Homily | July 13, 2026 | God Wants Holiness More Than Offerings | (Episode 196)

Homily | July 14, 2026 | Building A Life That Does Not Shake | (Episode 197)

We reflect on God’s warning to King Ahaz that a steady life depends on steady faith, especially when fear makes our hearts tremble. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha and Jesus’ call to repentance push us to stop relying on fragile foundations and start responding to the graces we already receive.  • faith as the foundation for stability when life shakes  • false securities that collapse under pressure: money, success, approval  • God’s command to remain calm amid real threats  • peace defined as the presence of God  • Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s suffering and lasting joy in Christ  • privilege and responsibility in the Gospel towns that refuse repentance  • danger of getting used to holy things without becoming holy  • the Eucharist, confession, and Scripture as living graces demanding a response  • two examining questions: where we place security and what we try to control  • holiness measured by ordinary fidelity, discipline, and perseverance  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 13, 2026 | God Wants Holiness More Than Offerings | (Episode 196)

We hear God’s blunt warning through Isaiah and face the possibility that our worship can become empty when it doesn’t change how we live. We unpack Jesus’ “sword” as a decision that forces real priorities, then end with a practical challenge to love through small acts done with real faith. • God’s rejection of sacrifices as a condemnation of disconnected worship • Conversion over religious box-checking in Catholic practice • Mass, confession, and Holy Communion as tools for real transformation • The danger of comfort Christianity and spiritual routine • “Not peace but the sword” as the cost of choosing Christ first • Ordinary acts of love as the building blocks of the kingdom • Two questions that test whether faith is visible in how we treat others Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 12, 2026 | God’s Love Does Not Wait For Perfect Soil | (Episode 195)

We notice the “reckless” sower first, because God’s generosity is bigger than His fear of waste and He never rations grace. We also face the harder truth that the seed is alive and powerful, so real growth depends on what we do with the soil of our hearts.  • the sower as the main character, revealing God’s extravagant mercy  • God’s love coming from the giver, not the receiver’s condition  • the seed never being the problem because the Word of God is alive  • the four soils as four heart conditions we all recognize  • hard paths formed by disappointment and numbness  • rocky faith built on emotion without deep roots  • thorns as distraction, worry, pressure, and constant noise  • busyness as a quiet way the heart gets crowded  • soil that can change through freedom, cultivation, and cooperation with grace  • repentance, confession, forgiveness, and silence as practical tools  • trials as refining fire that can crack open a closed heart  • one small, specific step that makes room for thirtyfold fruit  So this week, don’t try to change your entire life. Just cultivate one small piece of the soil. Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | Español | July 12, 2026 | God Keeps Sowing Even On Hard Ground | (Episode 194)

God keeps sowing His Word every day, even into hearts that look like hard ground, rocky patches, and thorny corners. We take an honest look at what “good soil” means and why the faithful remnant can still change the ending of our story.  •God as the tireless sower who never stops offering grace  •The seed as the Word of God with real transforming power  •Why the sower’s “waste” is actually hope and patience  •A daily examination of conscience to become fertile soil  •The biblical “remnant” as a faithful few who renew many  •How to resist despair when goodness dries up fast  •The rest of your life as a chance to reverse the trend  Be one of them  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 11, 2026 | God Invites, Grace Purifies, And We Respond | (Episode 193)

We trace the biblical pattern of vocation through Isaiah’s temple vision, where God’s holiness exposes weakness and grace turns it into a place of healing. We connect that same movement to Saint Benedict’s quiet rebuilding of a collapsing world and to Jesus’ repeated command to resist fear with trust.  • A clear call pattern: encounter with God, awareness of weakness, grace, then mission  • God’s holiness as the starting point for real discipleship  • Humility as truthful self-knowledge before God  • Isaiah’s “unclean lips” becoming the very place of purification  • God’s invitation rather than coercion in vocation  • “Here am I, send me” as the core response of every Christian disciple  • Saint Benedict’s answer to cultural collapse through prayer, work, discipline, and worship  • “Pray and work” as a strategy for building holy communities  • Jesus’ threefold “Do not be afraid” and how fear blocks forgiveness and calling  • The world changed through holy lives, one faithful person at a time  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org