Homilies about resurrection

A Life of Grace: Patricia Mulligan's Enduring Faith and Kindness

The homily celebrates the life of Patricia Mulligan, emphasizing her constant kindness, compassion, and unwavering faith despite personal loss. The priest encourages her grandchildren to remember her deep roots and to speak to her in prayer, assuring them of her continued presence with God and the promise of resurrection.

A 95-Year Symphony: Remembering Claude Bonang's Life, Faith, and Legacy

Manior Mark Karen

The homily for Claude Bonang's funeral emphasizes the Christian hope in the resurrection, contrasting Lazarus's temporary return to life with Jesus's transformative resurrection. It highlights that through baptism, believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection, offering comfort and assurance that Claude will experience eternal life without suffering. The homily also includes a eulogy from Claude's son, Tim, who shares personal anecdotes and reflects on Claude's life through five key aspects: faith, family, his connection to Bowden College, his passion for teaching, and his love for music.

Rolling Away the Stones: Finding Hope and Resurrection in Troubled Times

Father John Hurley

The homily challenges listeners to 'roll away the stones' in their lives that prevent them from experiencing God's glory, drawing parallels to the raising of Lazarus. It emphasizes that hope, even a little, can be dangerous because it's hard to stop once alive, and encourages embracing the cross as a path to resurrection in daily life, not just physical death. The speaker also shares personal anecdotes and invites reflections from the congregation, highlighting the church's role in providing comfort and support during troubled times.

Cómo Enfocarse en las Maravillas de Dios en un Mundo Lleno de Mal

Father Gary Sender

The homily emphasizes shifting focus from the world's negativity to God's enduring wonders, love, and mercy, especially during Lent. It encourages believers to remember Christ's death and resurrection as the ultimate triumph over evil, sin, and death, rather than dwelling on the bad news of the world.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem and Christ's Divinity: Sharing in God's Life

The homily connects the Isaiah reading's theme of eschatological hope and calling prisoners out of darkness to Jesus's resurrection of Lazarus and his own power over death. It also highlights the memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, emphasizing his defense of Christ's divinity against the Arian heresy and the concept of Christ being consubstantial with the Father, allowing humanity to share in his divinity.

Finding New Life in Christ: A Funeral Homily for Bobby Sandown

The homily, delivered at a funeral Mass for Robert "Bobby" Sandown, emphasizes the Christian understanding of death not as an end, but as a transition to new life in Christ. Drawing on scripture, it highlights that through baptism, we are united with Christ's death and resurrection, and that those who give of themselves in this life will find eternal life. The priest encourages the faithful to remember Bobby's life as an example of one chosen by God.

Waiting for Heaven: How Christ's Cross Gives Us Hope in Our Journey

The homily connects the Old Testament promise of a new heaven and earth with the Gospel story of the royal official whose son is healed. It emphasizes that while we are on a journey awaiting the fulfillment of God's promises, we have already been given the ultimate sign of His love through Christ's sacrifice on the cross and resurrection, which opened the gates to heaven.

Finding Hope in Grief: A Funeral Homily on Christ's Promise of Resurrection

This homily, delivered at a funeral during the Great Fast, emphasizes that while grief is natural, Christians do not grieve without hope. It highlights the Byzantine Catholic belief that death is not the final word, but a passage to eternal life, already pledged through the Eucharist and fulfilled when Christ calls his servants home. The homily connects the deceased's life of faith and reception of the sacraments to the promise of resurrection and comfort.

La Muerte No Es el Final: Esperanza en la Resurrección

This homily, delivered at a funeral Mass for Graciano, emphasizes that death is not the final word, but rather life, as promised by God through Christ's resurrection. It encourages the faithful to live this difficult reality from a perspective of faith, entrusting Graciano's soul to God's compassionate and merciful love, and praying for comfort for his grieving family.

Lent: Preparing for the New Creation and Your Rebirth

The homily connects the Gospel reading about Jesus working on the Sabbath to God's continuous work in sustaining creation and initiating a new creation through Christ's resurrection. It emphasizes that Lent is a time for personal renewal and rebirth, preparing individuals to share in the joyful new life offered by Christ at Easter through confession and amendment of life.

God is Always at Work: Understanding Jesus' Sabbath Healing

The homily reflects on Jesus's response to being persecuted for healing on the Sabbath, emphasizing that God is always at work, even on the Sabbath, through His grace and ongoing creation. It connects this to the mystery of the resurrection and God's unfailing remembrance of His people, encouraging deeper reflection on these mysteries during Lent.

Why We Give the Devil Too Much "Free Publicity"

This homily, delivered during what appears to be a Rosary devotion rather than a Mass, critiques the modern tendency to overemphasize the devil's presence and power. The speaker reminds the faithful that Christ's resurrection signifies his triumph over death and evil, and that focusing on Christ and the Eucharist provides sufficient protection and salvation, rather than giving "free publicity" to the devil.

Does God's Law Bring Life or Death?

The homily explores the apparent contradiction between the Old Testament law, which promises life, and St. Paul's statement that the written code kills. It clarifies that the 'law' in the Old Testament refers not just to a legal code but to the stories of God's people, revealing their sinfulness and need for a Messiah. Jesus fulfills this law, bringing about a new covenant where individuals can find life and resurrection through mercy, even in their sinfulness.

Finding Joy in Suffering: The Light of Christ on Laetare Sunday

The homily addresses the challenge of rejoicing on Laetare Sunday amidst current suffering and war, emphasizing that Christian joy is rooted in Christ's resurrection and his presence in our trials. It connects the readings to the theme of spiritual enlightenment, urging believers to not only confess their faith but to live it out through actions, following Christ as the true light out of sin and darkness.

Finding Comfort: How Your Loved One is Still Present After Death

The homily for Johanna G. Napkori's funeral emphasizes that death is not an end but a 'passing' into a new, deeper relationship with Christ and the communion of saints. The priest encourages mourners to cherish a single, sacred memory of Johanna, using it to feel her continued presence through the Holy Spirit, and to find comfort in the belief that she now intercedes for them before God.

La Muerte No Es el Final: Esperanza en la Resurrección

This homily, delivered at a funeral Mass for Felipe Montaño, emphasizes the Christian belief in resurrection and eternal life. It offers comfort by stating that the dead are not truly gone, but their souls are in God's hands. The priest encourages the faithful to live a life of forgiveness, conversion, and love, preparing daily for a good death, and to maintain faith in Jesus as the resurrection and the life.

Believing Without Seeing: Why Jesus Wants You to Trust His Word Alone

The homily explores the maturation of faith, moving from a need for signs and wonders to a trust solely in Jesus's word. Drawing on the Gospel of John, it contrasts the royal official's initial demand for a sign with the Samaritan woman's belief based purely on conversation, and Thomas's doubt, ultimately emphasizing the blessing for those who believe without seeing. The priest shares a personal anecdote about a young couple whose five-year-old died, challenging listeners to hold onto faith in the resurrection based on Christ's word alone.

The Power of Persistent Faith: How God Makes All Things New

The homily explores the concept of 'newness' as presented in Isaiah and the Gospel of John, distinguishing between mere improvement and the radical transformation of resurrection. It emphasizes the royal official's persistent faith in the face of Jesus' initial resistance, highlighting that God works in diverse and unexpected ways to bring about healing and redemption, often testing our faith.

Why Laetare Sunday is a Time of Joy, Not Just Penance

Father Paul

The homily emphasizes that Lent is a time of joy and preparation for Christ's resurrection, not just penance. Drawing on the Gospel of the man born blind, the priest highlights that true sight is seeing with the heart and understanding God's mercy and forgiveness, rather than attributing suffering to karma or divine punishment. He encourages the faithful to be ready for Easter, recognizing Christ as the light who conquers darkness.

How Your Suffering Can Bring New Life Through Christ's Sacrifice

The homily explains that the greatest commandments—loving God and neighbor—are not just 'worth more' than sacrifices, but *are* the sacrifice, perfectly embodied by Jesus on the cross. It emphasizes that through Christ, all our sufferings, griefs, and pains can be united to his sacrifice, transforming them into pleasing offerings that lead to resurrection and new life, rather than despair.