Homilies about discipleship

St. Peter's Journey: From Denial to Discipleship and Sacrifice

Father Patrick

This homily, delivered during a Lenten mission, focuses on the theme of sacrifice through the lens of St. Peter's life. It emphasizes that despite failures and denials, Christ's love and call to discipleship remain, inviting believers to cultivate trust and humility to begin again in love and embrace sacrifice for glory. The speaker uses personal anecdotes from a Eucharistic pilgrimage and a visit to the Holy Land to illustrate these points.

La Verdadera Grandeza: Servicio y Sacrificio en Cuaresma

The homily reflects on Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and his disciples' misunderstanding of true greatness. It emphasizes that in God's kingdom, greatness is found not in status or position, but in humble service, sacrifice, and love, especially during the Lenten season. The priest encourages choosing hidden service, patience, forgiveness, and sacrifice over worldly recognition.

Are You Willing to Drink from Jesus' Chalice?

The homily connects the day's Gospel to the Transfiguration, emphasizing that the journey of discipleship involves embracing the cross before reaching Easter glory. It challenges listeners to commit to following Jesus, even without knowing the exact rewards, trusting in God's plan and being willing to make the journey of faith.

The Cup Jesus Sets Before You: The Cost of Discipleship

Fr. Caime, SJ

The homily reflects on the Gospel reading where Jesus speaks of his suffering while the disciples seek glory. It challenges listeners to consider the 'cup' Jesus sets before them, which represents the cost and truth of discipleship, emphasizing that true greatness in God's kingdom is found in sacrificial love and service, leading to deepest freedom.

How the Stories of Joseph and the Vineyard Reveal the Meaning of Lent

The homily connects the Old Testament story of Joseph with the New Testament parable of the vineyard, highlighting parallels to Christ's passion and sacrifice. It emphasizes that Lent is a time for self-reflection and choosing a path of hope, peace, and eternal life through discipleship, ultimately leading to the Paschal Mystery.

Are You Willing to Drink Jesus' Cup? A Lenten Challenge

The homily challenges listeners, especially middle school students, to embrace a life of service and sacrifice, mirroring Christ's example, rather than pursuing worldly fame and fortune. It emphasizes that true self-discovery and a meaningful life come from laying down one's life for Christ and living authentically as a disciple, even if it means being unpopular.

Fr. Art Mateo: How to Truly Love God Day by Day

Fr. Art Mateo, MSC

The homily focuses on the meaning of loving God, moving beyond mere emotion or fear of hell. Drawing from the 'Day by Day' song from Godspell, the priest outlines a three-step process: knowing God more clearly, loving Him more dearly, and following Him more nearly through obedience and discipleship. He emphasizes that true love of God is a journey of intimate knowledge leading to action.

Why God's Laws Are Not Meant to Make You Miserable

Deacon David

The homily emphasizes that God's laws and commandments are given out of love for our safety and well-being, not to make us miserable. It acknowledges the human tendency to disregard rules when inconvenient, drawing parallels between the Israelites' journey and our own struggles to follow Jesus. The core message is a call to self-reflection during Lent, identifying areas where we deviate from God's path to become better disciples and bring others closer to God.

La Conversión de la Samaritana: ¿Eres un Discípulo o un Esclavo del Pecado?

The homily reflects on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, highlighting Jesus' mission to seek the conversion of sinners. It distinguishes between two types of sinners: those who are indifferent to God and those whose conscience still bothers them but don't know how to stop sinning. The homily emphasizes that Jesus offers 'living water' and reveals sins as a gift, leading to conversion and becoming a disciple who rejects modern forms of slavery like gambling, drugs, alcohol, pornography, and social media addiction.

The Danger of Seeking Honor: Why Humility is True Leadership

The homily emphasizes the importance of humility and being teachable, drawing from the Gospel where the mother of Zebedee's sons asks for places of honor. It cautions against seeking power or flattery, reminding listeners that true leadership and discipleship involve service and not counting the cost, ultimately giving praise to God and those who helped us along the way.

Why True Discipleship Means Being a Servant

The homily emphasizes that true discipleship means embracing a life of service, not seeking honor or prestige. Drawing from the examples of Jeremiah and Jesus, the priest illustrates that following Christ involves taking up one's cross daily and being the least, ultimately serving others as Christ served us, even to the point of giving his life.

The Samaritan Woman: A Template for Lenten Transformation and Discipleship

The homily focuses on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, emphasizing the transformative power of 'living water' (baptism) and the call to discipleship. It connects this Gospel reading to the Lenten journey, encouraging parishioners to deepen their encounter with Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and to then proclaim His love to the world.

How Pride Prevents God's Healing in Our Lives

The homily emphasizes how pride and a sense of entitlement prevent us from receiving God's grace and healing, drawing parallels between Naaman's initial anger at Elisha's simple instruction and the Nazareth crowd's fury at Jesus's criticism. It challenges listeners to overcome their resistance to criticism and embrace humility and discipleship, which involves loving God and neighbor.

Are You Just 'Looking' Like a Christian? The Challenge of True Discipleship

Father Cox

The homily challenges listeners to move beyond merely appearing Christian or Catholic to truly living out their faith. Drawing on the parable of the wicked tenants, it warns against seeking personal glory and power at any cost, emphasizing that true discipleship involves total self-giving to God, mirroring Christ's sacrifice, and embracing sorrow for sin alongside trust in God's mercy.

Lent: Making Space for Christ the King

Father Daniel

The homily emphasizes that Lent is a time for driving out inner 'demons' and making space for Christ as King, rather than merely self-discipline. It challenges listeners to examine their reactions to God's victories and question what 'signs' they demand before committing to discipleship, urging unconditional surrender to Christ's reign.

You Don't Have to 'Seal the Deal': Our Role in Evangelization

Father Iikoff

The homily focuses on the role of believers in evangelization, emphasizing that while we introduce others to Christ, it is God who completes the work of conversion. Drawing from the Samaritan woman's story, the priest explains that our lives and actions serve as the primary introduction, and we should not feel burdened to 'seal the deal,' as Jesus is far more capable of bringing people to full discipleship.

Are You Drinking from Poisoned Wells? The Living Water of Christ

Father Hans Shamora

The homily reflects on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, using the metaphor of water to distinguish between temporary satisfaction and the eternal life offered by Christ. It highlights how Jesus meets us in our brokenness, inviting us to abandon 'poisoned wells' of sin and addiction to embrace our true purpose as disciples, filled with the living water of God's grace.

Why God Didn't Give Jesus Siblings: A Lenten Reflection on Discipleship and Suffering

Fr. Kent O'Connor

The homily connects the jealousy in the story of Joseph and his brothers to the rejection of Jesus in the Gospel parable, suggesting that God prevented Jesus from having siblings to spare Mary and Joseph from similar familial strife. It emphasizes that true discipleship means following Jesus to the cross, embracing penance and suffering before seeking glory, especially during Lent.

Does Jesus Thirst for Your Love? A Lenten Reflection

This homily reflects on the theme of thirst, both physical and spiritual, drawing parallels between the Israelites' thirst in the desert, the Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus, and Jesus's own thirst on the cross. It emphasizes that Jesus thirsts for our love and challenges listeners to consider if they also thirst for Him, especially during Lent, as a renewal of their commitment as disciples.

The Cup of Sacrificial Love: What True Discipleship Demands

The homily reflects on the Gospel passage where the mother of James and John seeks positions of honor for her sons, immediately after Jesus speaks of his impending suffering and death. The priest highlights the disciples' and our own tendency to prioritize ambition and status over sacrificial love and service, urging listeners to embrace the 'cup of sacrificial love' as true discipleship.