POPULARITY
Categories
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass December 23, 2025 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 Luke 1:57-66 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
Today's Homily Highlight is from Fr. Tim Furlow, Pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Portland.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.
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 December 22, 2025 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings 1 Sam 1:24-28 Lk 1:46-56 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
There are those in our lives that need the gift of peace from us more than anything this holiday season. Jesus calls us to be instruments of peace as we share a smile, a compliment, or offer forgiveness to those in our lives most in need of it. Come, follow us: Parish Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify Music
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Send us a textFr Joe Krupp homily on the Fourth Sunday of Advent: LoveCheck 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
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Original Airdate: December 18, 2022 Isaiah 7:10-14 | Romans 1:1-7 | Matthew 1:18-24 Pour forth, we beseech you, oh Lord, your grace into our hearts that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his, 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 4th Sunday of Advet - December 21, 2025 Reading 1, Isaiah 7:10-14 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Reading 2, Romans 1:1-7 Gospel, Matthew 1:18-24
This week, Jeremy Daniel concluded our Christmas Grace series with a message from Matthew 1-2. In the incarnation, Christ stepped down to bring hope, push back darkness, and establish His eternal kingdom. Because of who Jesus is and what He has done, we are invited to enter in, stand firm, push back in faith, and bow down in worship before our incomparable King.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass December 21, 2025 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings Is 7:10-14 Rom 1:1-7 Mt 1:18-24 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 12/21/25.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.
Homily given at St. Thomas à Becket on the 4th Sunday of Advent (12/21/25).
Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent (December 21, 2025) Total Time: 11m5s Homily Notes (AI) Click HERE
The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122125.cfmFather Chris, MIC leads us into the hidden strength and obedience of Saint Joseph—a man whose silence speaks louder than words. While Mary's fiat is rightly celebrated, salvation history also depended on Joseph's quiet “yes.” Without it, Jesus would not have had the legal lineage of David, nor the protection and provision of a faithful earthly father.Joseph stands as the head of the Holy Family, chosen by God to guard what was most sacred. Though sinless perfection belonged only to Mary, the Church has long taught that Joseph was sanctified for his mission. Astonishingly, God Himself chose to live in obedience to Mary and Joseph, revealing the dignity of family life and the authority entrusted to fathers.Matthew's Gospel shows us the Nativity through Joseph's eyes. Faced with confusion and fear, Joseph chose charity over judgment. Only after he resolved to act mercifully did God send clarity through an angelic dream. Scripture reminds us that God's guidance often follows—not precedes—acts of trust. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid” (Mt 1:20; NABRE).Saint Joseph models humility, courage, chastity, and obedience to God's will. As patron of the family and the Church—two realities most fiercely attacked—his role is more urgent than ever. His life teaches us that holiness is often hidden, obedience is rarely loud, and faith is proven in action.Saint Joseph, patron of a happy death, pray for us. ★ Support this podcast ★
Homily, Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025, by Pastor, Fr. Jeff VonLehmen
Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent What happens when I don't get what I've been waiting for? All through the Bible, God makes certain promises. He always fulfills them. But we cannot expect God to fulfill a promise that He has never made. No matter what, whether we get what we've waited for or not, we can hope in HIM. Mass Readings from December 21, 2025:Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24
Listen to Fr. Steve's homily from 12/20/25.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.
Send us a textMatthew's telling of Joseph's story empowers us all to take our place on that crowded pageant stage. The rest of us play only supporting roles in the cast. We are not “Gospel leads.” In God's holy dream, we are accepted as we are: partners in God's labor. The Savior is of our own lineage. "Unto us" —all of us— "a child is born."I have Mass on December 21 at St. Isidore @ 7:30/9:30 amThe 7:30 am Sunday Mass will be live-streamed. https://stisidore.church/worship-online/I will have Mass on Christmas Day at St. Isidore @ 8:30 am.frjoedailey@gmail.ccom
The Sign Humanity Could Not Ask For Today's Homily unpacks the Gospel's declaration . . . . . . that Christ's birth fulfills ancient prophecy, urging believers to move beyond a narrow, sentimental view of the Nativity into its vast theological depth. Isaiah's prophecy to King Ahaz reveals humanity's reluctance to hope when confronted with God's generosity: though invited to ask for a sign, the faithless king refuses. God responds by giving the sign anyway . . . one beyond human imagination . . . the Virgin conceiving Emmanuel, “God with us.” This Promise Fulfilled St. Matthew presents this promise fulfilled not in royal splendor, but in the humble home of Joseph, a carpenter of David's line. Faced with shattered expectations and personal disappointment, Joseph chooses mercy over judgment, becoming a living sign of God's way. By welcoming Mary and the child, Joseph receives the divine sign that kings once rejected and becomes the first guardian of salvation's mystery. The meditation concludes by placing us within the drama of Advent: God still asks the same question . . . What do you hope for? The challenge is not merely to believe, but to hope boldly, trusting that God is present and invites us to ask for great things. What does that really mean and what is God really asking? What do you hope for? Listen more to The Sign Humanity Could Not Ask For ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Work The Holy Family: Spanish Painter: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: 1661 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Matthew 1: 18-25 First Reading: Jeremiah 23: 5-8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why was this image selected: Murillo's intimate depiction of the Holy Family emphasizes domestic humility rather than grandeur. It visually reflects the Homily's insight that the throne of David has become a carpenter's house . . . and that this humble dwelling is where God chooses to be “with us.”
Homily from the Mass offered on Friday, December 19th -1st Reading: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a - Gospel Reading: Luke 1:5-25 - To support the podcast financially, click here: https://stpiuscda.org/online-giving
Homily from the Mass offered on Thursday, December 18th -1st Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-8 - Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 - To support the podcast financially, click here: https://stpiuscda.org/online-giving
Homily from the Mass offered on Tuesday, December 16th -1st Reading: Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 - Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:28-32- To support the podcast financially, click here: https://stpiuscda.org/online-giving
Homilies by Cardinal Blase Cupich. Chicago Shares for the homeless. Ministry of Hope mental health awareness.
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
Anchored In Hope with Father Larry Richards - Catholic Faith
What St Isaac exposes here is not a technique but a diagnosis. He is ruthless because the sickness is deep. The soul is meant to be good soil but soil is not neutral ground. It either receives the seed with vigilance or it becomes choked. Remembrance of God is not a poetic feeling but a sustained pressure on the heart a vigilance that does not sleep. When this remembrance is alive the soul becomes a place where God Himself shades and illumines. There is no romance here. Light appears inside darkness not because the darkness is denied but because the soul has chosen to stand watch within it. St Isaac refuses to let us spiritualize our way around the body. The belly is not incidental. What enters the mouth reaches the heart. He speaks bluntly because self deception thrives in vagueness. Excess dulls perception. Pleasure thickens the air of the soul. Wisdom is not stolen from us by demons alone but smothered by our own indulgence. A full belly does not merely weaken resolve it fuels lust because the body has been trained to demand satisfaction. This is not moralism. It is anthropology. The knowledge of God does not coexist with a body that has been enthroned. Here asceticism is revealed as truth telling. It strips away the lie that discipline is punishment. Labor is not opposed to grace. Labor is the ground where grace becomes intelligible. St Isaac compares it to labor pains because knowledge of God is not an idea grasped but a life brought forth. Without toil there is no birth only fantasy. Sloth does not simply delay holiness it gives birth to shame because the soul knows it has avoided the cost of truth. This is where the inner disposition becomes decisive. Asceticism without remembrance hardens into pride. Asceticism without humility becomes violence against the self. But remembrance without discipline dissolves into sentimentality. St Isaac holds them together because life demands it. The question is not how much one fasts or how little one sleeps but whether the heart is consenting to be trained. Discipline embraced with resentment breeds bitterness. Discipline embraced with attention becomes wisdom. In an age starved of living elders this teaching cuts even deeper. We are tempted either to abandon asceticism entirely or to turn it into a private project shaped by personality and preference. St Isaac offers neither comfort. He places responsibility back into the hands of the one who desires God. The absence of elders does not absolve us. It makes inner honesty more urgent. The body becomes the first elder. Hunger teaches restraint. Fatigue teaches humility. Failure teaches mercy. If these are ignored no amount of reading will save us. Christ's closeness to the mouth of the one who endures hardship is not sentimental reassurance. It is promise and warning. He draws near to the body that has consented to the Cross. Not to the body pampered under the language of balance or self care. The care Christ offers is not the removal of hardship but His presence within it. Asceticism then is not heroic excess but fidelity to reality. It is the refusal to live divided. Priceless indeed is labor wrought with wisdom because it produces not control but clarity. The soul begins to see. And once it sees it can no longer pretend. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:50 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 5 00:06:54 susan: how is lori hatari? 00:14:30 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 5 00:27:40 Eleana Urrego: the brain register emotional and physical pain in the same way. 00:29:59 Jessica McHale: A question about ascetic disciplines of the body: I discerned monastic life with an order of nuns that wouldn't let me fast.(3 times a week was all I was asking) and wouldn't allow me to exercise more than a contemplative walk (which is not exercise to me). I feel very much called to fast for spiritual reasons and called to bodily stewardship as well. It's very personal. I coudl never understand how monastic nuns could discourage this and encourage--in my opinion--indulging in food too much. 00:31:48 Una's iPhone: Reacted to "A question about asc…" with
Homily of Fr. Mike O'Connor from Mass December 19, 2025 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. Readings Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a Lk 1:5-25 If you would like to donate to OLG and her livestream ministry, please go to https://olgchurch.net/give
The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121925.cfmWhen God is about to do something great—something that will change lives—He almost always begins with preparation. That preparation is rarely comfortable. It often includes waiting, suffering, and long seasons that seem unanswered. Father Anthony Gramlich, MIC reflects on this divine pattern by drawing our attention to two couples marked by infertility and faith: Manoah and his wife in the Old Testament, and Zechariah and Elizabeth in the New Testament.Samson's birth followed years of suffering, yet his consecration began before he ever took a breath. In the same way, the birth of John the Baptist comes only after decades of hidden fidelity. Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous in the eyes of God,” yet they carried a heavy cross. Their story reveals a hard truth of the spiritual life: holiness does not exempt us from suffering. Often, it deepens it.Zechariah's moment of doubt silences him, but God's promise is not silenced. The angel Gabriel declares, “Your prayer has been heard” (Lk 1:13; NABRE), reminding us that prayers offered in faith are never wasted—even when the answer comes long after hope seems reasonable. God works on His timetable, not ours, and His plans exceed human logic.This Gospel teaches us not to ask “why” in suffering, but to trust that God is preparing something greater than we can imagine. As the Church leads us toward Christmas, these Scriptures invite us to prepare not just our homes, but our hearts. Christ does not enter through decorations or schedules, but through faith refined by trust.“For nothing will be impossible for God” (Lk 1:37; NABRE). ★ Support this podcast ★
Join Father Kevin Drew as he preaches on this Friday of the Third Week of Advent. Today's readings First Reading: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a Psalm: Psalm 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 Gospel: Luke 1:5-25 Catholic Radio Network
Once we get hold of an answer that can sustain us, we can move forward and live on.
Homily for December 14th, 2025The 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year AHomilist: Fr. Lee McLeod, CJSt. Aidan's Anglican Church, Nicholasville, KYwww.staidansanglicanchurch.orgLectionary ReadingsIsaiah 35Psalm 146James 5:7–20Matthew 11:2–19
19 December 2025
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast
Homily by Fr. Francis Mary Roaldi, CFR.
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
The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121825.cfmFather Matthew, Tomeny, MIC reflects on St. Joseph — the silent guardian of the Holy Family — and the mystery that unfolded when God entrusted him with Mary and the Christ Child. The Gospel tells us Joseph was “a righteous man” (Mt 1:19; NABRE), not because he had all the answers, but because he responded to God with humility, reverence, and obedience. Faced with a situation beyond human explanation, Joseph chose mercy over judgment and trust over control.Father Matthew explores the Church's rich tradition on Joseph's response to Mary's pregnancy. Rather than suspicion, many saints and theologians saw in Joseph a profound reverential fear — a recognition that he was standing before the work of the Holy Spirit. Like St. Peter who said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Lk 5:8; NABRE), Joseph considered himself unworthy to be so close to such holiness. His desire to step back was not rejection, but awe.God, however, reveals Joseph's role through the angel: “Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home” (Mt 1:20; NABRE). Joseph's obedience gives Jesus His legal lineage as Son of David and provides the Holy Family with protection and stability. Though he never speaks a word in Scripture, Joseph's faith speaks loudly.As Christmas approaches, this homily invites us to imitate St. Joseph — to stop striving for control and allow Christ to dwell in the home of our hearts. True righteousness is found not in understanding everything, but in humbly saying "yes" when God asks us to make room for Him. ★ Support this podcast ★
Fr. Larry Richards of The Reason For Our Hope Foundation Podcast