Holy Family (St. Joseph)
This homily is mostly about St. Joseph. Song bookending homily is Te Ioseph Celebrent (courtesy of the Benedictine Nuns of Ephesus.)
Epiphany and the Ancient Prophesy of Ecuador
The Mother of God appeared to a young Spanish prioress in the 16th century in Quito, Ecuador, asking her to suffer for the Catholic Church's tribulations of the the 20th century. This is a Vatican-approved apparition of the Blessed Mother where Mother Mary actually told Ven. Mariana exactly what would happen to every sacrament. But Epiphany is all about the light that shines when the darkness is actually darkest. Where Christ has gone, so also will His Church follow. Bumper song credit: O Lux et Decus Hispaniae. (Oh light and glory of the Spanish peoples.)
St. Stephen and Rogue One
Spoiler alert on Rogue One for the second half of this blog post. Today is the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Catholic Church. His martyrdom is found in Acts chapter 7 and it contains the jarring testimony of a young deacon who chooses God’s religion over man’s intertwined religious games. Although engaging the high-powered Jewish religious leaders of Christ’s own time, St. Stephen is fearless in proclaiming how Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all the Hebrew Scriptures. Before being stoned to death, Stephen recounts to the Pharisees all of Salvation history. Then he accuses them: "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom [...]
Christmas Prose
This is a poem/prose that I wrote in seminary. I quoted this poem in my Sunday Midnight Mass Christmas homily. The homily was only four minutes, and it's found here: “One will be sent in the flesh,” thundered the most beautiful Trinity to the angels and all the courts of heaven eons ago. In perfect harmony they rejoiced. But later they wondered if anyone but a lowly archangel like Raphael (still more glorious than a burning star) could dare condescend again to take flesh as Raphael did for Tobit. Their best guess for the new assignment was Gabriel. God said “Gabriel will go…but in spirit as preparation. One much higher than he will become flesh.” “But how?” the angels wondered, “A cherubim's eyes would melt the trees and mountains. No human warrior's body could even instantaneously hold the power of [...]
Christmas Homily
Christmas Homily this Sunday in the bayou. Music credit to Sufjan Stevens' "Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming."
Why Catholic Men are Bored in Church
Although Colorado’s Supermax is the federal prison that is featured on all the TLC shows, Colorado’s death row for our homegrown felons is actually on the Eastern Plains. For my second assignment as a priest, I was sent to a parish containing within her bounds that very Correctional Facility. Upon arrival, I had a plan to reach not just the Catholics, but all the semi-professed Christians at the prison. I would hold a Bible Study called “What the First Christians Believed,” but not write “By Padre Peregrino” on the flyer. It was an immediate success. Many people from all denominations arrived. Great discussion ensued for the first two weeks. However, one non-dom felon with too much time on his hands (imagine that in America’s prisons) had learned…Hebrew. By week three, he jumped on my smallest inference to the Catholic faith, [...]
Rorate Coeli Sunday
What is the difference between humility and meekness and timidity on one hand, and boldness and arrogance on the other?
Ignatian Meditation: You meeting the Christ Child
This is the second half of an Advent mission that I gave tonight in Louisiana before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. It is a led meditation of discursive mental prayer that I gave improv, but it is given according to the style of St. Ignatius and St. Teresa of Avila. This recording is one of my only podcasts that I would suggest doing in a quiet place for the sake of the prayer required. It is the type of prayer that changed the life of St. Francis Xavier when he was led in this personal way by St. Ignatius of Loyola, over 500 years ago.
Gaudete Sunday Homily
Gaudete Sunday is a rest during the pilgrimage of longing.
Immaculate Conception Homily
How did God make Mary's soul? How did God make Mary's body? Both happened at the moment of her Immaculate Conception.