30C Sunday homily (26 October 2025) Be humble

 

30C Sunday Homily, Luke18:9-14, October 26, 2025

By Father Vincent Corbelli, MM

 

1) STORY

There was a beautiful apple tree which was very proud of its apples and leaves.  One day a humble little woodpecker flew to the tree and heard a buzzing sound.  After listening carefully, it discovered that there were bugs inside the trunk and decided to help the apple tree.  It then made a hole in the trunk of the tree and ate the bugs.  The proud apple tree became very angry and told the woodpecker never to return as it only welcomed beautiful birds.  Thus, the woodpecker never returned.  Eventually the bugs returned and ate the inside of the hollow trunk, but the tree paid no attention to this.  One day a strong wind knocked down the apple tree because the bugs destroyed it by eating away at it.  The proud apple tree learned too late that it needed the help of the humble woodpecker to stay strong.

 

2) GOSPEL, Luke 18:9-14

A) THE PROUD PHARISEE

The first act the Pharisee did was to criticize others by saying he was not like the rest of humanity: greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like the tax collector.  The second was that he praised himself saying he fasted twice a week and paid tithes on his income. 

B) THE HUMBLE TAX COLLECTOR

The first act of the tax collector was to admit that he was a sinner.  The second was that he asked God to be merciful to him.  “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  Jesus tells us that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) The humble person understands that all good things come from God.  Only with God’s help are we able to walk, talk, hear, work and think.  Without God’s help, we are helpless.

B) The humble person knows that he/she has virtues and vices, has good points and bad points, has strengths and weaknesses and is both a saint and a sinner.  This person always asks for God’s mercy and for his help to improve.

 

4) CONCLUSION

Just as the apple tree needed the help of the woodpecker so, too, do we need God’s help.  We, like the humble tax collector, understand the need for God’s mercy, forgiveness and help.

 

29C Sunday homily (19 October 2025) Perseverance in prayer

 

29C Sunday Homily, Luke 18:1-8, October 19, 2025

By Fr. Vincent Corbelli MM

 

A group of friends who enjoyed mountain climbing decided to climb to the top of a nearby mountain.  They started early in the morning and at noon reached halfway and decided to rest before continuing to climb to the peak.  As they were enjoying this break, several said that they were very tired and decided to return home.  Several enjoyed the quiet and beauty of the spot so much that they decided to stay there rather than continuing the climb.  The remaining members decided to continue to climb the peak as they had planned.  In life, some start toward a goal but soon quit.  Some get half way to a goal and give up.  Finally, there are some who persevere and reach their goal.

 

2) GOSPEL, LUKE 18:1-8

A) THE UNJUST JUDGE

The judge neither feared God nor respected any human being including the poor widow who was asking for justice.

B) THE POOR WIDOW

She needed the judge’s help to get justice which was her due.  She had the power of perseverance and finally received justice because she kept pleading to the judge until he finally helped her.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) GOD

God is our loving father who cares for us and knows what is best for us.  He is the opposite of the judge.

B) PRAY

In the Our Father, Jesus teaches us to ask God for our daily bread and teaches us to ask for our material needs.  When Jesus teaches us to ask God for the forgiveness of our sins, he teaches us to ask for spiritual blessings.  We must follow the good example of the poor widow who had great perseverance.  We must not set a time limit when we ask God for help.  He listens to us and will always help us in his way.

 

4) CONCLUSION

In the story there were three types of persons.  Those with no perseverance, those with some perseverance, and those with great perseverance.  In the gospel the widow, through her great perseverance, achieved her goal.  We must persevere in our prayers as God is our loving father who will always help us in his way.

 

28C Sunday homily (12 October 2025) Be thankful

 

28 C Sunday Homily, Luke 17:11-19, October 12, 2025 

1) STORY

John died and went to heaven where he was greeted by St. Peter who then gave him a tour of heaven.  Peter showed him a large room divided into three sections where angels were working.  Peter explained that the first section was the receiving section where prayer requests from earth were received.  There were many angels working on these requests.  The second section was the packaging and delivery section where many angels were busy sending blessings to earth.  The third section was the thank you section where people sent God their thanks for blessings received.  There was only one angel working there with very little to do.  Peter said many are blessed but few thank God for his blessings.

 

2) GOSPEL, Luke 17:11-19

A) Ten lepers asked to be cured and Jesus cured them all. This had a profound effect on their lives.

B) Only one of the ten came back to thank Jesus for his curing them.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE 

A) Just as the lepers were blessed with good health, we are also blessed by God. 

i) We have material blessings such as food to eat, water to drink, a place to sleep, the ability to walk, to talk, to see and to hear.

ii) We have spiritual blessings.  We know Jesus and love Jesus, we hear the word of God, we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, and we have our sins forgiven.

B) We must thank God:

i) Every day we say “Thank you Lord for your blessings.”

ii) We should attend Mass which is the great act of thanksgiving.

iii) We share our blessings with those in need. This is how we thank God.

 

4) CONCLUSION

In this story, many asked God for help and received their requests but few thanked him.  Jesus cured ten lepers and only one returned with thanks.  We receive many blessings from God and must be sure to show our gratitude by thanking him.

 

27C Sunday homily (05 October 2025) Increase your faith

 

27C Sunday Homily, Luke 17:5-10, October 5, 2025

By Fr. Vincent Corbelli, MM

 

1) STORY

John, a poor village boy, had to cross a forest each day to get to his school in the neighboring village.  He asked his mother if she could hire a servant to accompany him to school.  Being too poor to do this, she suggested he ask his guardian angel for help.   John was delighted when his guardian angel agreed to go with him.  It was the school’s custom to give the teacher a gift.  John asked his mother for a gift, and she suggested he ask his guardian angel for help and was given a gift of a jug of fresh milk.  The teacher was grateful but very surprised when he poured out the jug of milk.  The teacher asked John where this gift came from, and John said it came from his guardian angel.  When his teacher asked to meet this angel, John was very happy.  Going into the forest, John called out to the guardian angel many times but there was no response.  The teacher then suspected John was lying.  John was deeply upset.  He cried out one last time and the answer came to John.  The guardian angel said, “Son, I cannot come until the day your teacher has your purity of heart and your simple childlike faith.”  John was able to see with the eyes of faith what the teacher was not able to see.

 

2) GOSPEL, Luke 17:5-10

A) Faith gives us the power to see what the non-believer cannot see.

B) Just as a plant can grow, so too can our faith grow.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) With the eyes of faith, we believe there is a God who exists and loves us.  We believe Jesus is the Son of God who came to save us and give us eternal life by dying on the cross.  We believe that God gave us the Ten Commandments as a guide to live in this world.  We believe the Bible is the word of God and that Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist.

B) Just as a plant can grow with the help of the sun and water, so can our faith grow by prayer, reading the Bible, and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

 

4) CONCLUSION

Just as John could see with the eyes of faith what others could not see, so we can see with our eyes of faith what the non-believer cannot see.  We thank God for this great gift and ask him to continue to increase our faith.  We ask for the strength to pray, read the Bible, and receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

26C Sunday homily (28 September 2025) Be generous

 

26C Sunday Homily, Luke 16:19-31, September 28, 2025

By Fr. Vincent Corbelli, MM

 

1) STORY

A boat crowded with passengers was crossing a river when it struck a rock and began to sink.  The lifeboats could hold only half of the passengers, so the others were forced to jump into the river and swim to shore.  There was one man on deck, a thief, who stole gold which belonged to the many gold miners returning home and hid it in his luggage.  Satisfied that he had enough gold with him, he jumped into the river planning to swim to shore.  He sank like a rock and drowned.  When his body was recovered, even his pockets were filled with gold that he had stolen.  His greed was the cause of his death.

 

2) GOSPEL, Luke 16:19-31

A) In the parable, the rich man had fine clothes, good food, a beautiful home, and a comfortable life.  He thought only of himself, totally ignoring poor Lazarus.  The rich man’s selfishness resulted in his eternal suffering. 

B) Lazarus was poor, hungry, and sick but received no help from the rich man.  After his death, he enjoyed eternal happiness.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) Our wealth included many things.

1. It includes money, time, talents, and experience.

2. Wealth can help us or hurt us just as a knife or fire can help or hurt us.  It can make us generous or selfish.

3. We must make prudent use of our wealth as it will influence our future.

B) There are many poor and needy persons in the world.  They may have no money, food, home, or work.  They may have no happiness, peace, or purpose in life.  We must help them with the blessings God has given us.  We must be generous.

 

4) CONCLUSION

Selfishness caused the greedy passenger, the thief, to steal gold but lose his life.  Selfishness caused the rich man to neglect poor Lazarus resulting in the rich man’s suffering.  We must prudently use the wealth that God has given us for ourselves and for others especially those in need.  We must not be selfish.  We must be generous.

 

25C Sunday homily (21 September 2025) Serve one master

 

25C Sunday Homily, Luke16:10-13, September 21, 2025

By Fr. Vincent Corbelli, MM

1) STORY

John was on his way home when he heard a voice asking if he would like seven jars of gold.  He saw no one, but his greed was aroused and he answered yes.  The voice told him to go home where he would find the gold.  Sure enough, there were seven jars of gold all full except one which was only half full; but he was not happy until all the jars were full.  He sold all the jewelry he had and put the gold in the jar, yet it still was not full.  He skimped and starved himself and his family for more gold and went out begging for money.  He even asked the king for a raise in salary which was then doubled.  Yet the jar was still half empty.  The king noticed that John was miserable and near starvation and asked him what was wrong.  He noted that previously John was happy and content with his former salary; but now that it was doubled, he was worn out and dejected.  The king then asked John if he had seven jars of gold at home.  John was astonished that the king knew this and asked how he knew about the gold.  The king smiled and answered that he, too, was offered the gold only to reject the offer as the gold could only be hoarded and not used.  The king urged John to return the gold, which he did.  Only then was John happy again, as he learned that unhappiness comes when money is our master.

 

2)  GOSPEL, LUKE 16:10-13

A) Jesus tells us we cannot serve both God and mammon (money).  To serve God means to love God, love your neighbor (others), love yourself, and work for a living.

B) To love mammon (money) is to work and live only to increase one’s wealth while forgetting about God, others, and self.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) We love God by doing the following four things:

i. Spending time in prayer, going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist and other sacraments.

ii. Caring for our family, relatives, friends, and the needy according to our ability.

iii. Caring for our health by eating properly, getting enough rest, and exercising when possible.

iv. Being a responsible and cooperative worker.  This is what it means to serve one master, God.

B) When our master is money, we live for wealth and forget God, neighbor, and self.  Greed blinds us and we cannot attain happiness, joy and peace.

 

4) CONCLUSION

We are wise when God is our one master, as only He brings us peace, joy and happiness.

24C Sunday homily (14 September 2025) Jesus saves us by his cross

 

EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS SUNDAY HOMILY, JOHN 3:13-17, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

 

1. STORY

On July 30, 1941, a prisoner escaped from Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp in Poland.  In retaliation the commandant of the camp lined up the inmates of block 14 and ordered ten of them to be selected for punishment.  They were to be starved to death.  One of them cried out in tears that he would never see his young family again.  At this point another prisoner stepped forward and volunteered to take his place.  The commandant asked him who he was.  He replied, I am a Catholic priest." The commandant accepted the offer and so Fr. Maximilian Kobe gave up his life to save another man, just as Jesus gave up his life to save us.  He died on August 14, 1941.  He was canonized in 1982 by St. Pope John Paul II.

 

2. GOSPEL: JOHN 3:13-17

A. GOD'S LOVE FOR US

God so loved us who were in need of help, in need of salvation, that he sent Jesus, his only son to save us.  Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to die on the cross for our salvation.

B. THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

Because of God's love and Jesus' love for us, we were granted the gift of eternal life.   Only God thought Jesus could give us this precious gift.

 

3. APPLICATION TO LIFE

A. BE THANKFUL FOR THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

This gift came through the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross.  This gift was not purchased as if one went into a store to buy a precious ring or watch.  Jesus was like a life guard giving up his life by jumping into the water to save a drowning man, or like a fireman giving up his life by entering a burning building to save one or like a doctor saving one with a deadly disease like Ebola or SARS.  This gift came at a very high price, the suffering and death of Jesus.

B. HELP JESUS TO SAVE OTHERS

Are there others in need of salvation?  Yes.  Are we able to help Jesus in his task of saving other?  Yes.  Here are three suggests on how you can help Jesus.

i) Pray for one who is sick, poor, lonely, jobless or unhappy.  There are plenty of these people.

ii) Listen to these people.  By giving your time to listen to them, you give moral support.  Most people are too busy to give time to others.

iii) It may be possible to suggest ways to help to lessen their suffering or how to solve their problem.

 

4. CONCLUSION

St. Maximilian Kobe gave up his life to save a young prisoner.  God our Father and Jesus loved us so much that Jesus died on the cross to save us, to give us eternal life.  We should daily thank Jesus for this great love for us.  We, as followers of Jesus, have the responsibility and talent to help those in need by our prayers, by listening to those in need and by suggestion ways to lessen their pain and sorrow.