St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church — Portland, OR; Homilies

Do you think of yourself as a worker for God? As followers of Jesus, we are asked not just to learn His teachings, but to take on a new way of living and being. All we do, even with the esteem of others, is for the glory of God. Catholic Mass readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 31, 2025 First Reading: Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 68: 4-5, 6-7, 10-11 Secon...

Why is God's love so wide, yet the gate to eternity so narrow? While God reaches out to people of every nation from around the world with His unconditional love, discipline is required to listen to God's Word and follow Jesus's path. Let us wisely use the freedom that God has given us to become more pleasing to God so we may enter His kingdom.   Catholic Mass readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordina...

How many times do we decide to go our own direction rather than follow God? In today's first reading, the esteemed princes don't like God's message of surrender. While God's message may not be popular, let us surrender our control and desires and trust God's love and wisdom. Catholic Mass readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 17, 2025 First Reading: Jeremiah 38: 4-6, 8-10 Responsor...

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ conquered sin and death by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father! This double victory is for us all, and our motherly model and teacher of what it looks like is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Listen now to hear how the great things with which the Lord favored Mary—her Immaculate Conception and her Assumption—hold out hope and example fo...

Fr. Chuck focuses our hearts and minds primarily on the Responsorial Psalm, Ps 132. He invites us to meditate on the refrain, which speaks of the Lord's "ark of holiness," the sacred wooden chest containing the 10 Commandments, above which God's divine presence would dwell. Speaking more generally of the symbolic, poetic, imagery of God dwelling in the Ark, Fr. Chuck explains that some Christians...

Do you find the meaning of faith sometimes to be too big and unreachable a concept? Father Chuck helps break it down for us with an exploration of today's second reading.  Let us reflect on these "4 facets of faith"—hearing God's call and obeying it, seeking God's kingdom, receiving God's gifts, and offering them back to God for the good of others. The idea for these "4 facets" arose from Fr. Chuc...

Did you know that St. Paul's letters were written before the gospels of the New Testament?  Paul's message to the Colossians is just as applicable today as it was in the first century. He guides them to give up their divisions and put on the love of Christ. Let us pray for the word of Christ to dwell in us so we can put aside the vanities that divide us. Note: Father Chuck precedes today's homily...

Do you tend to disregard certain current events that seem disconnected from our faith? Expanding on the Vigil Mass version, in his Sunday message, Fr. Chuck takes us on a "theological thinking" consideration of two recent events, as we keep in mind the Scripture readings for Mass about God's mercy for all. The death of Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne is one of the events. In their dark, heavy m...

Why doesn't Jesus feel sorry for Martha in today's gospel reading, who is working so hard all by herself? This is another example from the scriptures of Jesus giving us, not what we want, but what we need. While there may be many things to get done, let us be open to the voice of God, and always put God in first place. Catholic Mass readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 20, 2025...

Do you identify with the Good Samaritan or with the robbery victim in today's gospel reading? Jesus shows us that He can be both, just as we can sometimes be a helper and sometimes need help. We have the opportunity to be Good Samaritans to one another by joining one of our new small faith and friendship groups, to help one another in our faith journey. Please see today's bulletin for more informa...

Listeners are doubly blessed this week!  We've put the 4pm Saturday Vigil Mass homily and the 9am Sunday Mass homily in a combined recording as one episode. Fr. Chuck told very different stories in the Saturday homily compared to the Sunday versions, and he encourages Saturday Mass participants to hear what the Sunday Mass participants heard, and vice versa. An interlude of about 8 seconds of sile...

Why do you think Jesus picked Peter to be the first leader of His church over John, the "beloved disciple"? Paul was a former persecutor of Jesus's followers, while Peter denied Jesus three times, yet God chose them. Father Chuck shares some insights on how we too are called to share our strengths and weaknesses to continue God's work on earth. Catholic Mass readings for Solemnity of Saints Peter...

Today's homily is from visiting Holy Cross Father Robert Loughery, Superior of the Holy Cross Community at the University of Portland, who filled in for Father Chuck this weekend. Have you looked above the St. Elizabeth of Hungary sanctuary entrance to see the "Bread of Angels" stained glass window? Father Bob reminds us that Jesus is our bread, the ultimate source of grace and all that we need. W...

Have you prayed to St. Anthony recently for his help in finding something lost? Jesus, the treasure we are all seeking, is hidden within each of our human "earthen vessels". The Holy Trinity is the model for our welcoming community of love, to help us when we lose our temper, patience, or hope. Listen to learn about the special x-ray vision we can use to see Jesus in others. Note: Father Chuck gav...

What gifts are you receiving from God this Pentecost? Father Chuck continues his series of faith-filled, real stories of the Holy Spirit bringing gifts of discernment and healing all around the world. Listen to how the Lord is working through Sister Briege McKenna, O.S.C. (Sisters of St. Clare), and also through us with the gifts of Pentecost. Catholic Mass Readings for Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2...

When you read or think about the Ascension of our Lord, do you picture Jesus looking up to heaven? That is how He often appears in artwork, but Father Chuck asks us to look at this Sunday's bulletin. It features an image of stained glass from the Detroit Cathedral showing Jesus looking down with his arms wide open (photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.). We know that Jesus is looking at us with his arms...

How do we recognize God's voice in our lives? Jesus promises in today's Gospel that the Holy Spirit will be "Advocate" and teacher, for us and Jayden Raphael as he receives the grace of Baptism today. Father Chuck shares some inspiring stories of the workings of the Holy Spirit in his life in today's homily. Gospel Catholic Mass readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 25, 2025 First Reading: ...

Bishop Peter Smith fills in for Father Chuck with this homily on his insights about the election of Pope Leo and his reflections on today's second reading. Did you know that the Holy Spirit is at work in our archdiocese, bringing an increased interest in the Catholic Church, particularly from young men? Our choosing to follow God will bring us to the new heaven and new earth when all creation is r...

We're posting this "Bonus" homily in place of the talk Father Chuck gave this Sunday about the Archbishop's Appeal. Father Chuck gave this homily in 2014 on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which the Church observes as "Good Shepherd Sunday" It was also Mother's Day and was on May 11, just like this year. He preached this homily as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Oswego.    Sinc...

Have you ever rejoiced  to be "worthy to suffer dishonor"? While the Sanhedrin feared Jesus's blood in today's first reading, we join the apostles in welcoming it as a sign of His love and sacrifice. Jesus's blood transforms and renews us through the Eucharist so we can share His love with the world. Catholic Mass readings for the third Sunday of Easter, May 4, 2025 First Reading: Acts 5: 27-32, 4...

What would you like to receive from Jesus when He comes to stand in our midst, as He did in today's Gospel reading? Jesus brings us His peace. We can call down God's peace and mercy upon ourselves, the Church, and the world by faithfully offering up our joys and our struggles. To make this prayerful offering, Fr. Chuck suggests trying a twist on the traditional prayer "May his soul, and the souls...

Did you know that "hope" is such an important concept in recent years that not only Pope Francis but also Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II wrote inspiring words about it? Fr. Chuck unknowingly pays an end-of-life homage to Pope Francis by quoting extensively from his announcement of the current Jubilee Year of Hope only a few hours before Pope Francis' death early on Monday of Easter Week....

Today, hear how the Passion according to St. John the Evangelist can be a means for God to grant you wonderful spiritual fruit and gifts. These blessings can be ours through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, with St. John, stood as the foot of the Cross. Listen as Fr. Chuck suggests prayers and actions which relate to this Gospel. These suggestions arise from the devotional prayer t...

Listen now to hear about St. Clare's miraculous vision of seeing a Mass—"in real time" as we say these days—when she wasn't physically there. Then hear how Fr. Chuck ties that miracle to Christ's perpetual institution of the Mass and the Eucharist as ways to give himself to us in love and power.  Plus , learn how ministers to the homebound and to the hospitalized embody St. Clare's miracle and Chr...

How are you doing with your Lenten resolutions? We have this special time of Holy Week to welcome Jesus into our hearts. Let us make this week a retreat and keep it Holy by focusing on our Lenten resolutions, reading the Scriptures, performing charitable acts, and carving out more silence. Let us be Pilgrims of Hope with Jesus. Catholic Mass Readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, April 13...