"Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, ⁠⠀ came to earth became a human being ⁠⠀ just to be with us ⁠⠀ because He loved us. ⁠⠀ That is extraordinary. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I suddenly got it. It was like yes⁠⠀ this is the miracle of Christmas. ⁠⠀ This is incredible. ⁠⠀ That God out of his love for us just wanted to be with us.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Miserable, sinful as we are in the suffering and chaos of life⁠⠀ Jesus said, "I want to be with them. ⁠⠀ I'm going to become one of them." ⁠⠀ We all know that his mission didn't just end there ⁠⠀ but rather he mounted the wood of the cross for us out of love for us and died for us. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ But his love was too great ⁠⠀ and after three days rose again. ⁠⠀ My friends, this is the meaning of Christmas. ⁠⠀ That God wanted to be with us."⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Fr. Michael Rubeling⁠⠀ St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Severna Park, MD ⁠⠀ Archdiocese of Baltimore ⁠⠀

"What is the good news? Simply this: that you matter.⁠⠀ You're worth fighting for to the God who made everything that is visible and invisible. ⁠⠀ You're worth rescuing. ⁠⠀ You're worth dying for. ⁠⠀ You're worth him becoming a man. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And so we have been rescued to tell others about the one who has done this for us. ⁠⠀ We've been rescued so as to do our best to witness to others ⁠⠀ the difference that Jesus and he alone can make in our lives. ⁠⠀ And we've been rescued to us to transform everything we can that's still somehow in the grip of the enemy of our race.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Tonight's not about trees. It's not about presents. It's not about eggnog. It's not about mistletoe. It's not even about family. Great as all those things are - especially family. ⁠⠀ Tonight people is about God.⁠⠀ God has acted for us.⁠⠀ He's become man for us. ⁠⠀ He has rescued us all because you matter. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ God rest ye merry gentlemen. Let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day ⁠⠀ to save us all from Satan's power when we had gone astray. Tidings of comfort and joy.⁠⠀ Merry Christmas."⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Fr. John Riccardo ⁠⠀ Executive Director - ACTS XXIX ⁠⠀ Former Pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic - Church Plymouth, MI - @olgcplymouth⁠⠀ Archdiocese of Detroit - @archofdet⁠⠀

"...Don't take (Coronavirus) precautions in a way that's a double standard with your faith. ⠀ ⠀ If in taking precautions against the Coronavirus, ⠀ ⠀ you have deemed it too dangerous to come to church, ⠀ ⠀ but you go out to the restaurant, ⠀ ⠀ then what you're doing is you're saying "Fear is more important than the Eucharist." ⠀ ⠀ If you think it's okay to work out, ⠀ ⠀ if you're going out to sports games,⠀ ⠀ then what you're saying is ⠀ ⠀ "That is worth the risk, ⠀ ⠀ but the Eucharist is not."⠀ ⠀ Don't live that standard. ⠀ ⠀ Because if you do, you don't have to answer to me, ⠀ ⠀ you can answer to the one who separates the sheep from the goats. ⠀ ⠀ Because the king will ask you "Why?" one day. He will. ⠀ ⠀ So keep that in your mind. ⠀ ⠀ We can't live the double standard in our lives. ⠀ ⠀ You know if if it's if it's okay, if it's worth the risk to attend a political protest ⠀ ⠀ or a political rally, whether on the left or on the right, it makes no difference,⠀ ⠀ But it's not worth the risk to come to mass, then we've really got our priorities mixed up. ⠀ ⠀ Because what that's saying is that our politics is on the throne and that's King, ⠀ ⠀ But the Eucharist in Jesus is not. ⠀ ⠀ Wherever he lines up, ⠀ ⠀ he's not the ultimate authority. ⠀ ⠀ And as Catholics, we can't stand for that. ⠀ ⠀ We can't live that double standard, because this is also what it leads to.⠀ ⠀ I'm going to close I'm going to close just briefly with this. ⠀ ⠀ Let's remember that one of the things Christ mentioned in our gospel was ⠀ ⠀ "You were ill, and you did not care for me. ⠀ ⠀ You were sick and you did not care for me." ⠀ ⠀ Why? ⠀ ⠀ "Because whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." ⠀ ⠀ Last Sunday, that 85 year old man wasn't just the only one ⠀ ⠀ who was laying in the hospital being refused to be ministered to. ⠀ ⠀ Jesus Christ himself was. ⠀ ⠀ And we cannot stand for it as Catholics. ⠀ ⠀ God bless you."⠀ ⠀ Father Josh D. Erickson⠀ Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption⠀ Marietta, OH⠀ Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio⠀ ⠀ Full homily at the link in the bio.⠀ ⠀ Thanks to Dr Scott Hahn (@scottwhahn) for first posting this great homily!⠀ ⠀ #catholic #cathol

Priest Stopped From Giving Last Rights Because of COVID Hospital Rules⠀ ⠀ "And when I showed up, um, long story short, ⠀ ⠀ I was told, I could not visit the man and anoint him, ⠀ ⠀ because the hospital policy was that ⠀ ⠀ only one visitor per person per day, ⠀ ⠀ and the man has already had his visitor ⠀ ⠀ so his priest cannot come and anoint him. ⠀ ⠀ Needless to say, I was not happy. ⠀ ⠀ Um, well, I realized after a bit of conversation that I wasn't getting anywhere. ⠀ ⠀ And so I asked, "Okay. Well, then how about if I come back tomorrow morning ⠀ ⠀ and I can be the one visitor for the guy, and give him the sacraments?" ⠀ ⠀ To which the nurse replied "Well...", ⠀ ⠀ in a nicer way, but essentially, what she said was, ⠀ ⠀ "...there's really no need, because he'll be dead by then."⠀ ⠀ I was very not happy. ⠀ ⠀ Um, now, fortunately, through the grace of God, ⠀ ⠀ what did happen is I did go back the next day, ⠀ ⠀ and he had survived through the night and was moved out of the ER. ⠀ ⠀ So I was able to visit him and anoint him. ⠀ ⠀ And now he is with Jesus and our blessed Lord, ⠀ ⠀ sent on his way with the sacraments, praise God. ⠀ ⠀ However, that might not have been the case. ⠀ ⠀ And what I want to bring this up, is that I'm not trying to start a fight over whether to take the Coronavirus seriously or not or anything like that. ⠀ ⠀ That's, that's a discussion for another place. ⠀ ⠀ What I am saying is that as Catholics and as people of faith, ⠀ ⠀ we need to have our eyes open to a double standard in the response.⠀ ⠀ It's not - it makes no sense that we can go ⠀ ⠀ to restaurants and bars, or even strip clubs ⠀ ⠀ that we can exercise or we can go to sport games. ⠀ ⠀ And yet, a priest can't hear a dying man's confession. ⠀ ⠀ That makes no sense whatsoever. ⠀ ⠀ And what it is, is it's diabolical, ⠀ ⠀ and it's a direct attack on Christ as King.⠀ ⠀ Keep your faith in your own personal house, ⠀ ⠀ but don't bring it out to our hospital. ⠀ ⠀ Keep your faith in your own personal house, ⠀ ⠀ but don't bring it out to the public square."⠀ ⠀ Father Josh D. Erickson⠀ Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption⠀ Marietta, OH⠀ Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio⠀ ⠀ Full homily at link in the bio.

Governments are Unfairly Placing COVID Restrictions on Religions Gatherings⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ "But what is clear to anyone who has two eyes is that in whatever responses we have had to the Coronavirus⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ there is a double standard when it comes to practice of faith. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And that is a big problem. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How is it that in the eight months of the Coronavirus... ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How is it that in San Francisco, you're allowed to go to bars and strip clubs, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ but the cathedral for Catholics that seats over 2,000 people ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ can only seat one member at a time praying or you're breaking the law?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And how does that make any sort of sense? ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It doesn't. Right? ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How come we had um, protests... ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ (and I'm not getting into it what one way or the other what side you come down on.)⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ...but we had protests that were against racism and against police brutality ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ and through the actions of certain individuals or organizations, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ how come we saw all across the country...⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ how quickly some of those things turned into an excuse to decapitate statues of saints like St. Junipero Serra, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ and statues of the Sacred Heart and statues of the Blessed Mother,⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ decapitate them, cover them in red paint and spray swastikas on the side of church buildings. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How does that in any way relate to police brutality or racism? ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It doesn't. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It's an excuse for the powers of this age to try to shut down the gospel. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And to try to claim that Christ is not King. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ That's what's going on. And it needs to be called out. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And it needs to end and to stop."⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Father Josh D. Erickson⁠⠀ Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption⁠⠀ Marietta, OH⁠⠀ Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Listen to the entire homily at the link in the bio.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Thanks to Dr Scott Hahn (@scottwhahn) for first posting this great homily!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #catholic #catholicchurch #homily #Jesus #homilies #sermon #sermons #preaching #preachingthegospel⁠⠀

"Secularism has a wonderful way of getting Christians to act as if Christ isn't king⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ while still thinking that they're good Christians. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How does it do this? ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Because what secularism claims and what it pushes and what it enforces without question is that ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ religion is all well and good but you should keep it a private affair. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Religion and Jesus are good things if that floats your boat, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ but do not bring that into the public square. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The public square, and where everyone else operates and ideas are exchanged, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ that is the place for politics.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And politics is the ultimate authority, not religion. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ That's what the ideology says. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And part of the reason it's so dangerous is because ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ if where as Catholics, we accept that and believe it, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ we can think we're being good Catholics, but really, Christ is no longer King. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Christ is - you know - the guy who's shut up in the closet, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Christ is kept in the privacy of our own thoughts and of our own homes and of our own hearts, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ but he's not reining in the exchange of ideas or in the public square."⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Father Josh D. Erickson⁠⠀ Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption⁠⠀ Marietta, OH⁠⠀ Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Listen to the entire homily at the link in the bio.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Thanks to Dr Scott Hahn (@scottwhahn) for first posting this great homily!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #catholic #catholicchurch #homily #Jesus #homilies #sermon #sermons #preaching #preachingthegospel⁠⠀

Which scripture reading would you MOST like to hear preached about in a HOMILY this Sunday?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Swipe ⬅️ to see a summary of each reading.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #bissisterhood #projectblessed #philotheafound #catholiccreative #catholicconnect #catholic #catholicbride #thecatholicwoman #catholicmillennial #motherofgod #catholicwife #catholichusband #catholicmom #catholicmama #rosary #praytherosary #romancatholic #catholicfamily #dynamiccatholic #focuscatholic

"...How many of our marriages begin to slow down? How many of our marriages begin to enter into crisis?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How many of our marriages end because of a breakdown in an exchange of love and compliments and building one another up?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ How many of our marriages need to be renewed today?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ My brothers and sisters in this reading and in the scriptures we have this weekend, the very example of our Master Jesus Christ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It is time to put into practice what he preaches to us. It's time today. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And let us not waste a moment like the lazy servant who just had complaint and criticism on the master. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Let us not be complainer's. Let us not be critical. Let us not be filled with judgment. Let not judgment get in the way of your neighbor. Let love get in the way. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Let criticism not get in the way of your marriages with your children. Let love get in the way. Let not the sins of your spouse get in the way. Let love get in the way. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And in that we will advance and double what has been invested in us. And when the Master comes to see you he says, ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ "Come share in your Master's joy. Come and share with the faithful servants who have responded accordingly to my word.""⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Fr. Richard Pagano - @fatherpagano⁠⠀ St. John Paul II Catholic Church⁠⠀ Nocatee, FL⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Watch the entire homily at the link in the bio.⁠⠀

Love demands sacrifice.

Who heard a great homily this weekend? ⠀ What what topic did the priest or deacon preach on?