Fr. John Ehrich Catholic Homilies

Who and Why the Holy Spirit? - Pentecost Sunday

Fr. John Ehrich, STL

For full Sunday Worship Service video and music please check out www.stmglendale.org

What Does the Ascension Mean for All of Us? - Ascension Sunday

Fr. John Ehrich, STL

Please see entire Worship Service video at www.stmglendale.org

Living Faithfully in Freedom - 6th Sunday in Easter

Fr. John Ehrich, STL

For full worship service video go to stmglendale.org

God Doesn't Do What He Is Supposed To - 5th Sunday of Easter

The disciples are in a state of excitement and confusion as they recover from a series of events and realizations. Jesus is crucified, His body is gone from the tomb and He appears absent, and then He reveals himself as resurrected, alive again. So He’s with them in presence and life in new form...but then again, He says, “I am leaving.” And the key note to remember is his last words, “Follow Me.”

 

We hear the departing words of Jesus that His new purpose is to go back to the Father in order to prepare a place for us.

 

In the whirlwind of events and transitions in our personal lives, where we can feel connected and then disconnected to Christ and his presence or Body, let us reflect on “the bigger plan” that is consistently proclaimed in the Gospel. A bigger reality, a fulfillment that He provides, a gift beyond our expectations. We know intuitively that we are created for more, for a lasting state of being, and ultimately for Union in divinity. By His grace, we can see that our own present plans and realities are very small in the midst of a bigger one. Perhaps if we learn how to suspend our expectations and rely on His objective providence and promise, we can trust more deeply and securely in the coming events in our lives.

See full worship service at www.stmglendale.org

Why Listen To His Voice? - 4th Sunday of Easter

Jesus regularly speaks in metaphors about animals and crops, often relating to the agrarian citizens of his historical time.

 

Take the ‘Shepherd and His Flock’ concept. One of His ideas or depictions could portray two or three shepherds meeting, and congregating together, and therefore, so do their flocks - their individual group of sheep mingle together into a larger flock. If we regard the role of shepherds to the role of priests and prominent holy people, we could see how contemporary religious leaders today are entrusted to their followers and seek to provide their insights and concrete display of faith. Their actions are meant to lead us into deeper communion with Christ and each other.

 

We as followers might initially have a hard time trusting our shepherds, leaders, as well as the Voice of God, the primary Shepherd. Are we openly listening to these various voices with trust and willingness? Are we willing to later follow through with their practical applications in our lives? These are various and monumental steps that take place throughout our life. What if Jesus, in all the ways He presents Himself, were to be for us a loving friend? As The Shepherd who we can engage with, can we continually trust Him to lead us to new pastures, mingling even with various flocks and families and ultimately being our guide to deep joy?

For full video of worship service go to www.stmglendale.org

Our Hearts Burn For The Eucharist - 3rd Sunday of Easter

A famous story: The Road to Emmaus

 

After the harsh and difficult events of the Lord’s Crucifixion and then the rumor His resurrection, you, the reader, can surmise the quality of emotion and struggle that is taking place in the hearts of these disciples.

 

And then a stranger appears.

 

Initially, the disciples don’t recognize Him as Jesus Christ, the very catalyst of all these past events. But as they continually share in conversation and even vulnerability with this stranger, He allows them to see the truth of His presence with them. And a key point here is the timing: He reveals Himself during the act of breaking bread with them, in act of congeniality and reception.

 

Isn’t this very much like God in the times He approaches us in our everyday lives? Christ initiates contact when we are open to sharing and reciprocity, and then we are given deeper wisdom and understanding. The messages and person of Jesus often resonates through this initial reciprocity, this first encounter. And as we recognize it more, the more it burns in our hearts, and we even seek for more relationship, more encountering in the gift of the Eucharist, in the liturgy, and certainly in our family and friendships as well. God only needs to be granted access to us by our own volition and invitation. The more we allow Him to enter the scene of our psyche, even if He initially enters as a stranger, the more He allows us to see everything as a gift brought forth in surprising ways.

For full video of Sunday Worship Service, please go to www.stmglendale.org

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