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He was born early in the seventh century in the East. His birthplace is unclear: the Great Horologion says that he was born in eastern Arabia (present-day Qatar); the Synaxarion that he was born in Kurdistan. While still young he entered the Lavra of St Matthew with his brother, but after a few years of monastic life, having advanced far in obedience and the practice of prayer, he withdrew into the desert. His reputation for holiness reached the city of Nineveh, where the people prevailed on the hierarchy to consecrate him as their bishop in 670. Reluctantly but obediently, St Isaac took up the duties of shepherd of his flock in Nineveh. After a few months, he was called on to settle a dispute between two of the faithful, but they rejected his counsel and said 'Leave your Gospel out of this matter!' The holy bishop said, 'If they are not prepared to obey Our Lord's commandments, what need have they of me?', and retired to live as a hermit in the mountains of Kurdistan. Later, he settled in the monastery of Raban Shapur, where he wrote his Ascetical Homilies and other jewel-like works on the spiritual life. There he reposed in peace. The fame of St Isaac' Homilies spread, and about one hundred years after their writing they were translated from Syriac into Greek by two monks in Palestine. In this form they spread throughout the monastic world, becoming a treasured guide to those who seek the fullness of the life of prayer. The Synaxarion says, "The book of Saint Isaac is, with the Ladder of Saint John Climacus, the indispensible guide for every Orthdox soul to journey safely toward God. Hence, not many years ago, a holy spiritual father, Jerome of Egina (d. 1966), recommended begging, if necessary, in order to be able to purchase a copy." We are blessed to have a good translation of the Ascetical Homilies available in English. Saint Isaac is a very unusual case of an Orthodox Saint who lived outside the canonical boundaries of the Church: he was a bishop of the "Nestorian" communion, now sometimes called the "Oriental Orthodox." The purity of his own Orthodox faith is so clearly evident in his writings that the Church has nonetheless recognized his sanctity.
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Homily by Fr. Francis Mary Roaldi, CFR.
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass on January 27, 2026, at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings 2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19 Mark 3:31-35 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Memorial)
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass on January 26, 2026, at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Mark 3:22-30 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
God trusts us with a mission to bring His Word to the world. Do we respond to this mission with open hearts and minds, or are we worried of what others think of us. When Jesus speaks, how do we respond? Come, follow us: Parish Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify Music
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Send us a textCheck out the JIBM Web site at: https://www.joeinblackministries.com/Please use the following link if you would like to financially support Church of the Holy Family: https://pushpay.com/g/hfgrandblanc?sr…Support the show
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Original Airdate: January 22, 2023 Isaiah 8:23—9:3 | 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 | Matthew 4:12-23 Almighty, everliving God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure that, in the name of your Beloved Son, we might be found in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mass Readings for Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 25, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 8:23-9:3 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 27:1, 4, 13-14 Reading 2, Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23
Week 2 of a teaching of how to find God in the ordinary.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass on January 25, 2026, at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings Is 8:23-9:3-1 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 Mt 4:12-23 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
Listen to Fr. Steve's homily from 1/25/25.Thanks for listening! Please leave us a rating and/or review, and share on social media or with a friend! You can email ashley@rootedinthereallyreal.com with any questions or suggestions. God bless.
Father Davison preaches the homily on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time The question is not IF God will show up, but HOW will God show up. There are times in our lives when it seems like there is no way forward. There are times when it seems like there is no way God can come through on His promises. There are times when it seems like God will not show up. But God always does in a way only He knows. Mass Readings from January 25, 2026: Isaiah 8:23—9:3 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-141 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
St. Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
Father Mattingly preaches on the Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord.
Father Mattingly preaches on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.
Father Mattingly preaches on The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Father Mattingly preaches on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.
Send us a textAll four of these disciples leave their fishing nets, but they do not stop fishing. They are now, in the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, fishers for people. Their past has not been wiped out; it has been transformed by Jesus' call to follow. I have Mass on Sunday, January 25 at St. Isidore @ 9:30/11:30 amfrjoedailey@gmail.com
The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012426.cfmFather Jason Lewis, MIC confronts a question that has echoed since the time of Christ: Who is Jesus, really? As the Gospel recounts, some of Jesus' own relatives believed He was “out of his mind,” while the scribes accused Him of acting by the power of evil. Yet Jesus' works—healing the sick, casting out demons, forgiving sins—force a decision that cannot be avoided.Father Jason draws on the classic trilemma, popularized by C.S. Lewis: Jesus can only be one of three things—lunatic, liar, or Lord. A mere “good moral teacher” is not an option. As Lewis argued, a man who claimed divine authority and spoke as Jesus did could not simply be misunderstood or exaggerated. Either His claims were false, making Him gravely deceptive or delusional, or they were true, demanding our faith and obedience. Scripture itself bears witness to this truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:1, 14; NABRE).The Church has always proclaimed this same confession of faith. Saint Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16; NABRE), not by human reasoning alone, but by revelation from the Father. Father Jason reminds us that the fruit of Christ's life and teachings confirms this identity. Lies do not produce saints. Deception does not transform the world through sacrificial love, truth, and mercy across centuries.Because Jesus is Lord, He does more than teach—He gives Himself. In the Eucharist, entrusted to the Apostles and handed down through the priesthood, Christ remains truly present to nourish His people and draw them into divine life. This is the heart of the Gospel and the foundation of Christian faith.To grow deeper in your understanding of how Christ continues His saving work through the Sacraments, explore Understanding the Sacraments at ShopMercy.org. ★ Support this podcast ★
Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:38
Send us a textCheck out the JIBM Web site at: https://www.joeinblackministries.com/Please use the following link if you would like to financially support Church of the Holy Family: https://pushpay.com/g/hfgrandblanc?sr…Support the show
St. Isaac the Syrian does not allow us the comfortable fiction that we can want less than everything and still be safe. His words strip away a thousand modern compromises. To say I only wish to escape Gehenna but not to enter the Kingdom is for him a form of madness. There are not three places. There are two. To fall short of the Kingdom is already to enter the place of loss. Hell is not merely fire but exclusion. It is the outer darkness of having turned away from the Face that was offered. The tragedy is not that we were punished but that we did not desire enough. This is why the spiritual life cannot be treated as damage control. We are not here merely to avoid catastrophe. We are here to be transfigured. Christ did not come so that we might barely survive eternity but so that we might shine as the sun in the Kingdom of the Father. Every half hearted approach to faith is therefore a refusal of glory. It is not humility. It is fear disguised as prudence. Isaac calls us to a hunger that dares to want everything God wants to give. From this flows his severe counsel about silence and withdrawal. He is not condemning love of neighbor. He is defending the integrity of the heart. If a man seeks to heal others while losing his own clarity then his charity has become a form of self betrayal. A clouded mind cannot give light. A weakened conscience cannot give strength. To remain in constant exposure when one is not yet stable is not heroism. It is negligence. Isaac insists that the first obedience is to guard the sanctuary of the heart. When the heart is healthy it teaches without words. When it is sick even holy words become hollow. Here he shows something deeply uncomfortable for our age. Being seen is not the same as being holy. Being useful is not the same as being whole. One can be busy for God while drifting away from Him. To be far from men in order to be with God is not selfishness when it preserves the soul. In time such a life benefits others more than any speech because it radiates truth rather than merely talking about it. This leads to Isaac's terrifying diagnosis of how corruption begins. The devil does not start with fornication. He starts with vainglory. He offers the sweetness of being admired for virtue. It seems harmless. It even feels spiritual. Yet the moment the mind steps out of its refuge to taste this praise the door is opened. What begins as spiritual self regard becomes sensual fantasy. What was once clear becomes confused. The fall is not sudden. It is incremental and therefore more deadly. One indulgence prepares the next. The first passion creates the conditions for the second. The remedy is not endless argument with thoughts. Isaac is blunt. To wrestle with passions once they have filled the imagination is already to be weakened. Images and idols are stamped upon the mind. The heart loses its simplicity. The truer strategy is to outrun them by remembrance of virtue and God. When the soul turns immediately toward what is pure and beautiful the invading thoughts find no place to lodge. They depart without leaving a trace. Everything in these pages converges on one demand. We must want God more than our safety more than our reputation more than our consolations and more than our sins. The Kingdom is not won by those who merely avoid falling but by those who run. To hold anything back is already to drift toward the outer darkness. To give everything is to begin even now to shine. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:12 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Humility Real? - how heart react when another wounds us Is our understanding of the Kingdom and its light childish or rooted in mature faith Do we desire the kingdom or look for an in-between state Do we teach others before we are healed? Enemy is subtle - vainglorious to focus on sin or temptation. Should focus on virtue. Resolve and labor tied together Virtue must be practiced otherwise we are like a fledgling without feathers Humility, fervor, tears can be lost through negligence Affliction should ultimately give way to hope. Should not seek ways to avoid the cross • 11. Begin with courage. Don't divide the soul but trust God absolutely 00:02:42 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 173 00:04:04 Una's iPhone: It's the feast of St Agnes today, my name day 00:04:24 Una's iPhone: Una is Agnes in Irish 00:05:06 Una's iPhone: Those early virgins would have lived at home 00:05:24 Una's iPhone: Like hermits of a sort 00:08:16 Anna: We're going to get hit hard. Prayers for my children and I not to lose power. 00:08:26 Anna: GA 00:08:28 Anna: Ice 00:14:38 read.ai meeting notes: noah added read.ai meeting notes to the meeting. Read provides AI generated meeting summaries to make meetings more effective and efficient. View our Privacy Policy at https://www.read.ai/pp Type "read stop" to disable, or "opt out" to delete meeting data. 00:17:49 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 173, # 14, final paragraph 00:26:57 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 174, # 15, first paragraph 00:33:18 Ryan Ngeve: Father if we ought to hide our virtues from others for the sake of humility, how then are we to teach others through our example 00:50:13 Jonathan Grobler: Once heard someone say, in the lines off, a true reflection of the health of a parish, is how long the confession line is. 00:51:04 Ben: Anna says; As a mother, I feel this exhortation to my bones. I have these little people to teach, who have much greater purity of heart than I. 00:54:57 Jesssica Imanaka: I love the suggestion that families in a parish should meet to discuss the asceticism of parenthood and to help and support each other in that. 00:56:43 Eleana Urrego: Mother Teresa said is not doing a lot of things, but to do the small things with love. 00:57:08 Bob Čihák, AZ: Here's most of what I know about St. Charbel: https://www.ncregister.com/features/devotion-to-st-sharbel-grows-in-us 00:58:20 Eleana Urrego: Reacted to "Here's most of what ..." with
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass on January 23, 2026, at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings 1 Sm 24:3-21 Mk 3:13-19 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
In the Eucharist, we find peace, joy, love, hope and so many things that the world is desperately in need of. We are able to be Christ Himself out in the world, bringing Him to light the dark places. Come, follow us: Parish Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify Music
Father Gabe Cillo, MIC, reflects on the witness of St. Marianne Cope, an immigrant and religious sister who did not hesitate when the call came to serve those suffering from leprosy on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii. While dozens of religious communities declined to send their members to serve, her community said yes. Saint Marianne went without fear, spending decades caring for the sick and dying, including St. Damien of Molokai in his final days. Her courage was not rooted in human strength, but in a supernatural certainty: Every person, especially the abandoned and suffering, bears the image and likeness of God.As death draws near, what remains essential becomes unmistakably clear. Father Gabe reminds us that in moments of illness, isolation, or approaching death, the soul longs for God with a new urgency. The Eucharist, a priestly blessing, and the presence of someone who comes “in the name of Jesus” are no longer small consolations; they are lifelines. Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:51; NABRE).The saints understood this with great clarity. Saint Marianne Cope and St. Damien found their strength in the same source that sustains the Church today: the Most Blessed Sacrament. At the Last Supper, Christ entrusted Himself to the Apostles, commanding them, “Do this in memory of me,” handing on the gift of His Body and Blood through the priesthood across the ages. In the Eucharist, Christ remains truly present — Body, Blood, soul, and Divinity — faithful to His people until the end of Time.This living presence of Jesus is what steadies the heart when eternity comes into view. It is where the saints found courage, and where we, too, are invited to find our hope.To deepen your understanding of the Sacraments, explore Understanding the Sacraments at ShopMercy.org. ★ Support this podcast ★
Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time. Today's readings First Reading: 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Psalm: Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11 Gospel: Mark 3:13-19 Catholic Radio Network
Fr. Maximo Stock Homily - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday, January 18, 2026
Never lose sight of what we value or care for or our own selves
Homily from the Mass offered on Thursday, January 22nd -1st Reading:1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7 - Gospel Reading: Mark 3:7-12 - To support the podcast financially, click here: https://stpiuscda.org/online-giving
Homily from the Mass offered on Friday, January 23rd -1st Reading: 1 Samuel 24:3-21 - Gospel Reading: Mark 3:13-19 - To support the podcast financially, click here: https://stpiuscda.org/online-giving
23 January 2026
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Send us a textCheck out the JIBM Web site at: https://www.joeinblackministries.com/Please use the following link if you would like to financially support Church of the Holy Family: https://pushpay.com/g/hfgrandblanc?sr…Support the show
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
As headlines stir anxiety about the possibility of global conflict, Fr. Matthew Tomeny,MIC, turns our attention to a war already raging — one that has claimed more innocentlives than any battlefield in history. While nations prepare for external enemies, theChurch is called to confront a deeper crisis: the systematic destruction ofhuman life in the womb.Scripture teaches that peace is never merely political. It is moral and spiritual, what St.Augustine called the “tranquility of order.” When life is no longer received as a gift,society drifts into darkness. Jesus warns us plainly that without Him, humanity remainslost, but with Him we find “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6; NABRE). TheCatechism affirms that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from themoment of conception (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2270). This is not optionalteaching; it is foundational.Father Matthew explains that even where legal victories have been achieved, thedeeper battle continues in hearts and in culture. Laws alone cannot restore what hasbeen lost. A culture of life requires conversion, sacrifice, and reparation. Saint Faustinaunderstood this when she offered suffering for grave sins against life, appealing to theDivine Mercy to hold back judgment and bring repentance. Her Diary reveals that nosin, however grave, is greater than God's mercy when hearts turn back to Him (Diary ofSaint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 699).The call of the faithful is to pray, especially on days set aside by the bishops, for theprotection of unborn children. True peace will not come through fear or force, butthrough surrender — through trust in the mercy of God and a renewed commitment tochastity, responsibility, and reverence for life.Christ desires life, not death. When the Church proclaims this truth without compromise,she becomes a sign of hope in a world searching for peace.To deepen your understanding of Divine Mercy and reparation for sin, explore the Diaryof St. Faustina available at ShopMercy.org. ★ Support this podcast ★
Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Today's readings First Reading: 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7 Psalm: Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13 Gospel: Mark 3:7-12 Catholic Radio Network
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Send us a textCheck out the JIBM Web site at: https://www.joeinblackministries.com/Please use the following link if you would like to financially support Church of the Holy Family: https://pushpay.com/g/hfgrandblanc?sr…Support the show
St. Agnes, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial)
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass on January 21, 2026, at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 Mark 3:1-6 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast