Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church: Catholic Sunday Homilies

A Holy Family is Not a Perfect Family: It is Imperfection that brings Holiness (LK 2:41-52)

Holiness is not perfection. Perfection is a fruit of holiness, but holiness is formed in imperfection. God is a family. Jesus was born a person, but also into a family. We are relational, and in relationship we grow. The goal of our families is to be holy, in relationship with others giving of ourselves for the greater good. Each in the family, has a role to play. So does God, if we center our family around Him.

Although We Try, We Cannot Take Jesus Out of Christmas (Lk 2:1-14)

Often we say Happy Holidays, to leave God out of Christmas. But try as we might, there is no avoiding our God who loves us and has joined himself to us forever in Christmas which means Christ's Mass. Mass is the perpetuation of Christ's Incarnation, life, death and Resurrection, so since we celebrate the Mass everyday, everyday is Christmas. Let us live every day this year as if it were CHRISTMAS!

The Way God Asks us to Wait: Like Mary (Lk 1:39-45)

The Advent message is to wait for the coming of the Lord.  The readings call us to trust in the promises of God, and that trust frees us to live boldly, doing God's will, sometimes by trial and yes error, and helping to bring about what it is we wait for; the fullness of the Kingdom of God. 

A Rather Complete Telling of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Lk 1:26-38) (3 AD)

The apparition of Mary to the Aztec people near Mexico City was one of the greatest events of human history. Not only did the event cause from 8 to 10 million conversions to Christianity and shape the history of the Americas, but the Tilma of Juan Diego, with the image of our lady on it, that we still have at the Basilica in Mexico City is scientifically verified to be miraculous thus telling the story for all time of God‘s revelation and intervention in our world. In addition to be in miraculous, the image is most loving presentation of our faith to the Aztec people in their own language. The image contains the proclamation of the faith of the true God Jesus Christ son of Mary Queen of Heaven the One sacrifice acceptable to God for all time. 

How to Prepare the Way of the Lord in Advent with Joy & Hope (Lk 3:1-6) (2 AD)

God's coming in Jesus Christ is the foundation of all history, and religion. How do we respond, by allowing that history to shape our history, that is change us! Here is how: Bring down the mountains, fill in the valleys, make crooked ways straight and the rough road smooth. Then the salvation of God will come to us. 

Life is Time to be Transformed into Likeness of Christ (Lk 21:25-28, 34-36) (1 AD)

We live in the time between two comings. This time is given to us so that we may be transformed into the likeness of Christ. Transformation takes time. So God gives us this time, to be holy so we may dwell in His presence in heaven. What we do now, shapes our eternity!  

Giving Thanks in Good Times and In Bad (Lk: 17:11-19)

For the Christian, giving thanks is not just something we do in good times, but even in the most difficult times, we give God thanks because what He has done for us in Creation, and Redemption in Christ Jesus, is ours always, and nothing can separate us from the Love of God shown to us in Christ Jesus Our Lord! (Romans 8:39), best to read the whole chapter 8 today as we give God Thanks!

Christ the King is a Political Feast (Jn 18:33-37) (OT 34)

We don't like to talk politics, but today's feast is political. Jesus is Lord, was the refrain of the early church, as opposed to the political statement Caesar is Lord.  To say Jesus is King is intentionally making our Faith political. In politics we seek first to promote country, political party, etc. But as a member of the Kingdom of God, that should be our highest priority to Promote God's Kingdom, a kingdom encompassing all nations, so all our politics should follow the teachings of Christ our King. Often political leaders and states seek to define a truth to serve the nation, rather than the nation serving the truth. Often we seek to crucify the truth instead of letting the truth conform us. If we all were better disciples of the truth in our spiritual and moral lives, so too would our politics serve God's Kingdom. 

The Common Project to Unite All Humanity (Mk 13:24-32) (OT 33)

We live in the end times, between the two comings of Christ. This time is a special gift by God to give us time; to further our transformation in Christ, the help others, and to share in His work of bringing about a New Heaven and a New Earth. Pope Francis and the Vatican propose the Laudato Si project, where all people of good will can work together to clean up our common home, in so doing strengthen our unity and work to solve repair not only our broken relationship with creation, but one another and God. 

Give to God Our First Fruits (Mk 12:38-44)

Unless we give God a percentage of our time, talent and treasure, we are only giving God our leftovers. Tithing (at 10% or a different amount) is a spiritual practice.