St. Basil Catholic Church Brecksville Podcast

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we reflect on our own families.  How can we build them up to be holy? As Mother Teresa suggests, we can change the world by loving our family. 

 

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Christmas answers for us the question, "what is God like?" Jesus comes not as someone who enforces rules and regulations, but as a little baby. He doesn't tower over us, but instead asks us to get down on his level.  

 

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As Advent draws to a close we hear the story of the Visitation. We can imagine Zachariah, who was mute during his wife Elizabeth's pregnancy, was forced to simply sit, be quiet, and listen during those nine months, during which time he was able to watch the Lord grow within his home, in the womb of Mary, and also within his heart, that what was spoken to him by the Lord might be fulfilled. 

 

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As we approach Christmas and the celebration of the incarnation, Fr. Liptak reminds us that our longing for more, for Infinite Beauty, points to the place in our hearts that only the Lord can truly satisfy. 

 

For more information on the Year of Beauty, visit: basilthegreat.org/yearofbeauty 

 

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St. Paul writes "how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus" in the Second Reading.  How can a man who never met Jesus know the affection and love of Jesus? He found it through other Christians who he met and learned from. We too are called to love with the affection of Jesus, so through us, others can come to know Christ. 

 

This Advent, join St. Basil’s in praying with the Hallow App’s Pray25 program! Go to hallow.com/parish and put in “St. Basil the Great Brecksville” to receive full access to the resources for 120 days for only $1!

 

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As we celebrate Advent, the Light of the World grows brighter and brighter, in our Advent wreaths and in our hearts.  This Advent season, we are invited to slow down, light a candle, and spend time with Him in the quiet, allowing Him to draw near to us and inflame us with the fire of His love. 

 

This Advent, join St. Basil’s in praying with the Hallow App’s Pray25 program! Go to hallow.com/parish and put in “St. Basil the Great Brecksville” to receive full access to the resources for 120 days for only $1!

 

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Our hearts animate our lives and Jesus cautions us to not let our hearts become drowsy and anxious.  What are we to do instead? Jesus asks us to be aware of our hearts and share with him what is going on in your heart. 

 

This Advent, join St. Basil’s in praying with the Hallow App’s Pray25 program! Go to hallow.com/parish and put in “St. Basil the Great Brecksville” to receive full access to the resources for 120 days for only $1!

 

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There is something off in the human heart when we don't give thanks. This is why Jesus asks the leper who returned giving thanks where the others went. There are deeper questions that we have and encounter when we give thanks.   

 

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When we go to Mass we reorder our lives from the things and people that reign over them to the true king, Jesus.  What are those things that we allow to reign over us? How can we give them to Jesus and allow Him to order our lives?

 

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When we orient our lives on Christ, and not the restless anxiety that the world offers, we find that we wait for Him to come again in a blessed hope. 

 

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Beauty is a sign of the world to come, and because of that, it is sad when it is gone.  The beautiful fall leaves disappear, a moment is over, and those we love pass on.  But these memories of beauty remind us that we are not made for this world, but for the world to come. 

 

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The Lord asks us to "hear" and "listen" to Him as He speaks to us especially through His Word.  Do we stop to listen? Or do we fill ourselves with every other kind of news and noise. What if this week we listened for Him each day?

 

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In the Gospel we hear the healing of  Bartimaeus, who throws away his cloak of comfort to respond to the Lord's call.  Our vocation in life leads us to the joy of the life that God has to offer. How will we respond to that call?

 

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Jesus doesn't dismiss anger and division, but rather He engages it.  He draws close to those indignant with Him, and loves them.  He calls us to bring the division in our hearts to Him. 

 

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There is a hardness within our hearts from pain, suffering, not being loved well, relationships, and more that the Lord desires to break through to reclaim our hearts. Jesus is not afraid of this, but He pushes through to disarm and heal our hearts. 

 

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"Beauty is seducing us, and without clinging to the finite, we must allow it to inspire our yearning for the Infinite, Beauty with a capital B. What must I do? I must be overcome by beauty, by beautiful things, by finding beauty everywhere.” (Albacete, Seduced and Sent)    

 

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In the Gospel, Jesus tells the man "be open," but the place that most needs to be open is not his eyes and mouth, but is the place that is caught up in isolation. He wants you to be open too. He wants to take you away from the crowds so you can be seen, loved, and open to Him. 

 

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What purifies us is that God approaches us in Jesus. The purification we need comes through the encounter with Christ, coming so close that he can heal, purify, and transform us. Jesus always wants to go to the very place that is imperfect, our heart, and bring His healing love. 

 

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When a man gets down on one knee to ask for a woman's hand in marriage, he takes a humble posture, waiting patiently for her response.  The Lord does the same for us in each Mass, offering Himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity to us in the Eucharist, and like the woman being proposed to, we respond to that love, that comes humbly and patiently, with a resounding "Yes" and "Amen!"

 

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Many of us attend Mass on the weekends "because we have to" and do not fully understand what the Church is asking of us in the Sunday Obligation.  The Catechism says "Sunday is to be observed as the foremost Holy Day of Obligation" (CCC 2192).  As we better understand the Sunday Obligation, we can come to Mass with open hearts ready to receive our Lord, and be nourished for the week ahead.  

 

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The familiar can often become so normal to us that we don't realize its awesomeness. When we come to Mass, we wear beautiful vestments, have beautiful music, and are in a beautiful space because it points to something more.  God wants to draw near to us, so that we might know Him as our Father, a good dad. 

 

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Baptism frees us from the slavery to sin and puts us on the journey to heaven. Jesus gives us Himself as food for the journey. The Eucharist helps us to live the Gospel, the Catholic life and is a pledge of future glory. With it, we can live in this world, destined for the world to come. 

 

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As we read through John 6 over the next few weeks, we will be reflecting on the Bread of Life Discourse.  We begin with the feeding of the 5000 where we see Phillip and Andrew show us how we are "structurally disproportionate." That instead, we should imitate the child, who shows us that faith is not a burden, its the joy of becoming beloved children again. 

 

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There is a great amount of disunity in our world, but we need to rely on Jesus to be our unity, He alone is our Savior.  To listen to Him, He calls us to go away and rest for awhile, which brings about unity and peace in our hearts and in our world. 

 

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Often we have an inadequate understanding of God, not bad, just not the full realization of who He is and His plan for us.  St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a great place for us to begin to learn, so that when we are talking with friends and family who are searching we are able to say "I Know What You're Looking For." 

 

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We have and fall into rituals and routines in our daily lives, and we don't like to stray from them.  The Lord meets us in them and asks us to break out of our box and encounter Him. When we are able to break out of our set ways, we have a different story than Jesus' hometown crowd, and mighty deeds can be done in our lives. 

 

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As Catholics, we believe in things seen and unseen.  As much as Mary, the Saints, angels, the Lord are constantly at work in our lives, so are the evil spirits and the devil. Satan wants you totally divorced from God. In our busyness, he keeps us from the Lord, so we call on St. Michael and other holy men and women to help us fight against the attacks of the devil. 

 

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Throughout all of the storms in our lives, the Lord, the Almighty One, is right there in the boat with you. When we cry out "do you not care that we are perishing?” He responds, showing us that He has been right their with us through it all. 

 

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The Lord sits in heaven on the judgement seat, but from there He extends an overflow of mercy to us.  It is not judgement or mercy, but both, together.  We never graduate from the prayer "Lord Have Mercy," but pray it sincerely each day, that the Lord in His kindness, knowing our faults and failings, lavishes His mercy upon us. 

 

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The creation story is foundational to our understanding of who we are as children of God. Fr. Ryan walks us through the creation story line by line so that we might understand what the Father is telling us about who we are to Him. 

 

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The first disciples were apprentices and lived with their master. They learned the trade, and mimicked the master's life. Through the Eucharist, Jesus calls us too to live with Him and share every aspect of life, the joyful and sorrowful mysteries, with Him as we live in communion with Him. 

 

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There is a difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone.  Throughout Salvation History, God has given us opportunities to know Him more and more.  Jesus came into this world, vulnerability, that we might be able to be so close to Him that we might immerse ourselves in His very Life. 

 

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We need food to sustain us and keep us from getting hangry. However, we need the Bread of Life to feed us so that we can live lives of love, joy, and peace.  Fr. Ryan preached this Homily at the 2024 First Communion Masses. 

 

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As we celebrate the birthday of the Church this Pentecost, the living organism that we are called to be a part of, we are reminded that being a Christian is a transformation.  The Holy Spirit animates us changes us to become another Jesus in this world. 

 

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Jesus enters the world through a woman and exits through the Ascension. Like Mary, we are called to be Christ bearers bringing Jesus into the world. 

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"God loves you" goes beyond a simplistic slogan; it embodies a transformative reality. God's love has the profound ability to unlock our hearts, awakening us to deeper truths and potentials within the complexities of life. Lord, will you love me here?

Reflections:

What part of you needs a lot of love today?

Where in your life do you feel the need to be really cared for?

 

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We experience the fullness of the good news of Jesus through our participation in Mass. In this sacred gathering, Jesus connects with us in a unique and meaningful way, infusing our lives with His presence, particularly through the Sacramental Life of the Church.

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Our hearts brim with appreciation as Deacon Dave gives his farewell homily. Thank you for your ministry and years of guiding us with unwavering devotion and grace.

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On Divine Mercy Sunday, we celebrate the profound grace of receiving mercy. This feast reminds us of the transformative power of God's mercy in our lives, as we seek forgiveness and reconciliation with Him. We, too, are called to extend this same compassion and forgiveness to others in our lives.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who has shown you mercy when you needed it most?
2. Who is the Lord asking you to have mercy on?

 

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God became one of us, died as one of us, and rose as one of us. His resurrection assures us that no matter the depths of suffering or adversity we face, there is always the promise of new life and the assurance of His abiding presence. Hallelujah.

 

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Trust in the crucified One, Jesus. 

 

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Surrendering brings a flood of God's redeeming love. 

 

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"My God, my God, why...,"  Jesus takes on our "why" so that the places in our heart experiencing pain and suffering may be joined to Him. This Holy Week, let us dive into our human experience by asking "why" so that we may enter into the depths of utter holiness with God. 

 

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The story of Lazarus in the Gospel reminds us that death has no power over us - instead, Jesus has power over death. In Jesus, there is a life stronger than death.

 

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Our past mistakes, brokenness, and weaknesses do not disqualify us from God's love.  The story of the Samaritan woman at the well is an example of Jesus speaking into her past with reverence, compassion, and love in order to draw her into His healing and transformative powers. 

 

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To truly listen to Jesus is to invite His presence into our lives. It is through this attentive listening that we find nourishment for our souls, strength for our journey, and the assurance of His unwavering love. Through the Gospels, we encounter the living Word of God, speaking directly to our hearts with timeless relevance and divine authority.

During Lent, let us embrace the liberating truth that true freedom is found in living like Jesus. It's a time for our hearts to be laid bare, our egos punctured, so that the real us, vulnerable and open to God's love, can emerge.

By welcoming, seeing, and loving, Jesus healed the leper, embracing him as a whole person. May we, too, welcome and cherish all whom society shuns, knowing that in love's embrace, healing begins.

Jesus wants to save us from the pain of hell and help us enter into an eternal life filled with beauty, goodness, friendship, and more. 

Following the Lord means living a rich adventure of tasting real moments of fulfillment and longing for more.