Sunday Thoughts From Fr. Edward Looney

Eternity should be a guiding principle for our lives. Remembering our own death and that we will one day face judgement for our actions should compel us to love in the present moment. How we live our lives really does matters, because Jesus will reward us according to our conduct. Not only does it matter for eternity, but also here and now.

Who is Jesus for you? We know the Jesus of the gospels and hear his story so often, but do we have a personal relationship with Jesus. In this homily, Fr. Edward Looney reflects on how we can meet Jesus in his various roles.

What is your go to prayer? Learn what Fr. Edward Looney means by this question when he examines the "go-to prayers" of the Canaanite woman.

Throughout the gospels, Mary has the ability to show up at unexpected times and as a result changes history. With her Assumption into heaven, nothing changes, in fact, now she can show up in our lives and show us a mother's love a lot more often. Learn more about the Assumption with Fr. Looney's homily.

Every day we must find time to be alone with God. If you are like me, you will notice when that time has been lacking. It's then that we are really like Peter, concerned about the exterior instead of the interior. In moments of crises, realize you are never alone.

Christianity is not a myth. The incarnation is not a myth. The Resurrection is not a myth. And neither is the Transfiguration. How do we know? St. Peter tells us so. Our Catholic faith is true and we follow the Truth. Believe and become an eyewitness.

We are all searching for the kingdom of Heaven and one day we hope to find it for all eternity. As Christians we can help others seek and find the kingdom through our support of missionary efforts. A shortened homily as a prelude to personal witness from two missionaries with the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

St. Paul tells us we don't know how to pray as we ought, so the Spirit prays through us. For the Spirit to intercede for us, we need to give God time for prayer. Fr. Edward Looney addresses three self-examining questions about prayer: when should I pray; where should I pray; how should I pray?

St. Benedict says, "Listen carefully, incline the ear of your heart." Jesus says, "Whoever has ears ought to hear." Fine tune your spiritual hear to the voice of God. Don't ignore God's prompting in your heart.

I am sure at some point in your life a child has said something so profound that you were taken aback. This is particularly true when it comes to our faith and belief in God. Fr. Edward Looney reflects in his weekend homily on this reality-we have a lot to learn from children.

Fr. Edward Looney delivers his first homily for the parishes located in Brussels, Lincoln, and Rosiere. The readings, which dealt with hospitality, were appropriate for his first weekend at the parish. In his homily, Fr. Looney reflects on how we are called to live the scriptures we hear each weekend. This weekend is no exception.

Fr. Edward Looney began his assignment at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish on July 1, 2015. Two years later, he says good-bye to his parish family in order to assume leadership in two other parishes. In his finaly homily, Fr. Looney reflects on how he has been aware of Christ with him during his two years of ministry. Not only has Christ been with him, but He is also with you like a mighty champion.

The feast of Corpus Christi makes us uniquely Catholic. Yet only 30% of Catholics believe in the real presence. How can we foster a deeper Eucharistic belief and devotion? Fr. Edward Looney suggests three ways that can strengthen our belief in the Eucharist.

Our recent liturgical celebrations focus on the second and third person of the Blessed Trinity. But what about God the Father? In his homily for Trinity Sunday, Fr. Edward Looney reflects on how we ought to pray to the Father. The Church, Jesus himself, and St. Paul are all witnesses of this way of praying. Toward the end of the homily, Fr. Looney proposes why we might be hesitant to call on God as Father.

In this homily, Fr. Edward Looney reflects on three individuals filled with the Holy Spirit--Mary, Elizabeth, and St. Phillip Neri. These three individuals can inspire us, as we strive to become like the disciples, who were filled with the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost.

How is Jesus with us until the end of the age? Fr. Edward Looney seeks to answer this question in his Ascension homily.

Have you ever been put on the spot? What about for your faith? How have you responded? Fr. Edward Looney challenges the listener to always be ready to give a response at a moments notice.

Fr. Edward Looney connects the gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Year A to the centennial celebration of the Fatima apparitions. What do they have in common? Jesus and Mary desire heaven for us!

Fr. Edward Looney asks the congregation what they would talk about with Jesus if they walked with him. What questions would they ask? What might Jesus ask us? We don't have to imagine such a conversation, we can have it every day!

In psychology there is a theory called the Johari Window. I propose a spiritualization of this theory, calling it the Jesus Door. Learn about the Jesus Door and decide to open your hearts to the one who shows us mercy and peace.