UMD NEWMAN CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY

Homily from the Mass of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph given at St. Andrews Church in Brainerd, MN. "What we can do together as a family, with others, is so much greater than anything we could ever do on our own." Readings from December 28, 2008: Sirach 3: 2-6, 12-14 Colossians 3: 12-21 Luke 2: 22-40

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent. "The only way to escape being a slave to the Wheel of Fortune is to place Christ unambiguously at the center of your life. So more than these things, more than my beauty, more than my skills, more than this relationship, more than anything, is I want Christ at the center." Readings from December 14, 2008: Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1: 6-8,19-28

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. "The only place where we can find a kavod that's worthy of God, a weight, a glory that's worthy of God, is on the altar of God: where His very Body comes, sacrificed for us. And we get to be part of that. That Sacrifice is the only thing, I believe, it's the only thing big enough." Readings from December 7, 2008: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

Homily from the First Sunday in Advent. "Here is what Advent's about, why it's more than just, 'I can't wait for Christmas Break!', why it's more than just, 'I can't wait to see my boyfriend or girlfriend', why it's more than this. Because from this place of pain, from this place of longing and exile, the people of Israel are saying, 'But Lord, you are our Father.' I long for something with all of my heart and I want it and I don't have it right now. But Lord, you are my Father." Readings from November 30th, 2008. Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37

Homily from The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. "Reverence is the only thing that preserves love. For there to really be love, there has to be some type of reverence." Readings from November 23rd, 2008. Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25: 31-46

Homily from the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. "You were made to grow. Failure is a part of that. Failure does not shape you: how you and I respond to failure, THAT is what shapes us." Readings from November 17th, 2008: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30

Homily from the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. "The Early Church formula was this: If I am close to the Pope, I am close to Jesus. If I leave the Pope, I am leaving Jesus." Mass Readings from November 9, 2008: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 John 2:13-22 Scripture Verses Referenced in the Homily: Matthew 4:13 Matthew 16:13-19 Isaiah 22:19-23 If you would like to learn more about Peter and the Popes, check out "Upon This Rock" By Steve Ray or anything by Mr. Jeff Cavins. fathermike is really indebted to the fact that he pretty much gets all of his stuff from Jeff Cavins, so please visit his website: www.jeffcavins.com If you have questions or issues about the popes (especially how there could have been bad popes...believe me, they existed), please check out the book, "Pope Fiction" by Patrick Madrid.

Homily from The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls). "How many of us are ready to step into the presence of God when there is nothing there but God alone? How many of us are prepared right now to be naked before God, in that holy nakedness, and to say, 'I need no crutches, God, I love you alone'? Every single one of us has to go through some kind of purification whether it's in this life or as we walk through that door of Purgatory." Mass Readings from November 2nd, 2008: Wisdom 3: 1-9 Romans 5: 5-11 John 6: 37-40 Scriptures Referenced in the Homily: Hebrews 12:1 1 John 1:8 1 Corinthians 3:15 2 Timothy 1:16-18 1 Timothy 3:15

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Will we ignore evil because of a potential good or are willing to be honest and call a spade a spade? Readings from October 26, 2008: Exodus 22: 20-26 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "He [Jesus] is saying, 'Do not compartmentalize your life! Do not pretend to be one thing at home, to be one thing at Church, and to be another thing in the marketplace, in the voting booth, in the classroom!' He is saying, 'Stop pretending, but be authentic!'" Readings from October 19, 2008: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 1 Thessalonians:1-5b Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "We are free to love like angels and we are free to destroy like demons. And God respects this choice, because He doesn't want slaves. He wants sons and He wants daughters who love Him." Readings from October 12, 2008: Isaiah 25: 6-10 Phillipians 4: 12-14, 19-20 Matthew 22: 1-14

Homily from the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. "We look at our lives and say, 'Are you kidding me?! '...no anxiety...', there's nothing I can control!' Or is there? We can break the circle of worry, we can break the circle of anxiety by taking control over what we can control." Readings from October 5th, 2008: Isaiah 5:1-7 Phillipians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Tell God the truth. 'God, I'm afraid I don't always like choosing You. So help me.' 'God, I'm afraid I love someone or something more than I love You. But help me.' 'God, I don't know if I want you to be my Lord.' Pray that prayer! Pray as you can, NOT as you can't. Let that be the moment of choosing, the moment of choosing to tell God the truth, instead of telling Him what we think He wants to hear." Readings from September 28, 2008: Ezekiel 18: 25-28 Phillipians 2:1-11 Matthew 21: 28-32 Scripture verses referenced in the homily: 2 Peter 3:9-10 James 2:19 Romans 3:28,24 James 2:20,24

Homily from the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: "To choose greatness is to know what you could possibly be and then strive to become that person." Readings from September 21st, 2008: Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalm 145: 2-3.8-9,17-18 Phillipians 1:20c-24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a

Homily from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. "If you and I are going to become mature Christians, the Cross of Christ must be at the center of our lives." Readings from September 14th, 2008: Numbers 21: 4-9 Phillipians 2:6-11 John 3: 13-17