Monday Morning Homilist

We turn on the mics for one final (regular) episode and it's only fitting we bring MMH to a close reflecting on the simplicity of Christmas. It's been a joy doing this over the past 3 years and we thank our faithful listeners and followers.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

With 9 days to go until Christmas, this week's reflection is simple: what brings you joy?  In sports, we quickly determine that our local teams definitely don't!

It's a wide-ranging episode today after a long but incredibly fun and successful Parish Fair Weekend. After a special announcement, we connect the dots between Advent, Mary, the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation, road construction, confession, and the fire at Notre Dame and it's re-opening this weekend. Enjoy the show! In the sports segment, we share our thoughts on the CFP bracket and the logic (or lack thereof) of the committee.

We're back for Advent with a simple message for the season - Run to Jesus!! Amid all the "busy-ness" of the holiday season, and with great anticipation for the celebration of Christmas, the prayers of the Mass for Advent implore us to run towards the Lord. May these next several weeks be filled with not only hopeful expectation but with intentional prayer and heartfelt preparation to make our hearts and home a welcome place for the Lord.

This weekend's Gospel is providential for the week ahead, as the Lord challenges us to love with everything we've got - all our mind, all our heart, all our soul and all our strength. Listen in as we attempt to describe what that looks like. In sports, the Cam Ward show continues, the Dolphins lose another heartbreaker (but look much better!), and we start looking ahead to the College Football Playoff rankings and potential matchups.

We're back after a week off and this weekend's Gospel encounter between Jesus and the blind man, Bartimaeus, gives us plenty to reflect on throughout the week ahead. Jesus' question, "what do you want me to do?" Bartimaeus' eager response to the call of the Lord. The initial reaction of the disciples and their shift in attitude when Christ acknowledges Bartimaeus. Listen in as we peel back so many layers of this beautiful encounter. In sports, the 'Canes beat the 'Noles and everything else is just noise. Is there some ACC chaos brewing, though??

This weekend's Gospel account of the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man offers us an opportunity to reflect on the price of discipleship. What it is in our life that is holding us back from spiritual greatness? What is it that the Lord is challenging us to give up, sell, or walk away from in order to follow Him?  In sports, the Panthers are back in action and we were there for the banner raising on Opening Night, College Football is doing College Football things, Fr Manny puts on his baseball commissioner hat to solve the problem with the Postseason, and the Dolphins couldn't hurt us this weekend!

This week we share Fr. Manny's homily for Respect Life Sunday. Please share it and join us in our efforts to defeat Amendment 4 this November.

It's an Izzy Monday!  Izzy returns to the podcast to help us breakdown the homily of Salesian Priest, Father Pat Andelucci, a family friend of hers.  We talk about what Jesus requires of us to be his disciples and the cost of being silent in the face of evil.  "Jesus feeds us. Jesus challenges us." In sports, Ashley returns from her west coast trip and gives us a first-hand account of being present for the last baseball game of the A's in the Oakland Coliseum. Emotional stuff here.  We also whip around the NFL and ask who the best team is right now.  Brief talk about the Canes thrilling victory over Va. Tech, and it wasn't a catch! 

This week we reflect on our experience at the Live Like Bella Annual Ball and the providential connection to Sunday's Gospel as Jesus reminds us of our need to be childlike, embracing our littleness and relying on God our Father in everything. In sports, we witnessed some extraordinary baseball history (and Fr. Manny went viral on X!), the 'Canes keep rolling, and Ashley just happens to call in from the West Coast while we're recording and gives us her take on the Dolphins game. It's Fr. Manny's birthday today so please offer up a special prayer for him and consider making a special donation to Live Like Bella. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!  

This Catechetical Sunday weekend, we reflect on the importance of Christian Service in the life of a missionary disciple. In reading from the Letter of St. James, we are challenged to "demonstrate [our] faith... from [our] works." This same challenge is given to us again by the Lord in the Gospel as He summoned the disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." What are some types of service we can challenge ourselves to take up this week? In sports, It's All About the U as Cam Ward continues to make an early case for the Heisman. Jorge rants about lightning protocols and delays. And hello early-season chaos in the NFL! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Do we recognize God's voice?  Do we make time every day to sit in silence with the Holy Scriptures to listen to Him?  Jesus cures the deaf man in the gospel of Mark and brings him away from the crowd and all the noise of the world to open his ears and his mouth.  May we open our ears to listen to God and open our mouth to proclaim our faith. In sports, the NFL has begun, and we dissect the Dolphins' close win on opening weekend plus whip around the NFL.  We also revisit the Canes victory over the Gators since we couldn't last week and talk about the rest of college football.  Go Fins! Go Canes!

Special Labor Day episode today as Ashley and Jorge ask Father Manny about his time as priest chaplain of the Miami Dolphins. Father connects this ministry of presence to yesterday's readings where St. James calls us to put our faith into action.  Ashley has a lot of questions about Father Manny's experience on the sidelines.  You don't want to miss this. In sports, Ashley and Father do an NFL season preview and breakdown the 2024 Dolphins season and the challenges of this roster.  Jorge looks to defend his crown as our Pick Em Champion.  You can join the MMH Pick 'Em Challenge HERE.  Go Fins!

As we conclude our Sunday readings on the 6th Chapter of John this weekend, we read in both the First Reading and the Gospel parallel accounts of major decision points in the life of a believer. Can we double-down in following the Lord, despite its challenges and demands? To whom shall we go? May we all, despite our own shortcomings, be able to proudly and sincerely say - and live:  As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! In sports, College Football is back and we've already got chaos! We preview the UM Football schedule ahead of our season opener this coming weekend. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Surprise! It's our Season 8 debut! Over the past few weekends, we've been hearing from the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John, collectively known as the Bread of Life Discourse, so our reflections today are all on the Eucharist, aided by some of the amazing talks and images coming from this past Summer's National Eucharistic Congress held in Indianapolis. Click here to learn more about the Mass Explained book we reference. In our sports segment, we look back on the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup championship run and the highlights of the Paris Summer Olympics. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

It's our Season 7 finale and Fr Andrew joins in as a special guest for the entire episode as we're talking First Communions, broken ACs, Pentecost, truth, the winds of change, obedience, and priestly assignments.  In sports, the Panthers are moving on to the ECF against the Rangers, Fr Andrew gives a way-too-early prediction on his New York Giants season, and we're cautiously optimistic about the 'Canes this fall.  Be sure to stick around through the end as Fr Andrew bids the podcast farewell ahead of his June re-assignment to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

It's our second to last episode before summer break and this week is all about Mother's Day and the Ascension. You'd probably never associate the two things together, but Fr Manny threads the needle beautifully and leads us into a great discussion on the love and sacrifice of motherhood and what that can teach us about living out our faith daily. In sports, the Panthers steal a game in Boston (yes, we think we got away with one - but no complaints here!) and are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. And we're talking a little golf... of our own! Game on!

This episode goes longer than usual and honestly, we could have probably kept going! This weekend's Gospel has so much depth to it as we discern and live out our Christian vocations and Christ's call to lay down one's life for your friends - the ultimate act of love. In sports, it's race weekend - from the Kentucky Derby's photo finish to the closest finish in NASCAR history, to the spectacle that was the F1 Miami Grand Prix. Now it's time for some more Panthers hockey! #BeatBoston

This week we're talking wine... I mean, vine! Without Jesus, we can do nothing. The call and challenge of the Gospel this week is to remain connected to the vine and allow the Lord to prune whatever needs pruning, so that we can bear fruit abundantly!

It's Good Shepherd Sunday, so pray for priests and pray for vocations! This week's episode is all about the Good Shepherd, willing to suffer and give his life for his flock. This is just as true about Jesus as it is about the priesthood.  In sports, it's playoff time for the Panthers and Heat! The Marlins finally didn't lose a series! 

It's another milestone day on MMH as we've completed the full 3-Year cycle of readings and are right back where we started on Day 1 in 2021! It's also a milestone day in the parish as our STS 2nd graders celebrated their First Communion this weekend and our season of sacramental celebrations is well underway.  On this week's podcast, we reflect on the response of the disciples as Jesus again appears to them. Is our own response to the Lord one of fear and skepticism or is it one of incredulous joy? What does finding the peace that Christ offers us look like? In sports, Jorge finally watched the Masters and we gear up for Panthers playoff hockey on tap, and the Heat in the play-in tournament! 

Happy Easter! We're back from a brief post-Easter break and it's a jam-packed episode as we talk about Holy Week, Easter weekend, Divine Mercy, and "Quasimodo Sunday." Queue up the bells of Notre Dame! As we reflect on these last two weeks and continue praying for our 15 newly baptized parishioners, the invitation this week is to pray for the grace to feel forgiven. Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. In sports, we air out our frustration with the Marlins, talk Women's Basketball, and Fr Manny attempts to bring wrestling into the conversation but is quickly shut down! 

Fr Manny and Jorge both have the week off but will be back on Monday, April 8th to fill you in on Quasimodo Sunday. Wait, what?! Tune in next week to learn more! In the meantime, here's Fr Manny's Easter Homily.

After spending some time reflecting on the Palm Sunday liturgy, we reflect on Jesus' last words on the cross in the Gospel of Mark.  He cries out to his Father, and the response is...silence.  How many times have we turned to God in moments of trial and desperation and have heard only silence from God?  We are invited as we begin Holy Week to confront the silence of the cross and enter into the passion of our Lord. In sports, Father Manny and Jorge sift through the rubble of their NCAA Tournament brackets.  We recap a good weekend for the Panthers and an even better weekend for the USA Men's Soccer Team.  Finally, we preview the upcoming MLB season while doing a very deep dive on what is going on with Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter's huge gambling debt.  Could it really take down baseball's biggest star?

On this V Sunday of Lent we begin the period known as Passiontide. You may have noticed the church looked a little different than usual as we veiled the statues for the first time in many years. As we continue moving towards Holy Week and the celebration of the Lord's Passion, we are called to enter into that suffering with him.  In sports, we're starting to talk baseball, with Opening Day just around the corner! And get ready for March Madness! To join our tournament challenge, reach out via email and we'll send back the link. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

We're 3 Sunday away from Easter and as we come into the home stretch of Lent, the call for this week is to embrace the cross. It's only fitting that our church AC went out this Sunday and we were all made to feel a little uncomfortable during Mass. There's a profound lesson to be learned in being comfortable with the uncomfortable! In the second segment, Jorge finally made it out to an InterMiami soccer match and Fr Manny recaps his Oscars scorecard. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

As we hit the halfway point of Lent, it's a perfect opportunity to pause and reflect: are we any different today than we were on Ash Wednesday? As we hear the Gospel account of Jesus tossing tables in the Temple, take these final weeks of Lent to let the Lord come into your heart and begin to toss tables and drive out sin. In sports, it was a winning weekend as we continue through the mid-season lull.  Stay tuned through the end as Fr. Manny previews the 2024 Oscars! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

It's a pretty wide-ranging episode this week as we cover Sunday's readings, a holocaust survivor's presentation to our school's 6th graders, sacred silence, and learning how to pray. In sports, we scratch and claw for something to talk about and finally landed on trying to make sense of the upcoming 12-team College Football Playoff format. If you come out of the segment confused, you're in good company! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Time and again in the Bible, God enters in covenants with his people.  Today we talk about the promises that God makes to us and if we hold up our end of these covenants. Lent is a time to recommit ourselves to the life we are called to live as Christians.  The ashes we received on Ash Wednesday are a sign of that commitment to keep our end of God's covenant with us. In the second segment, we are in a sports wasteland, so we dive into a recently published list of the greatest songs of all time.  Let's just say that many hot takes are given.  Happy Presidents Day!

It's Super Bowl Monday and we take the opportunity to dive deep into not just the weekend readings in the leadup to Lent, but also the buzzy "He Gets Us" Super Bowl commercial. The entire Lenten season is a prolonged "Come to Jesus" moment. What is it that we want to bring to Him ahead of our Easter celebrations this year? Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

In this week's Gospel we hear Jesus teach with authority. Do we allow Him to the time and space to speak with that same authority in our lives? What does trusting in the Lord really look like in the day-to-day journey of faith? In sports - Taylor Swift the Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl against the Niners. We come out firing with some hot takes on both of the Conference Championship Games.

In our Season 7 debut we recap the ADOM/COTLF pilgrimage to the March for Life this past weekend before diving into the Sunday readings. Can you recall a time you recognized or responded to the call of the Lord? Cherish that memory and revisit it often! In sports, we say farewell to the Dolphins and look ahead to the Conference Championship matchups and Super Bowl.

It's our Season 6 finale! With one week to go before Christmas, this week is all about JOY, which is the true mark of a Christian. "A joyless Christian is a useless Christian." What is it that brings you joy? We'll be off until mid-January when we return for Season 7, so we wish all our listeners and friends a blessed final week of Advent, a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! 

With 2 weeks left until Christmas, we hear the call from St. John the Baptist to "make straight the way for the Lord." If we take that message to heart, we can understand it as a call to live an authentic Christianity - one that may be uncomfortable and unpopular, but also one that will bring with it a deep and abiding Peace. As we continue preparing our hearts and homes for Christmas, we discuss what it really means to make a place for the Lord in our life. In sports, the NFL had another week of crazy upsets, MLB trades and free agent signings are starting to heat up (Ohtani signed for how much!?), and we want bowl season chaos!  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

We enter into the liturgical season of Advent on Parish Fair weekend, and what a beautiful weekend it was! We reflect on the joys and successes of the Parish Fair and the incredible sense of community that is fostered on those fair grounds. As we begin the Advent journey to Christmas, we break down the first reading from Isaiah. They say it's the hope that kills you, but we couldn't disagree more! In sports (or what little of it we caught this weekend): It's all about CFP controversy! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

It's Christ the King and as we soon begin our Advent preparations for Christmas, we first contemplate Jesus' place in our lives. Is Christ really the king of our heart? Is he really the center of our lives? In sports, both the 'Canes and Dolphins took care of business on Black Friday and we start looking ahead to the CFP, bowl projections, and the Dolphins road to the playoffs (and Super Bowl?!)

Father Andrew joins the podcast as two priests compare notes on how they preached the parable of the talents from two totally different perspectives.  How do we share God's blessings? And on this Thanksgiving week, are we aware of the many blessings God gives? In sports, Ashley joins us on this Victory Monday to talk about the Dolphins.  Father Andrew is conflicted about his Giants' victory.  And we're all conflicted about the U's performance on Saturday.   Happy Thanksgiving!

It's our 100th episode and we cover a wide-range of topics as we reflect back on 2.5 years of doing this podcast and dive into this weekend's readings and the wisdom of St. Therese.  No major hot takes in our second segment this week, but we add in plenty of Lion King references! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

It's an Izzy Monday!  Izzy joins Father Manny as we talk about the priests who have made a difference in our lives as we begin National Vocations Awareness Week.  What did Jesus really mean when he said "call no one on earth your father?" In the second segment, we do NOT talk about sports because sports didn't happen this weekend as far as we're concerned.  Izzy and Father compare notes on their favorite movies and discover hilarious truths about their respective movie tastes.

It's a pop-culture-filled episode as we dive into the Greatest Commandment: Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself. It's easier said than done, but once we really fall in love with God, everything changes. Have some fun and listen in as we break it down. In sports, it's another Dolphins Victory Monday and the Canes pull out another overtime winner. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

On this World Mission Sunday, we reflect on the challenging simplicity of giving to God what is God's: our heart and our soul. Despite all the distractions and temptations of the world around us, this radical surrender is possible and we see that most clearly lived out in missions. Are you in or are you out? In sports, Dolphins lose a tough one in Philly but its not all bad news and the Canes pick up a huge and much-needed W this weekend.  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This weekend's Gospel seems harsh and unfair on first read, but Jesus' message couldn't be clearer once you break it down. Are we like the original invitees to the wedding feast, who disregard the call of the King? Or are we like the speechless guest who is thrown out because we may think that just showing up is good enough? The invitation to the Banquet of the Lord brings with it standards, expectations and obligations, we our response to that call cannot be made on our terms. In sports, the Dolphins took care of business again. What's the issue over at UM? And some breaking news on the Marlins front just as we were hitting record! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This week's Gospel parable will - and should - make us very uncomfortable as Jesus illustrates the violent nature of sin. We dive right in as there is no sugar-coating this hard truth. In sports - WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

On Sunday, October 1, 2023, Father Manny launched our parish's Centennial Campaign in anticipation of our 100th anniversary in 3 years.  For those who did not hear his homily, here it is presented without interruption. If you want to be part of this campaign and make a sacrificial gift and three-year pledge, please visit: cotlf.org/centennial

After years of planning, we finally publicly unveiled our plans for the Parish Centennial celebration this weekend! Listen in as we discuss some of the history and inspiration behind the projects and the homiletic gymnastics Fr Manny had to do as he prepared for the big weekend. Please visit www.cotlf.org/centennial to learn more about the Centennial plans and how your sacrificial gift will help us build on our legacy, as we honor our past and now build and maintain for the future! In sports, GET WILD MIAMI!!! The Marlins are in the postseason and the real fun starts now!!  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This weekend's Gospel parable is another provoking one as our response to it provides some good insight. As we hear of the land owner's generosity in dispensing his wealth as he wishes, is our initial reaction one of jealously or joy? This week, we dive into the mercy and goodness of God and what should be the Christian response of joy and celebration when someone comes home - regardless of what time they arrive to the party. In sports, the Dolphins just scored another touchdown! UM took care of business, the Marlins remain in the playoff chase, and the Dolphins just scored another touchdown!  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

We reflect on forgiveness this week, as the Gospel challenges us with the parable of the Wicked Servant. So often, forgiveness - or the refusal to forgive - becomes an obstacle in our spiritual life. It is in the act of forgiving that our call to be like Christ becomes real. It is only in forgiving that we will find the freedom and rest that the Lord promises and wants to give us. In sports, not so fast on football! The Marlins are in the thick of the wildcard chase with two weeks to go!!! The Dolphins take care of business against New England and are looking good two weeks into the season. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This weekend's Gospel challenges us to listen, which is much more difficult than just hearing. To listen requires humility, discernment, and, most importantly, prayer. Look to Mary as an example of how to truly listen - to God and to one another. In sports, it was a winning weekend across the board with huge wins for the 'Canes and the Dolphins. And the Marlins remain in the thick of the wildcard chase entering the final few weeks of the season! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This weekend's readings pack a punch and so does our weekly podcast! Listen in as we reflect on Jeremiah's lament, the call to take up our cross, and the importance of community in the lived experience of our faith. In sports, Ashley and Fr Manny preview the upcoming NFL season and make some wildly fun predictions for the year.  Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Jesus' question posed to Peter is still just as relevant for us today. Who do YOU say that Jesus is? An honest answer to that is very telling of our spiritual life and health ands holds the key to developing a deeper and more sincere relationship with Christ. In sports, Fr Andrew joins Fr Manny to preview the upcoming season of College Football! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

We're back for Season 5! After a much-needed summer break, we hit the ground running and embrace the discomfort of this weekend's Gospel. Did Jesus really insult the Canaanite woman? What is he trying to tell the disciples, and by extension, each of us? In sports, Ashley joins us as we share our Top 3 sports stories from the summer. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!