Homilies about family

A Priest's Story: How God Loved Me as a Sinner and a Loser

Father David

The homily, delivered by a new parochial vicar, Father David, focuses on God's immense patience and unconditional love for sinners, drawing parallels with the Gospel parable of the weeds and the wheat. Father David shares a deeply personal testimony of his youth, marked by a struggle for acceptance, alcoholism, promiscuity, and resentment towards his parents, culminating in a suicidal crisis. He recounts how a simple question from a friend on a pilgrimage, "Don't you know there is a God who loves you as you are?", transformed his life, leading him to believe in God's mercy and eventually to the priesthood.

50 Años de Sacerdocio: Las Redes que Sostienen la Fe y la Lucha por Cuba

P. José Conrado Rodríguez Alegre

This homily, delivered by Father José Conrado Rodríguez Alegre on his 50th priestly anniversary, reflects on the 'nets' of support in his life: family, Christian community, seminary, and friends, culminating in God as the ultimate protective net. He shares personal anecdotes about his experiences with the Cuban exile community and his own exile, emphasizing the need for unity, forgiveness, and speaking truth for the liberation of Cuba, drawing parallels to the story of 'Muñeco,' a boy he ministered to who found redemption.

El Miedo No Es Respeto: Sanando Heridas Familiares en el Día del Padre

Padre Vicente Agila

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, explores the nature of fear, distinguishing between healthy and pathological fear. The priest shares a personal story of childhood trauma and his father's assassination, emphasizing that true faith means trusting in God's love rather than relying on external objects or superstitions. He encourages parishioners, especially spouses and children, to value and appreciate their fathers, recognizing their efforts and healing past wounds through love and understanding, rather than criticism or judgment.

Healing Childhood Trauma: How Fear Shapes Our Adult Relationships

Padre Vicenteila

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, explores the theme of fear and its roots in childhood trauma, particularly regarding parental figures. The priest shares a personal anecdote about his own childhood fear of snakes and subsequent panic attacks, connecting it to the Gospel's message of 'do not be afraid.' He then delves into how unresolved traumas manifest in adult behaviors, such as seeking external validation through material possessions or relationships, and offers advice for couples to heal these wounds by valuing and respecting each other.

From Violence to Faith: How God Healed My Family's Wounds

Padre Michael Nixon

The homily emphasizes God as a loving Father (Abba) and encourages trust in Him, especially in the face of fear. The priest shares a powerful personal story of his family's conversion, marked by violence, addiction, and poverty, highlighting how God intervened to bring forgiveness and faith. He stresses that God is not afraid of our darkness and wants to heal our wounds related to fatherhood, revealing that we are not orphans but cherished children of God.

Medjugorje: How Our Lady Reconciled My Divorced Parents

This homily, delivered on the 45th anniversary of the Medjugorje apparitions, emphasizes the profound fruit of Our Lady's presence as Queen of Peace, highlighting millions of conversions, confessions, and increased love for God. The priest draws parallels between Mary and biblical figures like Elijah and John the Baptist, suggesting she is preparing the world for Christ's second coming. He shares a powerful personal testimony of his parents' reconciliation through Our Lady of Medjugorje, urging listeners to invite her into their families for healing and peace.

The Wheat, The Weeds, and the Vigilant Parent: God's Patience and Our Role in Raising Children

Père Gilbert

The homily emphasizes God's patience and mercy, using the parable of the wheat and weeds to illustrate how God allows good and evil to grow together, giving everyone a chance to convert. It challenges Christians to be good 'trees' that provide shade (guidance and counsel) to others, especially children, rather than being passive or allowing 'weeds' (negative influences) to take over their lives and communities. The priest shares a personal anecdote about parents needing to be vigilant with their children to prevent them from falling into bad company or dangerous situations.

Father's Day Homily: The Unseen Love of Fathers

Padre Nicolau

This homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the profound and often unacknowledged love of fathers. The priest shares personal anecdotes about his own father's wisdom and sacrifice, urging the congregation to express gratitude and seek forgiveness from their fathers, whether living or deceased. He highlights the unique role of fathers in giving life and providing guidance, contrasting it with the more openly expressed appreciation for mothers.

A Priest's Stroke, a Lifelong Dream, and the Mission to Care for the Abandoned Elderly

Father Dason

The homily is a deeply personal account of the priest's lifelong dream to build a home for the homeless, which evolved into a mission to prepare elderly souls for their last hour, especially those abandoned by family. He shares how a personal stroke opened his eyes to the true suffering of the elderly and the importance of reconciliation with parents, urging the congregation to support this mission through prayer, care for their own parents, and financial contributions.

The Indispensable Role of Fathers in the Family (Father's Day Homily)

This homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the crucial role of fathers in the family, drawing parallels to God the Father. The priest highlights that a father's love and discipline are distinct from a mother's, and that the absence of a father can negatively impact children's development. He challenges men to embrace their masculine identity and women to respect it, advocating for a balanced family structure where both parents fulfill their God-given roles.

El Irremplazable Rol del Padre en la Familia: Abre las Puertas del Cielo para tus Hijos

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the crucial and irreplaceable role of fathers in the domestic church. It encourages fathers to embrace their ministry with love and courage, reminding them that their sacrifices are not forgotten by God and that their words and actions leave a lasting impact on their children, either opening or closing the doors of heaven for them.

¿Cómo la relación con tu padre terrenal afecta tu fe en Dios Padre?

Padre Noé Guerrero

The homily emphasizes that God is not just 'God' but our loving Father, who is always on our side and cares for us in every detail. It highlights that our earthly relationship with our fathers can influence how we perceive God as Father, urging parents to be affectionate and present to help their children develop a strong filial relationship with God. The core message is to abandon fears into the hands of this loving Father, who, like a parent, sees beyond our faults and loves us unconditionally.

The Unseen Power of One Righteous Life: Lessons from Pope John Paul II's Father

Father Henry

The homily emphasizes the transformative power of individual righteousness, drawing parallels between Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah and the impact of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. It highlights how the choices of one person can profoundly influence society, using Pope John Paul II's father as a powerful example of how quiet integrity can inspire greatness and effect global change.

Superando el Trauma y el Miedo: El Valor Incondicional de un Hijo de Dios

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, explores the theme of fear and its origins, particularly in childhood trauma and negative parental figures. The priest encourages listeners to confront their fears, seek professional help for deep-seated issues, and recognize their inherent worth as children of God, rather than seeking external validation. He emphasizes the importance of valuing and supporting fathers, and for individuals to heal from past wounds to foster healthier relationships and find true freedom.

Father Zach on Why We Need Fathers to Conquer Fear

Father Zach

This homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the essential role of fatherhood in providing stability and security, both in the family and spiritually. The priest connects the Gospel message of 'fear no one' to the need for a strong father figure, illustrating how a father's presence helps conquer fear and instills a healthy reverence, much like God the Father. He shares personal anecdotes, including a baseball lesson from his father and an encounter with an exorcist, to highlight how confronting fear with a father's guidance leads to courage and confidence.

The Wheat, The Weeds, and God's Patience with Migrant Families

The homily uses the parable of the wheat and weeds to discuss God's patience and our call to be patient with others, especially in the context of immigration and family separations. It emphasizes that final judgment belongs to God and highlights the Holy Spirit's intercession for those suffering, urging the faithful to stand with the vulnerable and trust in God's ultimate justice.

The Sacred Vocation of Fatherhood: Lessons from St. Joseph and a Father's Love

Father Benji

This homily, delivered on Father's Day, explores the vocation of fatherhood, emphasizing that being a dad is a sacred calling that mirrors God's love. It addresses common challenges fathers face and encourages them to be spiritual leaders, drawing inspiration from St. Joseph and Pope Francis's teaching that fathers are made through responsibility and care. The homily concludes with a poignant story about an elderly father and his son, highlighting the importance of showing love and gratitude to fathers.

Why God Lets 'Weeds' Grow: The Path to Patience and Love

Father Mark

The homily uses the parable of the weeds among the wheat to illustrate God's immense patience and mercy, contrasting it with human impatience. The priest shares personal anecdotes about his German Catholic father's strictness and his own struggles with patience, emphasizing that God teaches us patience and tolerance through difficult people and situations in our lives, which he calls "saint makers." He concludes by encouraging listeners to offer their daily struggles with impatience as a form of suffering to grow in love and humility.

¿Qué Semilla Fue Plantada en Ti? Sanando las Heridas del Pasado

The homily uses the parable of the wheat and weeds to discuss how negative experiences and 'bad seeds' planted in us, especially in childhood, can prevent us from bearing good fruit. The priest shares personal anecdotes about his grandfather's farming and his current work with women suffering from anxiety and depression due to paternal abandonment, emphasizing the importance of identifying and uprooting these 'weeds' to allow God's kingdom of peace and harmony to flourish within us.

The Hidden Power of One Righteous Person: Lessons from Abraham and Pope John Paul II's Father

Father Henry

The homily emphasizes the transformative power of individual righteousness, drawing parallels between Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah and the impact of Jesus Christ. It highlights how one righteous person can profoundly influence society, using Pope John Paul II's life and his father's quiet faith as a powerful example of this principle, especially on Father's Day.