Fr. John Ehrich Catholic Homilies

Mercy Is Received, But Can We Give It? - Divine Mercy Sunday

The Son of God bears the wounds of the cross for all of eternity. How severe and powerful this idea of evil can be seen, in the scars of our savior for all of time.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ disposition to the disciples is not victimhood but instead revealed when He says the words “peace be with you.” In other words, “Yes, this severity truly happened, but this is mercy.”

 

The same mercy is available to each of us. Divine Mercy is freedom that is perfectly given and in pursuit of peace. Can we accept that mercy internally, in fullness and deep awareness of our own fragility and then turn to our neighbor and mirror that mercy to others? By His wounds, Christ says, “yes.” Peace be with you.

For full worship service, go to www.stmglendale.org

Renew Our Faith and Trust In Jesus - Easter 2020

This may be one of the strangest Easter celebrations in our recent memory.

 

So many are unable to come to the church in person on one of the most celebrated days of the year. It’s important to remember that God did not cause this pandemic nor has he abandoned us. He may be in the midst of it and He still has as much strength and power as ever.

 

We can see the Resurrection event from the perspective of disciples who were confronted with a very baffling encounter. They did not understand it, but they believed. They experienced Him was as reincarnated with their senses and testified to the truth of that experience without knowing rationally or having a fully articulated grasp of the “how” or “why” of the situation.

 

Though we are confronted with the difficulty of not having access to the sacraments during this pandemic, we still have access to the graces of God. This grace that we seek is still experiential and only requires us to trust in this belief. It can still permeate our lives in our social distancing and daily quarantined activity. Above all rational explanation is the abiding nature of God and the question of whether we decide to believe ourselves. Let us be more aware than ever of our reliance on His graces during this time.

For full live stream Mass please go to www.stmglendale.org

Sacrifice Is Integral To Christianity - Holy Thursday 2020

Fr. John Ehrich

Watch the full livestream Mass at www.stmglendale.org

Why God Allows Suffering and Death? - Palm Sunday 2020

Fr. John Ehrich

For full video and worship service please go to www.stmglendale.org

One Decade A Day - Pray One Decade of the Rosary Each Day Together

I'm asking everyone to pray one decade of the rosary a day for each other, for our intentions and for a swift end to the Coronavirus. 

Please email us and tell us you are going to commit to this: rosary@stmglendale.org

Our Emptiness Is A Space For God's Grace - 5th Sunday In Lent

Fr. John Ehrich

www.stmglendale.org

Making Room For God - 4th Sunday of Lent

Fr. John Ehrich

Stmglendale.org

How To Reach People - 3rd Sunday of Lent

How do we forge relationship, communicate and stay close to people when it can be difficult at times? Especially when we try to affect the truth of God in others who might not be receptive to the message, this can be a continual struggle and even feel like a challenge. For parents of teenagers, opposing family members, friendships, coworkers, and strangers - communication breakdowns about faith or theology, theopraxy, or morality can stifle connection and relationship.

 

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus engage with a woman who is not a Jew, (and a woman), by showing genuine interest in her. He is more interested in her and her heart than in the cultural and social barriers of the time. He gets her to open up and be vulnerable and as she continues to speak with him, a trust between the two of them begins. Communicating an essential and candid message of mutual value and honor between one another can be the first pathway to connecting in truth together. This can affirm and strengthen all of our relationships and can help both parties grow in deeper relationship to God in His limitless love and mercy.

Remain Steadfast In Hope! - 2nd Sunday of Lent

There on the mountain, Moses communed with God for many years and brought back the promises to . This period of time was a well known to the followers of Jesus. So when they witness Christ being raised up, shown with Moses and Elijah, they know he is truly the Messiah. This means He is truly their deliverer and prophetic figure that the hearts of many were waiting for.

What are our hearts waiting for? What future or unfulfilled promises do we carry with us; maybe even ask God to deliver us from? If Jesus is the Son of God, who died and rose and made manifestation our salvation, are we relying on Him during this Lenten time? The three theological virtues (Faith, Hope, and Love) can help us entrust ourselves to Christ’s light for healing, restoration and deliverance. As we hear and reflect more about Christ’s death, we can be reminded of our own mortality, our own suffering and hardship that we can bring the the altar, especially during this season of Lent. We are creatures destined for eternity - we should not forget that, but rather remind ourselves to remain steadfast in the victory of His love.

 

 

Why Adam's Sin Was So Severe - 1st Sunday in Lent

Sin and death came into the world, not simply because these first two human beings are the forbidden fruit. We know this Genisis story along with many others that are allegorical in nature. Without getting caught up in the historical accuracy, we can be attentive to the purposes of these stories and the wisdom they impart to us today.

 

We are given life by God as He breathes life into us from our birth. He made us male and female. He made us and saw “that it was good.” Satan is a the father of lies, but can successfully entice us with what we are convinced is good. He is a trickster, and with by adding our desires, often motivates us to be do wrong things for the right intentions.

 

Can we allow God to help us determine truth? Sometimes we struggle to find and choose the truth and reality of ‘good vs. evil.’ We. get ourselves into trouble with sin, we often are trying to take the reigns and commit acts of pride and envy rather than trust and confidence in Gods omnipotence and providence. Let’s look at our lives and ask ourselves where we are off track. Let’s look at the ways we can trust on God and allow Him to convert our hearts to the reality of truth and the effect it can have in our actions.