Homilies about conversion

A Heart That Stays: Joe Melendrez on Being Present with God

Joe Melendrez leads a Lenten Mission focusing on 'A Heart That Stays,' emphasizing the importance of being fully present, listening to God's voice, and being still. He introduces the 'SOAP' method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) as a practical tool for daily spiritual growth and engagement with the Word of God.

I Died Twice: Maria Fondora’s Vision of Heaven and the Lesson of Surrender

Father Paul

Maria Fondora shares a powerful witness of faith, detailing her journey from escaping Castro's Cuba to surviving a traumatic liver transplant where she experienced a near-death vision of Christ and heaven. She describes how God used suffering, including the loss of her parents and husband, to lead her toward a mission of service through her restaurant and the Purple Pansies pancreatic cancer foundation.

From Silicon Valley Agnostic to Catholic Priest: Fr. Ken Geraci’s Story

Fr. Ken Geraci

Fr. Ken Geraci shares his personal journey from being a tech-industry agnostic to a Catholic priest, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and integrity in the faith. He introduces the upcoming parish mission, challenging the congregation to prioritize their relationship with God over secular activities and to seek a personal encounter with Christ in the Eucharist.

How to Keep Your Kids Catholic: A Father of 11 Shares His Secrets

Tom Britain shares a deeply personal and practical roadmap for raising children who remain active in the Catholic faith, drawing from his experience as a father of eleven. He identifies modern challenges like unprecedented freedom and material comfort while offering five specific pillars: personal parental conversion, intentional Catholic friendships, family unity through shared non-religious passions, simple non-negotiable rules, and the importance of faithful higher education.

From a Knife to a Rosary: The Deathbed Conversion of Roberto Sbragia

The priest recounts the dramatic conversion of Roberto, who initially met him with hostility and a knife but eventually found peace through the Rosary and the sacraments. He emphasizes that no matter how far one has strayed or how much anger they carry, God's mercy and the 'medicine' of confession are always available. The homily highlights the specific power of the Rosary in reconnecting Roberto to the faith of his Italian childhood in his final days.

Our Lady's Lasso: Why the Rosary is a Spiritual Weapon

Fr. Joseph Anthony Cress

Fr. Joseph Anthony Cresse explores the Rosary through the unique metaphor of 'Our Lady's Lasso,' drawing parallels between the skill of a professional cowboy and the spiritual power of the devotion. He emphasizes that the Rosary is not a mere checklist of prayers but a tool anchored in the strength of Jesus Christ, designed to gently draw wandering or 'sick' souls back to the safety of the Church.

The Hard is What Makes it Great: Moving Beyond Spiritual Comfort

Cooper Ray

In this Lenten Mission talk, Cooper Ray explores the concept of being 'made for more,' challenging the audience to move beyond spiritual comfort and mediocrity. Using personal stories of his wife's nursing school journey and his own failure to help a homeless man in New Orleans, he emphasizes that the 'hard' parts of the Catholic faith are exactly what make it great and lead to spiritual stretching.

Fr. Sam: How Confession Heals Your Deepest Wounds and Transforms Your Life

Fr. Sam

This homily, part of a Lenten Healing Mission, emphasizes that God loves us as we are, not for our virtues or lack of sin, and that this unconditional love is the basis for true change and healing. It delves deeply into the sacrament of confession as the primary means of healing trauma and sin, urging penitents to be brutally honest, take ownership of their actions, and renounce the 'seven deadly wounds' (lies like abandonment, shame, fear) that prevent God's grace from entering. The priest shares personal anecdotes of suffering transformed into consolation and highlights the power of Eucharistic reparation to change history.

From Harlot to Saint: The Miraculous Life of Mary of Egypt

A complete liturgical reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt, detailing her journey from a life of extreme public depravity in Alexandria to miraculous conversion in Jerusalem and 47 years of asceticism in the Jordanian desert. The narrative follows the monk Zosima as he discovers her, administers her final Communion, and eventually buries her with the assistance of a lion.

Breathe in Love: A Chaplain's Story of Faith and God's Silence

Father Ron

Reflecting on the prophet Jeremiah's suffering and the Gospel's tension, the priest explores the theme of God's silence during moments of vocational crisis and personal trial. He uses the Parable of the Wedding Feast to challenge the congregation to fully 'clothe' themselves in the Word of God and invite others to the upcoming Easter celebration. He concludes with a powerful story from his time as a military chaplain, where he helped a dying, atheistic soldier find peace by 'breathing in love' despite his lack of formal faith.

The Day My Father Found Me: A Story of God's Unconditional Love

Father Ben

The homily uses a vivid personal anecdote from the priest's childhood about getting lost and being found by his father, who, despite his anger, only expressed immense relief and love. This story is then connected to the Easter message, emphasizing that God, like the father, sent Jesus to search for us, pick us up, and carry us home, driven by profound love and a desire for our safety and return.

Fr. Raúl Jordán: ¿Eres un Cristiano Zombie?

Padre Raúl Jordán Balanta

Fr. Raúl Jordán uses the metaphor of 'The Walking Dead' and zombies to describe spiritual apathy, where people function physically but are dead inside. He challenges the congregation to move the 'stone' of their own tombs—specifically addressing depression, anxiety, and stress—to reclaim a life of joy rather than just being 'good' people.

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.

Everything I Learned About Justice, I Learned from the Manger

William Promemeso

Father Bill explores the principles of Catholic Social Teaching by using the Nativity scene as a model for radical inclusion and diversity. He challenges the congregation to examine their own biases regarding racism, immigration, and gender identity, calling for a transformation of heart that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human person.

The 17-Hour Bus Ride: How God Chases Your Heart

Using the story of his grandfather's 17-hour bus rides to court his grandmother, the speaker illustrates God's persistent pursuit of humanity through the Eucharist. He connects Old Testament types like the Passover lamb and Manna to the Real Presence of Christ, challenging listeners to prioritize the Mass over worldly commitments. The talk concludes with a deep dive into John 6 and the liturgical continuity of the Catholic Church from the early centuries to today.

The Auschwitz Commandant Who Found Forgiveness: God's Mercy for the Gravest Sins

The homily emphasizes that sin is primarily an 'abandonment of the heart' from God, not just an action. It uses the parable of the unforgiving servant and the story of Adam and Eve to illustrate how sin blocks us from God's love. The priest shares a powerful personal anecdote about encountering demonic influence in confession and concludes with the extraordinary conversion story of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, highlighting God's immense mercy and forgiveness, even for the gravest sins.

From Despair to Dignity: The Transformative Power of Jesus' Mercy

This homily, delivered as part of a parish speaker series, focuses on the transformative power of encountering Jesus, drawing parallels between the healing of the Gerasene demoniac and a modern-day story of a woman named Magdalena. The speaker emphasizes that true transformation involves being 'clothed' with dignity and love, having a 'right mind' amidst worldly confusion, and 'sitting at the feet of Jesus' for protection and guidance. The core message is about embracing God's mercy and faithfully following His unique call for each individual, rather than striving for self-made success.

When God Answers Your Prayer With a Cross

The priest shares a vulnerable personal story about his mother's struggle with Catholic teachings and how his prayers for her conversion were answered through the unexpected 'cross' of her terminal cancer. He connects this to the Gospel of Lazarus, illustrating that God often allows suffering not out of neglect, but to bring about a greater glory and healing than we could imagine.

Finding Hope When Everything Feels Dead: Fr. Sa Chambán on His Mother's Cancer

Padre Sa Chambán

Father Sa Chambán delivers a heartfelt, spontaneous homily focusing on God's power to bring life out of death and hope out of despair. He connects the resurrection of Lazarus and Ezekiel's vision of dry bones to modern struggles, including the restructuring of the Archdiocese and his own personal grief regarding his mother's stage four cancer diagnosis.

Coming Out of Your Tomb: Why Eternal Life Changes Everything

Reflecting on 48 years of priesthood and standing at thousands of graves, the priest explores how the promise of eternal life transforms the grave from a 'gaping hole' into a sign of hope. He challenges the congregation to identify the 'tombs' they are living in—such as fear, loneliness, or anxiety—and calls for a revival of dormant talents and joy as a witness to the Resurrection. The homily concludes with a practical call to bring 'signs of life' back into the world through simple acts like humor, music, or even baking.