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Formation Matters

Formation Matters

By Nicholas Sheehy

Reflections on faith and humanity
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When we are feeling low…

Formation MattersSep 03, 2022

00:00
03:06
Homily for St. Cecilia

Homily for St. Cecilia

Concluding the retreat, Fr. Martin preached the homily.

Nov 22, 202306:22
What attracts young men to the Legion today?

What attracts young men to the Legion today?

Fr. Martin Connor shares a talk with the California LC's reflecting on what attracts men to the Legion today.

Nov 22, 202328:50
David vs. Goliath and the Vocation

David vs. Goliath and the Vocation

Fr. Martin Connor preaches the retreat to the California LC's.

Nov 22, 202320:01
Desarrollar sus Talentos

Desarrollar sus Talentos

Cuando Cristo habla de los talentos nos prepara para la vida eterna.

Nov 19, 202309:53
The Price of Greatness

The Price of Greatness

Parable of the Talents.

God wants us to discover, develop and deploy our talents.

Nov 19, 202309:58
Don de vida contemplativa

Don de vida contemplativa

El Evangelio de las vírgenes prudentes nos muestra el valor de "ser" antes que "actuar". Es una lección muy importante para nuestro mundo.

Nov 12, 202310:54
Gift of Contemplative Life

Gift of Contemplative Life

We live in a world that is so focused on output and production to determine value. Contemplative religious help us to remember that life is not only about production. Being comes before action. Their being in the presence of God comes before any particular actions that they may need to perform to preserve their monastery’s way of life. They take as their model the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the fruit of the Immaculate Conception, as we remember from the apparition at Lourdes. She had an absolute purity. Contemplative religious reflect this through their dedicated service in the shadows of the world. They are not famous. They do not appear on the cover of Vogue magazine. And yet, they are the women who have the deepest impact in the world. Their time of solitude and seclusion is the very definition of leisure. They have time to dedicate to the noblest of pursuits – the contemplation of God and his good works.

Nov 12, 202310:19
No digas "padre" a un hombre

No digas "padre" a un hombre

¿Cómo Jesús quiere que amemos al Padre?

Nov 06, 202310:23
Don't Call Any Man Father

Don't Call Any Man Father

What does Jesus mean when he says this?

How are we called to love our Heavenly Father?

Nov 06, 202311:55
3 Keys to Be a Saint

3 Keys to Be a Saint

Be faithful, true, and tough.

Saints Joan of Arc, Thomas More, and Isaac Jogues show us what we need to do if we are going to be saints.

Talk given at Guadalupe Radio to the boys and girls at the Family Retreat.

Nov 06, 202327:21
Call no man Father

Call no man Father

Mt. 23:1-12

How do we overcome our false sense of independence and let go of the bitterness of orphanhood?

In the faith, there are no orphans. We all come from the Father, and Jesus knows that we need to remember that. His prohibition to call others “father” is not a quick phrase to give evangelical apologists fodder to attack Catholics for calling priests “father.”

We call priests “father” as a sign of respect and hopefully it can help us bridge the gap to see God as our father. Unfortunately, the situation Jesus describes in the Gospel does not feel 2,000 years away. We are all too familiar with false teachers and hypocrites. But it would be a mistake to allow the foundation of our faith to crumble because of their bad example.


Nov 05, 202310:26
Homily for David and Miranda's Wedding

Homily for David and Miranda's Wedding

Getting married in the Church is a challenge and a mission.

Oct 31, 202314:32
Celibato por el Reino de Dios

Celibato por el Reino de Dios

Cómo se hace para cumplir con los mandamientos de Dios? Se tiene que fundar en el amor a Dios sobre todo y luego el amor al prójimo. El celibato es un don y un signo de ese amor.
Oct 29, 202312:34
Newman Night 10.28.2023 Q&A

Newman Night 10.28.2023 Q&A

Questions to Fr Shawn.
Oct 29, 202320:51
Shakespeare, Sex, and the Art of Friendship

Shakespeare, Sex, and the Art of Friendship

Beginning with Romeo and Juliet, followed by the trials of Odysseus, Fr Shawn Aaron, LC establishes the foundations for true intimacy and friendship that we all long for. This talk was given 10.28.2023 at the Newman Center in Pasadena, CA.
Oct 29, 202349:14
Dar a César lo que es de César

Dar a César lo que es de César

Homilía 22 de octubre de 2023

Oct 23, 202310:22
How do I vote as a Christian?
Oct 22, 202310:40
Solo Dios Basta

Solo Dios Basta

Podemos sentir que somos indignos del amor de Cristo. Pero el nos reviste con su traje de bodas. Así nos hace dignos.

Mt. 21,1-14

Oct 15, 202312:41
Only God is Enough

Only God is Enough

Mt. 21:1-14

The movie The Greatest Showman tells a powerful story of a man who had to overcome tremendous obstacles to take care of his family and do something amazing with his life, beginning a whole new type of circus. And yet, one of the refrains of his life is expressed through the words: “never enough.” For so many of us, these words echo in our minds and hearts as well. We fear that we are “never enough.” Today’s Gospel gives us a clue about how to establish our identity in God and know that He is enough.

Oct 15, 202311:29
Conéctate

Conéctate

Los viñadores rechazaron al dueño. Se habían olvidado de la importancia de conectarse con Dios.

Oct 08, 202310:37
Learning to Love what is Right

Learning to Love what is Right

We need to learn to have an ordered love.


St. Augustine spoke a lot about this when reflecting on happiness.



Oct 08, 202310:12
Amor a lo ordenado

Amor a lo ordenado

Mt. 21,33-43


"Puesto que el amor crece dentro de ti, así crece la belleza. Porque el amor es la belleza del alma". (San Agustín)"Puesto que el amor crece dentro de ti, así crece la belleza. Porque el amor es la belleza del alma". (San Agustín)

Oct 06, 202308:04
Loving What is Right

Loving What is Right

Loving What is Right

 

Mt. 21:33-43 The evil workers in the vineyard show us what happens when love is disordered. We need to learn to love rightly and respond to God's grace in our lives.


“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” (St. Augustine)

Oct 06, 202306:19
¿Soy yo, Señor?

¿Soy yo, Señor?

La imagen del hijo mayor en el Evangelio de hoy me llama mucho la atención. Pues siento que soy yo. ¿Qué te está diciendo el Evangelio sobre tu tendencia de justificarte?

Oct 01, 202306:59
Mirror Image

Mirror Image

We tend to justify ourselves. This leads to a bad attitude in relation to God. We have to overcome this if we are going to be fully happy with God.

Oct 01, 202304:42
God Remembers us in his Grace

God Remembers us in his Grace

God wants to touch our hearts. The names of Zechariah, Elizabeth and John speak to how God wants to deal with us.
Jun 25, 202311:05
New Age and Catholicism - Intro

New Age and Catholicism - Intro

We can easily be taken in by a New Age ideology. It is so important to grow in our faith.
May 09, 202306:38
3 Ways to Pray the Rosary

3 Ways to Pray the Rosary

Talk at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Baldwin Park for the Sanctitas Young Adult Adoration. What is not the rosary? What is the rosary? 3 things to focus on while praying the rosary.
Oct 15, 202216:25
Today’s Spiritual Warfare

Today’s Spiritual Warfare

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)

Do you seek peace? Of course, you do. Jesus knew the deepest longings of the human heart. This is why so much of his preaching goes to the core of our being. He is talking about life and he is talking about us. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.
Sep 23, 202203:31
Today, Fight Fear

Today, Fight Fear

I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. (Philippians 4:13)

How do you face fear? We all have fears that threaten to invade our life.
Sep 22, 202203:00
3 Ways to Beat Fear

3 Ways to Beat Fear

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We all have secret fears to face. We all experience fear, but not everyone is honest about this universal experience. Do you have fear about the future? Are you afraid of your past? How do you deal with fear?
Sep 20, 202202:59
God conquers fear

God conquers fear

It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

If God is walking before us or with us, why would we be afraid of anything? And yet, we often feel afraid.
Sep 19, 202203:07
The Gift of Endurance

The Gift of Endurance

"You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36) May we all pray for endurance to do the will of God and receive what He has promised.
Do you ever see the fruits of endurance in your own life? Does it make you feel closer to God?
Sep 19, 202203:09
Pure Gospel

Pure Gospel

Lk. 16,1-13 Today's Gospel invites us to be trustworthy. The best way to do this is to live out the Gospel. Few examples in history do this better than St. Francis of Assisi.
Sep 18, 202203:03
Act justly. Love mercy.

Act justly. Love mercy.

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) When God tells us to act justly and love mercy, this is not some moralizing discourse to make us behave. Rather, it is opening a door to the happiness and peace that comes from acting according to our purpose in life.
Sep 17, 202203:03
Hope saves

Hope saves

1 Timothy 2:4 God "wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. God wants our salvation more than we do. Our life on earth is our time to grow and build up our spiritual muscles so that we can be ready for the love that we are called to live forever in Heaven.
Sep 16, 202203:01
Dealing with guilt

Dealing with guilt

We have all felt shame and guilt. It makes us sick. We want to hide. But facing it is essential if we are going to be true to ourselves.
Sep 15, 202203:02
Patience attains all things

Patience attains all things

We learn to be patient to be more like God, who is patient with us.
Sep 14, 202203:06
Your Kingdom Come!

Your Kingdom Come!

The prayer of the Our Father helps us to proclaim God’s sovereignty over our lives.
Sep 13, 202203:03
Stop the haters

Stop the haters

Haters gonna hate. But when God is on our side, we don’t have to worry about the criticisms of those who are trying to bring us down.
Sep 12, 202203:00
God’s Joy

God’s Joy

The three parables of God’s love in Luke 15 give us an insight into how he rejoices to find us, values us, and welcomes us as beloved children.
Sep 11, 202203:09
What does wisdom look like?

What does wisdom look like?

Often we don’t even know what wisdom is, so how are we going to live it? God wants to give us wisdom, but we have to ask for it.
Sep 10, 202203:00
Light for my path

Light for my path

We can all feel lost and empty at times. But we can know that God is planning great things for us.
Sep 09, 202202:54
Always Give Thanks

Always Give Thanks

St. Paul exhorts us to be grateful always. What is the point of being grateful?
Sep 08, 202203:01
God’s Plans for You

God’s Plans for You

Do you ever wonder what God has planned for your life? The prophet Jeremiah helps us to see the hope that comes from knowing that God is watching over our future.
Sep 05, 202203:02
Sharper than a two-edged sword

Sharper than a two-edged sword

Opening the Bible allows you to change your thoughts, your feelings and your decisions; so that you are more in line with God’s Plan for your life.
Sep 04, 202202:56
When we are feeling low…

When we are feeling low…

Peter had a special relationship with Jesus. How did it all start? Jesus told Peter how to fish. Then he told him to quit fishing. Peter would spend the rest of his life serving Jesus, happy to do so.
Sep 03, 202203:06
Choosing to do hard things

Choosing to do hard things

We choose to follow Christ. He gives us the key: we are to do hard things if we are to follow him. He gives us in exchange incomparable joy.
Sep 02, 202203:01
Taking care of God’s business.

Taking care of God’s business.

God wants to give us so much grace. We can do this in the measure that we let go and let God. Seeing ourselves as stewards of the mysteries of God puts us with the right attitude to do great things for him.
Sep 02, 202202:59
God sees you

God sees you

God is looking out for you. Allow yourself to feel and experience his love.
Sep 02, 202203:23