Shows
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES - Homily for the 2nd Sunday of LentTake, Lord, and receive all my liberty,my memory, my understanding,and my entire will,All I have and call my own.You have given all to me.To you, Lord, I return it.Everything is yours; do with it what you will.Give me only your love and your grace,that is enough for me.
(republished from 2021)
2024-02-2510 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastCOMING OF AGE - Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time[The Church needs] a change of mindset, particularly concerning laypeople. They must no longer be viewed as ‘collaborators’ of the clergy, but truly recognized as ‘co-responsible’ for the Church’s being and action — thereby fostering the consolidation of a mature and committed laity.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Clergy, 2009
2022-01-1729 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRIVER JORDAN RESOLUTIONS - Homily for the Baptism of the LordIf we believe in God we should not say, “I believe in God,” but rather, “God believes in me.”
Nicolas Gomez Dávila, Scholia on an Implicit Text, 1128
There are those who, while they recognize the glory of God as well as the importance of man and the call addressed to him in general, believe in false humility, that the call is meant for all others but not for their own person. They deem their own person too wretched to dare assume that they may refer the divine call to themselves. They would hide in a corner...
2022-01-0908 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastOF DAVID'S BLOOD - Homily for ChristmasWe are living in a time when flowers are trying to live on flowers, instead of growing on good rain and black loam. Even fireworks, for all their prettiness, come from the chemistry of the earth. Yet somehow we think we can grow, feeding on flowers and fireworks, without completing the cycle back to reality. Do you know the legend of Hercules and Antaeus, the giant wrestler, whose strength was incredible so long as he stood firmly on the earth? But when he was held, rootless, in midair, by Hercules, he perished easily. If there isn’t something in th...
2021-12-2616 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE JOY OF REPENTANCE - Homily for the Fourth Sunday of AdventThe passage read as the spiritual sense of the Gospel of this fourth Sunday of Advent is 2 Samuel 6:1-19
Linked here for your convenience:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/6
2021-12-1916 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastAT THE HOUR OF DEATH - Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time"Although nothing is to be seen, the soul senses very sharply the presence of an evil power which wants to influence it to give up: the sins are too many and too horrible to allow any hope. But it also senses another spiritual power present. It may be the guardian angel soothing the soul, reminding it, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: reminding the soul of the bottomless mercy and love of the heavenly Father whom it is to meet very soon now."
Read the Baroness' journal entry about her ne...
2021-11-1413 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastCAIN AND THE GOSPEL OF LIFE - Homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary TimeTake time to read Pope Saint John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, available on the Vatican website.
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html
2021-10-3123 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastDEAL WITH THE DEVIL - Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLord, I wish to see
Listen to this podcast on Breez to support using bitcoin!
https://breez.link/p?feedURL=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2F72b0fc8%2Fpodcast%2Frss
2021-10-3010 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTIMELY HELP - Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time"What were his thoughts during this part of the journey? As in the morning he watched the passing of trees, thatched roofs, tilled fields, the changing vistas appearing at every bend in the road, an occupation soothing to the spirit that may almost take the place of thought. Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time. To journey is to be born and die each minute. Perhaps somewhere in the vague recesses of his mind he perceived parallels between this series of dissolving views and our human life...
2021-10-2518 min
Gentleman SpeculatorIs Bitcoin Immoral? | Fr. Nick Blaha & Slappy Jones IIIs Bitcoin a Good Coin? Catholic toxic maximalists Fr. Nick Blaha, the pseudonymous Slappy Jones II, and The Reformed Financial Advisor respond to the critiques of bitcoin from The New Polity's Jacob Imam and Marc Barnes.Show notes-https://simplewealthkc.com/is-bitcoin-immoral-fr-nick-blaha-slappy-jones-ii-podcast/Sign up for The Reformed Financial Advisor monthly newsletter on financial planning, investing, and Kansas City history - www.reformedfinancialadvisor.comFollow Andy Flattery on TwitterMusic used in the episode-Interlude: https://www.youtube.com...
2021-10-1347 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastLOOK UPSTREAM - Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary TimeFree. Total. Faithful. Fruitful.
Delivered at Christ the King Catholic Church, 9:30am 3 October 2021
2021-10-0322 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastSCHOOL OF HOME - Meeting 2: The Bored DayCheck out this post for the show notes: https://telegra.ph/School-of-Home---The-Bored-Day-10-03
Don't forget to check out The Children's Homer for a great story to listen to as a family:
https://anchor.fm/ctk-story-hour
2021-10-0336 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastSCHOOL OF HOME - IntroductionA brief explanation of what School of Home at Christ the King is all about.
2021-09-1927 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHAT WILL BE SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS - Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary TimePreached at Christ the King Catholic Church, 9:30am Mass, 5 September 2021
2021-09-0513 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE BEST IS YET TO COME - Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time"In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin upon you,
you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’"
Deuteronomy 4:6
2021-08-3020 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastUNA ESCLAVITUD LIBRE - Homilia del XXI Domingo de Tiempo OrdinarioSálvense de esta generación perversa.
Hechos de los Apostoles 2, 40
2021-08-2217 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastMAPS OF MEANING - Homily for the Solemnity of the AssumptionRead A Map of Life by Frank Sheed. >
2021-08-1517 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE VICTIMS OF THE MERCILESS - Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary TimePreached at Blessed Sacrament Church, 8 August 2021
2021-08-0809 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA BOY NAMED SAUL - Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good tidings to the afflicted...
to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
... the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit--
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."
Isaiah 61:1,3
Today's episode of Reading Rainbow mentioned the following books:
Come, Be My Light, by St. Teresa of Calcutta
Blessed Miguel...
2021-07-0421 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastYELLOWSTONE SOULS - Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary TimePreached at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
27 June 2021
2021-06-2712 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastMAN = FATHER - Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThis homily revisits a set of reflections on fatherhood first given in 2015. I find the truths here worth perennial contemplation.
2021-06-2019 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastMAY YOUR GARDEN BE LUSH - Homily for the 11th Sunday of the YearThe Scriptures this Sunday are full of imagery of leafy gardens and strong, branching trees. These are the images the Scriptures use for living well ordered lives--which is precisely the goal of "Ordinary Time," which is a bit of a misnomer. Better to call it "ordered time," to evoke the ordering of our lives around the sacred mysteries celebrated in Christmas and Easter, Corpus Christ and the Holy Trinity.
As we pass from the heights of celebration, let's make good resolutions to follow through on the inspirations and consolations we received in those transformative seasons.
2021-06-1312 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastIT IS NOT ABILITY WE LACK BUT MOTIVATION - Homily for the Ascenion & PentecostWant to be a part of setting the Foundations of Christ's Throne at CTK Parish?
Contact us! https://www.ctkkcks.org/contact
2021-05-2218 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastANIMA SANA IN CORPORE SANO - Homily for the 3rd Sunday of EasterMay your people
exult for ever, O God,
in renewed youthfulness of spirit,
so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption,
we may look forward in confident hope
to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
2021-04-1920 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA FAR GREEN COUNTRY - Reflections on the mystery of deathPreached at Christ the King Church, the Octave of Easter, 2021
2021-04-1918 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastNO CHEAP GRACE - Homily for Easter Sunday"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2021-04-0912 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastINSIDE OUT - Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent"Under the dispensation of the Spirit all things were to become new and to be reversed. Strength, numbers, wealth, philosophy, eloquence, craft, experience of life, knowledge of human nature, these are the means by which worldly men have ever gained the world. But in that kingdom which Christ has set up, all is contrariwise."
--Saint John Henry Newman, to whom the majority of the thoughts in this homily are to be attributed, Deo gratias.
https://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume6/sermon22.html
2021-03-1414 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastPOLYCARP AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING - Homily for the Memorial of St. PolycarpThis homily was preached at Christ the King at the opening Mass for our faculty formation days, in which a representative of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education presented to us on the liberal arts pedagogy being implemented at Christ the King Catholic School. Please forgive my errata on the details of Polycarp's life and martyrdom.
2021-02-2410 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE UNIVERSE IS A CHICKEN COOP - Homily for the First Sunday of Lent"What is a farm but a mute gospel? The chaff and the wheat, weeds and plants, blight, rain, insects, sun — it is a sacred emblem from the first furrow of spring to the last stack which the snow of winter overtakes in the fields.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
2021-02-2315 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastBE NOT RASH - Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time"Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved."
Saint Ignatius Loyola
2021-01-1722 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE EPIPHANY CONTINUES - Homily for the Epiphany“Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of his minister, but especially under the Eucharistic species…, in the sacraments…, in his word…, and when the Church prays and sings…. Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ."
--The Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium
“What was visible in our Savior has passed over into his sacraments.”
--Saint Leo the Great
2021-01-0719 min2020-12-2812 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRETRATO DE FAMILIA CATOLICA - Homilia para la Sagrada FamiliaThis homily was delivered in Spanish.
Yo pasé unas semanas meditanto y escribiendo este retrato de palabras para nuestras familias de la escuela Christ the King Clasiscal, y me gustaría compartirlo con ustedes como meditación sobre la importancia y dignidad de la familia.
2020-12-2817 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRISKY BUSINESS - Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeAvoid the peddlers of outrage and despair. Do not retreat into a Stoic withdrawal and observe with grim satisfaction as the world crumbles about you. Cultivate the hope of the saints that nothing given to God is given in vain.
I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God. (Isaiah 49:4)
2020-11-1611 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastLOOK ALONG THE LIGHT - Homily for the Solemnity of All SaintsYou can view All or Nothing (the documentary about Sister Clare Crockett mentioned in today's homily) by clicking this link or by searching YouTube for the title.
2020-11-0217 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastREPAIRING FOUNDATIONS & ONE-ISSUE VOTERS - Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time"The Church’s teachings concerning contingent situations are subject to new and further developments and can be open to discussion, yet we [as pastors] cannot help but be concrete—without presuming to enter into details—lest the great social principles remain mere generalities which challenge no one. . . . The Church’s pastors, taking into account the contributions of the different sciences, have the right to offer opinions in all that affects people’s lives, since the task of evangelization implies and demands the integral promotion of each human being."
Pope Francis, quote in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
Statem...
2020-10-1818 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastWHEN WILL IT GET BETTER? - Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary TimeFrom Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Spe Salvi:
We who have always lived with the Christian concept of God, and have grown accustomed to it, have almost ceased to notice that we possess the hope that ensues from a real encounter with this God. The example of a saint of our time can to some degree help us understand what it means to have a real encounter with this God for the first time. I am thinking of the African Josephine Bakhita, canonized by Pope John Paul II. She was born around 1869—she herself did not know the pr...
2020-10-1112 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastFATIMA AND PENANCE - Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary TimeTo learn the story of Fatima:
Fatima
https://www.fatimathemovie.com/
The 13th Day
Finding Fatima
2020-10-0519 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE DOORWAY OF DEATH - Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time"If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better."
2020-09-2013 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastONE YEAR IN - Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary TimeAfter a brief note on the Good & the Bad over my first year as pastor of Christ the King, Blessed Sacrament, and Our Lady & St. Rose, I present the possibility that the coming year will be not Ugly, but Beautiful. The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful.
In this lengthier homily, I try to articulate the reasons--both practical and fundamental--as to why the style of music is changing at our parishes. Comments and feedback is always appreciated.
2020-08-1631 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastSAINT PETER AND SAINT NEWMAN PRAY BIG - Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary TimeTeach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all the events of life; in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied. Let me put myself aside to think of the happiness of others, to hide my little pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that i...
2020-08-0910 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastSO WHAT - Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe story I reference can be read in full here.
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2017/03/18600/
Support this podcast with a one-time or recurring donation!
https://anchor.fm/hucklefather/support
2020-07-0615 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastDELIVERED FROM SIN - Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary TimeVirtue and holiness is its own reward; sin is its own punishment. Deliver us, Lord, from hoping from any reward other than You.
2020-06-2913 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastHOPE IS NOT PROGRESS - Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe Holy Father's address, from which Archbishop Naumann's remarks were taken, can be found here:
https://zenit.org/2020/02/28/the-holy-fathers-address-for-february-27-penitential-liturgy/
2020-06-2909 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE MORAL ECONOMY OF GUILT - Essay by Wilfred McClayThe following podcast is an audio version of an essay that attempts to peer into the spiritual and moral machinery of our culture and discern its workings. I have personally returned to this essay many times since its publication, and I regard it as one of the most important for getting a handle on what is happening in our country at the present time. A teaser:
"How can one account for the rise of the extraordinary prestige of victims , as a category, in the contemporary world? The explanation is traceable to the extraordinary weight of guilt in...
2020-06-0839 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastSOURCE OF OUR STORE - Homily for PentecostCome, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we...
2020-06-0109 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastCOSMIC RETURN - Homily for the Ascension"Monotheists believe their God created 1 billion trillion stars in the parts of the universe observable with telescopes on the Earth or in space—with a maximum of around 5,000 of them visible to the naked eye—so the inhabitants of earth would have a pretty sky to observe at night." --Atheist Tim Sledge
2020-05-2509 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastAN UNINTENDED MESSAGE - Homily for the Sixth Sunday of EasterThis homily was delivered at Our Lady & Saint Rose Church on Quindaro Boulevard the first weekend of public Masses in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
2020-05-2010 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRECLAIMING THE HOUSEHOLD - A reading of John Cuddeback's 2018 EssaySince I'm on quarantine, I'm not doing homilies, but I thought this essay would be a great chance to reflect a little during these days of shelter-in-place. Dr. Cuddeback presents a perspective that has a lot of insight for how to make the most of these times.
You can read the essay in full here:
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2018/11/reclaiming-the-household
Would you like more of Dr. Cuddeback's thoughts on how to flourish as a family? Listen to his address to the 2018 Prairie Troubador Symposium in Fort Scott, Kansas:
https://www...
2020-04-2626 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE CHURCH IS YOUNG - Homily for the Easter VigilAfter the homily, I've included a reading of Francis Thompson's poem, "The Hound of Heaven," which I reference in the homily. I hope you enjoy the reading in full. Thanks to Mike and Katie Cotter for the beautiful leatherbound copy of the poem, from which I read.
P.S. The Spanish word I was hunting for was sabueso.
Happy Easter to all!
2020-04-1222 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastHomily for Good FridayDelivered at Blessed Sacrament Church, 10 April 2020
2020-04-1110 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastDaily Mass Audio with the Poor of Jesus ChristFather Connor Danstrom (of Three Dogs North fame) mentioned he puts out the audio only of his Masses on his podcast. I found the idea appealing--a chance for the faithful to use their imaginations a bit. Amazon won't be delivering my high quality mics for another month or two, so the quality isn't great. It's just not up to me any more.
2020-03-2829 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastHUNGRY IS HEALTHY - Homily for the First Week of LentAfter a brief comment on the intercession of Saint Joseph in our community, we pause and try to swallow the improbable reality that God was tempted, and what that can mean for our own mortifications and determination to remain obedient to God even when tempted.
2020-03-0613 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA VENTURE OF FAITH - Homily for Ash Wednesday / LentOne of the most powerful sermons I have ever read by St. John Henry Newman speaks of the need to risk something for a future reward--by which is meant life after death. We risk it on the faith of Christ's word, not for any worldly benefit or improvement of our present life, but for hope of resurrection. Read the sermon of St. Newman in its entirety here.
2020-02-2813 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastSCHOOLS FOR WISDOM AND VIRTUE - Homily for the Presentation of the LordThis homily for Catholic Schools Week is an invitation for all our parishioners to dig deep into the question: why do we have a Catholic School? Is it worth the time and money?
2020-02-2318 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastGO TO JOSEPH - Holy FamilyOur parishes have been participating in the Seven Sundays of Saint Joseph Devotion, culminating with his Solemn Feast Day the 19th of March. I spoke about Saint Joseph some time ago and I thought it would be good to return to this homily as a reminder of why this devotion is important. I particularly recommend this essay summarizing the role of Saint Joseph in the Christian life.
2020-02-2018 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastMORE THAN JUST NO TALKING - Homily for the 3rd Sunday of AdventThe silence we keep is the condition of growth in prayer, and can even become prayer itself.
2019-12-2118 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastCONFESSION RENEWS THE FACE OF THE EARTH - Homily for AdventThe book quoted, referencing the effect that the widespread adoption of confession according to the Irish monks had on western civilization, is entitled Heroism and Genius: How Catholic Priests Helped Build—and Can Help Rebuild—Western Civilization, by William Slattery.
2019-12-1910 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastWE ARE FOR FIRE - Homily for the 20th SundayYou see, there's good fire, and then there's bad fire...
This homily was the first homily Father Blaha delivered at the English-speaking Masses at Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King, and Our Lady & St. Rose.
2019-08-1921 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTRAFFICKING IN REPUTATIONS - From the ArchivesA follow-up from last week's archival post, about the call to be transformed in that realm St. James calls the "bridle of the whole body"––our speech. "Look at the ships; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on f...
2019-07-0112 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastBAR THE EXITS - From the ArchivesSince I’m away for continued studies this summer, it seemed worthwhile to dig through the archives and re-publish older homilies that were well received. Many of these homilies didn’t get imported to the current podcast feed on Anchor. This week’s homily is from Father’s Day 2016.
2019-06-2313 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE SPIRIT OF TRUST - Homily for PentecostUsing the Litany of Trust by the Sisters of Life, it's not a tough thing to discover where the Spirit is trying the heart.
2019-06-1918 min2019-06-1508 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA HEALTHY CATCH - Homily for the 3rd Sunday of EasterThe line on that hook is ever so fine, but it reaches to the heavens
2019-05-1504 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastBIG WORD - Homily for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time" Lightly men talk of saying what they mean. Often when he was teaching me to write in Greek the Fox would say, ‘Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words.’ A glib saying. When the time comes to you at which you will be forced at last to utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years, which you have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you’ll not t...
2019-03-0414 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA CONTRADICTION AMONG THE ANOINTEDDavid understood that conflict among the Anointed was nonsense. Why can't we?
2019-02-2611 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRISE NIGHT - Why God? Sebastian D'AmicoThe first of a three part series: why should we believe God exists? Why should we think about arguments about why God exists?
2019-02-2651 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastOAKS OR FLOWERS - Homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good tidings to the afflicted;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion --
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil...
2019-02-2610 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastMOTHER - Homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary TimeLatest episode of Didde Center Homily Podcasts
2019-02-0908 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastABEL, ABRAHAM, MELCHIZEDEK - Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeAsking God to accept our sacrifice implies it might not be. This homily addresses what must be offered, how it is to be offered, under what forms it is to be offered, and by whom it is offered in order to be a pleasing sacrifice to God.
2019-02-0715 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTalks on the Rocks - Phil CoutureWe're grateful to Phil Couture for making the trip from Denver, Colorado to speak to us about his years as a missionary to the homeless on the streets. Phil offers some insight on how to help the people asking for help.
2019-02-0631 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE MONKS OF TIBHIRINE - Homily for the 2nd Sunday of AdventBaruch's prophecy in light of Xavier Beauvais' 2011 film OF GODS AND MEN. Stream the film on Amazon, or for a more extended treatment, check out John Kiser's biography THE MONKS OF TIBHIRINE.
2018-12-1013 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastUNSCROOGED - Homily for the First Sunday of AdventA call to unclench our fists and let the Church tell us an Advent story.
2018-12-0610 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastRISE Night Q & A w/Dan Kerr - Incarnation, Prayer, & Work(2 of 2) Q&A from our evening with Dan Kerr, President of Saint Martin's Academy in Fort Scott, KS.
2018-12-0645 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastRISE Night w/Dan Kerr - Incarnation, Prayer, & Work(Part 1 of 2) Daniel Kerr, President of newly founded Saint Martin's Academy, a boarding school and working farm in southeast Kansas, wants education to be simpler and to let reality do its work.
http://saintmartinsacademy.org
2018-12-0637 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastDISASTER, EAGER HOPE, AND THE END OF THE WORLD - Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeOn the centennial of the Armistice ending the Great War, a meditation on the reproach of Christians and our need to embrace a real hope in the midst of the disasters from which we cannot deliver ourselves.
2018-11-1613 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastSAINTLY BUFFOONS & HOLY JESTERS - Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary TimeWhat if we celebrated Halloween like it was meant to be celebrated?
2018-10-2911 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA DAILY REASON - Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary TimeOn dangerous bedtime habits, a spiritual tip from a recovering alcoholic, and the canonization of Pope Saint Paul VI
2018-10-1515 min
Father Nick Blaha Homily CastRise Night - The Incarnation and Aristotle's Forgotten Definition of ManWe welcomed Dr. Patrick Callahan to ESU for a great meditation on education, imitation, and the Trinity.
2018-10-1240 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastCHESTERTON: HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE FAITHA delightful introduction to the figure of G.K. Chesterton by the President of the American Chesterton Society, Dale Ahlquist - Talks on the Rocks, Radius Brewery, February 2018
2018-10-091h 06Father Nick Blaha Homily CastSKEPTICS AND DISCIPLES – Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSpeak Lord, your servant is listening.
2018-09-2311 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastSUFFERING FOR DUMMIES – Homily for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe Blessed Angela of Foligno said, “If we knew the just value of suffering for God, it would become an object of plunder”–which is as much as to say that each one would seek an opportunity of robbing his neighbor of the occasions of suffering.
2018-09-1611 min2018-08-2716 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastWONDER & THANKS – Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Welcome back, Hornets! This week’s homily is a reflection on starting off on the right foot.
2018-08-2114 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA MOTHER BETRAYED
Homilies referenced:
A QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE:
A QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE – Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
HIRELINGS (on Humanae Vitae, with extensive supplemental material):
HIRELINGS – Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter
2018-07-2206 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE NURSING HANGOVER – Talks on the Rocks with Natalie Roberts, RNNurses are the most trusted professionals in America.
Their reputation is deserved, but nothing comes without a cost.
Natalie offers some straight talk about the joys and challenges that nurses & medical professionals face in their professional and personal lives.
2018-07-161h 042018-05-2410 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastHIRELINGS – Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter
Read Father James Dominic Brent’s essay on chastity and contraception (click title below to read):
The link to the 1990 document by the Philippine Bishops containing the apology for lack of teaching on contraception and married life: here.
Dr. Janet Smith and Mary Eberstadt present the data on which many of the statements in this homily are based. You can read them in full here:
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“Contraception: Why Not?” (detailed essay)
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“The Vindication of Humanae Vitae” (2008)
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“The Prophetic Power of Humanae Vitae” (2018)
2018-04-2327 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastQUASIMODO – Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday
“Quasimodo’s cathedral was enough for him. It was peopled with marble figures of kings, saints and bishops who at least did not laugh in his face and looked at him with only tranquillity and benevolence. The other statues, those of monsters and demons, had no hatred for him – he resembled them too closely for that. It was rather the rest of mankind that they jeered at. The saints were his friends and blessed him; the monsters were his friends and kept watch over him. He would sometimes spend whole hours crouched before one of the statues in solitary...
2018-04-0816 min2018-03-3012 min2018-03-3006 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastA QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE – Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
Simply the best thing I’ve ever read on conscience can be found here: http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/ratzcons.htm
2018-02-2519 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRISE Night Kickoff – FURTHER UP, FURTHER INThe kickoff for our Rise Night for the Spring 2018 semester. Michael Duryea, director of liturgy at Sacred Heart in Emporia, KS, was kind enough to deliver our opening testimony.
2018-02-2538 min2018-02-1609 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTALKS ON THE ROCKS – Dale Ahlquist on Chesterton
Thanks to Our Sunday Visitor for making Dale Ahlquist’s visit possible!
You can buy Dale’s (and Chesterton’s) recommended books here: https://www.chesterton.org/product-category/books/
2018-02-091h 06Father Nick Blaha Homily CastDRINK – Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
I’d like to coin a new acronym: VIPYNHO (pronounced “VIP – in – how”). As in, Very Important Person You Never Heard Of.
2018-02-0515 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastGOD’S RESPONSIBILITY – Homily for the 4th Sunday in OT
Excerpts from “Who is a Christian?” by Hans Urs von Balthasar
2018-01-3016 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastRISE NIGHT – Love in the FamilyThe final Rise Night of the semester (and wrap up to our theme of “Love in the Ruins” presents some testimony around what it means to love our families well–and discover the sweetness hidden in them.
2017-12-1524 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastANSELM’S CALL – Homily for the 2nd Sunday of AdventThe prayer of Saint Anselm quoted at length in the homily can be found here.
As promised in the homily, more information on the immigration issue:
The USCCB released a document in 2003 on immigration entitled “Strangers No Longer“.
A thoughtful exchange from two different perspectives can be found here.
Another thoughtful, more recent essay from the same publication.
2017-12-1216 minFather Nick Blaha Homily CastTHE BIG THREE – Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent
“Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”
Luke 21:34-37
2017-12-0421 min