Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church: Catholic Sunday Homilies

This is a Time of Testing for Us: Jesus Shows Us How to Persevere (Lk 4:1-13) (1 LT)

I have heard it said that these are the worst of times. Well I agree they do rank way up there, and for most of us they are the most difficult we have experienced. However humanity has come a long way over 4,000 years since God first called Abraham, and in the 2,000 years since Christ's suffering, death and triumph over sin and death in His Resurrection and founding of the Church. Let us not forget that God has got us thus far, and he still is bringing about His Kingdom. We can, even in this time of test have hope. Let us allow the test to achieve it's purpose, to draw us back to God. 

Before we Change the World, Let us First Allow God to Shape Our Hearts. (Lk 6:39-45) (8 OT)

Jesus is concluding his sermon on the plain in Luke's Gospel where he is laying out the Gospel Values which are meant to shape the world. But before we transform the world, we must allow our hearts to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into Christ-likeness. 

Resist Evil in Ways that Bring It Into the Light (Lk 6:27-38) (7 OT)

Jesus commands that we love our enemies, forgive those who wrong us, give to all who ask, and turn the other cheek.  Does he really expect us to do this? Does he really think it will work? Well, He still commands it, and yes it did work, sometimes we never see the success, but we are still commanded to do it. 

Blessed Are Those Who Lose the Super Bowl! (Lk 6:17,20-26)

Searching for a contemporary example of how to explain the Beatitudes, I offer this not to be funny, but seriously! The Beatitudes are meant to show us God views the world different than those who are of the world view it. It is almost the exact opposite. God wants to give us Eternal Bliss, beatitude, that changes how we see the world and what we think is important, and how we act. With God's Beatitudes, we are never overwhelmed by life's difficulties, nor are we complacent with the sufferings of others. 

Jesus Invites Us to Go Deeper: Will We Take the Risk? (Lk 5:1-11) (5 OT)

Becoming a disciple is not done in an instant, but is a long journey of getting to know and trust Jesus until one day we have a life changing encounter with the living God. This gives us D-CAMP! Divine Companionship, Assistance, Meaning and Purpose. Will you allow Jesus to come into your boat and direct your journey so that you may be Abundant and have His D-CAMP?

What Killed Jesus is Still Present Today. Let us not Fall for Satan’s Old Tactics (Lk 4:21-30) (4 OT)

Jesus came to fight and establish a kingdom. But not against human enemies, and not the Kingdom of Israel, but against Evil and to establish the Church. The tactic of the enemy is to lie and accuse, thus creating hate among enemies. We have no human enemy in Christ, we are all God's Children, let us not fall for Satan's age old tactics. Let us be members of His Kingdom, united in His Body, and fight using the most powerful weapon of Love.

Is the Gospel Too Idealistic to Work? (Lk 1:1-4,4:14-21) (3OT)

The Gospel is a lofty ideal. It seems that it is not practical and does not really work. All those things Jesus said like; 'Forgive your enemies', 'Pray for those who persecute you,' 'Sell your possessions and give to the poor,' 'Your Father knows you needs, seek first the Kingdom and all those things will be given to you', 'Cloth the naked, feed the poor, welcome the stranger,' 'Do to others as you would have them do to you,' 'Turn the other cheek,' these things really don't work in the real world do they?  Yet Luke makes it clear in his Gospel, that Jesus does mean all these things, and we must still follow the Word of God. 

Jesus is the Bridegroom, We are the Bride (Jn 2:1-11) (2 OT)

John's Gospel has seven signs, this is the first. The miracles are called signs because they are meant to teach of more about the mystery of our Salvation in Jesus Christ. Hear we learn that our salvation is because our Maker had married us, and delights in us as a bridegroom delights in his bride. Wow, God could have remained in heaven and waited for judgement, but He chose instead to send His Son, to join marry us, making us members of His Family! Wow!  I wonder if someone should have warned God that we are going to break His heart many times! Let us recognize the great gift we have and surrender to God's Love in a relationship that transforms us. 

The Sacrament of Baptism: Why and What)

Did Jesus have to be Baptized to be saved? No He was baptized for our salvation. Christ is the first sacrament; a divine reality present in our physical world. Christ institutes the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist for us to share in His divine life, to be members of His Body, His Church. 

Embrace the Darkness on your Journey (Mt 2:1-12)

God reveals Himself through creation, scripture and tradition, but also by divine intervention, until we come to recognize and adore Jesus as God, offer him our lives, and allow that encounter to change the path of our lives. It is hard finding the light to follow as the Magi did, sometimes it is in the darkest night that we see the stars more clearly. The darkness in our lives can help to focus us on what is most important, the journey to follow God.