Homilies about communion

Archbishop Casey: Are You Ready to Take a Leap of Faith?

Archbishop Casey

The homily, delivered by Archbishop Casey during a Confirmation Mass, uses a personal anecdote about jumping off a cliff in Canada as a metaphor for taking a 'leap of faith' in one's spiritual life. He connects this to the sacrament of Confirmation, encouraging the candidates to embrace the Holy Spirit and live as people of faith, communion, and good news, overcoming fear and isolation. He also shares his own 'cliff moments' in accepting the priesthood and episcopacy.

Why God's Commandments Are a Gift, Not a Burden

The homily explores the deep connection between God's commandments, the promised land, and our ultimate desire for communion with God. It argues that the law is not a burden but a gift that reveals God and invites us to share in His life, leading to true life and fulfillment, which is what we are truly seeking even when we chase sin.

Why We Are Made for Communion with God

The homily emphasizes the profound unity between the Father and the Son, as reflected in the Gospel, and how this divine communion is the model for human existence. It highlights that humanity is made for communion with God, particularly experienced in the Mass where heaven and earth unite, and encourages seeking this unity, grace, and mercy during Lent.

Pope Leo XIV: The Church is Both Human and Divine

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV's catechesis focuses on the Church as a complex reality, possessing both human and divine dimensions, as articulated in Vatican II's Lumen Gentium. He emphasizes that the Church, despite its human frailties and institutional aspects, is where Christ's presence and saving action are manifested, much like Jesus' humanity revealed his divinity. The homily concludes by stressing that the Church is built up through communion and charity, which constantly generate the presence of the Risen One.

The Living Water: Quenching Our Deepest Thirsts

The homily reflects on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, highlighting how Jesus thirsted for her faith and offered her living water. It emphasizes that our deep human hungers and thirsts for connection ultimately point to our need for communion with God. The homily calls us to share this life-giving water, especially with those on the margins of society, mirroring Christ's compassion.

Rediscovering God's Original Plan for Humanity This Lent

Father James Plleinia

This Lenten reflection focuses on the Genesis creation account, contrasting it with the Babylonian creation myth to highlight the Judeo-Christian understanding of creation through God's word and peace, not violence. The homily emphasizes humanity's creation in God's image and likeness, the inherent goodness of creation, and the call to restoration and communion with God, especially during Lent.

Beyond Personal Sin: Why We Must Pray for Our Community's Forgiveness

The homily emphasizes the importance of communal forgiveness and intercession, drawing parallels between the priest's experience apologizing on behalf of the Church and Daniel's prayer for his people's sins. It highlights that we are called to pray not only for our personal needs but also for the needs of our communities, nations, and the world, recognizing our interconnectedness.

Why Our Deepest Longing is for Communion

The homily emphasizes that humanity's deepest longing is for communion, reflecting God's own nature as a communion of persons. It uses the Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus to illustrate how our actions either draw us closer to or farther from this communion, warning that a chasm can become permanent if we distance ourselves too much from others. The speaker stresses that the Kingdom of God is communion and that finding our deepest humanity comes from close communion with others.

Being God's Image: A Call to Mercy and Communion

The homily emphasizes that being created in God's image and likeness is not just a statement of fact, but an imperative call to action. We are called to embody God's mercy, forgiveness, and generosity, reflecting His nature as a communion of persons in our own lives and interactions. The priest connects this call to the daily reception of the Eucharist, which both proclaims and makes us one body in Christ.

Breaking Barriers to Find the Living Water: Lessons from the Samaritan Woman

The homily emphasizes that Christ is the eternal living water, satisfying our spiritual thirst for truth, love, forgiveness, and communion with God. It encourages us to break down social, religious, and cultural barriers, just as Jesus did with the Samaritan woman, to share the grace of salvation with all humanity and experience Christ more fully.

Jesus: The One Who Gathers, Not Scatters

The homily contrasts the scattering nature of demonic power with Jesus's mission of communion and bringing things together. Drawing on the Gospel, it emphasizes that Jesus seeks to heal divisions within individuals and families, encouraging forgiveness and love, which are accessible through the sacraments despite original sin.