St Joseph Catholic Church Podcast

2nd Sunday of Easter Dive Mercy Sunday by Fr. Daniel Kelley Homily. Today, on the final day of the Octave of Easter, the eight-day celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, we give praise and thanks for God’s mercy. Scripture is replete with examples of divine mercy, foremost among them Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Truly, as we hear repeated in the responsorial psalm today, “(God’s) mercy endures forever.” As we celebrate today’s liturgy, let us recall the times in our lives when we have felt that tender mercy. #stjoe88

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord #Homily - Cycle C with Fr. Daniel Kelley. Today we remember Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, when he was met by crowds of disciples who joyfully welcomed him to the holy city. As our palm branches are blessed today, we welcome Jesus into our lives, asking that he make them holy by his presence. Then, when we leave today with our blessed palms, we will praise God with joy, for Christ has won the victory over sin and death, winning for us our salvation.#stjoe88 #danielkelley  

5th Sunday of Lent Year C with Fr. Daniel Kelley. If our God were a vengeful God, who could survive? We are sinful creatures, struggling to do good in God’s eyes, but often coming up short. Even now, during this penitential season, we need to seek God’s mercy. Fortunately, our God is a merciful God, always ready to forgive us. As we celebrate with each other today, let us thank God for this overflowing mercy and consider those whom we ourselves need to forgive

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Cycle C Fr. Daniel Kelley Lent is just around the corner, so today is a good day to think about our character as we approach this holy season. Am I prone to judge others, more likely to recognize others’ faults rather than my own? Jesus points out that when we overlook our own faults, not only are we ourselves left deficient, but our judgmental outlook distorts our view of others.

1st Sunday of Lent - Cycle C with Fr. Daniel Kelley. Always on the First Sunday of Lent we hear Jesus being tempted by the devil during the forty days he spent in the desert. We too are beginning a forty-day period during which we are challenged to repent and reorient ourselves toward God. We face temptations every day that distract us from following the Lord or lead us away from God. May our gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist inspire us and nourish us in the weeks ahead.

Second Sunday in Lent - Cycle C with Fr. Daniel Kelley, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arlington, TX. In Luke’s account of the Transfiguration, which we hear in today’s Gospel, a voice from the heavens calls out, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” At that, Peter, John, and James fall silent, enabling them to listen to the Lord. Let us take this opportunity during our Lenten journey to listen to Jesus and reflect on what he is saying to us. #stjoe88

Third Sunday of Lent, Year C with Fr. Daniel Kelley.  Two and a half weeks ago, as we began our Lenten journeys, we may have been told, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” It was not a suggestion. It was a command, a command to orient ourselves toward God. Have we followed this command? Are we putting our faith into action? It’s not too late. Like the fig tree in today’s Gospel, we are cared for by a patient gardener. We have been given another chance to bear fruit.

Solemnity of Christ the King Homily with Fr. Daniel Kelley. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, acknowledging that Jesus Christ is above all temporal rulers, past, present, or future. We also recognize that Jesus Christ should reign in our lives, guiding us in our thoughts, our decisions, and our conduct. In both the universe that is the entire world and the universe that is our own heart, Jesus Christ is Lord. We will spend the next several minutes listening to the word of the Lord. Though scripture was written by different types of authors—storytellers, prophets, psalmists, letter writers, evangelists—and in different forms—historical narratives, myths, psalms, testimonies, epistles—it all is the word of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells Pilate that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice. We belong to the truth, so now we listen to God’s voice.

33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time with Fr. Daniel Kelley. The month of November is the time when the Church traditionally recalls those who have gone before us. We mourn their loss, we pray for their souls, we hope to be reunited with them when we ourselves die. As it is the end of the liturgical year (it will begin anew in two weeks with Advent), we also bring to mind the end of time. Though we cannot know the day nor the hour, our trust and hope is in the Lord. 

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time with Deacon Bill Johnson. Every Sunday we are invited anew to follow Jesus. No matter what our limitations or impediments may be, Jesus calls us to follow him. Sometimes even when we don’t realize it, we are being called. In the Gospel today, we hear Jesus cure Bartimaeus, the blind man who begged at the side of the road. But Jesus calls Bartimaeus as well. After receiving the gift of sight, Bartimaeus responds to Jesus’ call and follows him. As we gather in Jesus’ name today, let us consider how he is calling us. 

Celebrating Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day, we Americans take the opportunity to think about all the blessings in our lives and feel grateful for those who have provided them for us. As people of faith, we realize that all these blessings ultimately come from God and without God we would have nothing. So we give thanks today to all the people in our lives who have blessed us, but ultimately to God, the source of all blessings. 

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Homily with Fr. Daniel Kelley. “All things are possible for God.” Jesus follows a series of challenging pronouncements with this line—some of the most consoling words that he utters in the Gospels. As we celebrate Mass today, recall the times that you have had to rely on God because you didn’t know if you could manage on your own. For us human beings on our own, it may well be impossible, but for God, all things are possible. Solomon makes a wise decision in today’s first reading, choosing wisdom over power or riches. He realizes that those things are temporary, whereas wisdom is lasting. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the rich man the same lesson, noting the incompatibility of wealth and the kingdom of God. This is our challenge today. How are our temporary possessions obstacles to our mission and ultimate goal? Can the “two-edged sword” that the writer of Hebrews invokes separate what lasts from what doesn’t?  

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Homily by Father Daniel Kelley. “If we love one another, God remains in us,” we sing before the Gospel reading today. How appropriate on this Respect Life Sunday. All life, everyone’s life, is a gift from God, a gift given out of love by our Creator. Therefore, all life is precious in God’s eyes. If all life is precious, all life is worthy of our love. With that attitude and with God remaining in us, we can sing the second half of the Gospel acclamation, “and God’s love is brought to perfection in us.” Twice in today’s readings we hear, in reference to those who are married, “the two become one flesh.” Significantly, we hear these words first in Genesis, where the first person becomes a co-creator, naming all the animals and even providing a rib so that God could create a partner. In becoming one flesh, two people create a new and unique entity. Let us reflect on how we have or can become co-creators, creating bonds and creating life from the impulse of love.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily By Deacon Bill Johnson The grace of God is spread all over the earth. It comes to us in many ways, often through the unlikeliest of people or in the unlikeliest of situations. As we celebrate Mass today, let us reflect on how we have experienced God’s grace in our lives and open ourselves to the possibility of receiving it at any time, in any place. #stjoe88 #homily #sermon  

Holy Thursday at the Evening Mass with Fr. Daniel Kelley. On this Holy Thursday, we begin our three-day celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in history and in our own lives today. Let us enter into this celebration with hearts made ready by our Lenten practices and God’s grace, so that we may be open to the movement of God’s spirit and ready to hear God’s message of comfort and challenge. #stjoe88 #stjosephcatholicchurch  

Feast of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph with Seminarian Joe Keating. Our Christmas celebration continues with today’s observance of the feast of the Holy Family. Although only recently added to the Church calendar in 1921, this feast speaks to us of the timeless truth that God is with us in all our trials and triumphs of daily family living. Perhaps our prayer today can be for all those who raise their children in difficult circumstances, and for those who remain faithful to life in the Church in spite of some of their own family struggles. #feastofholyfamilyofjesusmaryandjoseph #joekeating #stjoe88 #stjosephcatholicchurcharlingtontx  

Solemnity of Christ The King with Seminarian Joe Keating. On this final Sunday of the liturgical year The Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ King of the Universe Sunday, we acclaim Christ as King of the Universe to whom all other powers are subject. We also renew our own baptismal commitment to Jesus as the Lord to whom we pledge our hearts’ highest loyalty and deepest love. In today’s Gospel, Jesus faces the injustice of Pilate’s judgment with no followers fighting to save him, and with no weapon except truth. In celebrating our Eucharist today, let us resolve to be Jesus’ peaceable disciples, who show that we belong to the truth by listening to Jesus’ voice. #stjoe88 #stjosephcatholicchurch #joekeating

4th Sunday of Lent Cycle A with Deacon Bill Johnson. On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, sometimes called Laetare or “Rejoice” Sunday, we have passed the halfway point of Lent, and we rejoice and give thanks to God for having helped us to come this far on our Lenten journey. This is a good Sunday to take stock and see how our Lenten practices are going, and to get started if we have been delayed. How are we doing at changing our hearts this Lenten season? Let us pray today for God’s help and guidance along the way.

On this Third Sunday of Lent, we experience a preview and a review of baptism. Water abounds in our readings, and the elect throughout the world are celebrating the first scrutiny in preparation for their baptism. As we move through our celebration today, we may want to reflect on what we are thirsting for in our lives, and how God may act to slake that thirst.

Feast of the Presentation of The Lord with Fr. Daniel Kelley, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arlington TX. Today's homily is on the Feast of the PResentation of The Lord. On this fortieth day after Christmas, we find yet another reason to celebrate the great incarnation of Jesus Christ our Lord. This day was traditionally the end of a much longer Christmas season than what we currently observe, and in the midst of continuing winter darkness it is good to recall yet again the true Light of the world. Let us enter joyfully into this celebration, and together with Simeon and Anna announce salvation to all the world.