The Friar Podcasts - preaching prayer and spiritual reflections

Time and again God has demonstrated his power, love and kindness to the people of Israel. Yet time and again, the people are only able to follow God for so long before this or that human concern is a problem. We're hungry. We're thirsty. Are we there yet? You know the routine. Moses reminds the people the Law is not so hard. In fact, it is quite close to the people, even in our hearts. And yet, th...

Has anyone ever told you to be grateful for the things that do not go well? When things are at their worst, can you find yourself thanking God for the struggles in life? That hardly seems like something we should do, but there is all kinds of research that tells us that life is better when we are grateful. The eucharist is the ultimate prayer of thanks. Make it more a part of your life and your pr...

Wow! Have you had an experience where something amazing happened that was really a moment of pure joy? Such an event can change our entire lives. The Amazing Power of Unexpected Joy can really change everything. Think of those amazing events. The birth of a child. A wedding day. The purchase of the first house. Knowing that God has called us to something wonderful.

What parent does not get quite excited the first time they hear their infant son or daughter say a word? And how much more excited does a parent get when they hear their role (mama) or their name? The power of words. That is what is really amazing. We can communicate. And not only with other humans, but with God as well. In what way does your prayer show the power of God's word?

Today's first reading recounts a not so successful preaching for Paul, Silas, and Barnabas. Eventually they move on. How do we know when this is the right decision? I wish I had the answer, But I do know how to find the answer: the Holy Spirit.  https://thefriar.org/2022/05/26/when-is-it-time-to-move-on-may-26-2022/ #thefriar #whentomoveon #timeforanewjob #HowdoIknow

Today's first reading describes an amazing event where Saint Paul and Barnabas are in jail, only to be set free by a great earthquake. Except they do not leave. And the result is the amazing action of the Holy Spirit.

The Fullness of God. In today's gospel, Jesus tells us that we should rejoice he is going to the Father. In another part of the gospel of John, Jesus tells us it would be good if he went to the Father. Why? Today's homily seeks to answer this question. Why is it better that Jesus returns to the Father? What does the sending of another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, mean for us? In many ways, the answe...

Yesterday we identified three ways the catechism of the Catholic Church sought to answer the question about what is prayer. The first was that prayer is God's gift. What this means is that this a chance to apply what I first learned as a little boy. When someone gives you a gift, you say, "Thank you." Gratitude is an important thing. Consider what we have learned about being grateful. A study repo...

The first early crisis in the Church was what to do with those Gentiles (non-Jews) who were receiving the Spirit just as the Jews had. Could they be Christians? Did they have to be circumcised? Did they have to follow dietary laws? It was the account of what the Spirit was doing in the lives of these Gentiles that made the difference. Put simply, recognizing the Spirit was the difference maker. Wh...

We all know that it is important. We know we should do it. Everyone who speaks on the spiritual life tells us that it is essential. But what is it? What is prayer?

Accountability is a buzzword today. Businesses do performance reviews to hold others accountable. Schools become accredited for the sake of accountability. And in a way, this morning's first reading provides a record of accountability for Paul as he recounts to the disciples all the good things God has done.

What is the role of silence in your prayer? What do you pray for and what do you pray about? Prayer can be one of those topics where we use the word, prayer, but we do not always know what it is. One way of coming at the answer to that question is to consider the question, "What do we pray for and about?"

There is nothing more frustrating to me than when I am certain I put an object somewhere, but I cannot find it. It simply is not where I thought I put it. And it even takes me a little while to convince myself that in fact, the object is not where I put it. Sometimes, when I find it, I then remember that I told myself I will put it here so that I will know where it is.

The English language is direct in some ways, limited in others. Take the word "love" for example. For us, we can love pizza, a new car, our house, our children, our spouse, and God. But when we use the word "love" we do not mean the same thing in each of these instances. So when God tells us to "love one another" we have to know exactly what he means.

This homily was given at the baccalaureate Mass for the Class of 2022 at Christian Brothers College High School. When it comes to our lives, we may think we know the way, but until we find The Way, we can never really be sure.

At the end of today's gospel, Jesus refers to the notion that to receive those who are sent by Jesus means to receive Jesus. But what exactly does it mean to receive Jesus? In today's homily we reflect on this idea.

This morning's homily picks up on the excitement of an Ethiopian Eunuch who is quite excited about baptism. The gospel reminds us that in the Eucharist, Jesus is really present to us. #thefriar #WhatstoPreventMe ? https://thefriar.org/2022/05/05/whats-to-prevent-me-homily-thurs-may-5-20/

Some of us have heard the dogmas of the Church in such a way that they may no longer help us to experience the miraculous. How often do we too see Jesus and not know the Trinity?

In the homily we explore both our commitment to love Jesus, and the vocation he has given to us. Do you love Jesus? What does he want you to do.

I have never had the experience of being in court over my religious beliefs. So, I do not know how I would react if I were in Peter's place before the Sanhedrin. I know there are people who give their life for the faith. Could I?

The spiritual life is one where we live in this world, but we focus on the next. And with God's grace, we can allow the gifts of the next world help us to do great things in this life. 

It is not just Thomas who doubts. It is also the case that we can doubt what God can do in our lives too. Homily for Sunday, April 24, 2022. 

How do you deal with the challenge of believing what seems impossible? Sometimes when it comes to faith, we seek to want to maintain what we already believe, than to trust in the great things God can and is doing. Homily for Saturday, April 23, 2022

There is a common aspect to the resurrection appearances of Jesus. Namely, when he appears, even those closest to him do not always recognize him.

We may not know where we are, or where we should go, but whatever happens we should be confident we never go alone, for Jesus is always with us.