St. Bernard's Sunday Homilies podcast

By Father Michael John Sezzi, parish administrator "The Lord wants us to look at how we help one another; not to look at how we magnify ourselves, but really to use the gifts that God gives to us for the betterment of others," Father Mike tells us for the 39th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And I think St. Paul helps us understand it's through God's gifts and through God's grace, that we...

By Father Michael John Sezzi, parish administrator "Ever since God created and shared his revelation with us, he's always wanted us to be saved," Father Mike tells us for the 38th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And throughout all the prophets — Abraham, Noah, Isaiah, and all the others — they all had the same message because it all came from the one God. Jesus is trying to remind us how...

By Father Michael John Sezzi, parish administrator "Today as we listen to this week's Gospel, that's what Jesus is stressing. How are we engaging in that faith that God shares with us?" Father Mike asks us for the 37th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "It's a gift that God gives! But like any gift that we receive, we have to do something more. How are we actively participating in that faith...

By Bishop Albert M. Bahhuth "Are you aware of this great gift that Jesus did for us, that God himself chose to die on the cross — the most painful and humiliating death? That you and I, despite our sinfulness, our weaknesses, one day can inherit eternal life?" Bishop Albert asks us for the 36th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "That's why it matter to us 2,000 years later. This is why it sh...

By Father Michael John Sezzi, parish administrator "God gives us all that we need because he is good and gracious. And we need to consistent in our prayer, too," Father Mike tells us for the 35th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "You know what your kids need. You now what's good for them. God knows what's good for us. And he helps us in our lives. And that's what Jesus is trying to do with...

By Father Michael John Sezzi, parish administrator "It's not that Martha was doing something inappropriate, but she forgot the other part of that action — to recognise the presence of God in her life," Father Mike tells us for the 34th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "Abraham recognised God, and ... was blessed with a child. Martha recognised Jesus; she know who he is. She recognises that...

By Father Michael J. Sezzi, parish administrator "The Law is not something distant and outside of us, but something that's within that guides us in our life journey, and the decisions we make, and the attitudes that we have, and how we live out our each day of our life," Father Mike tells us for the 33rd episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "It is critically important, not because God wants to...

By Michael Sezzi, parish administrator "There are so many issues that we have to deal with. In our world today, there are tons of things to be concerned about. And in our own parish, we might look and say, there are so many limitations that we have," Father Mike tells us for the 32nd episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "But God is speaking to us, and he's saying don't worry about the limitatio...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "If we have tremendous wonder and awe in his presence, that's not being afraid, that's not fear of the Lord. That's appreciating the power and greatness of God. But we also got to listen to God if we're going to be rescued by God," Father Perry tells us for the 31st episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "The truth is, you and I are supposed to become Peter and P...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "He was saying, I want to be your food. I want to reach down into your spirit and into your soul and feed you like you've never been fed," Father Perry tells us for the 30th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "Give you more than you can even take. And there will be leftovers. I will give to your spirit my life, my Spirit so that anything you have to face in l...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "This revelation of the Holy Trinity is meant to convince us that we are God's people, and he loves us — and even people who don't identify with Christianity," Father Perry tells us for the 29th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "God doesn't stop loving them. So today we are being asked to do two things. One is to walk and chew gum at the same time; we're su...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "The Spirit of God was given to us to make a difference — a real difference — to change the world for the better, for the best!" Father Perry tells us for the 28th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "This Spirit of God ignited, lighted a fire of faith, of love, and we're asked to surrender to it."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "Is this what we would expect, to see Jesus floating away into the clouds? How weird is this? But I think it's very hard to know, especially when we're given two different stories of the Ascension. Who's right? John, or Luke? How do you decide that? But what if the Ascension was much more mysterious, and the only way to get at it is give it a very physical experie...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "The point of it all is love is the thing that counts; that's what he's asking here. If you love me, you would keep my commandments, and let my love live in you and let the Father's love live in you. I want to remain in you. Remain in me. If you love liked I've loved you, you will get it. Hate is powerful, but love is more powerful. Hate can bring people to death....

By Father Andrew Thomas Kang, O.P. "The love of Christ is real. The lives of the saints are real, and the sacraments are really God touching our souls with his love. Something has to change. We ought to be different. People should be able to look at us and see something new, something they don't see anywhere else," Father Andrew tells us for the 25th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "More t...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "I think all these vocations are so important," Father Perry tells us for the 24th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "So today on this Good Shepherd Sunday, we are being asked to pray for vocations. I think the scriptures today, especially the introduction, it talks about, talk to Jesus, and most of all, listening. But not with this ear; this ear, the ear of...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "Jesus invites us — do you love me? And we are able to say — yes, Lord, you know I love you. But Jesus said that ain't enough — it's not just about loving me, it's about loving me in action. Words are words, and they're important, but actions are much more important," Father Perry tells us for the 23rd episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And when we love Jesu...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "Baptism and confirmation are only received once; you can't receive them twice. But communion you can receive it every day — even more than once in a day," Father Perry tells us for the 22nd episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And so this moment is a very lifegiving moment. We talk about God's love is everlasting? Here it is. We experience in Eucharist as he...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "So he dies, and we believe that he has been raised up. And we will hear story after story, in the weeks ahead up until Pentecost, of many stories of his appearances," Father Perry tells us for the 21st episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "We can't say we've been there. But we believe. This is the center of our faith."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "All of this is beginning this week: the most holy week of the year," Father Perry tells us for the 20th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And this Passion of Christ is welcoming us into this story, so that the power of the hatred and death and love, and the power of entombment and resurrection, and ascension and feasting all the way until Pentecost, and th...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "The deepest part of us, deep in our spirit, is where the real life of God is," Father Perry tells us for the 19th episode our Sunday Homilies podcast. "All the physical things we do — they're important, they're valuable, they communicate love. But we got to learn how; and it's usually through prayer and contemplation that we get way down deep into the spirit. Of...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "We need the light to see. It's only through Christ that we find the light. It's because we realise the specialness of Christ — he is the CHRIST —, the one who was sent. And when we put our faith in Christ, and finish that off by being baptised — entering into the waters of life and receiving Christ the light — we see differently," Father Perry tells us for the 18...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "We have those lifegiving waters," Father Perry tells us for the 17th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "All we have to do is taste it. To drink of it, and to experience the life that Jesus wants to give."

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "The Bible is also the place where God is met many times in darkness. And probably that's where we meet God most profoundly. We do it in joy and singing and praising and praying," Father Perry tells us But boy, when darkness hits our life — illness, sadness, or just a disarray of our lives — that's where we really, really have to be people of faith, and that's whe...

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor "It was there in vulnerability that he had to put his trust in God the most — and he did. And for everything that the devil tried to do to tempt him he came back speaking the word of God," Father Perry tells us for the 15th episode of our Sunday Homilies podcast. "And there he was, safe and sound with God and the Spirit. That's what this Lent is about."