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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Faith | Gospel Reflection | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith | saints
Have you ever noticed how much we like to build memorials and put up signs honoring people? We put up monuments, dedicate buildings, and preserve the memories of those who have gone before us. And, there’s something good about honoring those who made a difference in our lives and those who came before us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the scribes and scholars of the law, when He says, “You build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed.”
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Gospel Reflection | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Most of us want to make a good impression. Before we leave the house, we might look in the mirror, comb our hair, or make sure we look presentable. We pay attention to what people see on the outside. But how often do we stop and take a good look at what’s going on inside us? That’s what Jesus is getting at in today’s Gospel. A Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner and is surprised that Jesus doesn’t wash before the meal. Jesus uses this opportunity to make an important point: “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.” In other words, Jesus is asking, “You’re paying a lot of attention to the outside, but what about the inside?” And that’s a question worth asking ourselves.
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Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Today we reflect on a Gospel we have heard before about how “demons” or evil spirits operate. The Lord reminds that when God frees us from any bondage or oppression, we need to fill our hearts or lives with something new and positive. He warns us about the vulnerability of an “empty house” or heart.
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Gospel Reflection | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
I have a question for us to consider: “Do we really believe in what God can do for us?” There are moments in life when we look back and realize that God was doing something in us long before we recognized it. Sometimes we think our past disqualifies us from serving God and those He places in our lives. We remember our mistakes, our failures, our wrong choices, or maybe the years when we were far from the Lord. But today’s readings remind us of something important: God does not define or constrain us by our past. Instead, He sees the person He created us to become. That’s how the Lord sees us. St. Paul gives us a powerful example when he says, “You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.” Paul doesn't hide his past. He remembers it honestly. Paul wasn’t simply indifferent to Christ; he actively opposed Christ and persecuted His followers.
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Guardian Angels | Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Some of you, when you were young, learned a simple prayer that began: “Angel of God, my guardian dear…to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. We probably prayed it at bedtime without thinking too much about what we were saying. But today’s Gospel helps us understand just how beautiful that prayer really is. The disciples ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” They’re thinking about greatness in the way the world often thinks about it: Who is important? Who has power? Who gets recognized?
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Homily Video | Learn more about our faith
Today, we reflect on the well-known gospel text where the Lord asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” His disciples gave him all the public opinion that was out there on the streets. The disciples said, some call you John the Baptist, others call you Elijah, and still others call you one of the ancient prophets. The Lord asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Let me share a short story with you: I grew up in the Church, practicing the faith. We prayed at home. I went through all the instructions for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. I knew almost every prayer by heart. I was an altar server. I sang in the choir and played the drums. I was a Lector at Masses. I was in the youth group of our Church. I was the leader of our Church’s Boy Scouts Troop. I went to Catholic grade school. I volunteered for almost everything at Church. I was a “pretty decent and disciplined kid," as the Americans say. Watch Here
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