Homilies about almsgiving

How Kindness Changed a Refugee's Life: A Priest's Lenten Reflection

Father Mike

The homily focuses on kindness as a form of almsgiving during Lent, drawing from the speaker's personal experience as a Vietnamese refugee. He recounts how the kindness of strangers, a Filipino priest, and the Vincentian community shaped his life and led him to the priesthood, attributing God's kindness to the intercession of the Blessed Mother. The homily encourages listeners to extend similar kindness to others.

St. Catherine Drexel: A Modern Example of Humble Service in Lent

The homily emphasizes the importance of humility and serving others, contrasting it with the pride of the scribes and Pharisees. It highlights St. Catherine Drexel as a modern example of humble service, particularly her dedication to the Native American and African-American peoples through her wealth and missionary work. The core message encourages living out faith through humility, service, and almsgiving during Lent.

The Rich Man's Real Sin: Why Self-Reliance is Deadly

The homily emphasizes that the rich man's greatest sin was not merely neglecting Lazarus, but trusting in himself rather than God, a manifestation of pride. It warns against becoming like the rich man by clinging to worldly possessions and self-reliance, especially during Lent, and encourages trusting in God through practices like fasting and almsgiving.

Seeing as God Sees: The Great Reversal of Lazarus and the Rich Man

The homily contrasts the rich man and Lazarus from the Gospel, highlighting a 'great reversal' where the seemingly blessed are not, and the cursed are not. It emphasizes seeing as God sees and reminds listeners of the Lenten pillar of almsgiving and corporal works of mercy, encouraging generosity even with small contributions like the widow's mite.

Lent's Call: Prayer, Fasting, Forgiveness, and the Power of Lament

This homily, delivered during a Lenten parish mission, focuses on the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, with a particular emphasis on forgiveness and lament. The speaker encourages a deeper, more intentional approach to these practices, urging listeners to cultivate a conversational relationship with God through prayer, to fast from habits that don't feed the soul, and to practice almsgiving through simple acts of kindness and generosity. A significant portion is dedicated to self-forgiveness and forgiving others, recognizing that hurtful behaviors often stem from others' wounds, and embracing lament as a biblical way to bring sorrow to God.

How to Be Truly Holy: Humility, Obedience, and Service in Lent

The homily, delivered during Lent, focuses on the meaning of holiness through humility and obedience, particularly in the context of service and almsgiving. It challenges the congregation to actively practice these virtues by helping those in need and praying for others, drawing parallels to the Gospel reading where the disciples seek positions of honor.

Lent as Exodus: Quenching Your Thirst for God

The homily connects the Exodus journey and the Samaritan woman at the well to the Lenten experience, emphasizing that Lent is a time to shed worldly desires and 'other gods' to receive the living water of Christ. It highlights Jesus' humility in experiencing human needs and his desire to quench our spiritual thirst, urging listeners to meet Jesus in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, especially by serving those in need.

Deepening Our Relationship with God During Lent

The homily emphasizes deepening our relationship with God the Father during Lent through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It highlights Christ's example of listening and talking to the Father, and how these practices strengthen us to do God's will and face challenges with courage, becoming living signs of God's presence.