Homilies about addiction

The Invisible Cross: Finding Jesus in Mental Illness

This unique Stations of the Cross devotion specifically reframes Christ's Passion through the lens of mental health, anxiety, and depression. Each station connects Jesus's physical and emotional suffering to the 'invisible crosses' of those battling mental illness, emphasizing that clinical struggles are not moral failures but a participation in the Way of the Cross.

Fr. Doug on the Seizure That Saved His Life

Fr. Doug Owens

Fr. Doug Owens shares a deeply personal testimony about his struggle with alcoholism and a life-changing seizure that led to his sobriety, framing it as an intense experience of God's love. He connects this to the raising of Lazarus, explaining that God's love often involves suffering or waiting for a greater glory to be revealed. The homily concludes with a call to choose love over hate and to trust in the Church's mission despite external persecution or internal trials.

Desátalo y Déjalo Caminar: Rompiendo las Cadenas del Vicio

Reflecting on the raising of Lazarus, the priest emphasizes the distinction between casual affection and sacrificial love, using Jesus' relationship with Martha and Mary as a model. He calls the faithful to identify the 'vices' and 'demons'—such as addiction, envy, and anxiety—that act as burial shroud bindings, preventing them from walking in spiritual freedom. The homily concludes with a personal testimony about finding peace through the intercession of Blessed Conchita Cabrera.

Los Venenos que Matan el Matrimonio: Violencia, Pornografía e Infidelidad

Dr. Marcos Randle

This homily, delivered by Dr. Marcos Randle, a psychologist, focuses on the "poisons that kill marriage." He categorizes these into subtle, slow-acting poisons (like financial disagreements, personality differences, or excessive phone use) and lethal poisons (violence, pornography, and infidelity). The core message emphasizes the importance of open communication, mutual understanding, and cultivating marital friendship as antidotes to these destructive forces, stressing that change is possible through conscious effort and God's grace.

Why We Keep Searching for Happiness in the Wrong Places (Like the Samaritan Woman)

The homily draws parallels between the Israelites' constant complaining in the desert and the Samaritan woman's search for true love, relating both to modern-day addictions and the struggle to break bad habits. It emphasizes that true satisfaction and love are found only in Jesus, not in fleeting worldly pleasures or distractions like phones, and encourages a personal encounter with Christ leading to conversion and communion.

La Cuaresma y la Batalla Contra la División Interna y las Adicciones

Padre Jesús Elizalde

The homily emphasizes the Lenten call to internal unity and a decisive commitment to God, contrasting it with the internal division caused by egoism, pride, and sin. The priest shares a personal anecdote about encountering demonic manifestation during a blessing, highlighting the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for preparedness and faith in God's power over evil, especially in a world prone to various addictions.

Sal de tu Tumba: Cómo Jesús Resucita tu Vida Hoy

Using the vision of the valley of dry bones from Ezekiel and the raising of Lazarus, the priest illustrates how God brings life to the 'dry' areas of our modern lives, such as addictions and digital isolation. He emphasizes that the Resurrection is not just a future event after death, but a current reality available today through a relationship with Jesus. The homily features a live demonstration with a young volunteer to visualize the transition from dry bones to a living army.

Why We Keep Going Back to the Same Wells (and How to Stop)

The homily explores the concept of deep spiritual thirsts and hungers that all humans experience, drawing parallels to the Samaritan woman at the well. It suggests that people often try to fill these voids with behaviors or substances, much like the woman's multiple husbands, but these 'wells' never truly satisfy. The homily emphasizes that only God can fill this inner void, advocating for a 12-step spirituality approach of admitting powerlessness and turning one's life over to a higher power, leading to self-understanding and spiritual clarity.

Padre Gerardo: Cómo Liberar a Nuestros Jóvenes de la 'Cultura de la Muerte'

Padre Gerardo

Father Gerardo uses the raising of Lazarus to challenge the congregation on whether they truly believe in Christ's power to give new life. He utilizes a visual demonstration with youth to contrast the 'culture of death' with the Church's mission to liberate those enslaved by isolation and digital addiction.

Where is God When it Hurts? Finding Hope in the Tomb

The priest explores the problem of theodicy, asking where God is during moments of intense suffering, addiction, and betrayal. He emphasizes that while we may not know 'why' evil happens, we can be certain 'where' God is: weeping alongside us and redeeming our pain through His own. Using the raising of Lazarus, he calls the faithful to step out of the 'tombs' of their bad decisions and allow Christ to unbind their burial shroud of sin.

Don't Stay Wrapped in Grave Clothes: Rising from Spiritual Tombs

The priest explores the raising of Lazarus as a call to move from spiritual death to new life, emphasizing that eternal life begins 'here and now' through faith rather than after physical death. He challenges the congregation to identify the 'stones'—such as addiction, resentment, or indifference—that entomb their hearts and prevent them from experiencing God's grace. The homily concludes with a bold call for social and political action, urging Christians to dismantle 'dead systems' that oppress the poor and federal workers.

Sal de tu Tumba: Cómo Jesús Transforma Nuestros Vicios y Dolores

The homily focuses on the resurrection of Lazarus as a call to step out of the 'tombs' of our personal lives, such as addiction, family conflict, and lack of faith. The preacher shares a vulnerable personal story about weeping during a funeral for a young man to illustrate that authentic faith involves sharing in the suffering of others, just as Jesus wept for his friend. He challenges the congregation to use the final ten days of Lent to prepare their hearts and reconcile with God.

The Devil's Strategy: How He Divides and Conquers Us

The homily focuses on the devil's strategy of division and lies, contrasting it with the Holy Spirit's work of unity and truth. Through a compelling story of a man struggling with addiction and despair, the homilist illustrates how the devil tempts us to delay repentance and isolate ourselves, while God offers mercy, love, and the power to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit and the unity of the Church.

The Sweet and Sour of Going Home: Lessons from Lazarus

The priest reflects on the humanity of Jesus through the raising of Lazarus, connecting Christ's empathy to the personal stories of parishioners he encountered that day. He shares poignant encounters with an elderly immigrant couple returning to their homeland and a grieving son who lost his mother, emphasizing that while death is our human destiny, we are called to truly live and appreciate every minute before returning home to God.

Sal de tu Tumba: Cómo Jesús nos Libera de las Cadenas

Father Pablo

The priest shares a personal story about visiting the tomb of Lazarus in the Holy Land, describing the deep, dark descent into the earth to explain why Jesus had to shout 'Lazarus, come out!' He connects this physical tomb to the spiritual 'tombs' of addiction and hopelessness, sharing a testimony of a woman who found freedom from drugs through the Gospel. The message emphasizes that Jesus weeps for our suffering and calls us out of darkness into a new life of freedom.

Lessons from 7 Years in a Funeral Home: Fr. Foley on Life and Death

Father Foley

Fr. Foley shares a personal reflection on his seven years working in a funeral home as a seminarian, using that experience to explore the human reality of mourning and the paralysis of death. He connects the raising of Lazarus to modern 'resurrections,' such as recovery from addiction and the spiritual renewal found in the Sacrament of Confession.

Quita la Piedra: Cómo Jesús te Libera de tu Propia Tumba

Mauricio Hurtado

Fr. Mauricio Hurtado reflects on the resurrection of Lazarus, emphasizing that God does not desire death or suffering but is deeply moved by our pain. He challenges the congregation to identify the 'stones' and 'shackles' of sin, addiction, and trauma that keep them in a spiritual tomb, offering Christ's power to liberate and restore them to life.

How God Meets Us in Our Deepest Shame and Addiction

The homily emphasizes that God's mercy is available even in our deepest shame and sin, drawing parallels between a man's conversion from addiction in jail and the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus at the well. It highlights that Jesus meets us in our most vulnerable places, not to judge, but to offer a new future and satisfy our spiritual thirst, reminding us that God also thirsts for us.

St. Joseph: The Patron of Escaping Your Personal Concentration Camp

Using the acronym 'JOE' (Jesus, Others, Escape), the priest explores the virtues of St. Joseph as a protector of the internal life and a patron for those seeking freedom from hardship. He shares a powerful historical account of priests in the Dachau concentration camp who credited their survival to a secret consecration to St. Joseph.

The Sign of the Cross in the Soviet Union: Being Untied by Christ

The priest uses the story of Leonid Brezhnev's funeral—where his wife made the sign of the cross over his coffin in a final act of defiance against atheism—to illustrate the hope of the resurrection. He connects the raising of Lazarus to our own need to be 'untied' from modern bonds like addiction, anger, and selfishness. The message emphasizes that Jesus' tears for Lazarus show His deep love for every individual's personal struggles.