Bishop Donald DeGrood Homilies

This weekend Bishop reflected on love and sacrifice. He gave examples for living for something greater than ourselves, and how we can love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He encouraged us to love and sacrifice like Jesus.

This weekend Bishop reflected on things we have all experienced in our relationship with God. Being unfamiliar with God, wondering if you’re praying correctly, or if he is hearing our prayers. Have you ever wondered how you know it’s God? Or how do to know what God wants for my life? In this homily Bishop talks about getting to know God, and how he talks to us.

This weekend Bishop reflected on the sacrament of marriage, specifically the beautiful example of his parents. Bishop also highlighted the complimentary gifts of masculinity and the feminine genius, and the unique qualities God gifted men and women.

This weekend Bishop taught about the importance of having people in our lives to help us know the difference between truth and deception. He also encouraged us to be open to God's grace so that the light of truth, led by the Spirit, can guide us.

This weekend, Bishop talked about temptation, deception and other evil forces trying to separate us from one another and from God. He reminded us of who we are in the eyes of God- his beloved sons and daughters made in his image and likeness. And when we know we've been separated from God to run to the sacrament of reconciliation to be set free from the bondage of sin.

This weekend, Bishop talked about times in his life when he experienced fear and reflected on how Jesus must have felt as his crucifixion drew closer. We are encouraged to run to Mary with our fear. Run to Jesus. Run to the Father. They will guide us and take away our fear.

This week Bishop DeGrood reflects on our society choosing self over God. He asks us what is keeping us from having God as our number one. In a world with many "gods," will we continue to put ourselves over God? Or will we take on the mindset of Joshua and go against the cultural current and serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)?

On this solemnity of the Assumption, Bishop talks about Mary's beautiful witness of being faithful to God. We are reminded that Mary is not just our intercessor, but our mother who journeys through life with us, encouraging us along the way.

This week Bishop DeGrood talks about faith being a gift from God. In a time where many are agnostic or atheist God finds ways to call his uncertain or disillusioned children to himself. We are reminded as Catholics we are called to walk alongside our faithful and uncertain brothers and sisters on our way to heaven, and trust in the power of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

This week Bishop DeGrood talks about feelings of inadequacy and our belief that great things can't happen through us because of our own human limitations. Instead of focusing on what we can do ourselves, Bishop reminds us God's love and power is always greater and allows us to flourish.

This week Bishop DeGrood reflects on the strong forces of evil he's faced in his life. Our world is in desperate need of the healing power of Jesus, but will we accept this healing as the hemorrhaging woman or Jairus, the synagogue official, did? Bishop encourages us to seek healing in the sacrament of confession so we may become the ambassadors of God's love we are called to be.

On this Corpus Christi Sunday, Bishop DeGrood teaches about the Real Presence and what an extraordinary gift it is for us to be able to receive Jesus' body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. Bishop also teaches about sacrifices of the Old Testament and how Jesus is the most unblemished of all sacrifices out of love for us.

Today Bishop teaches about joy- one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We are given two beautiful examples of this joy. Jesus, who did the will of the Father and not his own. And the Blessed Mother Mary who was open and disposed to God's will all her life. Will we choose to follow the example of our our Lord and his mother?

On this feast of St. Joseph the Worker, patron saint of our diocese, Bishop DeGrood teaches about the dignity of human labor. He reminds us to labor in love and offer our work and vocation to the Lord.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, Bishop teaches about being ambassadors of love for those who are healing from abuse.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday, Bishop teaches about the power of forgiveness and mercy and reminds us of the great gift of the sacrament of confession.

On this Easter Sunday, Bishop teaches about grace and the supernatural virtues, and contrasts them to the things of this world such as pleasure. Will you seek what is above? Or will you seek what is here on earth?

This week Bishop teaches about sin. False accusations. Hatred. Lies. Jealousy. Betrayal. These are all sins found in this weekend's readings and sins that still plague humanity today. As we enter into Holy Week, Bishop encourages us to open ourselves to the interior freedom God wants to give us.

This week Bishop teaches about suffering. We have a natural aversion to suffering from the moment of our birth throughout our life. Our natural tendency is to seek what is pleasurable. Bishop challenges us to have our intellect and reason guide our passions - to choose to do the prudent thing even when we don't feel like it. We are encouraged to make our sufferings acts of love. How can you love b...

This week Bishop encourages us to take a look at the darkness in our lives. Are we holding on to grudges against a sibling, co-worker or neighbor because we've been hurt? Are there any dark feelings that are keeping us separated from God? God wishes to set us free from the darkness in our lives. Will we accept His love and mercy and live in the light?

This week Bishop teaches us about keeping holy the Sabbath and being careful of not worshiping false gods. He reminisces about the "good old days" where Sunday was a day set aside for church, community, family and rest. Bishop challenges us to ask the Lord how He wants us to spend our Sunday and to keep it holy.

This week Bishop teaches us about soul surfing on the waves of grace. We learn how prayer is essential to staying on the wave of grace, even when the wave gets big, or when we fall off the wave God will always pick us back up.

This week Bishop encourages us to remain strong and faithful to the Church and her teachings when today's world tempts us to stray from the faith. May we always fight for what is good, true and just as God has deemed it to be.

This week bishop teaches about the unclean leper and the parallels in today's world. Today people are being rejected and cast out because of their religious belief or because their life is seen as less valuable for whatever reason. We must never forget, we are all made in the image and likeness of God, and because of that every life is valuable and precious.

This week bishop teaches about meeting people where they are. He also encourages us to remain faithful to God, proclaim the Gospel and not worry about what the world thinks of us.