Great Catholic Homilies

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Health care dictates or no — we will not surrender the truth

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 19, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12 Healing of the paralytic

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(Today’s sermon was followed by heartfelt applause.)

Sermon summary: Cardinal [Francis] George has predicted that the persecution of the Church is coming. He said that he himself would die in bed, but his successor would die in jail, and that the next successor would be executed.

Click for Visitation Spirit website

Live Gently With a Valiant Spirit

Do you have the courage of the Holy Spirit to face everyday life? A burning desire to grow closer to God? Gentleness and strength of spirit are part of the Salesian spirituality. Crafted by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, this spirituality is practiced by both religious and laity alike.

Learn more. Read “Salesian Spirituality is Strong and Growing.”

This secular government is coming after us. The government passes laws that neutralize grace and goodness in the world. What the cardinal was saying was that one day we may have to shed blood. We won’t provide contraception and abortion — things that are in themselves immoral. Catholic schools and colleges will have to drop their health insurance, or they will be fined. Thus, the government will close institutions that we have worked for two hundred years to build.

See you in jail

That is the trajectory — the arrests of bishops and priests. We will all be cellmates. Our message is that we will not kill babies; we will not kill love. Love is permanent, faithful and fruitful.

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No-cost Catholic schools – we can do it (full text)

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Go to Fr. Brankin's bio4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 “He taught them with authority.”

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You may or may not have known it—but this is the beginning of Catholic Schools week. And you may be saying to yourselves—Well so what? My children are grown, my grandchildren live out of state—why would I—sitting here in Saint Odilo Church in Berwyn ever worry about Catholic Schools week anymore? But think again. Every one of us has a stake in the success of Catholic schools—and this school in particular because we are not only talking about the future parishioners of Saint Odilo—but the future of our society.

Go to the Georgetown Visitation.

The Bean Queen of Georgetown Rules

The bean, or Epiphany Queen, of the Georgetown Visitation can request special things. Whichever sister finds the bean or medal in her piece of cake after supper is Queen-for-a-Year and is treated in a special way. Go to our Live + Jesus blog and read about what Sr. Mary Philomena got to wear that day.

Are you called to a life of the “little virtues” of gentleness, humility, and cheerful optimism? Consider the Sisters of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, Washington, DC.

Listen to these statistics: and refer to them for the rest of this sermon—But in Cicero and Berwyn – there are 43 thousand persons under the age of 18,—and ninety-five percent of these kids are Catholic. Now reflect upon the fact that there are only four Catholic schools in these two towns that combined with catechism classes are reaching no more than 2000 children. Think of it—there are therefore almost 42,000 Catholic children in our area who are not getting instructed in the faith. That has to make anyone who takes their Catholicism seriously shudder. I know I do. Continue Reading…

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Helping to relieve the tragedies of Job, and the Cardinal’s Annual Appeal

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 5, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39 Healing of Simon’s mother-in-law

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Sermon summary: The reading from the book of Job shows us how much suffering Job went through. And the suffering was the kind that simply happens to all of us. And yet Christ showed us an example of helping others in situations like this. He went out to all the villages, for this was His purpose.

This is why we give to Cardinal George’s Annual Appeal. This is a means of helping others through the Church. Giving as Christ himself did.

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The myth of self-governance — we are merely bug splatter (sermon text)

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jan. 22, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 “Repent, and believe the Good News.”

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Full sermon text: Today is the day that the Bishops of the US have asked all Catholics to make of it—a day of reparation for the sin of abortion—a sin—I might add—that has been committed about 50 million times in almost forty years.

But that number only applies in this country. I read just last night that the world-wide number of abortions approaches one billion! I saw that statistic in a letter to the editor of a Catholic journal; and the author of the letter said that all these abortions—these billion lives that were snuffed out—were lives taken in the so-called “Christian west”. Continue Reading…

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No-cost Catholic schools – we can do it

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Go to Fr. Brankin's bio4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jan. 29, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 “He taught them with authority.”

Free Audio MP3

Sermon summary: In the two cities surrounding this parish, we are educating only 2,000 children of grammar-school age with the faith through our CCD and grammar school programs. But that leaves 42,000 school-age children in the area not being educated in the Catholic faith.

Click for Visitation Spirit website

Speak Softly and Carry a Benevolent “Stick”

The great doctor of the Church, St. Francis de Sales, advises us to “live gently with a valiant spirit.” Do you have a burning desire to grow holy, in union with God? Gentleness and strength of spirit are part of the Salesian spirituality, practiced by both religious and laity alike.

Learn more on Visitation Spirit. Read “Salesian Spirituality is Strong and Growing.”

If we lose our faith, we lose our families. If we lose our families we lose our souls. The life of our country, our society, depends on the strength of families. The Catholic school system is the alternative by which we escape the slavery and brainwashing, which is part and parcel of the public – or government – school system. Continue Reading…

Posted in Audio homilies, Catechizing, Fr. Brankin, education, faith | Comments Off

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