The Songs We Sing Homilies

Why did #God make #tornadoes?, why do we call #priests "father"?, a listener's relative wants to change #genders, Do #Catholics worship Mary?, how is #Purgatory a real thing? #Catholicism #Christianity #hurricane #Alabama

Called To Communion - Why Did God Make Tornadoes?

Attached to this recording is the official insignia of the pope, which consists of a threefold crown with a set of keys. The Pope is the Bishop of Rome. Catholics believe that the Pope has the authority of St. Peter.  In the the gospel, we hear about Our Lord giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to St. Peter.  We Catholics believe that St. Peter handed on that authority to the Man he established as his replacement; that man being the Bishop of Rome, who in turn handed on that authority to his successors. In my homily this morning, I wanted to make the point that the authority and responsibility of the keys are not absolutely exclusive to St. Peter and his successors; to a lesser or greater degree all of us who are baptized share in the authority and the responsibility of the Keys albeit in union with the successor of St. Peter.  I also wanted to make the point that in various ways we open doors to give people access to Christ and his Divine Mercy, but we must do it with the same profession of faith which St. Peter made; that Jesus is truly Lord and Savior, and the only way to the Father. For more details, you can listen to my homily by using this link to my Sound Cloud Recording.  I gave this homily on August 24, 2014: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time; Cycle "a" readings; Ordinary Form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 9:30 AM Sunday Mass at St. John's in Rapids City.

Open Wide the Doors to Christ

I gave this homily on Dec. 3, 2017: Readings proper to the First Sunday of Advent; Cycle "B" Sunday Readings; Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 4:00 PM Saturday  Vigil Mass at St. John's in Rapids City.  Attached to this recording is a photo of the children who sang at the Thanksgiving Service.  Today's Gospel Reading for the First Sunday of Advent reminds me of a song that the children of St. Edward's School used to sing during the Advent Season: "Stay Awake! Be Ready!"  It's a cheerful and joyful song, but I find it strange that they are making a rather somber and serious event into something joyful. Along the same vein, the choir sang today at the end of Mass: "no more crying there, we are going to see the king!"  It's a reference to the final coming of the Lord at the end of the world, when Jesus will judge the living and the dead.  I almost think that an additional verse should be added: "Some will be crying there, they'd be going to see the king. They'd be wailing there, they'd be going to see the king." Strange thing: being joyful about the end of the world. And yet, that is the whole message of the Advent season: the weird combination of joy and cheerfulness mixed with the somberness and seriousness of the coming of Christ into our lives.   To hear the rest of the story, you will have to listen to this recording of my homily.

A Strange Thing To Be Joyful About

I gave this homily on Jan. 20, 2018: Readings proper to Saturday of the 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle "2" Daily Readings; Votive Mass of Mary, The Disciple of the Lord (#10 BVM Mass Collection); Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 8:00 AM Saturday Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. John's in Rapids City.  “He is out of his mind.” I’m sure they said the same thing about today’s saint- Saint Sebastian- who was a devout Christian who died around 268 AD. I'm sure people are saying of me: “Poor Father Harris.  He is out of his mind.” Especially, when I remind people of the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation.  They especially think I'm crazy when I talk about the dignity of human life. Well, you may be right, I may be crazy, but being you are at least reading this description of my soundcloud recording, I might be the lunatic that you are looking for.  Attached to this recording is a photo of Tony and Noah Oltman holding up a banner of Mary- Our Lady of Guadalupe- the patroness of the Pro-Life movement. They are holding up this banner as they participated in the National March for Life in Washington DC.  To hear how I fit this all together, you will have to listen to this recording.

The Type of Lunatic You Might Be Looking For

I gave this homily on April 9, 2018: Funeral Homily for Helen Wells; Gospel Reading proper to a funeral mass (John 14:1-6); Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 9:00 AM Monday Funeral Mass at St. Mary's in Hampton.  Attached to this recording is a photo that I took while I was at St. Mary's Cemetery in East Moline.  Even though we are officially into the Easter season, you would never know it out at the cemetery.  It would look a Christmas burial, which seem rather appropriate being the Solemnity of the Annunciation was liturgically moved to this day.  Snow is the last thing I want to see right now, but despite the rather cloudy day, it was a pretty scene out at the cemetery.  On a rather dreary and colorless day, you do see one point of color; the blue funeral tent that marks the place where Helen Wells is buried.   In this funeral homily for Helen Wells, I try to show that the mysteries we celebrate during Holy Week give color to the bleak moments like these.

The Strife is Over, The Battle is Done

I gave this homily on April 10, 2018: Readings proper to Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter; Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 8:00 AM Tuesday Mass at St. John's. Now that we have made it passed the Octave of Easter, and we have made it passed Divine Mercy Sunday, we can now concentrate on getting ready for Pentecost.  That’s one of our objectives for the rest of the Easter season.   Attached to this recording is a photo of Helena Franich and Andrew Wanke who were confirmed with the Holy Spirit of Pentecost at the Easter Vigil.

Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest

I gave this homily on April 11, 2018: Readings proper to Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter; Memorial of St. Stanislaus; Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass.  Today the Church honors St. Stanislaus, a bishop who was killed by his own brother. So much for yesterday being Siblings Day on Facebook. .  He is just one of many- who make up the long train of martyrs- the many saints who shed their blood in order to witness to the lamb who was slain, and yet lives forever.

Crown Him With Many Crowns

I gave the homily on April 12, 2018: Readings proper to Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter; Ordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass; 8:00 AM Thursday Mass at St. John's in Rapids City.  Attached to this recording is a photo of Al Barbarino.  We had him here at St. John's for one of our "40 Hours of Divine Mercy" a couple of years ago.  He is known for his great singing, but also his great hair.  I make just a passing reference to this in today's homily.

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Poland's Savior and Your Savior

Praying for Dad's Conversion

Today as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, we are reminded that Jesus came once before and He will come again.  And that as we are preparing for Christmas, a remembrance of His first coming, why we should on a daily basis prepare for His second coming.  Today we are also reminded that God made a promise to His people Israel in today's first reading from Isaiah and that Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise.  So today as we begin Advent I focus on God keeping His promises and in the homily I also include a true story from Matthew Kelly's book, "Rediscovering Catholicism" about the underground Catholic Church.  Happy Advent everyone!

A God Who Keeps His Promises

In the Gospel today we see Jesus, the sinless one, allowing Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.  He did not need it, yet He allowed Himself to be baptized.  Why is that?  In the homily today I explain how allowing Himself to be baptized shows Jesus' humility, was necessary for the sake of identification of who He was, and how it propels Jesus into His public ministry.  In setting the example for us, it ought to inspire us too to be humble, to understand just how important it is to be identified as a child a God through Baptism, and a gentle reminder that we too are part of God's plan and share in His mission in taking the Gospel message to the ends of the earth,

Jesus Did Not Need To Be Baptized, Yet He Did It

My homily for the beginning of Catholic Schools Week 2019.

Re-defining Success

Morning Glory, with Gloria Purvis, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, and Monsignor Charles Pope. Today on Morning Glory we discuss a silent Priest is a dead Priest, temptation can corrupt the soul, and keeping symbols of Faith out of the public square. All of that and more today on Morning Glory including your emails! Join the conversation, email us MORNINGGLORY@EWTN.COM

5/13/19 6:00 AM

Morning Glory 051319 - A Silent Priest is a Dead Priest

The Catholic Cafe - 05/18/19

Morning Glory, with Gloria Purvis, Doctor Matthew Bunson, and Monsignor Charles Pope. Today on Morning Glory we discuss the sensory appeal, why do people love incense, the declining numbers in the Church, and not your average New Year's resolution. All of that and more today on Morning Glory including your emails! Join the conversation, email us MORNINGGLORY@EWTN.COM

5/20/19 6:00 AM

Morning Glory 052019 - Why do people love Incense?

Fr. Glenn H. Harris is a Roman Catholic Priest: Pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Rapids City and St. Mary of Hampton, in the State of Illinois in the United States of America; Ordained for the Diocese of Peoria.   This is part of his efforts to implement the "New Evangelization." 

A Strange Thing To Be Joyful About

Fr. Harris

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