that you were the holiest person, that you were so wise and so good, but it was all a front. What tonight's Gospel inspires us to, what it should inspire us to, is to say, "Jesus, I don't have much. Lord, whatever talents that you have given me, they're yours. You gave them to me in the first place. And Jesus, help me not just to want to look good, Lord, help me to be good. Lord, help me to risk it. The short time of this life, the few years that I have, Lord, may I not be so worried about my reputation or my vanity. But, Lord, may my life actually matter. Jesus, I've only got two lepta, that's all I've got. But they're yours." -Fr. Brian
-The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva (book)
-"Don't let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love. With your apostolic life, wipe out the slimy and filthy mark left by the impure sowers of hatred. And light up all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you carry in your heart." -St. Josemaria Escriva
Fr. Brian Larkin preaches about the readings for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time on November 7, 2021.
-lepta (Greek) — coin (two lepta = 1 quadrans)
-quadrans (Latin) — Roman coin (one quadrans = 1/64th of a denarius)
-denarius (Latin) — one day's wage for average person in ancient world
-"For, remember, you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, redeemed you from there; that is why I command you to do this. When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; let it be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings. When you knock down the fruit of your olive trees, you shall not go over the branches a second time; let what remains be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow. When you pick your grapes, you shall not go over the vineyard a second time; let what remains be for the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow. For remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt; that is why I command you to do this." (Deuteronomy 24:18-22)
-"A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents." (Mark 12:42)
-paroikia (Greek)— parish
-As Christians, brothers and sisters, we've got to be dedicated to this idea that character is what God sees. -Fr. Brian
-Jesus is someone who is condemned as a criminal, an imposter, a blasphemer against God Himself. But that's not who He was. -Fr. Brian
-shofar (Hebrew) — a ram's horn
-"He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums." (Mark 12:41)
-We are all tempted to vanity. Brothers and sisters: What a tragedy the day you die if everyone thought you were amazing but you knew it was a lie. That everyone thought that you were the holiest person, that you were so wise and so good, but it was all a front. What tonight's Gospel inspires us to, what it should inspire us to, is to say, "Jesus, I don't have much. Lord, whatever talents that you have given me, they're yours. You gave them to me in the first place. And Jesus, help me not just to want to look good, Lord, help me to be good. Lord, help me to risk it. The short time of this life, the few years that I have, Lord, may I not be so worried about my reputation or my vanity. But, Lord, may my life actually matter. Jesus, I've only got two lepta, that's all I've got. But they're yours." -Fr. Brian
-The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva (book)
-"Don't let your life be sterile. Be useful. Blaze a trail. Shine forth with the light of your faith and of your love. With your apostolic life, wipe out the slimy and filthy mark left by the impure sowers of hatred. And light up all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you carry in your heart." -St. Josemaria Escriva
-You can't love God if you don't fill your mind with thoughts of Him; if you're not attentive to Him. You can't do it. -Fr. Brian
-shema (Hebrew) — hear
-(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
-The load-bearing wall of your life, is the love of God.... If you don't have that, if you take that wall out, it might stand for a little bit, but nothing else in the end will make sense. This is the centerpiece of everything—not just for Christians. The way that God created humanity, brothers and sisters, He made us so that this is the center of our existence. -Fr. Brian
-He did not create you for a life of comfort, or a life of success, or a life of power, or a life where you did some great things. God created you to participate in this mysterious, beautiful, mystical word. This word we call love. And that's the reason you exist. -Fr. Brian
-Real love means that I know how to sacrifice for you, it means that I choose you, even when it's difficult. Love is not just that feeling, it is something much more beautiful and something much deeper, it is something that lays claim to all of our existence. It is a love that is conformed to Jesus Christ. This is what our religion is about. Do you love God? -Fr. Brian
-"But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)
-The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
-"You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh." (2 Corinthians 3:2-3)
-In the Old Covenant, He taught us to love Him and to love our neighbor and He wrote it on tablets of stone. But what happened on Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, and Pentecost—Jesus, the love of God, is not something that is outside of me. It's not something that I have to look up in a book. It's not that I have to read the Catechism. Jesus, the day you gave your life to me, you wrote the law of love on my heart. You engraved it into my very flesh. And that's why you made me. -Fr. Brian
-What it means to be a Christian is not to follow a moral code. It's not to know certain truths about God. It's to encounter a miracle. And the miracle of Christianity is that the God who created the heavens and the earth, is Him (Jesus). And that He loves you enough to do that (be crucified). -Fr. Brian
-kardia (Greek) - heart
Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk preaches about the Gospel for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time on October 24, 2021.
"The blind man replied to him, 'Master, I want to see.' Jesus told him, 'Go your way; your faith has saved you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way." (Mark 10:51-52)
-"He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus." (Mark 10:50) Holding on to this cloak was the key, that was everything he had. So actually throwing aside his cloak, he took a 100 percent risk to leave everything he had. -Fr. Witold
-Each one of us has this kind of cloak in our lives, whatever it is. This cloak says that this was something that the blind man depended on. All his happiness was there. That's what each one of us has in our lives, this kind of self-sufficient, "I can do whatever I want," I'm holding onto something, I don't need God. -Fr. Witold
-For each one of us, there is something—this kind of cloak that we hold onto—and we need to find it out and make a decision like the blind man. Take the risk, throw it aside, and just go to Jesus so he can do a Catholic LASIK in less than five seconds so you can see. -Fr. Witold
-"Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." (Hebrews 5:1)
-Be always honest with [Jesus]. He knows what's here. So call out like the blind man.... Talk to Him like a friend, like your brother, your sister, your spouse. Be honest, because if we are honest, He really helps. -Fr. Witold
-Find out: What is your cloak? What is the thing that you think brings you happiness, and just make a decision that that is not the right thing. Jesus is the one who brings happiness, who can heal you, who brings your vision back so you can see the world. -Fr. Witold
I am not your priest. Jesus is. And that's such good news.... You and I need to pray with this more. We have to drink deeply of the reality that we have a high priest that is the greatest priest imaginable. —Fr. Brian
-"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession." (Hebrews 4:14)
-"Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins." (Hebrews 5:1)
-"Aaron shall offer the bull, his purification offering, to make atonement* for himself and for his household." (Leviticus 16:6)
-The good news of the New Testament, and what Hebrews is all about, is that our sacrifice is not a bull or a goat. It's Jesus Himself. Whatever your sin is tonight, whatever you've done, whatever the brokenness is in your life, whatever that message is that Satan is whispering in your ear—when he tells you that your sin is too great, or that your heart is too corrupt—whatever that message is, your sacrifice is not a bull or a goat, my sacrifice is not a grain offering or a drink offering or a blood offering. Jesus, you are my offering. You are my sacrifice. You are the one atonement that won my forgiveness. Jesus, you are my priest. -Fr. Brian
Men are called to priesthood to sacrifice their life in union with Jesus Christ. -Fr. Brian
-The Priest is Not His Own by Fulton Sheen
-You are not called to be the type of Christian who says, 'Lord, I love you, I'll give you part of my time.' -Fr. Brian
-'Through Him, with Him, and in Him,' all of us offer not just an external sacrifice, but we offer ourselves with our high priest. -Fr. Brian
-"It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him." (Mark 1:9-10)
-"Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom." (Mark 15:37-38)
-"Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?'" (Mark 10:38)
-The day you were baptized, you were united to the death of Jesus Christ. -Fr. Brian
-"The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:16-17)
-Do you want to be a good Christian? To be a Christian means to be united to the suffering of Jesus, because you love. When the Church loves that way, when you and I enter into true discipleship, when we follow Jesus in a way that says, 'Here's everything, Lord. Here's not ten percent, here's my whole life, I'll lay it down.' When you and I do that, people find God. —Fr Brian
Lord, I want your joy, your generosity and your freedom. That love that just emanates, it radiates from you. Jesus I want that life; Lord, do I want the lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with the life you give? -Fr. Brian Larkin
Readings for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time "If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus." (John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry) "'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'" (Mark 10:17) Lord, I want your joy, your generosity and your freedom. That love that just emanates, it radiates from you. Jesus I want that life; Lord, do I want the lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with the life you give? -Fr. Brian "I want that life. But then I think about the lifestyle behind it. While I was up watching The Man in the High Castle and drinking red wine until midnight (hypothetical scenario, I promise...), they ate celery and water for dinner and went to bed at 9 p.m..... The reality is, I want the life, but I'm not willing to adopt the lifestyle behind it." (John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry) He is the Son of God, that He is the creator of the universe, the Savior of the world.... But in the midst of that, one of the things that we miss is that Jesus also is a teacher. He is not simply a teacher, He is much more than that. But, brothers and sisters, our savior is also a teacher. And sometimes we forget that He has teachings for how you and I are supposed to live. -Fr. Brian About 25 percent of Jesus' teachings in the New Testament are about money. -(Matthew 6:1-2) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." (Matthew 6:19-21) "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) "But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’" (Luke 12:20) "Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit." (Mark 4:18-19) If you and I are not intentional about our relationship to money, if you do not think about your money and think about the teachings of Jesus Christ around it, I promise you it will cause you anxiety. It will cause you to worship mammon, and it will lessen your relationship with God. It will cause you to be just like the rest of the world. -Fr. Brian We do not need more professionals. We do not need more people who know everything that is happening in the news. We don't need more politicians. Desperately today we need men and women who will offer up their lives for Jesus Christ in a radical way. -Fr. Brian Some of you are called like the rich young man today, Jesus is going to put His finger on your heart and he will say to you, "Go sell everything that you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me." Some of us are called to that. Most of you are not called to that form of it, but every single Christian is called to live according to the mind of Jesus in regard to wealth. -Fr. Brian pe'ah (Hebrew) - corner, edge, or border "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest." -(Leviticus 19:9-10) What are you doing with your corner? What are you doing with your pe'ah? -Fr. Brian
Fr. Sean Conroy preaches on the readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time on October 3, 2021.
-"Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness." (Genesis 1:26)
-"God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good." (Genesis 1:31)
-"The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him." (Genesis 2:18) "The man gave names to all the tame animals, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be a helper suited to the man." (Genesis 2:20)
-"So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man, the man said:“This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken." (Genesis 2:21-23)
-From the side of Adam is the birth of woman, just as from the side of Christ, from that rib, is the birth of the Church, where blood and water flowed forth from the cross. Just as God puts Adam in a deep sleep and does this amazing work to create woman, to create Eve out of him, so, too, sometimes God has to put us to sleep to work on us as well. -Fr. Sean
-"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body." (Genesis 2:24)
-This happens before the Fall, the plan for marriage, that man and woman are called to cling to another. That two become one. The beauty of this: The symbol of marriage pointing ultimately to God and what He wants to do with us, that God wants to come into our hearts, come into our lives, and espouse Himself to each one of us. An image for the Church as well: Jesus the bridegroom, the Church His bride. This is why Jesus quotes this, the original plan for marriage. -Fr. Sean
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(Mark 10:2-4)
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(Mark 10:5-9)
-The marriage covenant is an indissoluble bond, that binds a man and woman together, that cannot be separate, and Jesus teaches us that today. This is something that the Church has continuously taught. I want to make it clear though, that for those that are divorced, the Church loves them and reaches out to them, continuously calling them into God's love and mercy. But the Church will continue to invite those who are divorced and remarried, invite them deeper into the Church as well. -Fr. Sean
-"In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.'” (Mark 10:10-12)
-The house that Jesus is in with the apostles is a symbol for the Church. This homily is meant for those who are walking with Jesus, who have a prayer life. But maybe if you haven't been to church in awhile, this homily is not meant for you, but for those who are in that house, who are pursuing Jesus, who are in relationship with Him. -Fr. Sean
-"It is a fundamental duty of the Church to reaffirm strongly, as the Synod Fathers did, the doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage. To all those who, in our times, consider it too difficult, or indeed impossible, to be bound to one person for the whole of life, and to those caught up in a culture that rejects the indissolubility of marriage and openly mocks the commitment of spouses to fidelity, it is necessary to reconfirm the good news of the definitive nature of that conjugal love that has in Christ its foundation and strength." (Pope St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio)
-What does your conscience dread? What's burdening your conscience right now? Maybe there's places in your heart that need healing. Maybe it has to do with divorce, wounds of divorce, maybe it has to do with other things that are on your heart right now. What is Jesus inviting you to bring to Him today? -Fr. Sean
Fr. Brian Larkin preaches about the readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, particularly Mark 9:38-48, on September 26, 2021.
-Jesus calls you and I not to be haphazard about our Christian life, but to be intentional in fighting against temptations to sin. -Fr. Brian
-"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna." (Mark 9:43)
-You and I, we don't compromise with sin, we make war against sin.... We have to be intentional in the battle against sin. -Fr. Brian
-"If I, who seem to be your right hand and am called a priest and seem to preach the Word of God, if I do something against the discipline of the Church and the rule of the Gospel so that I become a scandal to you, the Church, then may the whole Church in unanimous resolve cut me, its right hand, off and throw me away." (Origen)
-We follow one God, we follow one Church, we do not follow people who veer too far off the track of what Jesus and His Church teaches....The Scriptures and the Church herself are the only things that have authority. -Fr. Brian
-Fr. Brian's Challenge: Our Lady of Lourdes should be a sanctuary in the city. We will never build that unless we do it together.
Fr. Brian Larkin preaches on the readings from the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time on September 19, 2021.
-"Taking a child he placed it in their midst." (Mark 9:36)
-paidiá (Greek) — child, or servant
-"Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.'" (Mark 9:35)
-The Gospel teaches that one human soul, one, is worth more than all the created universe. -Fr. Brian
-The greatest Christian heresy of all of our history is called gnosticism. -Fr. Brian
-Gnosticism is already being addressed in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians, 1 John
-The reason gnosticism is so dangerous is because it has so much truth in it. But then it distorts it. -Fr. Brian
-gnosis (Greek) — knowledge
-Gnosticism is the belief that some kind of wisdom, knowledge or polished mysticism will save you.... The Gnostics couldn't handle the cross. -Fr. Brian
-Christianity is not a collection of wisdom, it is not a moral law, it is not good advice. Christianity is good news. The good news is not that God has good advice for your life. The good news is that you were a slave, you had no hope and neither did I.... Until [the crucifixion] happened. -Fr. Brian
-"The good news that Jesus announced, like the good news that his first followers announced about him, was not a piece of advice, however good. It was about something that had happened, about something that would happen as a result, and about the new moment between those two, the moment in which people were in fact living, whether they realized it or not.” -N.T. Wright in Simply Good News
-The Bible is not simply wisdom for your life. The Gospel is the story of how the world was set free by the love of God. -Fr. Brian
-The old world died on the cross. The old world that was captive to Satan, the world that was in rebellion against God. The day Jesus died on the cross, it wasn't me that did something, it was the day that Jesus changed all of history and all of eternity. -Fr. Brian
-"But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which* the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14)
-"A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.” -H. Richard Niebuhr in The Kingdom of God in America
-“The cross is the key to understanding reality in God’s new eschatological age. Consequently, to enter the symbolic world of the Gospel is to undergo a conversion of the imagination, to see all values transformed by the foolish and weak death of Jesus on the cross.” -Richard B. Hays
Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk preaches on the Gospel for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time on September 12, 2021.
"He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days." (Mark 8:31)
"Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.'" (Mark 8:32-33)
"And he asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter said to him in reply, 'You are the Messiah.'” (Mark 8:29)
Who is He for you? Not for the world, but for you. That question has to be answered by each one of us. -Fr. Witold
You have to, each one of you, has to take up your own cross. Which is not easy. We don't like, as human beings, we don't like suffering. No one likes it. We always take painkillers.... St. Peter is trying to be a painkiller for Jesus. -Fr. Witold
If you do not understand something, try not to be a St. Peter. Always trust and come to Him, because He knows the whole movie of your life.... The best way is to say, I believe you are in charge. You are the Messiah. You are God, my God. -Fr. Witold
Notes for Fr. Brian Larkin's homily on the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time on September 5, 2021
Paul Claudel, French poet + playwright (b. 1868 - d. 1955)
-Many of the mistakes we make in life and the problems we have in life come when something is off and we don't perceive something correctly.... If you don't see straight, if you don't hear correctly, brothers and sisters, if your senses are off, you cannot live in the world as you should. -Fr. Brian Physical healings in the Bible are almost never just about physical healing. -Fr. Brian
-"Make the heart of this people sluggish, dull their ears and close their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart understand, and they turn and be healed." (Isaiah 6:10)
-"And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly." (Mark 7:35)
-"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, 'Do you see anything?'" (Mark 8:23)
-If you do not think you are deaf or blind to the things of God, you are unbelievably naive. The saints tell us that if you saw Him for what He is, if you actually saw Him for who He really is, you would never be tempted to commit a sin again the rest of your life. His beauty, His truth, His goodness, His glory, would captivate your heart in such a way that you would wonder why you were ever tempted to do anything but spend your life being close to Him. But you and I are deaf and blind. -Fr. Brian
-"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life..." (1John 1:1)
-"Likewise, He willed in His compassion to do the very same for our interior senses. To make Himself available to their grasp and hold Himself in readiness for them. Not Thomas alone, but an innumerable host of the deaf and the blind exclaims 'As for me, say what you will, unless I touch Him I will not believe.'" -Paul Claudel
-Mark 7, Mark 8
-"When he became aware of this he said to them, 'Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?'" (Mark 8:17-18)
-If we just saw the beauty of Jesus Christ, He moves our hearts and it cures every one of our sins. Because Christianity is about love, brothers and sisters. And if we love and we walk on that way with Him, our hearts find healing. They find strength and they are converted. -Fr. Brian
-"He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, 'Ephphatha!' (that is, 'Be opened!')" (Mark 7:33-34)
-Are you walking with Jesus? Or do you just go to Mass on Sundays? You have to risk something. No one can follow Him, no one can be His disciple, not a single one of us. No one can be a true Christian unless we leave something behind, unless we risk something to follow after Him. -Fr. Brian
-Charles Péguy, French poet (b. 1873 - d. 1914)
-"Mine is no ordinary life. My life is a wager. At the deepest level there is a Catholic renaissance coming to fulfillment through me. I am a sinner, I am not a saint. You can recognize a saint at first glance. I am a good sinner. A witness. A Christian in the parish, a sinner, but one possessed of the treasures of His grace." -Charles Péguy
I think that you are here because you believe that this man, on the cross, was killed because of you. He chose to be killed, out of love, and He stayed. So now it's really time to do the same. Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk
21st Sun. of Ord. Time | Do You Want To Leave? | 8.22.2021 | Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk by Lourdes Denver
Homily #1 John 6 is the place in the New Testament that Jesus teaches most extensively about the Eucharist; every Catholic should know this chapter of the Bible. "For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." (John 6:55-56) "'I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.'" (John 6:51) "Then the LORD God said: 'See! The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil! Now, what if he also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of it and lives forever?'" (Genesis 3:22) The fruit of the Tree of Life, Catholics believe, is the Eucharist. It is the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ. When you come to Mass, you are at the crucifixion of the Son of God mystically and sacramentally. Homily #2 If you are a real Catholic, a question that you cannot help but ask yourself is "Lord, what do you want from me?" "So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma." (Ephesians 5:2) prosphoron (Greek): a grain offering | thusia (Greek): a blood sacrifice We all know if you play by the rules — go to Mass on Sunday, try not to commit the big sins, even give a tithe to the Church —those are all good things. But something is missing. -Fr. Brian Larkin "For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn." (Psalm 51:18-19) "For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” (Hebrews 10:5-7) There is a danger in the Christian life where we can say "God I'll follow the rules. I'll offer my sacrifice. I won't live the way the world lives. I'll go to church. I'll give to the Capital Campaign, I'll tithe. Don't ask for my heart." Of course the other danger, there's people out there who think "If I give God my heart, I don't have to do the other things. I don't have to go to Mass on Sundays, as long as I love God, why does He care?" The Eucharist takes those two things, and it perfectly unites and fulfills them. -Fr. Brian Larkin If you know the love of Jesus Christ poured into your heart, you can offer a sacrifice. Not detached from your heart, not cold, not rigid, not mechanical, but one that says, "Here I am, oh God, I come to do your will." -Fr. Brian Larkin "a fragrant aroma" (Ephesians 5:2) — this phrase is used 40 times in the Pentateuch. St. Paul says if you are united to Jesus in that one sacrifice, you become a fragrant odor before God.
"I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life." (Ephesians 4:17, 20-22)
"'Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!'" (Exodus 16:3)
"Jesus answered them and said, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.'" (John 6:26-27)
"So Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'” (John 6:32-33)
Life is not just about food and other concerns, but it's about seeing a bigger picture. This life is just a pilgrimage toward eternal life. —Fr. Witold The Eucharist isn't a free lunch. It's not free. Our Lord offers it Himself, and He expects you to believe in this. He's expecting our faith and holiness, and He pays for it. —Fr. Witold First there is faith, and then you can understand. We need to first believe in the Eucharist, then we can kind of understand it. —Fr. Witold "So they said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.'" (John 6:34-35) We can never lose sight of our ultimate need: God. And the means God has given us to fulfill it—believing in His son and receiving Him as the bread of life. —Fr. Witold
"Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples." (John 6:3) "A river rises in Eden to water the garden; beyond there it divides and becomes four branches." (Genesis 2:10) Mount Sinai; Noah's Ark; Abraham on the mountain with Isaac; Mount Zion Throughout Scripture we have these mountains, we have these mountaintops on which incredible things happen....These mountains are a place of transcendence, a place in which we encounter the living God. -Fr. Sean Conroy "Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.' So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat." (John 6:11-13) The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke synoptikos (Greek) — "seeing everything together" "The Institution narrative and Consecration, by which, by means of the words and actions of Christ, that Sacrifice is effected which Christ himself instituted during the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to the Apostles to eat and drink, and leaving with the latter the command to perpetuate this same mystery." (USCCB) The Bread of Life Discourse: John 6 The Mass, which we come to, is also a mountaintop experience, where we experience Jesus as the source and summit of our lives, where we get to receive his body, his blood, his soul and divinity. This mountaintop experience is where we are transformed into His likeness by what he gives to us. -Fr. Sean Conroy "...and there he sat down with his disciples." (John 6:3) — Jesus sits, sitting being the posture of the teacher. "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures." (Luke 24:27) — The Liturgy of the Word "Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted." (John 6:11) The Offertory connects the Liturgy of the Word with the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Offertory is where we're called to offer of ourselves—our gifts, our joys, our sufferings, our wants, our needs—offer them and place them at the foot of the altar.... God then transforms those gifts, transubstantiates those gifts, making what was ordinary into what is extraordinary. -Fr. Sean Conroy "...twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits..." (2 Kings 4:42) — We are called to give first, the best of ourselves, not what is left over. "In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground, while Abel, for his part, brought the fatty portion of the firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor." (Genesis 4:3-5) "I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:1-6) St. Paul is showing us that the Church is meant to be unified. God only started one Church, one faith, one baptism. -Fr. Sean Conroy When we come to Mass, this mountaintop experience, we experience the sacrament of unity. The Eucharist is that which draws us all together, across the whole world. -Fr. Sean Conroy Apostolic Letter issued "Motu Proprio" by Pope Francis: On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970
“Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.” (Third Commandment) "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul." (Psalm 23:1-3) "The world will never be satisfied with what you give it. The world is always going to demand more of you. It will never leave you alone, it will never back off, it will never require less of you than it does today....The world will want to fill every single space of your life and claim ownership over it." -Fr. Brian Larkin If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff Invasive brown tree snakes (National Geographic) "'Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.'” (Mark 6:31) "If you do not have rest in your life, you will never find joy in your faith." -Fr. Brian Leisure the Basis of Culture, by Josef Pieper Rest is not not doing work. We tend to think that rest is either the absence of work, or its restful activity. Here's the thing, it's not. Rest is a state of soul. (paraphrasing Josef Pieper) "If you have that rest within you, you carry that rest with you everywhere you go. But if your soul is a state of disharmony, you will also carry that with you everywhere you go." -Fr. Brian "What Sunday does for us, it does in time what a church does for space. The sabbath is to time, what the church is to space." -Fr. Brian When God creates the world, He rests on the seventh day. The Sabbath day is the day of rest. When Jews observe Sabbath, what they do is they remember the goodness of creation. (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17) "When you rest on the Sabbath, you will remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that God brought you out. The world wants to make you a slave....God's children are not slaves." -Fr. Brian "If you let the world into the treasure of your soul, you will find you have nothing left." -Fr. Brian ...................................................................... Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
Trust is really the heart and source of perseverance. If I do not trust, I will not persevere. Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk Notes from the celebrating priest's homily will now be sent out every Monday, along with a video recording of his homily. If you think someone else would benefit from diving a little deeper into Sunday's readings, forward this email along, or have them sign up for the Lourdes' Flocknotes. If you have any questions, please email admin@lourdesdenver.org. Thank you, and God bless!
Readings for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time "He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two." (Mark 6:7) You do not need to be a priest to spread the good news. As you know, that's a job for all of you because you were baptized and became members of the same body. -Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk "He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic." (Mark 6:8-9) To be an Apostle is to be sent. The term apostle is derived from the Greek apóstolos, meaning "one who is sent off." "Jesus, I trust in you." (from Chaplet of Divine Mercy) "Jesus told him, 'Have sight; your faith has saved you.'" (Luke 18:42) Trust and perseverance: these are two key qualities of the Christian missionary. Trust is really the heart and source of perseverance. If I do not trust, I will not persevere. -Fr. Witold Kaczmarzyk "But the snake said to the woman: 'You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.'" (Genesis 3:4-5) "Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 397) ................................................. Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
................................... Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
Death is not the friend of the Christian; death is the enemy of God. He will conquer death on the last day for all of us. Fr. Brian Larkin Notes from Fr. Brian's homilies will now be sent out every Monday, along with a video recording of his homily. If you think someone else would benefit from diving a little deeper into Sunday's readings, forward this email along, or have them sign up for the Lourdes' Flocknotes. If you have any questions, please email admin@lourdesdenver.org. Thank you, and God bless!
Readings for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time "God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living." (Wisdom 1:13) "For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all." (1 Corinthians 15:16-19) "Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, 'My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.'" (Mark 5:22-23) "The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.'" (Mark 5:33-34) (emphasis added) thugátēr: Greek for "little daughter" Our God is not a God of death, He is a God of life. And when a person encounters Jesus, they have a movement from death into life. -Fr. Brian Larkin "Too often our notion of faith is falsified by our emphasis on the statements about God which faith believes, and by our forgetfulness of the fact that faith is a communion with God's own light and truth." -Thomas Merton "Let your religion be less of a theory, and more of a romance." -G.K. Chesterton ..................................... Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
Vocation Director, Fr. Ryan O'Neill We believe in absolute truth, objective truth, and we reject relativism Truth is a person, and we know Him. Transcendentals: beauty, truth, goodness, and mercy Cathedral in Montreal The Church proposes the ways to goodness, and will guide us along the way. "Don't be surprised by evil; come rest in the shade." —Fr. Ryan O'Neill Parable of the Mustard Seed FOCUS—Curtis Martin (an example of the Mustard Seed) Augustine Institute—(Tim Gray) Seminary was failing miserably, and Archbishop Chaput revived it—Mustard Seed Archdiocese of Denver is only great when we embrace the mustard seed, because grace is at work within it. "'Do little things with great love.'—That is what makes the Archdiocese of Denver good."—Mother Teresa & Fr. Ryan O'Neill expounds on this idea. "'Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of His name.' Embrace the mustard seed." Rome converted—over a thousand year period—because they embraced the mustard seed. Pride Month: Love the sinner; hate the sin Orientation itself is not a sin; The actions that flow from it are sinful, which is why the Church can never agree with marriage for people with same sex attraction. We, as a Church, are OK with whatever orientation you struggle with. How do we love the sinner? "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me."—Matthew 25 "If you come to Jesus, you come to Jesus on his terms." Fr. James Martin is right about one thing: we need to love those with same sex attraction better. "Tolerance is when you allow evil for the hope of a good." "Jesus tolerates you every minute of every day, and all you do is sin. He is allowing you to do evil in the hope of a greater good."—Fr. Ryan O'Neill If we want our same-sex brothers and sisters to come to love Christ, we need to let go of whatever fences we have put up against chastity. We need to invite them to know Jesus, and then they convert. We call people of hetero- and homosexual attraction to the same method to know Christ. Every homosexual friend needs a heterosexual friend who does not promote the homosexual lifestyle; it can be very healing. "Start focusing on the people in our lives and the mustard seed grace that's available to each one of us, every day."—Fr. Ryan O'Neill
"Then, having sent young men of the Israelites to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls as communion offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, 'All that the LORD has said, we will hear and do.' Then he took the blood and splashed it on the people, saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.'" (Exodus 24:5-8) "On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, 'Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?'" (Mark 14:12) Pesach, a Hebrew word, means "passover"; Pesachim, discusses Passover and the Passover sacrifice. "While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take it; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed* for many.'" (Mark 14:22-24) "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God." (Hebrews 9:13-14) "For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28) "Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Mark 14:26) "But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out." (John 19:33-34) .............................................. Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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"Creaturely being, assumed by God in Christ, serves as a kind of prism of the triune God, refracting the white divine light into the distinct colors of the 'spectrum' of creation: the Beautiful, the Good, and the True. The Trinity, and its appearance and saving work in Christ and Spirit, gives the sprawling trilogy its deep unity." -Hans Urs von Balthashar You Crown the Year With Your Goodness by Hans Urs von Balthasar "You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not invoke the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain." (Exodus 20:4-7) "Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness." (Genesis 1:26) A way of committing idolatry is worshipping the true God in a false way. "He received their offering, and fashioning it with a tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.' On seeing this, Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and proclaimed, 'Tomorrow is a feast of the LORD.'” (Genesis 32:4-5) "In adopting her husband's name, the wife at the same time surrenders her own name. She leaves behind what is hers and belongs henceforth no longer to herself. This surrender of the old is for both spouses, the condition of the new that is opening to them. Behind this more external act of renouncing ones name, of losing ones independence, is the deeper mystery of life and death that is love itself." -Pope Benedict XVI "Every one of us was made to lose ourselves in a mystery far greater than ourselves. This is what the Trinity is." - Fr. Brian Larkin "Finally, really to stand before God, before the inconceivability of the divine miracle that makes all things clear, that cannot be described, circumscribed, or constructed with categories of the stoic katalepsis. But rather, to stand before God already demands the categories of a loving surrender that entrusts oneself to the infinite and to the knowledge that one has been accepted and loved." -Hans Urs von Balthasar ...................................... Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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The Storm on the Sea of Galilee—Rembrandt: Stolen from the Boston Art Museum, one of the greatest heists in all of history. Beauty is not ancillary to the Christian faith; beauty is at the heart of the identity of God.—Fr. Brian Larkin Artists can help you and I learn how to pray by leading us to a deeper level of what happened on the boat when Jesus fell asleep during the storm. .................. Fathers master the art of good storytelling. The life of every human being is the stepping into the great story that God has written. Dads, you need to know that story well to instill it in our children. G.K. Chesterton: "The perfect happiness of men on the earth (if it ever comes) will not be a flat and solid thing, like the satisfaction of animals. It will be an exact and perilous balance; like that of a desperate romance. Man must have just enough faith in himself to have adventures, and just enough doubt of himself to enjoy them.” God did not create us for an easy life—He created us to be part of an amazing story. "In the upper world, hell once rebelled against heaven. But, in this world, heaven is rebelling against hell."—G.K. Chesterton We [fathers] are called to courage. Courage is the willingness to suffer for what is good.—Thomas Aquinas Mark 4: The Crossing of the Sea of Galilee: You and I are called to get in the boat. We go with those we love. We suffer with them and for them. "Dad can do anything. And my dad would give his life for me."‚—That reality is the foundation of civilization. When that is present, kids grow up healthy. They know they're loved. They know the world is good.—Fr. Brian Larkin Jesus Christ is Lord. He is King of all creation. He is not threatened by evil. He is Lord over all things; he holds them in his hand. Mark 6: Walking on Water: Jesus walks on water, but there's a difference this time. He sends them by themselves, and follows after them. He's training the disciples to become a certain kind of man. He builds us up so we can be men and women of Christian maturity. Much like Christ, we are called to raise our kids so they will fight evil. If we do everything for them, we have not raised them to become men and women of courage, themselves.—Fr. Brian Larkin God created us for story. The temptation is to say we are made for success, comfort, money, popularity, etc., but that is a lie. Satan gets us to believe in the wrong story. Your story is to become men and women that God created to stand for what mattered. 2 Corinthians 5:15: "He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised." God always goes first, just like a good father. ................................... Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Resources referenced in today's Pentecost homily, "Curmudgeons and New Wine," with Fr. Brian Larkin: "Late have I loved you, beauty ever ancient, ever new. Late have I loved you."—From The Confessions, by St. Augustine "Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine, There's always laughter and good red wine. At least I've always found it so."― Hilaire Belloc Acts 2:13—"Others who mock them say they are filled with new wine." 1 Corinthians 12: All of us were made to drink of one spirit. Ephesians 5:18: "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and making melody to the Lord with all your heart." Luke 5:37: "Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. 39[And] no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”* What are you holding onto in your faith and not allowing God to transform? "Get on your knees and confess that you are a curmudgeon. Lord, I've refused to let you move me. Surrender in a new, powerful, and free and surrendering way. I've grown old in my sin, I've grown hardened and rigid. Jesus, today, would you make me new?"—Fr. Brian Larkin
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Resources referenced in today's 6th Sunday of Easter homily, with Fr. Will Schmid: "No other love satisfies the hungry heart like agape love." "Nothing produces more life, more peace, more joy, more fulfillment than in the paschal mystery, and when it draws others into that love." —Fr. Will Schmid "It's free, it's total, it's faithful, and it's fruitful.—4 essential characteristics of Agape Love."
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (Jn 15:12-14) storge: familial love philia: brotherly love eros: sensual, passionate love agape: unconditional love; highest form of love Jesus' love for us on the cross: Free, total, faithful, and fruitful If our love is going to be an authentic expression of Jesus' love, we must embody the same characteristics.
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Resources referenced in today's 5th Sunday of Easter homily, with Fr. Brian Larkin: Love & Commandment If the love of God dwells inside of you, there is only one commandment. "If you do not love, there are a thousand commandments. But, if you have love, there is only one." Priest joke, if he were a bishop: John 15:14 would be his motto: You are my friends if you do what I command you." 🙂 John 14–16 Psalm 80: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Abide in me, and I in you."—Psalm 80 "You brought the vine out of Egypt."...verse 14, "Turn again, Lord God of hosts; have regard for this vine." In Psalm 80, the "vine" is Israel. Isaiah 5 "There is a lot of evidence that the "Vine" was also a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden."—Fr. Brian Larkin There is no life if we're not in Him. 1 John 3:14: 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death.i If we love God and we love each other, we have life. If we do not, we abide in death. An image to grasp from: Fiddler on the Roof: It will change your walk if you get this: "I'm asking you a question! Do you love me? "You're a fool." "I know. But, do you love me?" "Do I love you? For 25 years, I have washed your clothes, I have cooked you meals. I have given you children, I have milked the cows. Why talk about love right now?"—How can you ask me if I love you? Look at what I do for you? My Bride, my Immaculate Church: Do you love me? Without love, we ask a million things: Why do we have to go to church every Sunday? Why do we reject contraception? Why do we believe marriage is between one man & one woman? Etc... once we grasp the concept of love, there is only one commandment; all else falls into place. Balthasar: "If we fall away from love...if love cools, the glowing lava of its immense spontaneity hardens into the fixed and narrow molds of individual commandments, where love grows sluggish, law flourishes." Let's be more like Mother Teresa, because her love is what wins hearts and souls; it wasn't her "rule book." "No one who truly loves says, 'Jesus, I love you, so I don't have to worry about what you command me to do.' The most obedient people on earth are people who love. When you fall in love with someone, you give them everything you have. Love makes us obedient. So, someone who dismisses commandments does not fully understand love."—Fr. Brian The other danger is thinking something else other than love will lead us to Christ. Often, we substitute a "system" for the love of God. "But, do you love me?"—Jesus Pruning the superfluous in our lives is important to make what matters flourish. "The more the human heart withdraws from a multiplicity of objects, the more intensely it is drawn to one. In like manner, the more a man's soul is withdrawn from concern for temporal things, the more perfectly it will be drawn to the love of God."—Balthasar "The hope of gaining or keeping material things is poison for love."—St. Augustine "Cupidity & Charity" "St. Augustine says, "There is a war in your heart between those two loves." Charity is the divine love of God. "If you feed this love, you will kill the love of God in your soul.—St. Augustine "Cupiditas" & "Caritas" Jesus, teach your Church to love, so that we may have your life. .................................................
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ
The Good Sheep
The good sheep: always stays close to his shepherd. Sheep stuck in a crevasse video
Consult with God before making major decisions, because he wants to be a part of these things.
Your prayer life changes once you fulfill your vocation. There's a real spirituality when we consecrate every single aspect of our vocation to the Lord. Give it all to His glory. It's how we sanctify the world. "The laity sanctify the world in places the priest can't go." If you're able to make simple visits to the Blessed Sacrament, do! 5 minutes can be transformative. This is how it happened for Matthew Kelly! Matthew Kelly: Formed Dynamic Catholic Read Scripture every day. Take a coffee break with the Gospels. Intentionally look for Jesus in the people around you, just like St. Mother Teresa. Intentioanlly look for Jesus in your spouse. "Once you see him, it's hard not to want to pour out yourself as a gift once you see it's the Lord." A good sheep always wants to be in the presence of his shepherd. How do we stay close to the shepherd? He's always with us. A good sheep knows his shepherd's voice. How do we know the Shepherd's voice? We need to wait. Desires in our heart manifest when we make these small efforts to fuel these desires. God starts to mold them, shape them, form them when we make even the tiniest effort. Seeking the Eucharist in different ways is an excellent way to know the Shepherd's voice. Stay out of the area where we can't hear His voice. Ask God for the grace to always be close to Him, so we may experience the joy of being a good sheep.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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3rd Sunday of Easter | Heart of a Christian | 4.18.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Sorry for the cutoff at the beginning. Father Brian answers some of the hardest questions about the Faith in one of the last classes of RCIA 2020/2021. Then, he attempts to tackle a substantial chunk of the Catechism when he addresses Contemplative Prayer.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Father Brian answers some of the hardest questions about the Faith in one of the last classes of RCIA 2020/2021. Then, he attempts to tackle a substantial chunk of the Catechism when he addresses Contemplative Prayer.
RCIA Class #28 | Lingering Questions & Contemplative Prayer | 4.15.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The gift of reconciliation Eucharistic Holy Hour for Divine Mercy Sunday 1931 St. Faustina receives her vision of Divine Mercy: The Humble Instrument St. Faustina's Diary Blessed Franz Jägerstätter: Movie about him is called A Hidden Life
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Father Gama reveals the truth of the Resurrection, and why we can confidently profess that this is, indeed, an historical fact.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Father Brian reveals the joy that will eventually come to us as a result of the Resurrection, because of the ultimate redemption of humanity. We celebrate beyond a normal celebration, for a total of 8 days—the Octave of Easter—because it offers a joy beyond all joys. "You cannot enter into the fullness of today's joy unless you wrestle with the problem it solves."
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Fr. Brian reveals his cherished relic of the true Holy Cross, and tells the story of Saint Helena and how the true Cross was discovered. He also describes how Holy Week will work for the RCIA candidates, and how love leads to a transformation which naturally adopts a life of morality.
Easter Schedule Review, Followed by discussions about Matthew 26:45 and how it echoes Psalm 22, and gay marriage and why "sex is not the same thing as love, and love is not sex.
Fr. recommends a few books: "What Is Marriage?" and "Debating Religious Liberty & Discrimination"
Palm Sunday Sight to the Blind
Irony: Often those who are blind can see better than those who can see. —inspired by the novel, “All the Light We Cannot See”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18143977-all-the-light-we-cannot-see
If you’re going to understand what God wants to say to you, when we read the Passion, you have to sit with it and let it percolate.
Often what happens is that those who see the most—who have the biggest advantage—those are the ones who are truly blind.—FB
The Passion: Saul should have known the most about Christ, because he studied under one of the greatest Rabis, and yet he misses who Jesus truly is.
The last thing Jesus does before he enters Jerusalem is heals a blind man.
Mark 10https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/10 “Master, let me receive my sight.” “Your faith has made you well.”
-You and I are blind. He will make those who can see, blind, and those who are blind, see. -The thing that ultimately will heal the world of its blindness is the incomprehensible love of Jesus Christ on the Cross. -The Way is the first name of Christianity
Story of BartimaeusMark 10: 46–52 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/10
Jesus, I want to be deeper in my faith. Will you please heal my blindness?
“If you open that heart of yours this week, Jesus can heal your blindness.”
The Entrance into Jerusalem—The City of the Living God: In Matthew 21:1–11, https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21
Mark 11:1–11, https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/11
Luke 19:28–44, and https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/19
John 12:12–19, https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12
St. Ambrose “He was in a village and a colt was tied there—an ass….” “Such was the means, such the life, such the grace…” “if you have been loosed of your sin, and if you have tasted the grace of Jesus Christ”… “Be you of such a kind that you also may loose those that are bound” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/19
“Jesus,your humility has raised me up. Your power has freed me of my sins. Jesus, may your death give us life.”—Fr. Brian Larkin ....................................................................................
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Perfection Is Completion
"Tetalesti" — Greek for "It is finished." "Telos"—an end or completeness, and "teleos" is Perfection —almost one in the same. 1st: Be in awe and wonder at the perfect work of Redemption that God has accomplished in Christ. 2nd: Have hearts to see what God has done in Christ and see the perfection. John 12–13: shows 6 signs that show who He is. In John 13, the language shifts to glory. Wedding Feast of Cana—"My hour has not come." "Jesus knew that God had an hour and a plan for Jesus's life, and the plan was that Jesus would surrender his life for the world. He expected it to come, he knew it would arrive, and he lived for that moment—to give himself away."—Fr. Brian Larkin 10 times he told of this time, but for the first time, in our gospel today, the time has arrived. 2nd point: God wants to perfect your life by removing the parts that don't belong, and it's going to hurt. Hebrews 5:8 "Mothane pothane or pothane mothane (?)"—means, "to suffer is to learn." Michelangelo's famous image that he uses when creating a sculpture is, he sees the pure image hidden within that was waiting to be uncovered. The only task was to "remove the parts that didn't belong."—this is known to him as "the artist's task." "God doesn't will your pain, but he wills your perfection."—Fr. Brian .................................................
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenve... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den...... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNx...
Grasped by the Light Homily at 21:28 -John 3: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3 -Authentic faith always contains obedience and love. -Pistis—Greek for "faith" -Someone who continuously chooses not to believe in Jesus is the one who cannot be saved. - Balthasar: There can be no neutrality in the face of him, no avoidance, no avoiding his gesture.... -Thomas Aquinas: Faith is an obedient surrender to the light—that kind of faith will save you for all eternity. -St. Francis De Sales: Meditation: "Place yourself in the presence of God. Imagine yourself alone in a field with your guardian angel. "When you see the great contrast between God and Satan, you will see all these things that seem appealing, but they leave people hollow. When you see the side of Christ and the Crucifixion, you will find faith, hope, and joy. Make your decision. Make this your faith." —Fr. Brian
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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Redefinition of Everything
Keep Christ at the Center; The Cross Redefines All Things "I used to think power meant dominance over others. The Cross shows is that Christ is the power of God."—Fr. Brian Larkin The Cross of Jesus Christ redefined wisdom, priesthood—everything. The groom laid down His life for His Bride. Ephesians 5
Cleansing of the Temple is Preparation for Calvary
Paradox of the Cross Cor. 1:18–25 18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.k19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.” 20 Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?m 21* For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 3 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
"When I sit there, kneeling before Christ's suffering and death, my whole life is redefined by the Cross. He redefined what love is."—Fr. Brian Larkin
Hello! Welcome to Lourdes!
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
Father Brian reviews the Scrutinies weekend, and answers interesting questions about demonic associations with certain activities, such as yoga, the Zodiac, astrology, and even Harry Potter. The meat of this class is the beauty of the sacrament of reconciliation. Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ ... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ ... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/ ... GREGORIAN RANT Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EzZkNxXB5CeyyRw4jGrTQ ... And the VIDEO Gregorian Rant Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkC5_tjxxG5E17jqn4JaDUQ
RCIA Class #22 | Questions Answered & More On The Mass | 3.3.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sunday of Lent | Journey to Trustworthiness | 2.28.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sunday of Lent | Manifestation of Glory | 2.28.2021 | Fr. Chris Gama by Lourdes Denver
Join us for Mass with Father Brian Larkin, Father John Nepil, Father Daniel Eusterman, and Deacon Trevor Lontine's first homily as an ordained deacon, as of yesterday, February 13th, 2021!
Subject: The Divine Physician Homily at 17:55
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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RCIA Class #19 | Baptism Review & Eucharist Series | 2.3.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #18 | Epistemology, OT Obedience To Some But Not All | 1.20.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RICA Class #17 | Intensifying Lent & Justification | January 13, 2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #15 (Pt. 1) | Protestantism Vs. Catholicism | 12.16.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #15 (Pt. 2) | Authority of the Church | 12.16.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #15 (Pt. 1) | Protestantism Vs. Catholicism | 12.16.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
The Baptism of the Lord | The Greatest Day | 1.10.2021 | Fr. Will Schmid by Lourdes Denver
Epiphany of the Lord | Sacrifice Your Kingdom | 1.3.2021 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Feast of the Holy Family | Counterfeits of Holiness | 12.27.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Resources referenced in today's homily:
Pope Benedict XVI: "If you had to pick a moment that Christianity began, it would be this one." [he refers to Mary's 'yes.']
The Princess Bride: "Sometimes words can mean something more than just words, such as when Wesley says, 'As you wish.' He wasn't just saying, 'As you wish,' he was saying, 'I love you.'"
"Mary teaches us that her 'yes' to God is everything it means to be a Christian."
"But, you can say yes on a shallow level, or you can say yes from the depths of your heart. In my better moments, my 'yes' is more complete."
"Christianity is about a response."
"The degree to which you love is dependent upon the purity of your heart."
"'Here I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent!" (2 Samuel 7:2)
"Moreover, the LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you: when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. He it is who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever." (2 Samuel 7:11-13) "The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness." (Psalm 89) "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.'" (Luke 1:26-28) "But Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?'" (Luke 1:34) "'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.'" (Luke 1:38) "To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever." (Romans 16:27)
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links:
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3rd Sunday —Gaudete Sunday—Perpetual Happiness vs. True Joy, With All its Sorrow Aldous Huxley—A Brave New World "Our Ford himself did a great deal, to shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness." Do you want truth and beauty? Or, do you want comfort and happiness? Mary has joy and sorrow because she loves. "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Josef Pieper once said, "Joy by its nature is something secondary, and subsidiary. If we look closely into the matter, it becomes apparent that Man does not want to plunge absolutely and unconditionally into the psychological state of rejoicing, but that he wants to have a reason for rejoicing." Joy is a byproduct." He meant that humans want to be more than just "happy." We want to be happy because life is true and beautiful and good. God does want us to rejoice, but for the right things. Check out Father Brian's latest podcast episode on Gregorian Rant! He talks about how people just want to "feel better." We are not made to be "comfortably numb." God created us for true joy, which is love. St. Thomas Aquinas once said, "Out of love come both joy and sorrow. You have to choose." "Brothers and sisters, if you love, you already have heaven." Mary's joy is because she loves. Mary chose joy with sorrow, because she loves. Ask yourself how Mary is the most joyful person who ever lived, despite the tremendous sorrow she experienced. Even the sorrowful man who loves is happier than the non-lover. —Josef Piepers Choose love—even with its sorrow—today. "Jesus, may our love for You be the source of our joy."—Fr. Brian Larkin
RCIA Class #12 | Protestants, St. Francis, & OT Fulfillment | 11.25.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin (audio) by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #14 (pt 2) | Continuing Discussion Of "Faith" | 12.9.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #14 | Official Catholic Teaching, Cult of Personality, & Faith | Fr. Brian Larkin
Father Brian recommends the 1st edition of the RSV Bible. Scripture scholars will tell you this is the best translation in English.
God is truth. "Can you see who He really is? Can you see His glory?"
We cannot measure the Divine; the Divine measures us.
Faith is letting go of yourself and opening up to God, because when you love someone, you have to learn to surrender.
Another resource: Isaiah 6
Jesus heals the deaf and blind men. All the while, everyone is asking Him for a sign that He is who He says He is.
1st Sunday of Advent 11/29/2020 New Creation & Reading Someone Else's Mail
2 Corinthians 5:17 A New Creation "Behold, the new has come..."
J.R.R. Tolkien—the way that most modern scholars read the scripture is like taking a single stone out of a tower instead of examining the tower in its wholeness, and complete form.
We will dominantly be reading from the Gospel of Mark in the coming year.
When we read the NT, it's like reading someone else's mail.
Part of the mystery of Jesus is that he's enthroned in the 4 Gospels. Mark's symbol is the lion because he is riding
The person's mail you are reading is in the mid 60s, AD. In 64 AD, Nero set the city of Rome on fire. The image that derived from that is Nero playing the fiddle as it burned. Afterwards, he chose the Catholics a scapegoat. Thus began one of the largest Christian persecutions of Christ. Peter and Paul were martyred during this time.
The Gospel of Mark is written for a church who is suffering. Once you know that God loves you from the Book of Matthew, Jesus in the Book of Mark says, "Come suffer with me."
1 Peter 4 "Beloved, do not be surprised..." "Rejoice in so far as you join in Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."
The horrific death on the cross was no accident.
Mark wants to call you out of the shallow waters of the Christian faith. We are in desperate need of Christians who understand what this means.
Mark 8: the heart of Mark's gospel. The closest followers of Jesus are dead and blind. The only thing that opens the apostles' eyes is the Crucifixion.
"I don't care how many books you have read or how long you have been a Catholic. Everyone of us needs God to strip away the hardness so that we can truly understand the mystery of the Crucifixion."
Read Mark, and make a decision today to leave the shallow waters, and enter joyfully into the suffering of Christ.
"Jesus, may I be conformed to the Cross."
Join Father Brian Larkin on Sunday at 10 AM, Mountain Standard Time, for a livestreamed Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, Colorado!
Following our Mass livestream, we will continue to offer a Communion procession, via car line, in the Lourdes parking lot. The procession will take place from noon until 1 PM, weather permitting. Please respect our neighbors and do not line up early. Please enter from Warren Street and exit at Iliff Ave.
Also, please note these additional guidelines:
*Firstly, watch a livestreamed Mass before you come to receive Communion; Mass and Communion are meant to be celebrated in combination with each other. Thank you!
Please wear a mask, bring hand sanitizer. Please remove the mask only after the priest or EMHC backs up from your car, unless you are receiving by mouth. There will be no distribution of the Precious Blood at this time. An EMHC or priest will rotate around your car to distribute the Holy Eucharist to all recipients. Please do not leave your car at any time, or wander the Lourdes campus for any reason—not even for a bathroom break, as these are city orders. Thank you!
Please stay home if you are sick, or have any risk factors for COVID-19 (i.e., you are 65 or older, or have a compromised or suppressed immune system from transplants or cancer treatments, or if you have diabetes, heart disease, or any other risky health conditions listed by the CDC or NIH).
We look forward to celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass with you!
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links:
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Solemnity of Christ | What Really Matters | 11.22.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
In class #11, Father Brian reviews the promises of Abraham from last week, and introduces the importance of the saints, particularly St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and how "love will make you poor," in the sense that when you love someone, you will want to lose yourself.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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The Christian Mission Homily @ 30:26 There is an overarching mention of fear in today's readings, however, we should note the varying definitions of "fear," before we settle on that theme.
"Blessed are those who fear the Lord." This is filial fear—based in love of a father. Out of fear, the servant buries the talent (year's wage) = servile fear. This has nothing to do with love, and everything to do with punishment.
St. Thomas Aquinas describes a filial fear is compared to familial love, that can only come from love of a father. Servile fear is fear that comes from serving a master. Servile fear-has nothing to do with love, but everything to do with self hatred, and fear of punishment; it mis-caricatures who God is. Servile fear is not from God. Don't listen to things that instill servile fear in you; we are called to filial love. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/a....
Matthew 25: The Parable of the Talents "Gospel"—Greek for "good news!" 🗞 The Gospel is a message of joy, hope, & freedom.
In Matthew 25, the servant who handled his talents well was the one who lived without fear, whereas the man with the single talent did the opposite, and buried it out of fear of the future. The parable in Matthew 25 focuses on the master's return.
So, what are you going to do with your Christian life?
Have you ever thought, "If the Christian life is all about going to heaven, why hasn't He come back, yet?"
1 Cor. 15: 58 "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
That talent God gave you—when you do work that is in the Lord—it is not in vain. Root yourself in the Lord and your house will not be torn down. When you go to work, you are a worker for justice, righteousness, love, & mercy. That is your stone in God's Cathedral. —Fr. Brian Larkin
N.T. Wright, on the stonemason: “They are not, themselves, building the cathedral, but they are building for the cathedral, and when the cathedral is complete their work will be enhanced, ennobled, will mean much more than it could have meant as they were chiseling it and shaping it down in the stonemason's yard." "The Architect already drew up the plan...They might not know how their work is going to fit in that great cathedral, but the architect does." —Father Brian Larkin
The problem with today is we think we can build a perfect society without God. You and I are called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. So, what are you doing with your talent?
God provides us with 3 ways, in our ordinary lives, to build for God's future world: 1. Righteousness 2. Beauty & Hope: Do not give into fear. 3. Evangelization
Know that we are men and women of hope, and we bring hope of God's faithfulness with us wherever we go. Jesus, help us build that cathedral with the talent you have given us. Free us from fear while we wait for your return, and may we be wise with the talents you gave each of us.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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RCIA Class #10 | Unity vs. Uniformity | November 11, 2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Virtue of Endurance Homily at 26:00 All are weary of hardship, and politics, and the pandemic, and the list goes on. But, the Scriptures are calling us to live a life with the virtue of endurance. For your first marathon, the key is endurance:
Resources mentioned in today's homily: Matthew 25: 1–13:
Compare to Matthew 26 when Jesus is in Gethsemane: 2 Timothy 4:7–8 Paul is about to be martyred...he's approaching his "mile 22"...or maybe "mile 25": 7 * I have competed well; I have finished the race;f I have kept the faith. 8 * From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
In the moments when you're barely hanging on, you don't have to do it alone. Jesus never promised it would be easy to follow him. But, He promised He would be with us through it all. But the virtue of endurance is key, and it is mentioned all throughout the Old and New Testament:
Matthew 7:13–14 13 * “Enter through the narrow gate;* for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.j 14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Luke 8:13: The Parable of the Sewer Hupomone in Greek is the word for "patient endurance."
Revelation 1:9, 14:12: Hebrews 12:11—talks about all the martyrs of the OT martyr is also known as "witness" We are being prayed for by the martyrs who have been there: 11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
1 Cor. 9:24–27
"Every one of you here is a person of patient endurance in Jesus Christ, and you're stronger than someone who wavers when life gets hard. But you make it, not because of you, but because of His faithfulness."
Mark 13 The Romans divide the night into 4 watches:
In Gethsemane, we find ourselves at midnight, when the bridegroom comes. It's an analogy for keeping the faith. At midnight, Jesus comes back to the Apostles, and they're asleep. Analogous for when the Church sleeps, we miss the bridegroom. Ephesians 5: gave His body in a marital way for the Church. "WATCH and pray, that you may not fall into temptation."
When you run out of stamina, turn to the Lord; He will carry you. Hebrews 12.
Hebrews 12:2 "Looking to Jesus...the joy that was set before him endured the cross."
When you're ready to stop running and you're at mile 24, do what Jesus did on the Cross. Christ kept a joy in front of Him that carried him through, and that joy was us. If you can do this, you can endure anything.
Redemption is real, heaven is real, life will end, and there is a groom, and there is a finish line.
Jesus, be our joy. ❤️
In RCIA class #9, listen to the fascinating reasoning behind the incorruptible saints, and how we as Catholics strive for similar holiness. Father Brian also untangles the methodology behind relics and the differences between dogma, doctrine, and disciplines of the Faith. Also hear how Christian obedience comes naturally when we truly love, and why we need to avoid sin at all costs.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/
All Saints Day | Eyes of a Child & The Royal Tenenbaums | 11.1.2020 | Guest, Fr. Daniel Eusterman by Lourdes Denver
All Saints Day | Koinonia: A Hope Beyond the Here and Now | 11.1.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
This class reveals the pertinence of Catholicism in politics, why we need to learn about our faith in order to defend certain religious liberties as Christians, and what it means to take the first step towards faith.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
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RCIA, Class #4 | Christian Psychology and the significance of the soul and human emotion
Learn about the importance of the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) presented by Father Brian Larkin, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. In this class, Trevor unlocks the significance of emotion and the human soul.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/
Class #3 | God Is Truth Itself: What Aristotle and Aquinas have to say.
Learn about the importance of the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) presented by Father Brian Larkin, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. In this episode, Father Brian discusses the infinite power and wisdom of God, and how God is truth itself, while touching on thoughts about this from Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/
Learn about the importance of the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) presented by Father Brian Larkin, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. In this episode, Father Brian discusses other world views, the importance of Christianity, and the true meaning of love.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/
We apologize for any sound problems. This was our first crack at setting this up in the church, when it was supposed to be on a loudspeaker by the grotto. Sound is better in future RCIA recordings.
Learn about the importance of the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) presented by Father Brian Larkin, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. This is the introductory episode for the RCIA season of September through May, 2020.
Details about Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado: For sacramental inquiries: email admin@lourdesdenver.org Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Links: Donate: https://lourdesdenver.org/donate/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LourdesDenver/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lourdes_den... Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user73713480 Website: https://lourdesdenver.org/
RCIA Class #5 | Faculties of The Soul & Revelation | October 7, 2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
RCIA Class #7 | Scripture & Tradition | October 21, 2020 | Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
Readings for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Resources referenced in today's homily: "'Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?' He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'" (Matthew 22:36-37) "Love for God cannot be taught. No one taught us to enjoy the light nor to want life, nor anyone else taught us to love our parents or those who raised us. Similarly or rather much more, knowledge of divine love does not come from outside. But in the same time when man was composed, a seminal reason was deposited in us, which has by itself the causes of appropriating love.... Only the good is properly beautiful and lovable. God is good. Everything loves good, therefore, everything loves God." -St. Basil "At the hem at the bottom you shall make pomegranates, woven of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen twined, with gold bells between them." (Exodus 28:33-34) "If we draw away from love, the command to love in which all other commands are fulfilled, disintegrates into a multiplicity of individual commandments." -Hans Urs von Balthasar
29th Sun. of Ord. Time | Full Surrender & Forfeiture of the Bargain | 10.18.2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
In this class, Father Brian recaps freedom, the faculties of the soul, and Revelation.
He moves to saints and heaven. "Saints" comes from the Latin term, "sanctus," which means "holy."
NewAdvent.Org—excellent resource for Catholic doctrine and documents
"The thing about heaven is it's better than anything on earth, including marriage." People fear that they won't love their spouse in heaven, but the fact is you will know them far greater and you will love each other much more than you ever did on earth. "Marriage is what we're made for." "In heaven, the love that binds us is the love that is in God, and it unites all of us."
Father Brian discusses how we know God exists. We inherently look for truth, however God cannot be measured. He is the thing by which all else is measured.
Revelation is all about repentance Public and open to scrutiny. Private revelation means that it's historical, and open to public scrutiny, such as with Our Lady of Guadalupe. Catholicism—"Jesus is everything God wanted to say to us. The life of Christ is enough."
Next week: Why Christianity isn't easy to prove, but why it's worthy to lose your life for it.
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Resources referenced in today's homily: "Many are invited, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.” -Saint John of the Cross "'Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business." (Matthew 22:4-5) "'Lift up your heart,' this is the whole life of true Christians.” -St. Augustine "But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’" (Matthew 22:11-12) "Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder, as they said: 'Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign, [our] God, the almighty. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment.' (The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.)" (Revelation 19:6-8) Letter to the Colossians, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
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Homily 24:41 Resources referenced in today's homily from Fr. Brady Wagner: "One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be well?' The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your mat, and walk.' Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked." (John 5:5-9) "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.'" (John 5:17) "We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) "Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?" (Isaiah 5:3-4) "The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, the people of Judah, his cherished plant; He waited for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!" (Isaiah 5:7) "For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God." (John 5:18) "By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love." (John 15:8-9)
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What kind of person do you want to be?
Resources referenced in today's homily: -"Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) -"By myself I swear, uttering my just decree, a word that will not return: To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:23) Mr. Jones by Counting Crows -The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio (see painting below) -"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others." (Phil 2:3-4) -"Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped." (Phil 2:5-6) -"[But] whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil. 3:7-8) -"Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Phil. 2:7-8)
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Homily at 18:35
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Homily: Matthew 20:12 Christianity is NOT bribery, despite what the world thinks. If we take up the Cross, we will find more joy here on earth than we ever could see otherwise. We as the Body of Christ need to give up the idea that life outside the Church is better. Don't give in to the lie that we as Christians "give up something now to become happy later." The truth is, Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden is light, because we are able to see joy even in the darkest of circumstances.
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24th Sunday of Ord. Time | Freedom in Forgiveness | September 13, 2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
How does Jesus treat the Gentiles and Tax collectors? He pursues them and loves them, to encourage them to come to the Church. Ironic that this is in the book of Matthew, who himself was a tax collector.
Courage and Humility:
What Satan wants the most is for people to live alone in their sin; It's diabolical. We are meant to correct each other so that we can love each other and hold each other accountable. "Sin demands to have a man by himself." —Bonhoeffer
Are you living in a lie? The more isolated you are, the more destructive power your sin will have over you.
Father Brian says to have close people in your life that you confess your sins to. We believe in sacramental confession, but James 5 also tells us to confess our sins to each other. "My sister—I have pride in my heart." What happens is we realize we are not alone, and we can stop pretending we are not sinners. It gives us the courage to live in the light. May we have accountability and live in a place of mercy.
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The Liturgy of Your Life | Does your Spiritual Life Spill Into Your Everyday? Homily at 17:53
What happens on the alter is meant to spill into your entire life.
"When I come into Mass and I know what's happening, I know that the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the mystery that saved the world, is mystically made present, and something sacred is happening." When you have something sacred in your life, you act differently. When a priest kneels, he is one with the single sacrifice that happened on Calvary.
Prayer for priests before Mass: "Give virtue, Oh Lord, to my hands, that every stain may be wiped away. That I may be enabled to serve you without defilement of mind or body."
"Purify me, oh Lord, from all stains and cleanse my heart, that washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy the eternal delights..."
...The point is, all these prayers say what I do outside the church is meant to mirror what I do inside the church. St. Paul says, "Be careful how you walk." In other words, live morally. Love your enemies. Love the poor. Walk differently. You're gonna get the same compliment, that they love the "way you walk" in your morality. Your life matters.
The Mass makes us different. The moment that redeemed the world was Jesus going to the Cross. Without the Cross, there is no Kingdom for us. Let us justify the Kingdom by walking the moral life we were called to live—through Him, with Him, and in Him, may the entire world be transformed.
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Homily at 18:05 In today's Gospel, Jesus is so hard on this woman: "Did Jesus just call this woman a dog?" And, it is so easy to bypass the difficult scriptures.
However, the Law of God humanizes us. Without God's law, man behaves like animals—they eat, they sleep, they fornicate. Not much else. So, Jesus today knows that his mission is to heal the woman's daughter, and that his mission is going to go to the nations. Romans 15: St. Paul "I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised (the Jews) to show God's truthfulness. And, in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." Jesus is showing us his fidelity. When he makes a promise to you, he will fulfill that promise.
He is always faithful.
Election, Vocation, Mission—and the order matters. "The first stop is not mission, it is election—the Latin word for "choose." God loved you with a level of greatness that is beyond what any of us can comprehend. You were elected to follow Him before you arrived.
Vocation means you are called out of the world by the love of God. Israel is different. You are different. When the love of God has penetrated your heart, you are not like everybody else. You do not live for comfort, money, pleasure, doing whatever you want to do. You know that the law of God leads to freedom and life and joy. You are pro-life, pro-family, you are a Christian. That is vocation. You cannot go on mission if you have not claimed that vocation.
"I want to challenge you: we're getting to a time where you and I need to be on mission. "Larkin, your church is a devout church. Is your church on mission?"
"People are dying for the love of God in their life. Our world teaches people that there is no meaning to life. That their actions as moral human beings doesn't matter. Some people know better, and those people are sitting right here."
"I know you have a pretty checkered past, but did you know there is a God who loves you?"
"Lord, may you fill us with the grace of election. That no matter how I do, I know I am always loved by You. Lord, call us out of the world, in vocation to holiness. May the Church be purified. May she be on her knees, may we leave behind our sins, and Jesus, send us on mission."
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Homily at 23:10
Matthew 14 When people suggest that Jesus never announces in the Bible that he is the One, True God, they are wrong.
One of the signs that Jesus uses to illustrate that he is Lord is his mastery over the waters—water is chaos, and God brings order out of chaos.
Storm on the waters, Jesus walks on the water. Jesus announces at this moment, "Ego Eimi"—or "I Am," which is the name of God from Exodus 3:14. "Do not be afraid, it is I." "I am."
The New Testament doesn't just tell us He's God, he shows us all throughout the New Testament, and this is just one of many examples.
Whatever challenges you, stick with it, you'll inevitably see a bunch of improvement.
"Today's homily is for those who have taken the first step." Now, God is going to take you to the "elite" status, because you are called to a profound maturity in Christ. Jesus calls you to an excellence, a maturity, and a holiness that is far above what we can attain on our own.
Romans 5:3—St. Paul says "rejoice in your sufferings, because suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope."
Matthew 8: after Christ calms the storm, the disciples say, "Who is this man?" because they know there is something sui generis about him. Not just anyone calms the waters...
"I know you've heard God say, 'come deeper.'"
Origin says, "What is this boat into which Jesus forced the disciples to embark? Is it perhaps the conflict to which one goes unwillingly, as it were..." No one becomes mature as a Christian if you don't get in the boat and follow Christ. You cannot be a true Christian until you're willing to face the wind and the waves and the trials that come when you follow the path of Christ.
"Give us real growth and holiness. Lord, help me get in the boat to face the storm."
"Lord, we rejoice in our sufferings—and I know that hope does not disappoint us."
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18th Sun. Of Ord. Time | Seeking Your Space | August 2, 2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin
John 1—Jesus came into the world, but the world did not receive him.
John 15:18—"If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it's own."
We are not of this world.
All over the New Testament, it says if you believe in Christ, you don't belong to this culture; you do not belong to the world.
"Church is the Communion, and the fellowship of those..."
When Jesus goes home to Nazareth, they rejected him.
There are ways we stand up for the Church in this world, but when it comes down to it, we should not be surprised as the world rejects us increasingly more. Christ tells us in the Gospels that this will happen.
"You Crown the Earth with Your Goodness"—Book of sermons by Balthazaar Balthazaar tells us the interstices (?) in between spaces cracks in masonry where tiny flowers grow. That is the life of a Christian. ✝️
If you follow Christ into the desert, you will all have a space—you won't have a big one, but it'll be your own—and God will provide an abundance for you.
Don't fear the desert. "I promise you, there is abundance in the desert."
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Homily at 21:30
1 Kings 3: "Solomon, ask me for what you want." —God to Solomon. Solomon is known for his wisdom, and for being David's son, and for prefiguring Jesus. He is the son of the great King David, who appointed Solomon as his successor. At this point, Solomon became the 3rd king of Israel—Jesus fulfills the prophesy and became the much "greater Solomon." 2 Samuel 7—The Sandlot (God tells Solomon one of Solomon's descendants will rule for•ev•er) Solomon built the Temple, and God tore it down, and rebuilt it in three days. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to himself as the son of David. Christ fulfills this prophesy by building the New Temple, as the new son of David. Jesus built the true temple, where he said, "You are Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church."—The true Church—the Church of the living God.
Jesus is the true "wise man," and anyone who listens to "these words of mine will become like the wise man." If we listen, we become wise.
Crux to pray with this week: The image of modesty is the image Solomon uses to describe the beauty in the image of God. "God, give me wisdom. Lord, protect me from the dangers and the sirens of the world, but help me to resist them."
Proverbs: Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs for his son: one of the themes of Proverbs is the two types of women—Lady Wisdom "does not wisdom call?" In Chapters 1 & 8, Lady Wisdom says to you, "Come follow me."
In Proverbs 2,3, & 9—Lady Folly, or The Seductress. She sits at the door of her house. She takes a seat at the high places of the town. She calls out to them and says, "stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant, but he does not know that the dead are there."
Solomon teaches us that in our soul, there are two voices. Which voice will you follow?
"The cynic is someone who knows the cost of everything, and the value of nothing." Pray for protection from the cynical voice of the world, and know in the depths of your heart and mind, that when you sell everything for the Lord, God you gain the greatest treasure, ever, forever.
"Wisdom is a far greater beauty, with a far greater depth."—Fr. Brian Larkin
Let us cry out for insight, as Solomon suggests.
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Join us for our Livestreamed Mass, recorded from Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, Colorado.
Homily at 26:12
Matthew 13 contains the 7 parables about the Kingdom of Heaven.
"I want to talk about 'building paradise.'" Lockheed Martin built a "Eutopian headquarter community" in the early '80s. "You and I are called to a greater hope, and the hope that we have is the Kingdom of God." The Kingdom of God is where God is King—where he reigns. Jesus came to bring that kingdom.
N.T. Wright "This is the image which haunts Isaiah and Daniel in the Psalms: The trees of the field will shout for joy, because God is coming to sort the mess out, and we all know in our bones that that's what we want."
Maybe deep down, the reason we're getting nice countertops is because the world is a mess, and somehow we'll think things will be OK as long as we have a nice kitchen.
"The folly of empire is the attempt to do here and now, in our own strength, that which God has promised that He will do through his Son and by his spirit."
"If you're the Messiah, you're supposed to make things right." But, what's the problem with the world? The problem is sin and hard hearts. But that won't fix it. The way God became King of the World is by the Crucifixion of the Son of God. And you and I as Christians do not believe that some earthly force is going to make things right. It only happens through Christ and the Holy Spirit. We know we cannot build the Kingdom ourselves.
Through the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ, our lives are transformed. Pray for the Kingdom of God to live inside of you, so this may become a reality. "God, transform us, so we may transform the world."
Matthew 13 Parable/Mirrors Isaiah Chapter 6 Consequences "Why are you speaking in parables?"
Jesus seems to answer with, "Because I don't want them to."
Our faith is not a "do-over," because it is important. Your life matters. The decisions you make—every choice you make has eternal consequences.
"By this, My father is glorified— That you bear much fruit."
This mirrors Isaiah 5—when Isaiah goes looking for a vineyard. What God is looking for in us is the fruit of righteousness.
Jesus speaks in parables as a judgment on the world. Isaiah 6: "go out and make sure that they don't understand." Why isn't God more clear? Why doesn't God want us to understand? If we refuse to hear the Word of God, and admit, "We don't want to listen," there is a consequence: we go deaf, and become unworthy to hear the Word of God. That's what happening in Matthew 13.
The way to transform your heart is to begin to understand your faith.
"God does not promise a smooth path." But, consequently, "Faith does not crumble under hardship."
When we give our hearts to the world, we begin to become unfruitful. Cut out anxiety so God can grow inside of you.
"Jesus, remove our blindness..."
"...that we may see you, that we may bear much fruit, that we may prove to be your disciples." —Fr. Brian
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13th Sun. of Ord. Time | Hierarchy of Goods | Fr. Brian Larkin's 40th Birthday! | June 28, 2020 by Lourdes Denver
Join Fr. Brian Larkin for the celebration of the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, live from Our Lady of Lourdes. For more information, visit https://lourdesdenver.org
Although "eccentric" has a societally strange connotation, Father Brian explains the call for fathers to eccentricity in an unconventional, Catholic way.
"Every life contains a center that is eccentric—that is, outside itself." (Balthazar) Your ability to love externally is what saves your soul: every life, fathers, this is why fatherhood as a vocation saves your soul: the natural thing in this world is to make yourself the center of the universe, but something every dad knows, there is a miracle that happens when you have children—you become eccentric, meaning the center of your life is no longer inside of you.
The love of your children, and the willingness to lay your life down for them in and of itself is salvific.
So, how are you loving your children, today? Have you lost your life to your vocation, yet? Because when you do, your children will live as eccentrically as you do, and become avid proponents of Christ.
Fr. Mike Rapp says his good-byes on his way to his new assignment. He offers deep gratitude for the Lourdes community, and recognizes the parish's unique zeal for the evangelization of Christ. His homily melds into the mystery of the gift of the Body of Christ, and how beautiful it is that we are such a small part of a large universe, and yet God still loves us this much—to change our very DNA. We are no longer children of despair, but children of God because he is engrained in our very DNA through the Body of Christ. "It's an identity that reminds us constantly that we are children of the Father, that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and that we are filled with the Holy Spirit."
The Blood of the Lamb is the key to unlock the one we are looking for. Just one drop of blood changes our identity.
Revelation 12:11—"They have conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb."
"Because you have the blood of Jesus running through your veins, you will always be children of God, you are assured of the promise that God gave you of your salvation, and nothing can take that away, and that the Accuser cannot threaten you. If you feel threatened, if you feel afraid, remember that you are filled with the life of God.
"Take heart. God is faithful, and he brings us back at every turn."
Thank you, Father Mike Rapp, for all that you have done and inspired at Lourdes. May God keep you in the hollow of His hands, now and always.
Join us for the Corpus Christi Sunday, livestreamed from Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, CO, June 14th, 2020. Homily at 9:43
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The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity | Desire for Knowledge | Fr. Brian Larkin | June 7, 2020 by Lourdes Denver
Pentecost Sunday | The Battle Within | Fr. Brian Larkin | May 31, 2020 by Lourdes Denver
Join us for the Seventh Sunday of Easter Mass livestream from Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, CO, May 24th
Homily at 13:35
Point #1: Matthew 28 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." "The Great Commission today is the Gospel." —An important figure in Fr. Brian's life was once asked why he is not Evangelical Christian—to believe simply that Jesus is the son of God, and that is enough. He responded, "Because of one word in The Great Commission: 'Go and teach them ALL that I have commanded you.' That one word, 'all' is the reason why I am Catholic."
Although a lot of tremendous goodness exists in Evangelical Christianity, people of Evangelical descent often wonder why it isn't enough to love Jesus. Jesus does not command us only to observe that He is God; Jesus commands us to follow ALL of what he taught us. And, that fulness is found in the Catholic Faith.
Point #2:
There is a great spiritual battle going on. Make sure you are "backing the right horse." Learn from King Herod, in the Battle of Actium, who backed Mark Antony instead of Octavian (Caesar Augustus). Caesar won the battle, and King Herod had to swallow his pride and follow after him, because he was a politician.
"The Ascension of Christ is the feast that calls Christ's Church, you and I, to mission." "I don't know who brought the news to Herod the Great, but all three readings today show that the Ascension is our summons to go on mission, to show who the real King is. That king is not Caesar; that king is Christ."—Fr. Brian Larkin
The Lord of the world rules in truth and love and goodness, and that calls you and I to mission. "When the Church forgets her mission, she becomes strange." Look at the gorgeous chalices in Spain—their purpose is to house the Blood of Christ. Without that meaning, it becomes a countersign of everything Christianity is about. The Church solely exists for the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
"If Christ is all-powerful, why does it seem like we're losing the fight? Why is the world fighting us on every moral issue, and why does it seem like we're losing?"
Ephesians is one of St. Paul's prison letters, written about 62 AD. Paul is in chains in Rome, because he understands something that the rest of us don't. Life is not about comfort. Life is about recognizing Christ as King so that we all may be saved. If we forget this, our faith will run dry.
Our enemy is not those who believe differently than we do, those who run the abortion industry (though that is a battle we need to win), or even those who imprison us. The real enemy is the devil and his minions. Lord, may we remain on mission so as to defeat the real Enemy.
May we all live as joyously as Paul did in the midst of his suffering. "All things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose."
Pour forth your spirit upon us, oh Lord, and unite us to You.
Thanks be to God!
"You will grieve, but your grief will become joy." —John 16:20
According to St. Augustine, everyone has faith, hope, and love, but Christians differ in where their love is directed. "Show me what you believe, what it is you hope for, and who it is that you love, and I will show you how Christian your heart really is." —St. Augustine
The book of Romans is about the unity of the Church. It is our responsibility to fight to love each other, but we can rest in the promise that the charity of God always creates unity.
May we always love God more than ourselves, and the things of this world.
Learn what it means to be faithful, and how love and obedience walk hand-in-hand. Romans 8: 28 "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
Happy Mother's Day! Join us this Fifth Sunday of Easter and hear the good news about God's place for us in the Kingdom. Homily at 25:31.
When God the Father says he will make a place for us in heaven, he doesn't mean you'll have your own mansion, but something far, far better.
Live from Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, CO, May 10, 2020.
Although we cannot safely reopen for public Masses at this time, we will be offering Communion processions via car line, beginning this Sunday. They will take place three times a week—from noon—2 PM on Sundays, Tuesdays, from 1:30–3:30 PM, and Thursdays from 4:30–6:30 PM.
Communion Procession Guidelines Please first watch one of our livestream Masses before you come to receive Communion. Mass and Communion are meant to be celebrated in combination with each other. Please do not line up early; we cannot congest streets and inconvenience our neighbors. We anticipate that two hours will be ample time to serve all our parishioners. Thank you!
Please receive by HAND, only, at this time. There will be no distribution of the Precious Blood at this time.
An EMHC or priest will rotate around your car to distribute the Holy Eucharist to all recipients, appropriately.
Do not leave your car at any time, or wander the Lourdes campus for any reason—not even bathroom breaks. We must adhere to these guidelines, which are enforced by law.
Please stay home if you are sick, or have any risk factors for COVID-19 (you are 65 or older, or have a compromised or suppressed immune system, diabetes, heart disease, blood clotting factors, or any other risky health conditions).
Please pay attention to our directional volunteers whose purpose is to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Livestreamed from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. Discover why the Feast of the Good Shepherd celebrates the necessity of any flock to have a shepherd, and how our Shepherd is the ultimate example of fidelity in the midst of the most trying times.
Third Sunday of Easter | Beauty: Ever Ancient, Ever New | 4-26-2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Divine Mercy Sunday | 4-19-2020 | Saints with a Past; Sinners with a Future | Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Easter Sunday | Nostalgia No More: The Summons To Mission | 4-12-2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Good Friday was an ugly day when it happened lo those 2,000+ years ago. It was also the day when Christ's love was personified in a man at his most vulnerable, weakest moment. May Christ's Universal love reach each human in some capacity, today, wipe out the coronavirus, and set things right within our souls. Come Holy Spirit, come.
Holy Thursday | Mass of The Lord's Supper | God Is For You | 4-9-2020 | Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5) Because of Christ's mercy we are no longer slaves to the threat of the world. Experience how Christ the Conquerer takes hold of us through meekness and humility. Let go of the hardness; let God take your heart.
4th Sun. of Lent | Witnesses of Light, Not Fear | Fr. Brian | 3-22-2020 by Lourdes Denver
1st Sun. of Lent - 3-1-2020 - Lineage, Kerygma, Repetition | Hallowed Be Thy Name - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
6th Sun. of Ord. Time - 2-16-2020 - Tattoos and Circumcision - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
5th Sun. in Ord. Time - 2-9-2020 - Fill Us with the Love of Prayer - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
Presentation of The Lord - 2-2-2020 - The Acceptance of Suffering - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
Not enough characters for Father Brian's intended title: "Love Will Make You Vulnerable; Love Will Make You Poor
Push your hope deeper: "The light of Jesus Christ is not that he is going to find you a spouse. The light of Jesus Christ is that he brings joy, and salvation, and redemption to the whole world."
Prayer transforms us when we find the courage to lay our deepest fears at the foot of Jesus. May our own suffering transform us into more compassionate people. If you have room for growth in compassion, you are in a good place.
Epiphany - 1-5-2020 - Inclusivity and the Christian Symphony - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Feast of Mary the Mother of God - 12-31-19 - Line of Totality - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
Feast of Mary the Mother of God - 1-1-20 - Birth of a Person - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Feast of the Holy Family - 12-29-19 - The Plan of a Family Man - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Christmas Eve Mass, 10 PM, 2019 - The Word Became Flesh - Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Christmas Day Mass, 10 AM, 2019 - Et Verbum Caro Factum Est: Peace Be with Us - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
4th Sun. of Advent - 12-22-19 - Walking with The Holy Family - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
3rd Sun. of Advent - 12-15-2019 - Napoleon Dynamite and Our Great Expectations - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sun. of Advent - 12-8-2019 - Joy in Solitude for a New Beginning - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Lourdes Morning of Recollection - September 14, 2019 - Fr. Brian's Talk by Lourdes Denver
Christ the King - 11-24-19 - Never Too Late: With Me in Paradise - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
33rd Sun. In Ord. Time - 11-17-19 - Fr. John Nepil - Where Creation Meets History by Lourdes Denver
32nd Sun. in Ord. Time - 11-10-2019 - Called to the Kingdom - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
31st Sun. in Ord. Time - 11-3-19 - Disposession by Suffering: To See Is Enough - Fr. John Nepil by Lourdes Denver
31st Sun. in Ord. Time - Christianity Began with Joy/Letter from the Archbishop - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
29th Sun. in Ord. Time - 10-20-19 - Pray Always for Kingdom Come - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
26th Sun. in Ord. Time - 9-29-19 - Where Your Treasure Lies - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
23rd Sun. In Ord. Time - 9-8-19 - Intellect, Will, Passion, and Double Stufs - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
22nd Sun. In Ord. Time - 9-1-19 - Humility, What Matters Most - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (8:45 Mass) - Outrage, Strangers, & Sojourners - Fr.Brian by Lourdes Denver
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 7-21-2019 - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Feast of the Assumption - 8-15-2019 - Candlelight Grotto Mass - Reorienting Our Lives- Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
16th Sun. in Ord. Time - 7-20-19 - Be Anxious for Nothing, and Make Time to Listen - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
16th Sun. in Ord. Time - 7-21-19 - Deciphering What Is Urgent from What Is Important - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
19th Sun. In Ord. Time - 8-11-19 - Living Compassionately in The 8th Day - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 7-14-19 - Suffering and The Way of Imperfection - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
14th Sun. In Ord. Time - 7-7-2019 - Sharing In Christ's Mission - Fr Brian by Lourdes Denver
Corpus Christi - Anxiety & The Supernatural Bread - 6-23-19 - Fr Brian by Lourdes Denver
Palm Sunday - 4-14-19 - Donkeys, The Messiah, & Ultimate Anticipation: Are We Ready? - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Lenten Retreat - Conference 2 - Jesus: Profoundly Human, Profoundly Present in Prayer - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
Lenten Retreat Homily - 4-6-2019 - Do Your Part: Purify the Church - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
Lenten Retreat - Conference 1 - St. Ignatius of Loyola - Perfect Salvation with Christ - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
5th Sun. of Lent - 4-7-19 - Love -> Repentance -> Ultimate Joy - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
5th Sun. of Lent - 4-7-2019 - Christ the Pantocrator, Make All Things New! - Fr. Mike by Lourdes Denver
4th Sun. of Lent - 3-31-19 - Ministers of Reconciliation: The Prodigal Son - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sun. of Lent - 3-17-19 - Beauty, Goodness, & Truth Will Be Ours - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
1st Sun. of Lent - 3-10-19 - Generosity, Real Fasting, Almsgiving - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
8th Sun. in Ord. Time - 3-3-19 - Attachment, Love, and Grace - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
7th Sun. in Ord. Time -2-24-19 - Forgiveness & Mercy for Freedom - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
5th Sunday in Ord. Time - Sun., Feb. 10, 2019 - Certainty of Truth - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
5th Sunday In Ord. Time - Sun., Feb. 10, 2019 - Certainty of Truth - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Couldn't get a 'sitter for Theology on Tap with Father Brian? Catch what he had to say about Temptations and Trials, here!
3rd Sun. In Ord. Time - 1-27-19 - Wreckless Forgiveness & Good News for the Poor - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sun. in Ordinary Time - 1-19-2019 - MLK, Politics, and Glory - Fr. Mike Rapp by Lourdes Denver
2nd Sun. in Ord. Time - 1-20-2019 - Fr. Brian Larkin - Marriage Born on the Cross by Lourdes Denver
What if you woke up and said, "I can't wait to go to church!" Lord, grant us new hearts so we may love as You intended.
Feast of the Epiphany - 1-6-19 - One Symphony, Many Parts - Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Feast of the Holy Family - 12-30-18 - Family: The Communion of Heaven - Fr. Brian Larkin by Lourdes Denver
Immac. Conception - 12-8-18 - Kecharitomene - Unblemished Then, Now, and Forever - Fr. Brian by Lourdes Denver
Immaculate Conception - 12-8-18 - Fr. Brian - Kecharitomene - Immaculate Then, Now, and Forever by Lourdes Denver
Dr. Susan Selner-Wright, Archbishop Chaput Chair of Philosophy at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, offers a general overview of this important social topic.
Good news! Your life is going somewhere, so let's make it count! If you're not living for Him and believing in the end of the story that makes all things right, anxiety will win. Nothing matters aside from Christ.
Superlatives, Sobriety, & Joy. "In the end, all things pass, but there is One King who reigns." Every Kingdom Dies, except the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
33rd Sun. in Ord. Time - 11-18-18 - Fr. Brian - Created for the Worship of God by Lourdes Denver
31st Sunday In Ordinary Time - Nov. 4, 2018 - Fr. Brian - Annual Seminaries' Appeal by Lourdes Denver
31st Sunday In Ordinary Time - Nov. 4, 2018 - Fr. Brian - Annual Seminaries' Appeal by Lourdes Denver
30th Sunday In Ordinary Time - October 28, 2018 - Fr. Chris Hellstrom by Lourdes Denver
We are called to rule on thrones right along side God the Father when we reach Heaven. Did you know this?
"To be a good Christian means I have faith, hope, and love in Jesus, and I am obedient to His commands." -Father Brian
"When we see that empty cross, help us to pick it up." —Fr. Brian
Regarding the Cardinal McCarrick scandal: Our answer to the scandal is not to turn away from the Church, but to turn toward Jesus. What drives out evil is holiness. "That stumbling block in the road does not mean the road is bad. The darkness does not disprove the light." "I am not a Catholic because there is no sin in the church... I am a Catholic because Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church. I will always be a Catholic." —Fr. Brian
Matthew 18: "Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire."
"[The saints] were so joyful and so full of life that they COULD suffer." —Fr. Brian "Tell one person about a saint every day."
Jesus raises a child from the dead and heals a sick woman. Hundreds of people touched Jesus's robe, that day in the crowd, but what made that one woman different from the others? "If your life is given over to sin, and if you aren't willing to reach out and bow yourself down before him, it will do you no good." "The day you repent of your sin, humble yourself, and devote your life to Christ, that is the day Christ will change your life." —Father Brian Larkin
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist marks six months from the birth of Christ! Let us rejoice, and St. John the Baptist, pray for us!
Why does Christ only speak to the disciples in parables? Because they weren't afraid to take a risk. Let us follow in their footsteps.
"If you understand the Eucharist, you will never leave the Catholic Church. ...It's the reason I'm a priest." —Father Brian
"God does not promise you that your life will go smoothly. The Apostles have joy, not because everything will turn out right, but because they serve the King of the Universe who holds the power over sin and death itself, and who has redeemed us from the inside out to live forever." —Father Brian Larkin
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever." Because of his mercy, we belong in heaven. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven.
Surrender yourself to the truth of the holiest day of the year as we enter upon Holy Week. Accept that you are a part of the greatest story ever told!
Father Brian illustrates the tough reality that there is nothing we could do to earn the right to salvation. But, because of His grace, we can enter fully into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Enter more deeply into the Lenten Season and discover your life's direction with this talk from Father Brian.
"One day in your house, oh Lord, is better than a thousand elsewhere." -Psalm 84
As Deacon grieves the loss of his beloved mother, he compares it to the season of Lent. In this time of repentance, sorrow, and resisting of temptation, know that "you will fail without the grace of God." Many profound figures bloomed in the desert; Jesus even began his ministry as our Lord & Savior because of the desert. Let us utilize this season of Lent to find our own way to bloom in the desert.
Do you know the story of Our Lady of Lourdes? Listen as Fr. Brian delves into the beauty of that unlikely encounter, and how it should affect our view of ourselves as we strive for sainthood in our own lives. Do we fear death? Or, do we fear God?
"Jesus, purge my heart of the desire for sin." Turn away from sin, because you have been set free from it. "There are all kinds of parallels across the Bible, but know that the story of our faith is the story of slaves set free." "My hope is that you are mature. That you do not bury your head in the sand over tough issues. Maybe you don't know the answer to everything, but your mind and your heart are engaged, and you know that the truth is in Christ." - Fr. Brian
"Christian life is the cultivation of holy desire." - St. Augustine Father Brian explains the beauty of the virtues, poverty, chastity, and obedience. He delves into the intentional behavior of Christ in his choice not to marry, and the beauty in his complete, vs. partial love for us. He explains how some are called to marriage, and others are called to celibacy to be able to give themselves completely to the Lord. Celibacy is a love for God that has driven us to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
"May we give ourselves to you the way you gave yourself to us." -Fr. Brian
The Feast of the Epiphany - Greek for "To Reveal." How do we come together with people of different walks of life when we live in a world that teaches we can no longer come together despite differences? Today's Gospel is about the belief that something is big enough for all of us--that's what Catholicism, is. It's Universal, which means there is a truth in Jesus Christ that is big enough for everyone. When we are not united, we are weak. This day and age, we don't miss unity because we've never seen it. So, how can we have that hope? 1. Don't look for what's wrong with someone; look for their goodness. 2. Recognize that the Gospel is good news, not good advice. 3. Be a seeker. You cannot give an answer to a question someone doesn't have, and you cannot have joy unless you seek it. Christianity does not start with advice, it starts with news. "All nations shall walk by your light."
Father Brian discusses the power of music with memories "No one can live without joy which is why those who are deprived of spiritual joy turn to carnal pleasure." - St. Thomas Aquinas The first word the Angel Gabriel said to Mary was, "Rejoice," which marks the beginning of Christianity. Let us do our best to maintain our deepest joy, even if, in our current situations, our expectations may not be complete. The Lord is with us!
"When you fill your heart with worry, there is no room for joy." - Deacon Darell
Learn to Let Go & Let God. Be anxious for nothing. Trust in the Lord, because he knows what's best for you!
Listen to Father Brian's fascinating explanation of the prophetic book of Malachi, and its fulfillment in the book of Mark. May we be ready for the second coming of Christ, just as St. John the Baptist readied himself by following the example of Elijah.
Fr. Gama emphasizes the quality of Mary's trust in the Lord and how we should all strive to be so faithful. In return, we are granted grace and strength that surpasses all understanding. Happy Feast Day!
Father Brian explains the Christian view of the New Year in his analogy from The Lion King. :) We struggle with identity in this world, which is why we need to remember where we came from. "You have forgotten who you are, therefore you have forgotten me."--Mufasa! Bethlehem tells us who we are, because it is the birthplace of Christianity--the entire reason for our existence. You are loved, you come from somewhere, you are a member of the family of God, because of what happened in Bethlehem. The world starts the new year on January 1, whereas The Church's new year begins on the First Sunday of Advent, because we put our hope and faith in Christ, first, and not the material world. The world lives by the motto, "Eat Drink & Be Merry, because tomorrow we'll die." The difference between Christians and the rest of the world is, the world lives in frantic-mode, not knowing what to do because time will end, and The Church lives in hope, BECAUSE time will end. Don't rush Christmas--It isn't here, yet. Focus on Advent, first, and remember where you came from.
Fr. Gama beautifully illustrates what it means to be sensitive to the voice of Christ, when others approach us for help. It may be in the most unexpected ways. With Christ's help, we can become God-sufficient, not self sufficient. Pay attention--you never know when you can serve as a person's saving grace. If we aren't living out our baptismal call to grow The Kingdom, we missed the point. Pray for awareness. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
Deacon Darell talks about the important role of all husbands and aspiring husbands in this world. It is based on three steps: Be humbled by the dignity of women, be brave enough to protect The Garden, and be a holy man of great love. Were you a good steward of these things? Were you virtuous? When we are faithful in the small things, God will entrust us with larger things. Let us strive for these things so that, when our time is up, Christ can tell us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Matthew 25. The Bible is filled with stories about wedding and marriage. In fact, the Bible itself is a wedding story, beginning with Adam & Eve. God's bride is Israel in the OT, and The Church is His bride in the NT. Jesus is always talking about weddings, and how He came to lay down His life for His Bride--The Church. The Catholic Church is so rich, that you could spend your entire life studying it and never get to the bottom of it. Your relationship to God is supposed to be a desperate romance, like the moment a bride walks down the aisle. If we have not opened our hearts to that grace, we are missing something! Flannery O'Connor--"The only good Catholic is someone who says they're not." G.K. Chesterton. "Let your faith be less of a theory and more of a love story." When we love, we become obedient, and it isn't a struggle. That's what our faith should be like.
Imagine a priest at Starbucks, and the dilemma he faces when he has to tell them a name for the order. That is the life of a priest! Father Brian reveals the role of priests, and the giant misconception that the priesthood is a position of power, when in actuality it is a position of humility and laying down one's life--entirely--for Christ.
Celebrate the Feast of our Homeland! This is the feast that reminds us of what is more real than anything we've ever encountered. Let us strive to be like the saints who have pleased God throughout the ages! Amen!
As we inch closer and closer to the end of our Liturgical Season, Christ reveals that the two most important things for us to remember to do are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart," and "Love your neighbor as yourself," though it is humbling to realize how hard this is to do. As we await the second coming, God moves us gradually towards grace. Who are the witnesses in your life who are leading you closer to Jesus Christ?
Deacon Darell highlights the importance of friends who are with you through the most trying times of your life. He illustrated Plebe Year at West Point with his fellow comrades, and what a bond they developed because of that difficult year at the bottom of the totem pole. He describes his 40th reunion at West Point New York, and how they did not focus on their accomplishments over the past 40 years, but on the bond they developed during that first treacherous year of training. Pray for all souls and the strength to turn away from sin. Pray for everyone's souls so they may be worthy and perfect gifts to return to Christ what is rightfully His. We are pilgrims of Christ, who are being tested every day. Grab an arm of a stranger on the way out of church, and strike up a conversation--then ask how you can pray for them. Then, do it. Pray for God to lighten that person's cross, because we all face them every day. Make it a habit to pray for the grace to turn your likeness back to God, because we are all on this journey together.
Our hopes are not too big, actually, when it comes to finding your significant other. It's that our hopes are too small. Raise your standards. This Gospel is about hope, and hardening our heart with it. It is tempting to settle for things that are far less than what God has planned for us! Let us be joyful and content in where we are, because of the Hope of Christ.
To tithe is to obey the law of God, and to trust Him to provide all your needs according to His riches and glory. Even if you aren't in a spot to tithe right now, can you do better? Give to God first, then all else will fall into place, and you will be greatly blessed.
It is backwards to think we can only give our leftovers to God. Commitment weekend is next weekend, so go home, and pray about how much more you can give to back to God, not because He needs it, but because you do. Give in such a way that you trust that He will provide, even if it's just one day at a time.
The parable within Matthew 20 is not about money or greed or even equality--it's about the generosity of God. There is nothing we could possibly do in our human existence to deserve one iota of God's grace, and yet he still gives and gives and gives to us without expecting anything in return except to love him. Don't judge those who find their faith at the end of their, despite working on your faith for the entirety of yours. God's grace knows no bounds.
Do you have the ability to love someone enough to tell them when they are out of line? You should. Because that's part of being Christian, and part of growing the Kingdom. Listen as Father Brian explains why it is so important to not only accept criticism, but give criticism when it is needed.
When we are surrounded by luxuries consistently, we get used to them--we take them for granted. Jesus went from giving St. Peter the keys to the church to scolding him harshly for his doubt in who Christ was. We have a radical call to follow Jesus Christ--he calls us to die. To die to our selfish desires. It's painful, but there is life on the other side, and there is no other way to life than through The Cross.
As an Army Ranger, Deacon Darell learned what it meant to persevere, but he didn't really know how he did it--he just did. With God, all things are possible. Look to Romans 12:12 when you lose the desire to press on. Pray.
You are not called to this world because of your amazing talents, but because you are called to greatness. You are called to share in the glory of Jesus Christ. You are not normal; there is nothing ordinary about you, because of this. C.S. Lewis: "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We mus play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. ~C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Enjoy the "hike" instead of the "car ride" with your faith. Matthew 13 is this week's Gospel reading, and is the center of Jesus's Gospel teaching. He speaks in seven parables.
Isaiah 6--"You shall indeed hear, but never understand, you shall indeed see but never perceive." We are so insistent on knowing what God wants for us, directly, but why doesn't he? He tells parables because they are meant to engage your heart. Being a Christian is not just knowing what to do, but it's about knowing your heart. Jesus wants our heart. That's what parables are all about. If you think the parables are for someone else, you aren't listening.
Father Brian encourages us to read the upcoming week's Gospel, prayerfully, and we will get more out of it during Mass. Listen, because hardness of heart has prevented us from hearing the truth. Christians are meant to act, not spectate. If you want to follow Christ, you are going to have to take a chance and leave something behind in our lives to truly become free and find the truth.
"The knowledge of God is a way. It means discipleship. It is not revealed to an uncommitted, permanently neutral observer, but rather it is disclosed in the measure in which one sets out on the way." ~Pope Benedict.
Judaism and Christianity paved the way to the tool for rest. We do not honor the Sabbath because it is a burden. The Sabbath reminds us that we do not belong to this world--to its mediocrity, consumerism, politicism, and demand for our souls. Rest on the Sabbath to grow closer as a family. Rest on the Sabbath to rejuvenate to better conquer your week. Rest on the Sabbath to stand out, and rest on the Sabbath because it is a gift from God to remind us we are not slaves of this world.
Rocky Balboa, Punching Bags, and Pursuing God's Virtues! When you pursue your own satisfaction and your own virtues, then you are no longer pursuing God's. When there's a great story that touches you, it's not enough to watch; you want to be a part of it. Kids get this the most--it's not enough to hear the story, they want to be a part of it. "In Christianity there are no spectators." If we get the true significance of Christianity, our heart will be beating in our chest, and we won't be able to sit still! We'll never find fulfillment and happiness as a spectator.
We were born into a condition where things "aren't right." Romans 5: "As sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men." No one expects the brand new, baptized baby will forever be sin-free, and original sin doesn't mean the baby did something wrong, it means that something wrong with our human hearts. We rejoice in things we shouldn't--we love ourselves more than others. We have to fight an uphill battle to become the people we are supposed to be. Some people believe there will be no more sin as long as we keep pursuing knowledge. We must ask ourselves, "What is wrong with the world," which, in turn, will lead us to the question of God. Also from Romans 5 "The free gift is not like the sin of Adam and Eve. If many died through one man's tresspass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift of grace of The One Man, Jesus Christ, abounded for man." We, as Christians, are not meant to be normal. The grace of God is meant to conquer in you.
As Father Brian returns from the Holy Land, he enlightens us about the most incredible gift ever to be bestowed upon us--the gift of the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. As we struggle with wounds from our interactions with society, we tend to desire to withdraw from our relationships, entirely, just as in the story, Into the Wild, which is based on a true story. Father Brian highlights the main point revealed of that story--"An unshared happiness is not happiness." The moments that mean the most in life are the moments we share together--and there's a word for it... Tune in to find out what it is! ... and yes, it relates to Corpus Christi!
Hear from guest priest, Fr. Jim Thermos, how blessed we are to partake in the deepest form of God's Love, and the foundation of the Church--the Holy Trinity. Without all three parts of the Trinity, God himself would not be possible, because it is a complete exchange of God as a complete person, and the Alpha and Omega.
Guest Priest, Monsignor Jed Patrick fills in for Fr. Brian during his trip to the Holy Land and enlightens us about the privilege of helping the poorest of the poor in developing countries. He highlights the ways we can help with even the smallest contribution. Just $2,500 will build a home for a family, and just $500 can bring clean water to a village. Their mantra: “delivering food, shelter and hope for the poorest of the poor.”
Based on the request from the Archdiocese, Fr. Brian Larkin addresses the importance of maintaining the sanctity of life, with regard to the Assisted Suicide bill that recently passed in Colorado. Also noted are the important points that once a person has agreed to follow through with assisted suicide, a priest can no longer present the sacrament of The Anointing of the Sick, and there would be no time for the sacrament of reconciliation once the pills are administered. Shortly thereafter, he switches gears and speaks about The Ascension of The Lord, and how St. Patrick truly brought the Irish people to Christianity because he had a mission that gave him purpose. He was able to face trials and tribulations with joy, because of his God-given purpose to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth, which, at the time, he believed he had fulfilled. ...Are you that kind of person?
Fr. Brian Larkin explains the simplicity of evangelization--if you are kind and personable and you love Jesus, you will go far in the evangelization world.
"Love without truth is sentimentality." He describes the absurdity with relativistic thinking, because Jesus made it clear: "I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life." --All religions are not the same.
For future events please see the website!
http://www.lourdesdenver.org/pint-with-a-priest/