Homily | July 7, 2026 | How Small Choices Become Spiritual Habits | (Episode 189)

Homily | July 18, 2026 | Power Used Well | (Episode 201)

We contrast Micah’s warning about people who misuse power to take from others with Jesus’ way of leading through restraint, mercy, and healing. We end by challenging ourselves to audit our influence and to become the kind of people who strengthen the bruised instead of breaking them.  • Micah’s critique of power used to exploit and diminish others  • Power, wealth, influence, and leadership as gifts shaped by how we use them  • Why love feels threatening to people committed to control  • Jesus withdrawing as strength under control rather than weakness  • Staying focused on mission instead of getting consumed by conflict  • “A bruised reed he will not break” as a picture of Christ’s gentleness  • Naming real-life bruises: grief, divorce, sin, addiction, anxiety, disappointment  • A personal audit of influence in daily roles and relationships  • Choosing mercy over manipulation, encouragement over criticism, forgiveness over revenge  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 17, 2026 | Why God’s Law Exists To Help People Flourish | (Episode 200)

We face a quiet spiritual danger: caring more about rules than the reason God gives them. We hold up Jesus’ call for mercy, connect it to Hezekiah’s tearful prayer, and ask what it means to see people the way Christ does.  • Rules, discipline, and truth matter, but they must serve love  • The Pharisees missing hungry men while policing a violation  • Jesus restoring the Sabbath’s purpose with “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”  • Hezekiah choosing honest prayer instead of despair  • God not only hearing words but seeing tears  • Prayer opening our hearts to the God who already knows us  • Grace working through ordinary means like remedies, doctors, counsel, friends, sacraments, and obedience  • A personal examen: do we notice failure first or hunger and wounds first  • Holiness measured by a heart that resembles Jesus in truth and mercy  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 16, 2026 | If The Burden Is Light, Why Am I Tired | (Episode 199)

We challenge the myth that following Christ makes life easy, and we explain why Jesus offers a lighter way to carry real burdens instead of pretending they are not there. We connect the Gospel image of the yoke with Isaiah, Saint Augustine, and the quiet strength of humility that leads to peace.  • the misconception that Christian faith removes suffering  • the meaning of Jesus’ yoke as shared strength and direction  • the invitation to come to Christ while burdened, not after life is fixed  • Isaiah on the soul’s deepest desire and the emptiness behind success  • Saint Augustine on restlessness as a path back to God  • the exhaustion of control and the limits of self-reliance  • meekness and humility as the foundation of peace  Come to me, all of you who are tired and burdened.  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Homily | July 15, 2026 | You Are Not The Author Of Your Gifts | (Episode 198)

We reflect on Isaiah’s image of the axe that boasts and expose how pride convinces us we are the source of our own success. We look to Saint Bonaventure and Jesus’ call to childlike faith to learn what real humility, teachability, and wisdom look like.  • Isaiah’s axe metaphor as a test for pride  • Mistaking being an instrument for being the author  • Every strength as a gift received, not owned  • Why the saints are humble without denying talent  • Saint Bonaventure’s brilliance rooted in prayer before the crucifix  • Theology as knowing God, not just knowing about God  • The difference between being intelligent and being teachable  • Two examen questions about credit and childlike trust  • Wisdom formed through love for Christ and surrender at the cross  Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

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