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Anchored In The Lord

Weekly homilies of Father David Neuschwander
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Anchored In The Lord
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Now displaying: Page 10
Mar 12, 2017

2nd Sunday of Lent

In the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John glimpse for a moment Jesus as He truly is, in His radiant glory as God.  The voice of the Father proclaims "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," and Jesus takes the compliment, allowing it to strengthen Him for his coming suffering and death in Jerusalem.  By our baptism, we are made radiant as God's children as well, and the Father says to us, "You are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased!"  Those words are meant to strengthen us for the struggles in life, not to be pushed out by all the excuses we come up with.  Do you know how to take the compliment?

Mar 8, 2017

What if I told you there is no scientific discovery that can disrupt our faith?  What if I told you that the Catholic Church LOVES science?  What if I told you that most of what you've heard about science and faith is extremely misinformed?  Join me for this 1 hour presentation and prepare to have your mind blown!

Mar 5, 2017

1st Sunday of Lent

Our readings today present us the with tale of 2 men:  The 1st man - Adam - and the New Adam - Jesus Christ.  Both are tempted by the serpent.  The Old Adam falls and turns away from the Father; the New Adam stands strong in faithfulness to His Father.  This Lent is a journey into the desert with Jesus.  It will be a time of testing and temptation for us just as it was for Him.  In the face of the temptations to come, will we be like the Old Adam, or the New Adam? 

Feb 26, 2017

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus tells us in our Gospel this week not to be anxious about food, clothing, or tomorrow.  There are so many things in life that we worry about...is it really that easy to just stop worrying?  We worry when we feel alone, but Jesus challenges us this Sunday to "seek first the kingdom of God."  We are made, as humans, for deep, rich relationships.  When we seek a deep and rich relationship with God first (and then seek to honor the other relationships in our lives next), then all these things that used to cause us worry just won't worry us anymore.

This Lent, don't just give up chocolate or sweets, add something to your life in these amazing 40 days to bring you closer in your relationship with Jesus.

 A resource you may find helpful: BestLentEver.com  

Feb 19, 2017

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What does Jesus mean when He says, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect"?  The Greek word for perfect comes from the root word telos, meaning 'end'.  The Greeks called something 'perfect', not because it was flawless, but if it fulfilled its end, if it did what it was made to do.  God, from all eternity, is a deep, rich, loving, giving relationship.  We humans are made in the image and likeness of God: we are made to have deep, rich, loving, giving relationships.  When other things get in the way of our relationships - our job, our hobbies, our selfish interests - we are imperfect.  When we put our relationships first - with God, our spouse, our kids, our families, our friends - even though we aren't flawless, we can still be perfect.  

Jan 29, 2017

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Old Testament God promised to Abraham a kingdom and a people.  Last week Jesus began to fulfill that promise of a kingdom by beginning the calling of his 12 Apostles.  These 12 would eventually form the Church - the new kingdom of God that will last into eternity.  This week, Jesus describes the attributes of those who belong to this kingdom, what kingdom citizens look like: they look like the 8 beatitudes.  How can I become more a kingdom citizen this week?  And how can I help others to become more of a kingdom citizen this week? 

Jan 22, 2017

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

God loves bringing light into the darkness, and especially light out of the darkness.  Zebulun and Naphtali were the northern regions of Israel that were taken over by the Assyrians, and the people of God there lived under oppression for hundreds of years.  It is precisely to this region that Jesus goes in our Gospel, announcing the kingdom of heaven and coming as light into the darkness.  What is an area of your life that is a place of gloom, worry, anxiety, hopelessness, darkness?  God has always been bringing light out of darkness, and maybe that's exactly what He wants to do for you!

Jan 15, 2017

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."

Jan 8, 2017

Epiphany

Today the three wise men follow a star to the Savior of the world.  Many people saw the star.  The devout religious in Jerusalem knew the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem.  Yet, it is only the three wise men who actually follow God's sign.  Matthew Kelly says that "Wisdom is truth lived."  And of all the people in our Gospel story, it is only the three magi that can be called wise.  What are the signs God is placing in your life?  When you see a star, do you follow it?  "Wisdom is truth lived."

Jan 1, 2017

Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

Most Christian denominations hold onto what I will call a "Me & Jesus" view of heaven - that in heaven we are totally caught up in God and we are no longer involved with others on earth.  As Catholics, however, we believe that we are still united with all those men and women of faith who have gone before us and are in heaven with God - it's always "Us & Jesus".  So we can ask them to pray for us to God (just as we ask friends on earth to pray for us).  On this celebration of the motherhood of Mary, let us ask for the prayers of our Mother in a special way!

Dec 25, 2016

Christmas

O holy night!  The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

 

Dec 18, 2016

4th Sunday of Advent

In our 3rd and final installment of this homily series "Invested" (I know it was supposed to be 4, but I wasn't able to preach last weekend - I apologize), I encourage you to consider this question: do you come to Mass as a spectator or as a player?  The Second Vatican Council encourages us to "full, conscious and active participation" in the Mass.  The interaction in Mass that we have as Catholics is a great gift meant to keep us fully engaged as we worship God together.  So what do you consider your role to be in Mass - spectator or player? 

Dec 4, 2016

2nd Sunday of Advent

Investing means we're putting something down in hopes that the return will be worth the investment.  So what's the return of investing your time, attention and energy in Mass?  That God wants to speak a word to you that will empower you to engage all of next week with strength, confidence and faith (instead of being tired out and worn down come Tuesday evening).  The Mass is heaven come down to earth and God has something special to say just to you.  The more you invest, the louder His voice will sound.

Nov 27, 2016

1st Week of Advent

This is the first of a 4-part Advent homily series on the Mass.  The title of this series is "Invested".  Nothing in our lives can grow unless we are invested in it.  Investing in what is important to us takes many different forms: time, energy, effort, attention, money, care, thoughtfulness (to name a few).  The more we invest, the more we see results.  Our participation in and experience of the Mass is no different: the more we invest, the more we see results.  As we begin this Advent journey, I invite you to take an honest look at how invested you are in the Mass on a typical weekend.  Mark it down as a starting point, so that come Christmas you will be able to look back and count some ways you've grown in your investment in the Mass.

Nov 5, 2016

32nd Sunday in ordinary time

The martyrs in our first reading were living for the life to come.  And in our Gospel Jesus gives us a glimpse into this life: a life of such deep and fulfilling relationship with God that earthly marriages are only a shadow of what's coming.  This week we are challenged: Are you intentionally living for the life to come?  Are you intentionally encouraging others to live for the life to come?  Priesthood and celibacy only make sense if we're looking toward the next life.  If young men are going to become priests, it's our job to inspire them by living our lives for the life to come.

Nov 3, 2016

What does the Church believe about life beyond death?  How might that existence interact with life before death?  Join me for this 1 hour presentation on death, judgment, heaven, hell, saints, souls, purgatory, ghosts, angels and demons.  We have an amazingly beautiful and powerful faith that answers questions both in this life and beyond.

Oct 30, 2016

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this Sunday's Gospel Jesus invites Himself into the home of a sinner - Zacchaeus the tax collector...and THEN Zacchaeus has a change of heart.  Change doesn't come first; first comes God, then comes change.  Jesus invites Himself into our "house" at every Mass each time we come forward for Communion.  Jesus wants to be received into your heart and into your house in a new and deeper way than ever before.  Don't say, "But I'm not ready!  I still need to change!"  We make it a lot easier on ourselves if we just let Him in - then God will do the hard work for us.  First comes God, then comes change.

Oct 23, 2016

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Like last weekend, this weekend's readings center on prayer.  They show us that God loves real, honest, raw prayer!  God wants you to tell Him what's going on inside of you, even if you don't think it's "holy" or "godly" or whatever - God wants your prayer to be REAL.  Like the tax collector in the Temple, we go home justified (and fulfilled...and fed...and blessed) when we are utterly honest with the Lord.  So try it this week: 10 minutes of prayer each morning, walk through your day with Him before it happens, asking Him for strength, and then tell God what's really on your mind, what's really preoccupying you these days.  God loves that kind of prayer!

Oct 16, 2016

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus humorously encourages us today to be like a nagging, old woman when we come to prayer - that means to pray always, again and again, bother the Father!  God wants us to come to Him time and again not because He forgets or is unaware of our needs, but because the more face time we have with Him, the deeper our relationship grows.  3 practices that will make "pray always" a reality: spend the first 10 minutes of each day with the Lord, offer different hours during the day for others (like Moses, your prayers will help someone win battles in their life), and find a good friend to share how your resolutions are affecting your life, and vice-versa.

Oct 9, 2016

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend my parish is celebrating Stewardship Weekend.  Thank you, fellow Christian, for all that you have done with the gifts God has entrusted to you.  Thank you for those ways that you have been a good steward.  Gratitude for what God has given us leads to generosity.  And generosity leads to a joyful heart.  In our Gospel Jesus heals 10 lepers...only 1 comes back to thank Him.  Be the one to come back and thank Jesus; count your blessings - then you'll find yourself wanting to give more.  And as you give, your heart will grow, and you will be filled with a joy that no one can take from you!

Sep 26, 2016

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we receive a wake-up call.  In the first reading God condemns the ruling elite of Israel for their complacence and indifference.  In our Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in which the rich man finds himself in hell, not because he was evil or wicked or immoral, but simply because he was indifferent - he didn't use the blessings God had given him to help bless others.  We are fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus each week so that our hearts can move from indifference to generosity, so that our hearts can become like Jesus' heart.  We're called Christians for a reason; let's become who we are!

Sep 18, 2016

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today Jesus tells us one of His most confusing parables: "Look at this shady, crooked, underhanded businessman... You should be like him!"  Many people are clever in the ways of this world - they are smart and resourceful in using the people and situations around them to further their own gain (even if it is selfish and underhanded, as the steward is today).  Jesus challenges the "children of light" to be as smart and resourceful in obtaining benefits for heavenly life, as clever in living out our faith in the midst of this busy world and culture, as this shady businessman was in obtaining benefits for his earthly life.

Sep 11, 2016

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The most encouraging, effective and result producing words kids can hear from their parents are: "I love you; I'm proud of you."  In our Gospel today Jesus shares three parables, all portraying the illogical, unreasonable, outlandish love that the Father has for each one of us.  No matter what we've done, no matter how far we've wandered away, the Father never stops seeking us out.  And when we finally let ourselves be found, He says to us, "I love you; I'm proud of you!"  Jesus heard His Father say those words to Him; can we hear our Father the time say those words to us?

Aug 28, 2016

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

"My child, conduct your affairs with humility."  Humility is one of the most important and misunderstood virtues. Humility is NOT walking around with your head bowed down, or being quiet/submissive/weak, or downplaying things you're good at.  Humility is acknowledging the truth; it's living in reality.  It's an interior attitude recognizing that everything we have comes from outside of us - ultimately from God.  Living out of this reality means that certain things need to be strongly fought for and proclaimed without worry of what others think (Side 1), while other times we just need to take one on the chin (Side 2).  So if you're feeling daring, ask for humility this week!

Aug 21, 2016

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

We respect and expect hard work and dedication in so many areas of life; why should the spiritual life be any different?  Jesus says to us today, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate."  Are we striving?  Are we even trying?  Our relationship with Jesus Christ and our spiritual life require time, effort, hard work and dedication - just like anything else we value in life.  The gate is narrow because it's in the shape of Jesus.  If you look in the mirror each morning and ask, "Do I look like Jesus?  How can I look more like Him today?" If you look in the mirror each night and ask, "How was I like Jesus today?  Where can I do better tomorrow?"  Then you will find yourself becoming more and more Jesus-shaped every day, and when you get to that gate you'll be just the right size!

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