St. Basil Catholic Church Brecksville Podcast

619. Fr. Ryan Talk - Listening to the Desires of Your Heart

Fr. Ryan gives a talk to the staff of St. Mary Parish, Wooster for their staff retreat.  Digging into the desires of our hearts, we are able to hear the Lord and know that He has deep desires for us and our flourishing too. 

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618. Fr. Ryan Homily - Unlimited Ice Cream Samples and the Father’s Love

We can often believe that there is a limit to the Father's love, just like you can only get so many ice cream samples.  But neither are the case, and we believe that we don't deserve to be immersed in the love that we are baptized into. 

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617. Fr. Ryan Homily - You Are the Star That Leads Others to Jesus

The wisemen follow the star that brings others to Jesus, and often we contemplate who or what led us to Jesus, but how often are we aware of who we are leading to Jesus? We can be that star, that light, in the lives of our loved ones, introducing them to the one who loves, heals, and changes our lives. 

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616. Fr. Ryan Homily - Best Year Yet

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we reflect on how we can make this year the best year yet.  The Lord wants us to have the best, how are we holding ourselves back from all his good gifts?   

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615. Fr. Ryan Talk- Intro to Theology of the Body

Have you heard of Theology of the Body, but aren't quite sure what it means? What it is? Fr. Ryan shares an introduction to Pope St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body with adults in Lorain county. 

 

Books recommended: 

Good News About Sex and Marriage: https://shop.corproject.com/collections/books/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage 

Fill These Hearts: https://shop.corproject.com/collections/books/products/copy-of-fill-these-hearts-paperback 

These Beautiful Bones: https://stpaulcenter.com/store/these-beautiful-bones-an-everyday-theology-of-the-body 

 

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614. Fr. Ryan Homily - Deflated Balloons and Family Life

Our homes and families are called to mirror the Holy Family, which can sound quite overwhelming at first.  But when we look to the example of St. Joseph, we learn that spending time in silence, listening for God, is the model for families.  It is in that silence that our hearts are filled, and we can best serve our families.  

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613. Fr. Ryan Christmas Homily - Becoming Like God

On Christmas we celebrate a God who became little, like us, entering into our world, lives, and mess, so that we would know that we don't have to hide ourselves from Him, but can share our struggles, hurts, wounds, and weakness with the newborn King.        

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612. Fr. Ryan Homily - Giving the Gift of Peace

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.       

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611. Equipped for Holiness - Breaking Open Scripture with Deacon Dave

Deacon Dave walks us through the scriptures as he reflects on what it means to be holy as the Lord is holy.

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610. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Way We Think Jesus "Should Be"

In the Gospel Jesus proclaims, blessed are those who take offense in me.  As we get closer to the holidays, we are reminded of these words, that when we encounter someone or something other than what we want, that it may be Jesus in disguise, and reflect on how to love best.      

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609. Reflections on Pilgrimage with Fr. Ryan and Cari

Fr. Ryan reflects on his recent pilgrimage to Portugal with our parish. He shares stories of joy, peace, and laughs from the pilgrimage, and shares how we can take the lessons of pilgrimage and apply them to our daily life.

 

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608. Fr. Ryan Homily - Dream of Something More

In the season of Advent, we await the hope of new life, the baby Jesus coming at Christmas.  In that hope, we are given the freedom to dream, dream of a life more wonderful than we can imagine, eternity, with God.     

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607. Fr. Ryan Homily - Stay Awake!

As we begin the season of Advent, we are reminded to stay awake and be ready for when Jesus comes again.  As we wait in the silence and stillness, He comes to us, if only we stay awake to hear Him.    

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606. Fr. Ryan Thanksgiving Homily - All That is Good

We gather to give thanks for every good gift, which ultimately comes from God above.    

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605. Saints and Pies Challenge with Tommy, Joe, and Cari

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Tommy, Joe, and Cari get together for a fun podcast, trying pies inspired by the saints and trying to match them up.  Learn more about St. Hildegard, St. Basil, St. Bernadette, St. Andre Bessette, St. Damian of Molokai, and St. Benedict.  To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@stbasilthegr8 

 

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604. Fr. Ryan Homily - Living in God's Kingdom

As we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, we reflect on Jesus's authority in our lives.  We can be often confused with the idea of authority, especially that of a king, but when we live within Jesus's authority, we live in the right order of the kingdom.   

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603. Fr. Ryan Homily - A God of Mercy and Hope

As we hear Jesus preach to us about the end times, we can quickly go into one of two camps, either no one is getting into heaven, or everyone is getting into heaven.  But when we realize that we have a God full of mercy and hope, we can prepare ourselves and those around us for heaven, knowing of the mercy of God and the hope of being with Him again in heaven.  

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602. Hope Does Not Disappoint ...Oh Really? Fr. Ryan Talks to the Cleveland Catholic Women's Conference

We are told to hold onto hope and believe in the goodness of Christ.  But sometimes our reality feels hopeless, so what are we to do then? In this talk to the Cleveland Catholic Women's Conference, Fr. Ryan speaks into the lies that we are alone, that God does not care, or that there is no hope, and shows us how Christ gently speaks to us in hard places. 

 

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601. Fr. Ryan Homily - Protecting Our Sacred Places

As we celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica, we reflect on our churches and church building and how we treat our holy places. Do we get distracted, making them feel like the marketplace in the Gospels, or do we show the Lord the honor of the holy places, leaving room for Him to come?

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600. What is a Parish? Fr. Ryan Talks to Business Leaders at Legatus

Fr. Ryan asks the questions to business leaders at Legatus "What is a Parish?" Is it a building? The people? What is the goal? And in knowing what a parish is, we can learn how to serve our local parish. 

 

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599. Heart of a Pilgrim: Attending the Canonizations of St Carlo Acutis and St Pier Giorgio Frassati with Cari and Hailie

Cari is joined by Hailie Jester from St. Charles Borromeo in Parma as she shares her experience of pilgrimage and attending the canonizations of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati as she shares ways that we can take the heart of a pilgrim into our daily lives.

 

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598. Fr. Ryan Homily - Preparing for Our Eternal Rest: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

At the end of our lives, we go one of three places.  Heaven with God, hell, away from God, or purgatory, a time of cleansing before meeting God. The way we lives now prepares us for eternal life, how are we preparing ourselves for heaven?

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597. It Is Not Hard to Be a Saint - Cari Reagan talks at Life Teen Retreat

A podcast from the archives, Cari shares with the teens on the 2024 Fall Retreat stories of the saints, and encourages those walking in faith to strive for nothing less than being a great saint! 

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596. The Reality of the Enemy: Spiritual Warfare - Fr. Ryan Talks to Life Teen

Angels and demons are real and around us, fighting for our souls. Sometimes we are having a bad day, but sometimes it is demons trying to divide, steal, kill, and destroy. When we stay close to Jesus and the Scriptures, we can battle the evil one.

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595. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor

Pope Francis called for priests to minister to the poor, but while important to serve the materially poor, he meant priests for spiritual poverty. How can we encourage priests and be open to them ministering to the poor places in our own hearts?

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594. Built to Lead, Fatherhood that Lasts - Talk by Luke Brown, LPCC

Luke Brown, LPCC, shares with Men's Ministry about Fatherhood, reflecting on our own fathers and how they shaped us and own fatherhood with our children, and how what we do influences and shapes their lives.    

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593. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Battle of Prayer

There are many things that compete for our attention when we pray, our preoccupations, technology, to do lists, and more. The Catechism describes prayer as a battle, how do we ready ourselves for that battle?   

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592. Please Lord Not Me - Breaking Open Scripture with Deacon Dave

Deacon Dave walks us through stories in the Bible and within his own life where the Lord has called and encourages us to respond to His call with "Here I am Lord!"

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591. Fr. Ryan Homily - Dusting off the Habitual Ritualism of Worship

We see beautiful churches and are stopped in our tracks at the grandeur that they speak to our worship.  When that becomes the norm, and no longer stops us in our tracks, what can we do to reignite our worship?  

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590. Smart and Safe - Presentation by Brecksville Police Community Outreach Team Officers Tom and Ryan

Our seniors group were glad to welcome Officers Tom and Ryan from the Brecksville Police's Community Outreach Team for a smart and safe presentation, going over home safety, personal safety, and scam prevention.  Thank you to our police officers for their time and all they do to protect us! 

 

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589. The Sorrowful Mysteries in Our Lives - Cari Reagan talks to Life Teen

When we contemplate the Sorrowful Mysteries of our lives, we find that they aren't just something sad that happened to us, but we learn the ways that Jesus worked through them. 

 

Sorrowful Mysteries Journaling Page: https://basilthegreat.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/sorrowful-mysteries-journal-page.3-1.pdf 

 

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588. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Power of “And”

Sometimes our world feels so black and white, but in the Christian life we find so often that it is not always either/or, but both/and. 

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587. What Makes Your Heart Sing with Fr. Ryan and Gregory

Join Fr. Ryan and Gregory for a conversation about liturgical music, how to pray with music, and Gregory's story.

This podcast is also avaliable as a video podcast: https://youtu.be/waqozcolsX

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586. Faithful Blossoms - Brooke Taylor Speaks to Flourish Women’s Ministry

Flourish Women's Ministry welcomed Brooke Taylor for a talk on St. Therese. Brooke shares from her own life on how in each day we can grow closer to Jesus through the little way.

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585. Fr. Ryan Homily - Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: A Lesson In Trust

Jesus tells us in the Gospel, you cannot love both God and mammon. How do we look at our money, and in trust give it back to the Lord?

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584. Fr. Ryan Talk - 5 Things I Admire in Good Men

Fr. Ryan speaks to Men's Ministry sharing what he admires in the good and holy men in his life. 

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583. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Triumph of the Cross

It is through the lens of the cross that the suffering of the world is redeemed.  In a world marked with sin, sickness, suffering, and death, let us draw close to our Lord and hold tight to the Cross. 

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582. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Overwhelming Love of the Trinity

The Lord asks us to leave behind everything to follow Him.  When we put other things in the way of following Him, we don't allow for the rush of His love to fall on us.  How can we truly allow the overwhelming love of the Trinity to fall on us?

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581. Fr. Ryan Homily - Being Seen and Loved by the Lord

Little girls twirl around and ask "am I beautiful?" Little boys wrestle and wonder, "am I strong?" As we grow, the need for love and validation doesn't go away.  Do we allow the Lord to see us and love us? 

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580. Saints Fantasy Draft with Joe, Cari, and Tommy

The pick is in! Joe, Cari, and Tommy, to prepare for the upcoming football season did a draft of their own, drafting the saints to play on their team.  Learn about some new saints and consider who would be best for your team! 

Want to try with your family and friends? Download the page here: https://basilthegreat.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Saints-Fantasy-Draft.pdf  

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579. Fr. Ryan Homily - Contemplating the Mysteries of Our Lives

As we think about our own stories, there are sorrowful, glorious, joyful, and luminous mysteries that have shaped who we are.  Jesus cares about those stories, and wants to understand your heart even more. Can you take the time to sit with Him and share? 

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578.Becoming Catholic, OCIA, Aaron's Story with Fr. Liptak and Aaron Graham

Aaron Graham, who we welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil this year, shares his story of faith with Fr. Liptak.  From what led him to the Church, what questions people asked him along the way, to how the faith is impacting his daily life now, Aaron shares with us the joy of a life of faith, and why we should not be afraid to share our Catholic faith with those in our lives that are searching.  

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577. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Fire of Love

The fire of the Holy Spirit burns within us and animates us, so that when we encounter division we can call upon Him to be with us and bring His love to the world.  

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576. Fr. Ryan Homily - The Gift of Mary

Through Mary, we are given access to Jesus.  She gives of herself to her Son, saying "this is my body," so that He in turn is able to give the ultimate gift of himself to us, saying "this is My body." 

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575. Raising Catholic Kids: The Littles with Fr. Ryan and Michael and Mary Beth Jacob

Fr. Ryan sits down with parishioners and parents of three, Michael and Mary Beth Jacob to discuss parenting and how they incorporate faith and prayer in their family's life. 

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574. Fr. Ryan Homily - What if You Waited?

Our society tells us we need the next thing, fast, bright, shiny, and loud. But what would happen if we waited, and allowed silence to come into our lives and make profound change? 

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573. Life Teen's Graces of Summer Ministry with Cari, Joe, and Emily

Life Teen doesn't stop for the summer, rather it kicks into an amazing time of summer ministry, with camps, conferences, and different opportunities for teens to encounter Christ.  Cari talks with Joe, our youth minister, and Emily, one of our teens, about the graces they received from the Lord this summer. 

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572. Fr. Ryan Homily - Making Room for God

There are different parts of our hearts that work together like a symphony, and though some parts are ready for God to come and be present, other parts are not.  What are the parts of us that are not ready for God? And how can we begin to work on opening those parts up to God?

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571. May They All Be One, Understanding the Deanery Structure with Fr. Ryan and Robert Koonce

Have you heard of a dean? A deanery? Wondering what it means for the Diocese of Cleveland, our deanery, and our Parish? We welcomed Robert Koonce, Director of Deanery Operations for the Diocese of Cleveland, to the podcast to help us understand.  

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570. Fr. Ryan Homily - Giving Our Desires to the Father

In our hearts are many desires, and often we can feel like they are unfulfilled.  Do we truly know what it means to give those desires to our Father, a good dad, who wants to give us everything?

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