Monday Morning Homilist

We turn on the mics for one final (regular) episode and it's only fitting we bring MMH to a close reflecting on the simplicity of Christmas. It's been a joy doing this over the past 3 years and we thank our faithful listeners and followers. Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

With 9 days to go until Christmas, this week's reflection is simple: what brings you joy? In sports, we quickly determine that our local teams definitely don't!

It's a wide-ranging episode today after a long but incredibly fun and successful Parish Fair Weekend. After a special announcement, we connect the dots between Advent, Mary, the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation, road construction, confession, and the fire at Notre Dame and it's re-opening this weekend. Enjoy the show! In the sports segment, we share our thoughts on the CFP bracket and the logic (or lack thereof) of the committee.

We're back for Advent with a simple message for the season - Run to Jesus!! Amid all the "busy-ness" of the holiday season, and with great anticipation for the celebration of Christmas, the prayers of the Mass for Advent implore us to run towards the Lord. May these next several weeks be filled with not only hopeful expectation but with intentional prayer and heartfelt preparation to make our hearts and home a welcome place for the Lord.

This weekend's Gospel is providential for the week ahead, as the Lord challenges us to love with everything we've got - all our mind, all our heart, all our soul and all our strength. Listen in as we attempt to describe what that looks like. In sports, the Cam Ward show continues, the Dolphins lose another heartbreaker (but look much better!), and we start looking ahead to the College Football Playoff rankings and potential matchups.

We're back after a week off and this weekend's Gospel encounter between Jesus and the blind man, Bartimaeus, gives us plenty to reflect on throughout the week ahead. Jesus' question, "what do you want me to do?" Bartimaeus' eager response to the call of the Lord. The initial reaction of the disciples and their shift in attitude when Christ acknowledges Bartimaeus. Listen in as we peel back so many layers of this beautiful encounter. In sports, the 'Canes beat the 'Noles and everything else is just noise. Is there some ACC chaos brewing, though??

This weekend's Gospel account of the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man offers us an opportunity to reflect on how we take God’s love for granted. What it is in our life that is holding us back from spiritual greatness? What is it that the Lord is challenging us to give up, sell, or walk away from in order to follow Him? In sports, the Panthers are back in action and we were there for the banner raising on Opening Night, College Football is doing College Football things, Fr Manny puts on his baseball commissioner hat to solve the problem with the Postseason, and the Dolphins couldn't hurt us this weekend!

This week we share Fr. Manny's homily for Respect Life Sunday. Please share it and join us in our efforts to defeat Amendment 4 this November.

It's an Izzy Monday! Izzy returns to the podcast to help us breakdown the homily of Salesian Priest, Father Pat Andelucci, a family friend of hers. We talk about what Jesus requires of us to be his disciples and the cost of being silent in the face of evil. "Jesus feeds us. Jesus challenges us." In sports, Ashley returns from her west coast trip and gives us a first-hand account of being present for the last baseball game of the A's in the Oakland Coliseum. Emotional stuff here. We also whip around the NFL and ask who the best team is right now. Brief talk about the Canes thrilling victory over Va. Tech, and it wasn't a catch!

This week we reflect on our experience at the Live Like Bella Annual Ball and the providential connection to Sunday's Gospel as Jesus reminds us of our need to be childlike, embracing our littleness and relying on God our Father in everything. In sports, we witnessed some extraordinary baseball history (and Fr. Manny went viral on X!), the 'Canes keep rolling, and Ashley just happens to call in from the West Coast while we're recording and gives us her take on the Dolphins game. It's Fr. Manny's birthday today so please offer up a special prayer for him and consider making a special donation to Live Like Bella. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

This Catechetical Sunday weekend, we reflect on the importance of Christian Service in the life of a missionary disciple. In reading from the Letter of St. James, we are challenged to "demonstrate [our] faith... from [our] works." This same challenge is given to us again by the Lord in the Gospel as He summoned the disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." What are some types of service we can challenge ourselves to take up this week? In sports, It's All About the U as Cam Ward continues to make an early case for the Heisman. Jorge rants about lightning protocols and delays. And hello early-season chaos in the NFL! Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Do we recognize God's voice? Do we make time every day to sit in silence with the Holy Scriptures to listen to Him? Jesus cures the deaf man in the gospel of Mark and brings him away from the crowd and all the noise of the world to open his ears and his mouth. May we open our ears to listen to God and open our mouth to proclaim our faith. In sports, the NFL has begun, and we dissect the Dolphins' close win on opening weekend plus whip around the NFL. We also revisit the Canes victory over the Gators since we couldn't last week and talk about the rest of college football. Go Fins! Go Canes!

Special Labor Day episode today as Ashley and Jorge ask Father Manny about his time as priest chaplain of the Miami Dolphins. Father connects this ministry of presence to yesterday's readings where St. James calls us to put our faith into action. Ashley has a lot of questions about Father Manny's experience on the sidelines. You don't want to miss this. In sports, Ashley and Father do an NFL season preview and breakdown the 2024 Dolphins season and the challenges of this roster. Jorge looks to defend his crown as our Pick Em Champion. You can join the MMH Pick 'Em Challenge HERE. Go Fins!

As we conclude our Sunday readings on the 6th Chapter of John this weekend, we read in both the First Reading and the Gospel parallel accounts of major decision points in the life of a believer. Can we double-down in following the Lord, despite its challenges and demands? To whom shall we go? May we all, despite our own shortcomings, be able to proudly and sincerely say - and live: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! In sports, College Football is back and we've already got chaos! We preview the UM Football schedule ahead of our season opener this coming weekend. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

Surprise! It's our Season 8 debut! Over the past few weekends, we've been hearing from the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John, collectively known as the Bread of Life Discourse, so our reflections today are all on the Eucharist, aided by some of the amazing talks and images coming from this past Summer's National Eucharistic Congress held in Indianapolis. Click here to learn more about the Mass Explained book we reference. In our sports segment, we look back on the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup championship run and the highlights of the Paris Summer Olympics. Don't forget to like, comment on, rate/review, and share the podcast! Have any questions you'd like Fr. Manny and Jorge to tackle? Send them in to podcast@cotlf.org and listen in next Monday to see if we were able to answer it!

It's our Season 7 finale and Fr Andrew joins in as a special guest for the entire episode as we're talking First Communions, broken ACs, Pentecost, truth, the winds of change, obedience, and priestly assignments. In sports, the Panthers are moving on to the ECF against the Rangers, Fr Andrew gives a way-too-early prediction on his New York Giants season, and we're cautiously optimistic about the 'Canes this fall. Be sure to stick around through the end as Fr Andrew bids the podcast farewell ahead of his June re-assignment to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

It's our second to last episode before summer break and this week is all about Mother's Day and the Ascension. You'd probably never associate the two things together, but Fr Manny threads the needle beautifully and leads us into a great discussion on the love and sacrifice of motherhood and what that can teach us about living out our faith daily. In sports, the Panthers steal a game in Boston (yes, we think we got away with one - but no complaints here!) and are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. And we're talking a little golf... of our own! Game on!

This episode goes longer than usual and honestly, we could have probably kept going! This weekend's Gospel has so much depth to it as we discern and live out our Christian vocations and Christ's call to lay down one's life for your friends - the ultimate act of love. In sports, it's race weekend - from the Kentucky Derby's photo finish to the closest finish in NASCAR history, to the spectacle that was the F1 Miami Grand Prix. Now it's time for some more Panthers hockey! #BeatBoston

This week we're talking wine... I mean, vine! Without Jesus, we can do nothing. The call and challenge of the Gospel this week is to remain connected to the vine and allow the Lord to prune whatever needs pruning, so that we can bear fruit abundantly!

It's Good Shepherd Sunday, so pray for priests and pray for vocations! This week's episode is all about the Good Shepherd, willing to suffer and give his life for his flock. This is just as true about Jesus as it is about the priesthood. In sports, it's playoff time for the Panthers and Heat! The Marlins finally didn't lose a series!