Homilies about gratitude

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.

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.

You Are Jesus Today: A Missionary's Call to Bring Water and Life to Malawi

Father Pascal Kumanda

The homily emphasizes that all Christians are called to be 'Jesus today' by embodying his mission as both sowers of God's word and rich soil producing fruit. The priest shares a personal story from Malawi about a village lacking water, highlighting the stark contrast with the abundance in the US and urging the congregation to act as Jesus' hands and feet by supporting a mission to provide clean water, thereby giving 'new life' to suffering communities.

Lucy's 'Five More Minutes': A Life Lived in Love and Gratitude

This homily, delivered as a eulogy, celebrates the life of Lucy Labonite Gaida Maram, a Filipino immigrant who embodied kindness, generosity, and deep family love. It highlights her unique personality, her 'Filipino time' approach to life, and her selfless devotion to her family both in America and the Philippines, emphasizing how she savored every moment and lived a life that was a 'sermon' of selfless love.

Finding Hope in Loss: Maria del Refugio Padilla's Legacy of Faith and Love

This homily, delivered at a funeral mass, emphasizes that despite the pain of death, believers find hope and consolation in Jesus' resurrection. The priest highlights that God is not distant from human suffering, but experienced it through Christ, and that living a life united with God gives meaning to suffering and ensures resurrection. The homily also includes heartfelt eulogies from the deceased's grandson and daughter, who share personal anecdotes and reflect on her deep faith, love for family, and gratitude, portraying her life as a testament to sowing good seeds and reaping a rich harvest of love and unity.

How a Simple Meal Transforms Lives: The Mission of Mary's Meals

This homily, delivered by a representative from Mary's Meals, focuses on the organization's mission to provide daily meals to children at school in impoverished countries. It highlights how these meals enable children to learn, develop, and have hope for a better future, emphasizing the importance of sharing resources and the profound impact of this simple act of charity on individuals and communities.

The Two Kinds of Fear: Why God Says 'Fear No One' But Also 'Fear the Lord'

The homily explores the dual meaning of 'fear' in Christian life, distinguishing between the paralyzing fear of others and the 'fear of the Lord' as a reverent awareness of God's love. The priest uses a personal anecdote about his fear of heights and a story from a commencement speech about finding foundation at rock bottom to illustrate how God's unwavering love provides a secure foundation, even amidst life's challenges. He concludes by emphasizing God's intimate knowledge and value of each person, and the often-unseen sacrifices of fathers, especially on Father's Day.

If You Truly Believed: A Convert's Challenge to Catholics on the Eucharist

Father Steve Mako

Father Steve Mako shares a personal story about a woman named June, an Assembly of God member, who was initially anti-Catholic but became a friend. June's profound statement, "If I could believe what you say you believe, I would crawl into your church on my knees," deeply impacted Father Mako and serves as a powerful reminder for Catholics to fully grasp the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to build bridges rather than walls with others.

Your Unique Voice: A Gift to Announce God's Message

The homily celebrates the unique and miraculous birth of John the Baptist, emphasizing that each person's voice and talents are unique gifts from God. It encourages using these gifts to announce God's message, drawing parallels to John the Baptist's dramatic preaching and his humility in recognizing Jesus's greater importance.

No Tengan Miedo: El Amor de Dios y el Sacrificio de los Padres

Padre Jorge

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the Gospel message of 'Do not be afraid' in the face of persecution and challenges, drawing parallels between God's fatherly care and the sacrifices made by earthly fathers. The priest shares a personal anecdote about being called 'Father' for the first time and highlights the often-unrecognized efforts of fathers in raising their families, concluding with lighthearted 'dad jokes' to celebrate the day.

Father Adam on the Toughest Priestly Promise: Obedience

Father Adam Potter

Father Adam reflects on the difficulty of priestly obedience, particularly in the face of a new assignment, contrasting it with the perceived difficulty of celibacy. He connects his personal struggle to the Gospel's parable of the sower, emphasizing that our hearts must be fertile soil to accept God's will, even when it involves affliction or discomfort. He shares his gratitude for his time at the parish and the lessons learned through trusting God's plan.

St. John the Baptist: God's Gracious Gift

The homily focuses on the three mysteries surrounding the birth of John the Baptist: Elizabeth's advanced age, the unusual naming of the child, and Zechariah's muteness and subsequent praise of God. It highlights John's role as God's gift to prepare the way for the Lord, emphasizing the power of faith over doubt.

Is God's Mercy Only for Big Moments? Finding Grace in the Everyday

Father Ryan

The homily questions whether God's mercy is only present in extraordinary moments or if it's a constant, pervasive reality in our daily lives. It challenges listeners to recognize and meditate on God's continuous mercy, even in simple things like a cup of coffee, and how this awareness should transform their way of living.

The Power of Humility and Prayer: Lessons from St. William the Abbot

The homily celebrates the Feast of St. William the Abbot, emphasizing the importance of community, humility, and inviting others into the mission of Christ. The priest reflects on the parish's 99th year, likening it to Jesus leaving the 99 sheep to find the one, and highlights the blessings of vocations and the power of prayer for transformation rather than nagging.

God's Unconditional Love and the Legacy of St. Benedict

The homily emphasizes God's intimate and unconditional love for us, drawing on the Gospel's image of God knowing even the sparrows and counting the hairs on our heads. It also highlights the significance of St. Benedict's feast day by acknowledging the Benedictine sisters and monks who have educated many priests in the diocese, sharing a personal anecdote about a priest whose vocation was nurtured by the monks.

Father's Day: The Mission of Fatherhood and the Gift of Forgiveness

Fr. Salvador Landa

The homily, delivered on Father's Day, emphasizes the importance of fatherhood, drawing parallels with St. Joseph's acceptance of his mission and God the Father's love. It encourages gratitude, forgiveness, and patience towards fathers, especially as they age, highlighting the blessings children bring and the responsibility of raising them in faith.

Are You a Source of Joy? Lessons from St. John the Baptist

This homily, delivered on the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, emphasizes recognizing God's presence and action in everyday life, not just in grand miracles. It challenges listeners to be a source of joy, peace, and kindness to others, particularly within their families and workplaces, as a reflection of carrying God in their hearts.

Called by Name: The Sanctity of Life from the Womb

The homily reflects on the readings for the Nativity of John the Baptist, emphasizing that God calls each person from the womb with a name and a mission, just as he did for John. It highlights the sanctity of life from conception and calls for its protection, drawing a parallel between the shedding of blood by John the Baptist and the lives of unborn children.

Mourning with Hope: The Three Tasks of a Catholic Funeral

The homily for Robert Raftery's funeral emphasizes that while mourning is natural, it should not be without hope due to Christ's promise of preparing a place for us. The priest outlines the three main tasks of a funeral Mass: gratitude for the deceased's life and God's saving grace, entrusting the departed to God's boundless love, and offering consolation to one another through Christ's promise of resurrection.

Are You Living Your Faith Beyond Sunday Mass? (Fr. Francisco)

Father Francisco

Father Francisco's homily emphasizes God's intimate knowledge of each individual, using the Gospel's mention of counted hairs and sparrows to illustrate divine care. He challenges parishioners to actively live their faith beyond Sunday Mass, drawing a parallel to the passionate engagement of soccer fans, and encourages greater participation in church life and ministries.