Fr. Brian Soliven Sermons

When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted the famous verse from Deuteronomy 6, " Love the LORD your God  with all  your  heart and with all  your  soul and with all  your  strength." The second is like it, "Love your neighbor." Since the dawn of the Church, we Christians have been striven to live this high calling, albeit clumsily. Despite our fai...

***Stay tuned to the end of the homily. There's a bonus track from our Sunday @2pm Latin High Mass*** As the school year ends, students rejoice!  Newly minted graduates reflect upon their diplomas and hard earned degrees, parents exhale a sigh of relief, as the low hum of our air conditioners battle the onslaught of the Vacaville summer. St. Mary’s now shifts into high gear. Baptisms quadrupl...

This morning in the first reading, Elijah stands alone versus four-hundred and fifty false prophets of a demon. The odds are always against the faithful when you look over the history of the Church. Those who choose fidelity to God's commandments will consistently be outnumbered.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you...

Imagine this scenario: a stranger walks up to you on the street and asks, “If you were to die today, how do you know if you will go to Heaven? ” It’s a thought provoking question. Oftentimes, if you’ve gone through our parish baptism classes for parents and godparents of the child, I immediately begin with that question. It’s meant to peak one's curiosity and wonder about the bigger picture of the...

In perfect harmony, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary beat as one. United in love and will, they reveal how our hearts should be conformed.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continue recording a...

As you drive into the center of Paris from the airport, a dramatic scene unfolds before you. Standing on a hill, a brilliant white marbled, domed edifice arrests your attention. It's the famous church of the  Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It's a monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For the millions of tourists and pilgrims that enter into that magnificent church each year, it remin...

Hay una enseñanza determinante que separa a la Iglesia Católica de todas las demás iglesias de la ciudad. Creemos que cada vez que vamos a Misa, un profundo milagro ocurre ante nuestros propios ojos. El pan desabrido y aburrido y el vino de sabor barato se transforman literalmente en “el cuerpo, la sangre y el alma de la divinidad” de Jesucristo. Nuestro Señor se hace plenamente presente en la Euc...

For most of us, every time we pass a cemetery a wave of sadness can hit. Understandably so. Yet for us Christians, what tempers our broken hearts is the one doctrine that has been mocked throughout the ages -- the resurrection of our bodies. We get new, glorified bodies. Remember the resurrection, the next time you pass a graveyard. It will change everything.  --- Help Spread the Good News --...

There is one defining teaching that separates the Catholic Church from all the other churches in town. It is our belief that every time we go to Mass, a profound miracle happens before our very eyes. Bland, boring bread and cheap tasting wine, are literally transformed into “the body, blood, soul of divinity” of Jesus Christ. Our Lord becomes fully present in the Eucharist, yet hidden behind the m...

Anyone who tries to walk the Christian path knows it's not easy. Suffering and trials will surely come, just as the spring rains fall. It's precisely in the struggle where God can do his finest work.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every...

Sooner or later, the wise person will ponder, “Who am I?” It’s a fantastic question. “Who am I?” How someone answers that question determines the course and direction of one’s life. It affects the decisions I make, what I do with my time, and by what values I strive to live. For example, If I say my deepest identity is  that I am a loving husband and father, that will change how I spend my Fr...

In our first reading today, St. James flatters us with a lovely compliment, "You puff of smoke..."! Thanks St. James. I thought we were friends? On the surface, it may seem like an insult, but after Pentecost, being a "puff of smoke" is nothing but a mighty honor.   --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words...

Today, we celebrate our birthday! The Catholic Church was born on this day, as we celebrate the great solemnity of Pentecost. The long promised gift of Jesus Christ has come -- the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. This same "Fire from Heaven" that guided the Israelite in the Book of Exodus now lives in each one of us, as the baptized and confirmed.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Fat...

St. Paul exhorts the priests from the church in Ephesus to be vigilant. Once he leaves, he warns them, "savage wolves" will descend upon the flock. What do we do when they come?  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continu...

Last Sunday we pondered the question during my Sunday homily, “What type of Christian does the world need?” I was trying to zero in on the answer of what type of Christian attracts more souls to Jesus Christ and his Church? This question forces us to reflect whether or not I am living the Christian life well. As we hear this Sunday, every single baptized Christian is sent out into the world to sha...

The Christian is never alone. Even in our darkness hour, in the most torrential of storms, the light of Christ can never be extinguished for those who have faith.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gift helps us continue recording and...

In today's Gospel passage, we find St. Paul in the heart of ancient Athens, the intellectual center of Western Civilization. It's the home of brilliant giants, such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, and gives rise to notion of democracy itself. Here, Paul proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous l...

A constant theme throughout the Bible is God’s love for humanity. He created us out of love, for love. The Book of Genesis revealed that you and I are created in God’s “image and likeness.” Now, if this is true, it begs the question: what is God? This is where the beauty and power of Christianity comes in and why I love our Catholic faith. We proclaim that God is a trinity! God is Father, Son and...

Jesus is direct and to the point in our Gospel passage this morning: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own" (Cf. John 15: 18). If you and are truly living the faith well, we will be at odds with it. The Christian should never feel at home here. We are destined for greater things.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- F...

Our history is overflowing with Christians rejoicing in the face of tremendous trial and yes even death. What is the cause of this peace and joy? There is only one source of this peace. The Gospel we read today provides the secret.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider support...

We all fall short of the glory of God. We all sin. Yet hidden within this mess, St. Catherine of Siena, provides a powerful reminder. Recognizing our sinfulness can be a catalyst for deeper faith.  --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freely thanks to generous listeners like you. If his words have blessed you, consider supporting this volunteer effort. Every gi...

Reading the Bible is absolutely essential for the Christian life. St. Jerome in the 5th century put it more bluntly, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” The Bible it’s like water to a fish. All that we do, most especially as Catholics during the Sunday Mass, is layered with Sacred Scripture, from the priest's vestments, the gestures we do during the Holy Mass, to our architecture. Not...

Traditional tells us that St. Mark, whose Feast Day we celebrate today, wrote his Gospel in the seat of Roman imperial power. This was a treasonous act, according to Rome. For the Christian proclaims a revolutionary act, Christ is King. Ergo, all earthly rulers must bow down, along with this stubbornness ego of mine.   --- Help Spread the Good News --- Father Brian’s homilies are shared freel...

If you're wondering which book of the Bible to read next, may I humbly recommend the fast-paced, hard-hitting, Acts of the Apostles. It tells the dramatic story of the beginning of our Church. What makes this book even more compelling is that it has no conclusion. Acts continues to this very day. It has not ended. You and I are the continuation of the book.  --- Help Spread the Good News ---...

On the front cover of our amazing church bulletin is the oldest surviving painting of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The 3rd century art is found in the dark labyrinth of tunnels that run for miles beneath the city of ancient Rome, where our early Christian ancestors buried their loved ones. It shows Jesus as a young man, surrounded by three goats. He carries one on his shoulders as he feeds the othe...