Posts Tagged With: Christianity

All Souls Is About Faith, Hope, and Love

Posted on November 2, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on November 1 and 2, 2014 on the Feast of the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls) at the 4:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

Heaven Is For Real is the story of a young boy named Colton who has a near death experience during an emergency operation on his appendix. It was written by Colton’s father and it became a number one bestselling book and a hit movie. It describes Colton’s visit to heaven and everything he saw and did while he was there. For example:

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Pro-Life Newsletter

Posted on July 23, 2014 by deacondsm

NEWS

Dianne Machesney is the chair of the St. Teresa of Avila Parish (Pittsburgh, PA) Pro-Life Committee and about 12 years ago she started doing a monthly newsletter of pro-life issues for the parish bulletin.  The newsletter has expanded to include other Catholic parishes and non-Catholic churches to educate and keep life issues on people’s radar.

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter for yourself, your parish, or your church you can contact Dianne at diannem15237@aol.com.

Here are the most recent editions in PDF Format:

August 2014

July 2014

June 2014

May 2014

April 2014

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Why the Eucharist?

Posted on June 22, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on June 21 and 22 on the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

On this important feast I thought that we should reflect on the question, “Why the Eucharist?” First, there are many ways that our Lord could be made present for us at Mass. For example, the Eucharist could be a simple religious ceremony where we are symbolically anointed with oil, sprinkled with dirt and ashes, or covered with the aroma of incense. Yet why does Christ come to us in a Eucharistic meal? Next, because this is a meal there are almost an unlimited number of different foods and beverages that our Lord could make himself present for us, everything from simple water to Father John’s famous pasta and sauce. So why does Jesus give us his body and blood in the form of bread and wine? Finally, we all have a number of ways that we can have an encounter with our Lord: in prayer, in the gospel (the word made flesh), in confession, and so on. But why does Christ give us the gift of his very self in the Eucharist? Today on this feast of Corpus Christi we reflect on our intimate encounter with the divine, with our Lord Jesus Christ, in the most holy Eucharist.

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If We Are Eating Vegetables, God Is Probably Eating Vegetables

Posted on May 25, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on May 24 and 25 on the 6th Sunday of Easter Cycle A at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

A little girl came up to the priest as he was greeting parishioners after Mass, and said, “This week during religion class we learned that God is bigger than anything. Is that true?” inquired the little girl.  “Yes, that’s true,” answered the priest, happy that the faith formation program seemed to be doing its job. “God is certainly bigger than anything.”  “Well for being so big, he sure is hard to find,” she said. “I’ve looked all over the place and I can’t find him.”  “You don’t have to look for God,” replied the priest. “He is inside of you.”  “I never thought to look there,” she admitted. “But if God is inside of me and God is bigger than anything, then I better get bigger to make more room for him. How can I do that?”  The priest laughed. “You make more room for God by growing spiritually. If you want to grow physically, you eat your vegetables.”  The little girl thought about it for a moment and said, “Well if God is bigger than anything he sure must like eating vegetables!”

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Holy Week: Our Time to Truly Believe

Posted on April 13, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on April 12 and 13 on Passion Sunday Cycle A at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

Recently I was greeting people in the narthex one Friday night after Stations of the Cross when a woman approached me who seemed so very happy, much happier than the average Catholic who is relieved that Stations are over and the weekend can now begin. You could say she was almost joyful. She said that she had never been to Stations of the Cross before, but she had heard about them and wanted to experience them to see what they were all about. I thanked her for coming and asked her how she liked them. “Very nice,” she said. “The Passion of our Lord came alive for me and I was touched by how it was applied to my life.” Then she asked if she could keep the booklet that she still held in her hands. I thought the booklet would be a reminder of how she was touched and moved by the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord, so I let her keep it. Besides I am absolutely certain that in this situation Pope Francis would want her to have it.

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Quenching Our Unlimited Thirst with the Infinite God

Posted on March 23, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on March 22 and 23 on the 3rd Sunday in Lent Cycle A at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

As we listen to this gospel today it may seem too long. We live in a world of instant messages and instant gratification; a world of sound bites and 140-character tweets. In fact if Pope Francis tweeted today’s gospel it would take him about 40 tweets to do so.  We’re just so busy and our lives have so much going on in them that we have little time or patience for things that take time. We may be thinking, “Just get to the point already.  It’s been a long day.  I have stuff to do.”

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St. Joseph, the Perfect Guide for Our Lenten Journey

Posted on March 19, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at St. Catherine of Sweden Parish on March 19, 2014 on the Feast of St. Joseph at the 7:00PM Mass

I should probably say to everyone here tonight, “Merry Christmas!” After the winter that we have had this year it certainly still seems appropriate. Today’s gospel reading also makes it seem like Christmas because it takes us back to the Nativity story of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it’s not Christmas, it’s Lent. We can tell because there is no joy and so many people are sad. During Lent many of us punish ourselves by giving up things that make us happy and that can certainly make us sad. I love lots of sugar, especially in my tea, and one year I gave it up for Lent and I was miserable. Lent seemed like it was forty weeks long that year! I couldn’t wait for Lent to be over. I’ll never do that again! Also during Lent we do serious religious things like participating in the Stations of the Cross or attending Mass on Wednesday nights, things we normally don’t do the rest of the year, when we could be at home relaxing watching Survivor, American Idol, or Duck Dynasty.

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Reflections on the Movie “Son of God”

Posted on March 5, 2014 by deacondsm

REFLECTION

Here are a few reflections that I have on the film Son of God having seen the movie at the theater this week.  This is not a review of any sort, we know the story and how it ends after all, and obviously if we are Christians it is a movie that we should see, if more than anything so that Hollywood makes more movies about faith and the Bible, but I thought that I would write just a few of the themes that struck me as I watched the film, such as God, love, joy, prayer, forgiveness, Mass, and Gospel.

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Not Big Brother, But Almighty Father

Posted on February 16, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on February 15 and 16 on the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A at the 4:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, and 10:30AM Masses

If you have read George Orwell’s futuristic novel 1984, you know that in the story he warns about the dangers of government and technology, or more accurately the dangers of government using technology.  It is considered one of the most depressing novels ever written.  I know firsthand because it was required reading in high school, way back in 1984.  But even if you have not read the novel, you most certainly heard about Big Brother, the all-knowing government entity in the story who monitors the private lives of its citizens with constant audio and video surveillance.  The idea of a Big Brother watching over us as described in the novel seemed far-fetched in 1984, but not today.  Technology has improved to the point that much of our lives are indeed monitored and tracked by cellphones, computers, satellites, and video cameras.  These things certainly make our lives easier, safer, and more productive, but all the information gathered can be used be used against us, just as it is used against the citizens in the novel 1984.  It can make us feel concerned about our privacy.

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Salt and Light in our Marriages

Posted on February 9, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Transfiguration Parish on February 9 for the 100th Anniversary of Transfiguration Parish Celebration of World Marriage Day on the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A at the 10:00AM Mass

Good morning!  I am Deacon David Miller from Holy Sepulcher Parish on Route 8 south of Butler.  I was ordained in June of last year.  I would like to thank Father Jim for allowing me the opportunity to serve Mass with him today and for giving me one of my most truly pressure-filled moments: preaching about marriage to my wife Karen and my in-laws, Tom and Edith Jenkins.

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Our Personal Call to Discipleship

Posted on January 26, 2014 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on January 25 and 26, 2013 for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A at the 4:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM, 10:30AM, and 5:30PM Masses

Hello!  Or I should probably say, “Hello?” because today’s gospel is about answering a call and that is how you used to answer a call.  You said “hello” in the form of a question because before cellphones and caller ID, you had no idea who was calling.  Answering the phone used to be a gamble.  It could be anyone: friends or relatives, telemarketers, Publishers Clearinghouse, Father John, the Pope, a prankster pretending to be the Pope.  How different that is from how it is for us today.

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The “Real Life” of the Holy Family

Posted on December 29, 2013 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on December 28 and 29, 2013 for the Feast of the Holy Family in Ordinary Time Cycle A at the 4:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM and 10:30AM Masses

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas.  My Facebook friends had special Christmases as well.  I saw pictures of happy and smiling families, some even in matching outfits; delicious meals and refreshing drinks; homes that were all clean and festively decorated, with beautiful Christmas trees with lovely packages under them.  But Facebook is probably not an accurate portrayal of our family Christmas, because we post only the pictures we want others to see, not all the times when “real life” is happening, when things aren’t going according to our expectations.

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Christ Our King and Priority

Posted on November 24, 2013 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on November 23 and 24, 2013 for the Feast of Christ the King in Ordinary Time Cycle C at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM and 10:30AM Masses

Today is a big day in the Church.  First, it is the feast of Christ the King, when the Church proclaims Jesus as the King of the Universe, with dominion and authority over all peoples and nations.  Second, the feast of Christ the King marks the last day of the Year of Faith that Pope Benedict XVI, now Pope Emeritus Benedict, instituted so that we could grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with Christ.  Lastly, the feast of Christ the King marks the end of the current Church year as next week we will celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, the start of a new Church year, as we begin our preparations for the coming of the Lord.

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O God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner

Posted on October 27, 2013 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on October 26 and 27, 2013 for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM and 5:30PM Masses

I bought a pressure washer recently.  I wanted one so that I could clean my deck and siding.  It works great, but I haven’t really used it yet except to clean a bird bath and some garden gnomes, despite having it for a month or so.  Who knew there were some many makes and models to choose from: gas or electric; cold or hot water; residential, commercial, or industrial.  Luckily I found a website that compared the prices and the pluses and minuses of all the available features of hundreds of different pressure washers so that I could buy the right one. Continue reading →

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Being a Christian Is Not All Unicorns and Rainbows

Posted on August 18, 2013 by deacondsm

HOMILY

Preached at Holy Sepulcher Parish on August 17 and 18, 2013 for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C at the 6:00PM (Vigil), 8:00AM and 10:30AM Masses

Christ in Majesty at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC

Christ in Majesty at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC

When you visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. you cannot help but notice the mosaic behind the altar.  It is made up of about 3 million tiles, covers 3,600 square feet, and the top of it is 15 stories above you.  It is called Christ in Majesty and at one time it was the largest mosaic of Jesus in the world.  But the size is not what gets your attention, what gets your attention is that Jesus is portrayed differently than how we normally see him.  Christ sits on the Throne of Judgment draped in a red garment that exposes the bulging muscles in his arm and chest, a flaming halo surrounds his blond hair, and his blues eyes seem to pierce right through you, into your very soul, as he sternly gazes at you. Continue reading →

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