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.

23C Sunday homily (07 September 2025) Christ is number one

 

23C Sunday Homily, Luke 14:25-33, September 7, 2025

By Fr. Vincent Corbelli, MM

 

1) STORY

There was a famous football player who always wore a gold medal with these four words: I AM NUMBER THREE. When asked what the words meant, he said that in his life God is number one, his family is number two, and he is number three. He always tried to live his life with this motto in mind.

 

2) GOSPEL

A) Jesus tells us to become his follower, his disciple, we must be willing to leave our families though we continue to love them.  We must be willing to leave them in order to follow Christ. 

B) To follow Jesus, we must be willing to carry our cross.  This means we must be willing to do difficult things for Jesus.  “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE 

A) For different reasons, many people leave their families.  For example, when a couple marries, they will normally leave home.  On finding a new job, a person may have to leave home.  When a person becomes a priest, brother, or sister, they leave home.  They love their family even though they must leave them.  This is the same for the person who follows Jesus. 

B) To carry one’s cross means to be willing to do difficult things for Jesus, thereby imitating him.  We try to imitate Jesus with our head, heart and hands.  By learning more and accepting his teachings to love God, neighbor and self, we imitate Jesus in our heads.  By seeing the good qualities in others despite their short comings, we imitate Jesus in our hearts.  By giving our time and effort to those in need, we imitate Jesus with our hands.

 

4) CONCLUSION

Just as the football player tried to make Jesus number one in his life, we must try to make Jesus number one in our lives if we wish to be his disciple.

We do this by imitating him in our head, heart and with our hands.  The more effort we make in becoming disciples, the more Jesus will bless us with his peace, joy and happiness.