Homilies from the National Shrine

Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC, opens his homily by declaring that the true test of love which distinguishes Christians is the love of the enemy. He reminds us that Christ commands this love, and that it is the hallmark that sets the Church apart from both believers and non‑believers. By examining the lives of the saints, we see that genuine love is measured not by affection but by the willingness to wish the good of the other, especially their salvation, even when that person has caused us great pain.He cites G.K. Chesterton’s insight that love becomes a virtue only when it embraces the unlovable. Father Matthew stresses that loving those who love us yields no spiritual reward; the real treasure lies in loving those who have nothing good to give us. Drawing on Aquinas, Father Tomeny explains that love is the willing of the other’s good, not a feeling of fondness. He challenges listeners to ask themselves whether they truly love their enemies or merely love the good that can be obtained through them.To illustrate sacrificial love, he recounts the story of Monsignor Flannery, an Irish priest who, during the Nazi occupation of Rome, built a network of safe houses that saved countless Jews. After the war, the very Gestapo officer whose life he had saved—Colonel Kepler—sought Flannery’s help for his own family. Flannery’s unconditional love led him to aid the former enemy, ultimately guiding Kepler to baptism fifteen years later. This transformation demonstrates how love of the enemy can soften hardened hearts and draw even the most sinful toward God.Father  Matthew warns against the temptation to seek vengeance, noting that true heroism is not the triumph over evil but the willingness to lay down one’s own safety for the good of the other, receiving nothing in return. He reminds us that God’s love is given freely, without expectation, and that we are called to mirror this divine generosity. While setting healthy boundaries is permissible, the ultimate goal is to love in a way that reveals God’s mercy to the enemy, breaking cycles of hatred and inviting conversion.He concludes with a prayerful invitation: may the Blessed Virgin intercede for us so that, like Christ and the saints, we may love our enemies out of love for God, allowing His mercy to flow through us to a world desperate for healing. May we each ask for the grace to love without condition, trusting that such love reflects the very heart of the Father. ★ Support this podcast ★

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022726.cfmFather Chris Alar, MIC, begins by reminding us that forgiveness is often misunderstood. He explains that we are called to let go of resentment, not to forge a friendship with the one who harms us. Forgiveness, he says, releases the heart from hatred while leaving space for justice.He then draws us into a powerful story from the 2014 World Apostolic Congress on Mercy. Pastor Mira Garcia, a Colombian mother, endured the murder of her father, the killing of her husband, the kidnapping and death of her daughter, and the brutal loss of her son. Yet, amid unimaginable grief, she chose to care for the very man who had killed her child. By praying to the Blessed Virgin for the strength to forgive, she moved beyond mere forgiveness into true reconciliation—a mercy that restores, not merely releases.Father Chris emphasizes that the Church calls us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, not simply the Sacrament of Forgiveness. In that Sacrament, God does not turn us away after we are absolved; He draws us back into communion with Himself. Mercy, therefore, surpasses forgiveness: it heals the wound and rebuilds the broken relationship.Father Chis warns against “false mercy” that ignores accountability. Justice and correction, offered in love, are themselves works of mercy. We are invited to confront wrongdoing, seek restitution, and yet pray for the grace to forgive, following Christ’s example. ★ Support this podcast ★

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022626.cfmFather  Daniel  Klimek, PhD, challenges us to let the Golden Rule become the litmus test of every relationship. He reminds us that the command “do to others whatever you would have them do to you” is not only the law of the prophets but also a mirror of the contrasting dynamics found in the angelic and demonic hierarchies. In the demonic community, power is exercised through control, abuse and isolation, with stronger demons exploiting the weaker. The angelic community, by contrast, models generosity: The seraphim, nearest to God, receive the deepest experience of divine love and willingly transmit that love to the lower angelic and saintly orders, fostering communion rather than division.Father Daniel invites us to examine our own interactions. Do we, consciously or unconsciously, impose control, emotional abuse, or isolation on others or ourselves? He urges a radical empathy that goes beyond polite respect, asking us to mentally inhabit the other person’s suffering, poverty, and woundedness. Such empathy opens the path to forgiveness, because we begin to see our hurt, not as merely an affront to our ego, but as the consequence of another soul bruised by pain.Viewing others through “supernatural eyes,” as Fr. Daniel puts it, means recognizing the inherent human dignity both of ourselves and of our neighbors.  ★ Support this podcast ★

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022226.cfmFather Chris  Alar, MIC, invites us to reconsider the Genesis story in light of both tradition and modern discoveries. He notes that scientific genealogy now points to a single ancestral woman, reinforcing the plausibility that Adam and Eve were actual historical persons. He stresses that the biblical account employs symbolic language to convey theological truth, not to serve as a scientific textbook. The garden, he explains, symbolizes the state of grace—a divine communion that humanity originally shared with the Father. By locating the entrance of Eden to the east, the ancient tradition connects the garden with the tabernacle and the Holy of Holies, the most sacred space where God dwelt among his people.Father Chris distinguishes the two creation narratives, showing that one offers a chronological outline while the other provides a vivid visual metaphor of God shaping man from the earth. He reiterates that humanity is a unique composite of matter and spirit, endowed with a rational, immortal soul that separates us from animals. The episode of the tree of knowledge, according to Fr. Chris, is less about acquiring moral awareness and more about the tragic attempt to seize God’s legal authority over good and evil—a theme that mirrors contemporary attempts to legislate morality.Father Chris also links the garden imagery to the Church’s Sacramental life, describing the tabernacle as a miniature Eden where the Holy of Holies resides. He reminds listeners that the Sacraments are the ordinary channels through which God continues to offer the grace first granted in Eden. By understanding these layers, we can love our faith more deeply and recognize that the Our Father, the Mass, and the Sacraments are extensions of that original divine intimacy.During this Lenten season, Fr. Chris encourages the faithful to use the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to enter more fully into the mystery of Eden, allowing the heart to be transformed by the same grace that first animated Adam. ★ Support this podcast ★

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022426.cfmFather Mark Baron, MIC, invites us to move beyond a superficial recitation of the Our Father and let this prayer become the heartbeat of our Lenten journey. He reminds us that the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, calling us to the three classic practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines are not ends in themselves; they are pathways that lead us into a richer relationship with the Holy Trinity.Father Mark stresses that Jesus warned against “babbling like the pagans,” whose prayers were empty repetitions aimed at manipulating distant gods. In contrast, our Father knows our needs before we ask, and He invites us into an engaged, relational dialogue. Father Mark explains that God created us as image‑bearers so that we can reflect His holiness in our words, deeds, and community life. When we pray the Our Father slowly, ruminating on each petition, we align our will with the Father’s, asking that His kingdom come; that His will be done; for daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from temptation.He points out that true prayer ordinarily requires the support of the Sacraments — the Eucharist, Confession, and the other means of grace that sustain us when our human strength falters. By receiving the Sacraments, we open ourselves to the grace that makes our repeated prayers meaningful rather than mechanical.Father Mark also addresses a common misunderstanding: that repetitive prayer is “babbling.” He notes that Scripture itself contains beautiful repetitions (e.g., the Psalms) and that Jesus Himself prayed repetitively the night before His Passion, demonstrating that sustained, heartfelt prayer deepens faith. Likewise, contemporary worship songs often repeat refrains to embed truth in the heart. ★ Support this podcast ★