Complete Easter Homily Series on the Spiritual Works of Mercy 2023

From Saint Albert the Great's web-page on the Spiritual Works of Mercy Homily Series:

A Blessed Easter to you! Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit! Christ is risen, He is risen indeed! This traditional Easter Greeting in Latin is a reminder that today we truly celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. During the Season of Lent we strove to grow in the seven corporal works of mercy that bring relief to the misery that can affect the body. The Lenten practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer helped us to grow in these corporal works of mercy. During the Easter Season we will be focusing on the spiritual works of mercy to pray for the living and the dead, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to admonish sinners, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive offences willingly, to comfort the afflicted, and to pray for the living and the dead. These help to alleviate the misery that can affect the mind and spirit.

We begin this new message series by focusing on the spiritual work of mercy to pray for the living and the dead. Today we renew our baptismal promises and remind ourselves of the promises that God made to us at our Baptism and the promises that we made or were made on our behalf to God when we were baptized. Baptism is when we receive our identity as God's beloved sons and daughters in whom God is well pleased. Many times people ask how Catholics can commit themselves to accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior when they are baptized as infants or children. Every year Catholics join together on Easter to recommit themselves to Christ and remember who we are as God's daughters and sons. This is one of the most powerful ways each year that we can pray for the living.

In this weekend’s Gospel, we hear how Mary Magdalene went to Jesus tomb to pray for him. She gives us a beautiful witness of praying for the dead by remembering that we can go to cemeteries and pray for the dead. Every Easter, I intentionally pray Eucharistic Prayer I in masses I celebrate because of how it offers more opportunities to pray for the living and the dead than any other Eucharistic Prayer. The Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer we pray in mass from after the Holy, Holy until the Great Amen. I encourage you during the moments when I am silent during the Eucharistic prayer to pray for your own living and deceased loved ones.

It is a blessing to serve as your shepherd here at St. Albert the Great and know that I, the deacons and parish staff wish you all a Blessed Easter as we seek to pray for the living and the dead!

Fr. Charlie

Easter Sunday: Praying for the living and the dead
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1681161475/

Second Sunday of Easter: Forgive offenses
Readings: Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1681795626/

Third Sunday of Easter: Bear wrongs patiently
Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33; 1 Pt 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-500-pm-mass-homily-english-1682368887/

Fourth Sunday of Easter: Admonish Sinners

Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; 1 Pt 2:20b-25; Jn 10:1-10

Deacon Preaching Weekend

Fifth Sunday of Easter: Counsel the Doubtful
Readings: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/father-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1683583039/

Sixth Sunday of Easter: Comfort the afflicted
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pt 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-500-pm-mass-homily-english-1684255483/

Seventh Sunday of Easter (The Ascension of the Lord): Instruct the Ignorant
Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20

Podcast (Fr. Charlie Garza): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1684707442/