Ad Jesum per Mariam

Public Faith, Private Strength: Living as Children of God The Homily begins by reflecting on the daily act of making choices, . . . . . . beginning with a personal story about struggling to wake up early for school. This serves as a metaphor for the broader and more meaningful choices we face in life, such as choosing to be kind, forgiving, and generous. However, the most crucial decision is choos...

The Lord Who Orders Time: Letting Jesus Christ Be First in All This Homily explores the profound theological claim made by Jesus in the Gospel . . . . . . that He is not simply another figure in the historical lineage of Israel (like Abraham, Moses, or the prophets), but rather the origin and end of all history. It challenges our typical understanding of cause and effect, flipping our view of hist...

Obedience and Freedom: Discovering Your True Self in Jesus Christ This Homily explores Jesus’ message from the Gospel where He declares that those who believe in Him . . . . . . will find freedom through truth . . . truth that is found in Him. Jesus teaches that sin enslaves, but by remaining in Him, one can be set free. This freedom is not simply the ability to do whatever one pleases, but the fr...

Reigning Through Love: Jesus’ True Model of Leadership in Holy Week Today the Church marks the beginning of the celebration of the Paschal Mysteries . . . . . . Christ’s suffering, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It emphasizes two key themes from the Gospel of Luke: -1- Jesus as a Humble King: Unlike worldly leaders who often seek power at the expense...

After Completing the First 5 Weeks of Lent: Preparing for the Actual Mystery of Holy Week: Lenten Conference #6 Entering the Mystery: A Journey Through Holy Week This is Part 1 of this conference, given just before Holy Week. The conference delves deeply into the liturgical, historical, and spiritual significance of the days leading up to and including the Triduum: Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good...

After Completing the First 5 Weeks of Lent: Preparing for the Actual Mystery of Holy Week: Lenten Conference #6: Part 2 In Silence and Fire: Encountering Christ in the Holy Days This is Part 2 of this conference, given just before Holy Week. This conference continues by capturing a rich and passionate reflection on the liturgical depth and spiritual symbolism of the Good Friday and Easter celebrat...

Gardens of Trial: From Eden to Daniel’s Vindication of Susanna The Homily explores the theme of testimony and witness in Scripture, . . . . . . particularly focusing on the story of Susanna from the Book of Daniel and its parallels to other biblical narratives. The homily highlights that to “testify” means to bear witness, often in challenging situations. It draws comparisons between Susanna’s tri...

Veiling the Mystery: Passiontide: Why the Church Covers the Cross Before Easter This Homily explains the Catholic tradition of covering statues and crucifixes . . . . . . during the final part of Lent, known as Passiontide. The veiling symbolizes the Church’s recognition that we do not yet fully understand the mystery of Christ’s cross and passion. The action of covering — and later unveiling — re...

When Human Love Falls Short, God’s Love Remains To better understand the first reading, it’s important to grasp its context: . . . . . . the people of Israel are in exile, living under Babylonian oppression. Years have gone by, and their suffering shows no sign of ending. Their dream of returning to Jerusalem feels more distant than ever. In their discouragement, they begin to grumble: “We have si...

Mary at the Foot of The Cross: Lenten Conference #5 The conference reflects on Mary at the Foot of The Cross, encouraging believers to deepen their relationship with God as Easter approaches. The listeners are invited to examine their spiritual progress and open their hearts to God’s love, mercy, and presence. The meditation draws parallels between three biblical moments involving Mary: -1- The We...

From Weakness to Grace: The Gift of Repentance and Drawing Closer to God The readings emphasize the beauty of repentance . . . . . . and the opportunity to grow closer to God, especially during the Lenten season. It highlights how prayer, charity, and self-reflection help bridge the gap between humanity and God. The closer we draw to God, the more we recognize our weaknesses and our need for His g...

God’s Enduring Love: A Lesson from the Prophet Hosea During This Lenten Season The Book of Hosea, one of the Minor Prophets, . . . . . . delivers a profound message about the relationship between God and Israel, depicted as a husband and wife. Though Israel turned away from God to worship idols, God remained faithful and sought reconciliation. This message is relevant to all believers, especially...

Persevering Through Lent: Rising After We Fall At the beginning of Lent, many approach the season with enthusiasm, setting spiritual goals and making promises. However, as time passes, some may struggle or fall short of their commitments. The Church encourages perseverance, reminding believers that even if they falter, they should rise and continue their journey in faith. Lent is a Time of Spiritu...

Strengthening Our Spiritual Journey: Prayerful Lessons from the Gospel of Matthew This Homily reflects on the significance of the Lord’s Prayer (from Matthew 6) . . . . . . in the context of Lent, emphasizing the three key Lenten practices: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. It highlights Jesus’ teachings on sincere prayer, warning against hypocrisy and meaningless repetition. The Lord’s Prayer The...

Silent Strength: Lessons from St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary Today’s Gospel focuses on St. Joseph. As you know, there are several feasts honoring St. Joseph, while today the focus is on his role as the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While there are other celebrations—such as St. Joseph the Worker and the Feast of the Holy Family—this occasion highlights his character as a husband and spiritual lea...

Awakened by Grace: Lent as a Call to Deeper Awareness A group of retreatants, after completing their retreat and visiting a shrine, . . . . . . were asked by a priest whether they had become holier or could now avoid sin entirely. They honestly responded that they couldn’t make such promises but shared that the retreat had made them more aware—of themselves, their surroundings, and their relations...

When Prayers Go Unanswered: Faith Beyond Results The homily opens with a story about a young man frustrated by a vending machine, . . . . . . drawing a parallel to how people often treat God—as if He should instantly grant every request. It reflects on Jesus’ teaching, “Ask, and it will be given,” emphasizing that while God does answer prayers, the answers may not always align with our expectation...

The Seven Last Words of Jesus From The Cross: Lenten Conference #3 From Mercy to Completion: A Journey Through the Seven Last Words This conference is a theological reflection centered on the Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross, . . . . . . contemplated as we Prepare Our Hearts for Holy Week observances. This reflection emphasizes the theological and spiritual significance of these words, portr...

Loving Like God: The True Challenge of Lent During this season we are faced with the key challenges Christians are called to embrace during Lent— . . . . . . deepening our relationship with God through prayer, detaching from worldly comforts through fasting, and extending love to others through almsgiving. The scripture readings emphasize obedience to God’s commandments and radical love, especiall...

More Than the Desert: Rediscovering Lent Through the Mountain It is generally the case as we move through the season of Lent. . . . . . that we hear the statement that during Lent, we are in the desert with Jesus. And that’s true, but only to a certain extent. The church has a much fuller understanding of the season of Lent than simply being in the desert with Jesus. And that’s because the desert...

Living Lent as People Baptized Into the Death of Christ This reflection opens with prayer and introduces the theme . . . . . . of a spiritual recollection centered on living out our baptism during Lent, particularly as people baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. It draws from Romans 6:3-11, emphasizing that baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection, calling us to a new life...

The Cross, the Choice, and the Call to Follow It sounds so deceptively simple. I place before you life or death and you get to choose. I place before you, the blessing and the curse, and you can take your pick. And when you put it that directly and that bluntly, it seems like this is just the ultimate no-brainer. Well, of course, I am taking life all day long and yet hidden with that simple pairin...

Lent: A Journey of Grace, Not Just Sacrifice The Church reflects, in today’s readings, . . . . . . on the traditional Lenten practice of giving up things and making commitments to God but suggests shifting the focus. Rather than centering on personal sacrifices, it encourages believers to reflect on God’s promises of mercy, compassion, and love. By recognizing God’s grace first, believers can more...

The Spiritual Meaning of Lent: Lenten Conference #1 Psalm 95 and Psalm 51: The Foundations of Lent’s Spiritual Journey During each Friday of the Lenten Season, there will be a Lenten Devotional Conference. This is the first week within this series. Each conference will appear singularly on the Website, SoundCloud, Facebook and iPod platforms. All conferences will also appear within this post. This...

Seeking God’s Will: The Foundation of Lasting Relationships The readings explore the themes of friendship, commitment, and obedience to God’s will. The Homily begins with a discussion on the nature of true friendship, emphasizing that genuine friendship requires discernment, testing, and trust. The Homily contrasts shallow acquaintanceship with deep, enduring relationships, both among people and i...