Great Catholic Homilies

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Archive for August, 2010

God gives what is good for us in prayer

Monday, August 30th, 2010

22nd Sunday in ordinary time, August 29, 2010
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14 He who humbles himself will be exalted.
Audio MP3 12 min.

Summary: Years ago in Cuba, children were taught by the government to pray to Fidel Castro, not to God, for ice cream. This kind of thinking makes God our slave, our personally trained seal. It reverses things — it makes God a servant of us. However, God gives what is good for us. St. Monica, whose feast day it was last week, prayer for 18 years for her son to come back to the faith. Augustine, the son, prayed for what was bad for him until he could not longer resist the flood of graces from heaven. Prayer is a conversation with God. It shows us how deeply God loves us by how He answers our prayers.

This homily is brought to you by the Georgetown Visitation Sisters, in Washington, D.C. Saint Francis de Sales’ “little virtues” of gentleness, kindness, humility, and cheerful optimism shape monastic life for these sisters

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A heresy that wars against marriage

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

21st Sunday in ordinary time, August 22, 2010
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Luke 13:22-30 Enter through the narrow door.

MP3 Audio 13 min.

Summary: One thousand years ago a belief called Albigensianism taught that there was a god of good and a god of evil. Followers of this heresy believed that anything that was made of matter was evil and only the spiritual was good. They believed in ritual suicide and condemned marriage as a sin. It took a military crusade to put it down. Today we have the same beliefs, although without the rituals. People do not get married, but when they have children there is no father, and thus we have young violent males who murder others.

We must recapture the beliefs and morals of our grandparents, that of a commitment to love, marriage, and families. One idea is to have chaperones on dates. Overall, we must 1) believe in marriage, 2) end contraception in marriage, and 3) raise our children carefully.

This homily is brought to you by the Georgetown Visitation Sisters, in Washington, D.C. Saint Francis de Sales’ “little virtues” of gentleness, kindness, humility, and cheerful optimism shape monastic life for these sisters.

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The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist — more than a symbol

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

20th Sunday in ordinary time, August 15, 2010
Fr. John Granato, S.M.
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56 “Blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Audio MP3 10 min.

Summary: (This homily was taken from a previous year.) A child is a reminder of one’s spouse, and the love that exists between the spouses. The Eucharist is not a symbol. Jesus really meant it when He said “Eat my body, drink my blood.” The original Greek says to gnaw and chew on the body. Jesus says, “I am here to transform you so you won’t be attached to a life of sin.”

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Daily Mass fills the hole in our hearts

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

19th Sunday in ordinary time, August 8, 2010
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Luke 12:32-48 Be ready; the Son of Man is coming

Audio MP3 13 min.

Summary: Daily Mass comforts the troubled. It also offers us a way to help appreciate God’s love for us. The problems in our lives are not faced by ourselves alone, but with God, the angels and saints. The Church’s calendar punctuates our lives with feast days. With the Transfiguration, Aug. 6, Jesus shows the disciples a hint of who He was, and this gave them the strength they needed to endure Jesus’ Passion. God gives us his grace, his life, to transform us into creatures like him.

This homily is brought to you by the Georgetown Visitation Sisters, in Washington, D.C. Saint Francis de Sales’ “little virtues” of gentleness, kindness, humility, and cheerful optimism shape monastic life for these sisters.

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Our society is shaped by our faith and good deeds

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

July 2010
Fr. Anthony Brankin

Homily Text: Maybe I’m getting too sensitive. Maybe it’s encroaching old age. Maybe I’ve been a priest too long. But it is simply amazing how in the popular culture these days—in these days of political correctness it seems to be open season on Catholics—and even on all Christians.

This homily is brought to you by Questions For God Books, which offers a children’s book series and DVD that will help children three years old and older learn about God’s plan for salvation and everlasting life.

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