The Friar Podcasts - preaching prayer and spiritual reflections

Homily given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. A temptation of mine is to think that if a pray a little bit (intentions) and am basically a good person, meaning I don't murder anyone, then I will be saved. But today's gospel is a stark reminder that what I am tempted by is not enough for salvation. Not only do I need to call on God's name, more than that, I ne...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. In today's readings the theme is centered around trust. The prophet Isaiah says, “A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you.” I have grown an immense amount in my trust this year, especially in my relationship with God. T...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. There are only three stories that appear in all four gospels. Resurrection? Not really, Mark’s original ending concludes with the empty tomb and fearful disciples. The Last Supper? John omits the meal and tells the story where Jesus washes his friends’ f...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. Today’s reading is from Romans 10:9-18 and in it, Saint Paul tells us to put all our faith in God. He says this: “Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you wil...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. Most of what Saint Paul wrote was really dictated. And there are times, when you realize that, where you can see Paul getting really excited. Today is one such example. In talking about the tremendous life that one can receive by believing in Jesus, he says this: But how can they call on him in whom they have not believe...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. In today's readings, there is a central theme of acceptance and universalness in the people's faith that Jesus wants us to have. In the first reading from Isaiah, he says that "the mountain of the LORD’s house" would be the tallest mountain, and people o...

For the purpose of clarity, it seemed helpful to provide some definitions and explanations for some of the things mentioned in this introduction. Note that understanding these ideas is not essential to understand Augustine's confessions.  Academics or Academic Skepticism. Academic Skepticism is the belief that it is impossible to discover the truth. Cicero's Hortentius. This is a book where t...

Homily given at Our Lady of Lourdes , University City, Missouri. When I was a little child, when reading a book, sometimes I would go to the back of the book so that I could see how the story ended. (I still have a beef with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express because the mystery is solved in the book with a clue that only Poirot knows, and is never shared with the reader until Poirot s...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of  Christian Brothers College High School  will write a reflection about Advent. Begin with the end in mind. This phrase is used often in a variety of contexts, like business and education. The idea is that before you discuss how you are going to achieve your goal, the focus is on what you wish to achieve. Today’s first r...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. Begin with the end in mind. This phrase is used often in a variety of contexts, like business and education. The idea is that before you discuss how you are going to achieve your goal, the focus is on what you wish to achieve. Today’s first reading discu...

Each day during the season of Advent students, faculty, and staff of Christian Brothers College High School will write a reflection about Advent. Once again, the Church begins a new year with the start of the season of Advent. Some parts of Advent are familiar: the Advent wreath, Advent calendars, and the colors purple and pink. But what is Advent? Well, there are really two aspects to the season....

Given at Saint Dominic Priory, Saint Louis, Missouri. Note: Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and so the readings are taken from the votive readings suggested for the day . In the book of Sirach we are reminded that both prosperity and adversity can mislead us. I did not really understand this verse, or the wisdom behind it until I was in the seminary and my spiritual director sugges...

Given at Lasalle Retreat Center , Glencoe, Missouri. In today's readings, there are two people who might cause us to ask, "What's the big deal?" Daniel refuses to violate Jewish Law. The widow who has little gives it all "to the poor." What's the big deal if you don't follow God completely? Ask Daniel and the widow. Following God completely makes all the difference. Readings for Today

Given at the Lasalle Retreat Center , Glencoe, Missouri What type of king do you want? Looking at King Saul and King David provides us a contrast -- one king who cared too much about what others thought about him and one who though a sinner who received the promise of Christ the King. Is Jesus our king, or are there things that we make more important? Readings for Today

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. " If this day you only knew what makes for peace. " This is such a beautiful line spoken by Jesus. The rest of the gospel for today is not so peaceful. Because the people do not know this day what makes for peace, namely, hearing the words of Jesus and following him wherever he leads, there will be also be the consequenc...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. Eleazar and Zacchaeus. Two experiences of believers. Eleazar the faithful man who refuses to pretend in his faith. Zacchaeus, the man who seeks the forgiveness of Jesus and takes action to show the sincerity of his desire. Both are great examples. Who are you? Readings for Today

Given at Saint Dominic Priory, Saint Louis Missouri. (Note: On the Dominican Calendar, the Mass for Saint Albert the Great is a Feast. There are different readings used. They are: Sirach 6:18-37 (or James 3:13-18 ), Psalm 119:9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , Matthew 25:14-30 .) At the risk of causing diehard Thomists to pelt me with rotten tomatoes, let me suggest that there is a good reason it is Sai...

Given at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish , University City, Missouri. It does not take much of a look around our world to see evil. There is the evil of those who go without, not having their basic needs of food, clothing, shelter or health care met. There are those who experience the evil of sickness, violence, poverty and oppression. We live in a world where the battle between good and evil is all ar...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. Choices. Our life is a series of choices. Sometimes they are minor choices, like will I have this or that for lunch, or will I wear this shirt or that. Other times the choices are more significant. Should I marry this person? Should I enter religious life? Should I leave this job for that one? The most important choice?...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. I have opinions. Lots of them. And I am prone to think that I am always right. But often I forget that true wisdom, the discovery of the truth comes only through discerning. I have to discipline myself to being silent in God's presence, waiting to see what God reveals. That is hard. That makes it harder, for I cannot alw...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. Today we celebrate the dedication of the pope's cathedral in Rome. As we celebrate this dedication, which actually occurred centuries ago, it becomes a time where we are remind of very many things. At the heart of the pope is a bishop's care for the people of God. Among other titles, the pope is the Bishop of Rome. We ar...

Given at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish , University City, Missouri. I have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful women in my life. My mother is a saintly woman who taught me much about being generous. There was always room for one more at the table. Those women who taught me in school benefitted my education more than any of them will ever know. In graduate studies I had strong powerful women w...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. I love the image in today's gospel. Do you ever stop to think that every time you go to confession and leave, there is tremendous joy in heaven on the part of the angels and the saints? Sometimes I know I forget that the gospel is not some abstract concept, but is real and is meant to penetrate the heart. Readings for To...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. You can pray the rosary with us today by going to our audio recording . Non-Catholics (and even some Catholics) are not exactly accurate when they speak about prayer and the saints. You may often hear a Catholic say, "I prayed to Saint Anthony," for example, and not really that we are actually asking St. Anthony to pray...

Given at Christian Brothers College High School , Town and Country, Missouri. What does God want? So much hinges on the answer to this question. The answer can send our lives into different directions. Fortunately, in today's gospel Jesus tells us. God wants us to be saved. Readings for Today . (While there are many options for readings today, today the readings suggested by the USCCB were used.)