Fr. Kyle White's Homilies

What should we do when our kids suffer? Is there a wrong way to help? Here are a few practical suggestions based on the gospel. 

Our identity and our purpose come from God. They are gifts to receive, not something to achieve. Who we are and what we are supposed to do make no sense without Christ. 

Have you ever felt like God ignored you? It seems that Jesus ignores the Canaanite woman in today’s gospel, but something deeper is going on here. 

The apostles feared for their lives while they were caught in the storm, then they feared what they thought was a ghost. Yet, after Jesus walked on water, their anxious fears turned into a holy reverence. 

God reveals his glory through the face of Christ. In his face, we find mercy, hope, & healing. 

Some say everything happens for a reason, but St Paul seems to say something different. Although subtle, there is a difference between an optimistic belief in a cliche and a deep conviction of Christian hope. 

 How often do you have a conversation about the evil in the world? Some may say that they worry about their kids & grandchildren because of the way things are headed. Fortunately, Jesus gives us some hope in today’s parable.

Where’s the line between being free of anxiety and being irresponsible? How can we be good stewards with our resources without falling into an unruly desire for more stuff? Jesus offers a simple solution in the parable of the sower. 

Physical rest is important, but beware of the idolatry of self-care. True rest is not in comfort, but in relationship.

Whoever finds control over his life will lose it, but whoever loses control over his life for my sake will find it.

When we deny Christ in small ways, we eventually deny Christ in big ways. If we want to have heroic faith on our death bed, we should start having heroic faith now. Be not afraid to be all in.

Jesus Christ is the model of masculinity. He shows us that the defining characteristic of masculinity is not success, but self-gift. Men are most fulfilled when their gift of self is not limited to a project or cause, but when it is made to living persons.

The amazing story of little Li, a young girl who truly understood that the Eucharist is so much more than a symbol.

If you think you fully understand the Trinity, there’s a good chance you’re falling into heresy. Yet, even though God is beyond our understanding, we can get a faint grasp of his inner identity because of what he’s revealed to us. 

God is doing something special at St Leo. Our exterior upgrades are only a sign of something deeper that’s happening on the inside. 

Jesus commands us to make disciples. We do that at St Leo by bridging heaven & earth. 

St Edith Stein, St John Paul II, and the late archbishop Fulton Sheen have each commented on the beauty, mystery, and dignity of the woman. Regardless of whether or not a woman has physically given birth, she is uniquely destined toward spiritual motherhood.

When we are struck by beauty, we are drawn outside of ourselves. St Peter builds on this theme by highlighting the transcendental reality of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.

A recent survey of newly ordained priests found that 86% of them decided to consider priesthood because someone encouraged them to do so. What would you say to a young man or woman asking for advice about whether or not to pursue a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? Unfortunately, many of us discourage these vocations without realizing it.

Jesus chose to stay with us after he rose from the dead, but our lack of faith sometimes prevents us from recognizing him. Fortunately, our  eyes can be opened just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Our own sinfulness can become a source of mercy for others if we allow Christ’s wounds to meet ours. We cannot give what we don’t have. Before we can effectively show mercy to others, we may need to first let God show mercy to us.

Rest is relational. It is neither toil nor idle. It takes preparation and a great bit of faith to truly rest on Sundays.

Just as Christ humbled himself for our sake, what if we humbled ourselves to make this week different?

Those especially dear to God have it as their lot to endure suffering, as we see in the case of Lazarus. But be not afraid! We can either suffer on the way to calvary, or suffer running from it. The latter is way worse.

We often underestimate how our spiritual blindness affects our decision making. Instead of over analyzing all possible choices, what if we brought our spiritual blindness to the light of Christ?