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

Do you realize that you are actually talking to Jesus the Lord during Mass and that Jesus is listening to you? With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the privilege of talking to, and building a personal relationship with, Jesus the Lamb of God. Think about the Mass prayers like the Gloria in which we talk to Jesus, and how we continue the dialog with Jesus throughout our day. The King of the Un...

Have you been struggling to do something that you can't do with mere human strength? Listen to today's homily to be reminded that you have the gift of Divine Grace to fulfill your purpose - to be perfect forever. "Perfect" doesn't mean what you may think though. And you don't have to settle for mediocre Christianity! Note: Father Chuck discerned promptings to make slightly different emphases In ea...

Have you been struggling to do something that you can't do with mere human strength? Listen to today's homily to be reminded that you have the gift of Divine Grace to fulfill your purpose - to be perfect forever. "Perfect" doesn't mean what you may think though. And you don't have to settle for mediocre Christianity! Note: Father Chuck discerned promptings to make slightly different emphases In ea...

Have you realized that you are truly a saint in the making? Listen to learn how God leads us and helps us grow in our saintliness, sometimes with "Godincidences". And we can trust the Holy Spirit to guide us on our way. Here is the prayer for our spiritual homework this week: "Lord, I praise you as my constant helper and call on you as my loving protector. Guide me by your wisdom, correct me with...

Did you ever wonder as a child who got to take the Sunday collection out of the basket? Well, St. Elizabeth parishioners got to take something out of the collection basket this weekend. We each received a calling from the Holy Spirit to be people of prayer for our seminarians. And Father Chuck reminded us that we all have a vocation to love God.

Got Seasonal Affective Disorder from our country's current political climate? Listen now to this second of two bonus episodes—courtesy of Mater Dei Radio's "Voice of the Shepherd" podcast. You'll benefit from learning ways to resist the worldly divisions which too easily infiltrate our individual faith and corrupt our community of faith, the Catholic Church. Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample fr...

Got Seasonal Affective Disorder from our country's current political climate? Listen now to the next two bonus episodes—courtesy of Mater Dei Radio's "Voice of the Shepherd" podcast. In it, Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample suggests ways to resist the worldly divisions which can infiltrate our faith and corrupt our community, the Church. Archbishop Sample discusses the great harm our current po...

Did you know you can benefit from Catholic guidance for our civic responsibility to vote? The Holy Spirit will help us make wise judgements just as Jesus helps the blind man see in today's Gospel. You can find the documents that Fr. Chuck recommends in his homily at this link, under "Learn More": https://www.usccb.org/sjp/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship . Plus, do you feel like the curren...

When you listened to today's Second Reading from the book of Hebrews, did you think about those times when you approach the throne of grace? We are actually closer to eternity during the magnificence of every Mass. Let us remember during Mass that we're in a conversation with God, encountering the same powerful grace that created the world and overcame death. Catholic Mass Readings for the 29th Su...

Listen now to hear about the most important and life-changing mutual friend that the late Doug White and Fr. Chuck shared: Our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Doug, (1934–2024), was a longtime, very active member of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church along with his wife (now widow), Denise. The funeral occurred Saturday, October 19, at St. Elizabeth's. A celebration of Doug's life is scheduled fo...

Have you ever been surprised by the answer God gave to your prayers? Today's readings and homily help us understand the importance of praying for wisdom and joyfully accepting God's guidance. Catholic Mass Readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 13, 2024 First Reading: Wisdom 7: 7-11 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17 Second Reading: Hebrews 4: 12-13 Alleluia: Matthe...

Greetings from Fr. Chuck! It's a blessing for me to share with you the homily I gave on Saturday, October 5, for the wedding Mass of Nchekube (AKA "Nche") Onyima and Oscar Brown. Nche (prounced "IN-chay") knew me in her preteen and teen years when I was Parochial Vicar from 2004 to 2010 at the parish in the greater Portland, OR, metro area where her family was—and still is—active. I have kept the...

Did you notice in today's readings and music that, "The heart keeps coming up?" In today's homily, Father Chuck tells of a recent experience which exemplifies the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm, "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart."  God shows us through His guidance that He knows what He's doing. Catholic Mass readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 29, 2024 First...

What does it mean for us to be disciples of Jesus? In the book Father Chuck is reading, "Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did" by John Mark Comer (WaterBrook, 2024), the author explains it's like being an apprentice. Jesus continues His work through us as apprentices, and may do even greater things through us with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Listen to today's homily to...

How do we demonstrate our faith from our works, as St. James asks us to do in today's second reading? Maybe we need to get out of the way and let God do His work in us... igniting and increasing our belief in Jesus, whom He has sent to us. Let us ask the Holy Spirit for guidance so our faith flows out in everything we do.   Catholic Mass Readings for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sund...

Did you attend 11 am mass before the St. Elizabeth of Hungary parish picnic on September 8, 2024? Fr. Randy Hoang, our new neighbor living in the parish rectory, introduces himself and his work as Asst. Director of the Office of Divine Worship in the Archdiocese of Portland, and delivers a powerful message about Jesus bringing us back to his Kingdom.

How can our parish bring God's healing work as the "Divine Physician" to all those at the hospital, including patients, families, staff, and doctors? God is still at work today in the anointing of the sick. Please watch for more information soon on how you can help in the return of our parish ministries to the sick, caregivers, and homebound. Catholic Mass Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary...

How are you using the Good Gifts that God has given you, including your very existence? With God's watchful care, let us pray for God's grace to use our gift of life for the good of others, and to join with our family of faith here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Listen to Fr. Chuck's homily to hear some real-life stories of God's watchful care. Catholic Mass Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary...

How can we "Bless the Lord at all times" including those times when we are troubled or afflicted? Father Chuck shares St. Rose of Lima's inspiring message about the value of struggles and the beautiful Divine grace that we will receive. Catholic Mass Readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 25, 2024 First Reading: Joshua 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 16-17,...

How can we get the power and strength to make it through the hard times? You can actually hear the voice of the Lord seem to speak to Fr. Chuck during today's homily when he admits to thinking about doing something foolish. Don't stop Blessing the Lord - the Holy Spirit will always guide us. Catholic Mass Readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 18, 2024 First Reading: Proverbs 9: 1-6...

Did you know that your contributing to the parish is actually a spiritual activity? You are offering yourself and continuing Jesus's sacrificial giving of himself. God cares for not just our spiritual but also our physical needs as He cared for Elijah in the desert, so parish expenses are not just overhead. They are feeding us on our spiritual journey. Catholic Mass Readings for the 19th Sunday in...

Do you need to be turned around by God? If we are not "here listening to Jesus", God will always call us back. Let us return to the childlike grace we all received to be close to God.  Catholic Mass Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 4, 2024 First Reading: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24 Alleluia: Mat...

Intro from Fr. Chuck : A highlight of a just-ended vacation with my sister, brother-in-law, and their kids and grandkids, was some of us taking part in Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk, Va ( https://www.basilicaofsaintmary.org/) . This church has roots in a parish founded some 233 years ago, about the same time the U.S. got its first Catholic bishop! The churc...

In light of the July 17–21, 2024, National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN, and because Fr. Chuck is away on vacation, we're bringing you excerpts from a homily titled, "Eucharistic Amazement and Holy Joy," which Fr. Chuck originally preached a little over three years ago at St. Wenceslaus Church, Scappoose, OR. In it, he mostly reads selections from Archbishop Alexander Sample's heartfel...

How can we gain the courage to follow Jesus and stand out from a culture that is often contrary to His teachings? Listen to today's homily to learn the antidote to "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out). May God's grace bless us with boldness in our faith. Catholic Mass Readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 14, 2024 First Reading: Amos 7: 12-15 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14...