Monday Morning Homilist

We're 3 Sunday away from Easter and as we come into the home stretch of Lent, the call for this week is to embrace the cross. It's only fitting that our church AC went out this Sunday and we were all made to feel a little uncomfortable during Mass. There's a profound lesson to be learned in being comfortable with the uncomfortable! In the second segment, Jorge finally made it out to an InterMiami...

As we hit the halfway point of Lent, it's a perfect opportunity to pause and reflect: are we any different today than we were on Ash Wednesday? As we hear the Gospel account of Jesus tossing tables in the Temple, take these final weeks of Lent to let the Lord come into your heart and begin to toss tables and drive out sin. In sports, it was a winning weekend as we continue through the mid-season l...

It's a pretty wide-ranging episode this week as we cover Sunday's readings, a holocaust survivor's presentation to our school's 6th graders, sacred silence, and learning how to pray. In sports, we scratch and claw for something to talk about and finally landed on trying to make sense of the upcoming 12-team College Football Playoff format. If you come out of the segment confused, you're in good co...

Time and again in the Bible, God enters in covenants with his people.  Today we talk about the promises that God makes to us and if we hold up our end of these covenants. Lent is a time to recommit ourselves to the life we are called to live as Christians.  The ashes we received on Ash Wednesday are a sign of that commitment to keep our end of God's covenant with us. In the second segment, we are...

It's Super Bowl Monday and we take the opportunity to dive deep into not just the weekend readings in the leadup to Lent, but also the buzzy "He Gets Us" Super Bowl commercial. The entire Lenten season is a prolonged "Come to Jesus" moment. What is it that we want to bring to Him ahead of our Easter celebrations this year? Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have...

In this week's Gospel we hear Jesus teach with authority. Do we allow Him to the time and space to speak with that same authority in our lives? What does trusting in the Lord really look like in the day-to-day journey of faith? In sports - Taylor Swift the Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl against the Niners. We come out firing with some hot takes on both of the Conference Championship Games.

In our Season 7 debut we recap the ADOM/COTLF pilgrimage to the March for Life this past weekend before diving into the Sunday readings. Can you recall a time you recognized or responded to the call of the Lord? Cherish that memory and revisit it often! In sports, we say farewell to the Dolphins and look ahead to the Conference Championship matchups and Super Bowl.

It's our Season 6 finale! With one week to go before Christmas, this week is all about JOY, which is the true mark of a Christian. "A joyless Christian is a useless Christian." What is it that brings you joy? We'll be off until mid-January when we return for Season 7, so we wish all our listeners and friends a blessed final week of Advent, a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! 

With 2 weeks left until Christmas, we hear the call from St. John the Baptist to "make straight the way for the Lord." If we take that message to heart, we can understand it as a call to live an authentic Christianity - one that may be uncomfortable and unpopular, but also one that will bring with it a deep and abiding Peace. As we continue preparing our hearts and homes for Christmas, we discuss...

We enter into the liturgical season of Advent on Parish Fair weekend, and what a beautiful weekend it was! We reflect on the joys and successes of the Parish Fair and the incredible sense of community that is fostered on those fair grounds. As we begin the Advent journey to Christmas, we break down the first reading from Isaiah. They say it's the hope that kills you, but we couldn't disagree more!...

It's Christ the King and as we soon begin our Advent preparations for Christmas, we first contemplate Jesus' place in our lives. Is Christ really the king of our heart? Is he really the center of our lives? In sports, both the 'Canes and Dolphins took care of business on Black Friday and we start looking ahead to the CFP, bowl projections, and the Dolphins road to the playoffs (and Super Bowl?!)

Father Andrew joins the podcast as two priests compare notes on how they preached the parable of the talents from two totally different perspectives.  How do we share God's blessings? And on this Thanksgiving week, are we aware of the many blessings God gives? In sports, Ashley joins us on this Victory Monday to talk about the Dolphins.  Father Andrew is conflicted about his Giants' victory.  And...

It's our 100th episode and we cover a wide-range of topics as we reflect back on 2.5 years of doing this podcast and dive into this weekend's readings and the wisdom of St. Therese.  No major hot takes in our second segment this week, but we add in plenty of Lion King references! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge...

It's an Izzy Monday!  Izzy joins Father Manny as we talk about the priests who have made a difference in our lives as we begin National Vocations Awareness Week.  What did Jesus really mean when he said "call no one on earth your father?" In the second segment, we do NOT talk about sports because sports didn't happen this weekend as far as we're concerned.  Izzy and Father compare notes on their f...

It's a pop-culture-filled episode as we dive into the Greatest Commandment: Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself. It's easier said than done, but once we really fall in love with God, everything changes. Have some fun and listen in as we break it down. In sports, it's another Dolphins Victory Monday and the Canes pull out another overtime winner. Don't forget to like, commen...

On this World Mission Sunday, we reflect on the challenging simplicity of giving to God what is God's: our heart and our soul. Despite all the distractions and temptations of the world around us, this radical surrender is possible and we see that most clearly lived out in missions. Are you in or are you out? In sports, Dolphins lose a tough one in Philly but its not all bad news and the Canes pick...

This weekend's Gospel seems harsh and unfair on first read, but Jesus' message couldn't be clearer once you break it down. Are we like the original invitees to the wedding feast, who disregard the call of the King? Or are we like the speechless guest who is thrown out because we may think that just showing up is good enough? The invitation to the Banquet of the Lord brings with it standards, expec...

This week's Gospel parable will - and should - make us very uncomfortable as Jesus illustrates the violent nature of sin. We dive right in as there is no sugar-coating this hard truth. In sports - WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to  podcast@cotlf.org and listen in...

On Sunday, October 1, 2023, Father Manny launched our parish's Centennial Campaign in anticipation of our 100th anniversary in 3 years.  For those who did not hear his homily, here it is presented without interruption. If you want to be part of this campaign and make a sacrificial gift and three-year pledge, please visit: cotlf.org/centennial

After years of planning, we finally publicly unveiled our plans for the Parish Centennial celebration this weekend! Listen in as we discuss some of the history and inspiration behind the projects and the homiletic gymnastics Fr Manny had to do as he prepared for the big weekend. Please visit www.cotlf.org/centennial to learn more about the Centennial plans and how your sacrificial gift will help u...

This weekend's Gospel parable is another provoking one as our response to it provides some good insight. As we hear of the land owner's generosity in dispensing his wealth as he wishes, is our initial reaction one of jealously or joy? This week, we dive into the mercy and goodness of God and what should be the Christian response of joy and celebration when someone comes home - regardless of what t...

We reflect on forgiveness this week, as the Gospel challenges us with the parable of the Wicked Servant. So often, forgiveness - or the refusal to forgive - becomes an obstacle in our spiritual life. It is in the act of forgiving that our call to be like Christ becomes real. It is only in forgiving that we will find the freedom and rest that the Lord promises and wants to give us. In sports, not s...

This weekend's Gospel challenges us to listen, which is much more difficult than just hearing. To listen requires humility, discernment, and, most importantly, prayer. Look to Mary as an example of how to truly listen - to God and to one another. In sports, it was a winning weekend across the board with huge wins for the 'Canes and the Dolphins. And the Marlins remain in the thick of the wildcard...

This weekend's readings pack a punch and so does our weekly podcast! Listen in as we reflect on Jeremiah's lament, the call to take up our cross, and the importance of community in the lived experience of our faith. In sports, Ashley and Fr Manny preview the upcoming NFL season and make some wildly fun predictions for the year.  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast!...

Jesus' question posed to Peter is still just as relevant for us today. Who do YOU say that Jesus is? An honest answer to that is very telling of our spiritual life and health ands holds the key to developing a deeper and more sincere relationship with Christ. In sports, Fr Andrew joins Fr Manny to preview the upcoming season of College Football! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and s...