Fr Jim Chern's Homilies

What happens when you've spent months preparing for the future you want — only to discover you've neglected the relationship with God that's supposed to guide your future? Twenty years ago, after seven years as a priest, I was convinced it was time to walk away. I had another life planned, had been accepted as a recruit by the New York City Fire Department, and was ready to begin a new career. But an unexpected moment, a family crisis, and a gentle invitation from God changed everything. In this week's homily, reflecting on Matthew 25:1–13 and the parable of the ten bridesmaids, I sh...

The Saints Nobody Knows | All Saints Day Homily When we think of saints, we usually picture extraordinary people — great theologians, heroic martyrs, founders of religious orders, people whose names are remembered centuries after their deaths. But what about the countless saints whose names we've never heard? The ordinary men and women who struggled, sacrificed, forgave, and remained faithful to God without anyone noticing? On All Saints Day, we're reminded that holiness isn't reserved for the famous or extraordinary. It's a calling meant for every one of us. Drawing on a personal experience of disappointment, jealousy, and learning to trust God's pl...

After 72 years of marriage, Gordon and Norma Yeager died just one hour apart, still holding hands. But in their final moments together, something extraordinary happened: even after Gordon had stopped breathing, his heart monitor appeared to be detecting Norma’s heartbeat through him. It's a remarkable story of love and devotion. But it also raises a much deeper question: What does it really mean to love someone with your whole heart? In this Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 22:34–40), Jesus gives us the two greatest commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple enough to s...

NOT YET — 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time St. Augustine famously prayed, “Lord, grant me chastity and continence—but not yet.” He wasn't afraid God wasn't listening. He was afraid God WAS listening—and that answering his prayers would mean changing his life. Sound familiar? In this homily, preached at the conclusion of our Red Hawk Catholic retreat, Source and Summit: The Eucharist, we reflect on an uncomfortable pattern in Scripture: God's people spent generations praying for deliverance, yet when the opportunity came, some had grown too comfortable to embrace it. And when the long-awaited Messiah stood before the Pharisees and Herodians...

A tech billionaire giving lectures about the Antichrist. Pope Leo XIV expressing sorrow over Christians killed in Gaza. A botched execution in Tennessee. What do Peter Thiel, the war in Gaza, and Christa Pike have to do with Jesus' parable of the wedding feast? More than you might think. When did defending human dignity become a political statement? Why are we so quick to label people liberal, conservative, or even heretical when they challenge our opinions? And have we reached a point where we're more interested in making Christianity support our beliefs than allowing Jesus Christ to change them? In...

WANTING WHAT ISN’T OURS — 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time We want the vineyard. We just don’t always want the Owner. Jesus’ parable of the tenants forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: our lives, gifts, relationships, bodies, opportunities — even our faith — are not possessions we created for ourselves. They are gifts entrusted to us. And when we begin living as though the vineyard belongs to us, we can start wanting God’s blessings without wanting God to have any claim on our lives. Pasted text God’s grace is free, but it is never meant to leave us unchanged. “The...

A viral debate on The Breakfast Club about heaven, hell, judgment, and who is saved raises an uncomfortable question: how much does the way we live actually matter? In Matthew 21:28–32, Jesus tells the story of two sons. One says “no” to his father but later changes his mind and obeys. The other says all the right things — “Yes, sir” — but never follows through. It’s possible to say “yes” to Jesus with our lips while saying “no” with our lives. But the Gospel also gives us tremendous hope: our “no” does not have to be our final answer. Ezekiel reminds us that conversion is always...

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - We hear Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard and instinctively side with the people who worked all day: That’s not fair. But maybe we’re asking the wrong question. What if we’re not the workers who have been there since dawn? What if we’re the five-o’clock workers—people who desperately need a God whose mercy is far more generous than anything we could ever earn? A homily about comparison, grace, keeping score with God, and the incredible realization that Jesus isn’t simply the One who gives us the...

Forgiveness is one of those things that sounds beautiful—until we actually have someone to forgive. Jesus tells Peter not simply to forgive, but to forgive without keeping score. That doesn’t mean pretending the hurt didn’t happen, excusing what was wrong, or allowing someone to keep hurting us. It means refusing to let another person’s sin have the final word in our lives. What if one of the most convincing witnesses to our faith is what people see when Christians have every reason to become bitter, angry, or vengeful—and choose mercy instead? “You hurt me. But you don’t ge...

Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the memories still feel remarkably close. I was 27 years old, only two years into the priesthood, serving at a parish less than 15 miles from the Twin Towers. We could see them burning. We heard the military jets overhead. And in the weeks and months that followed came funeral Masses—including for two young men, ages 25 and 29, whose names I’ve never forgotten. But remembering 9/11 raises a question deeper than simply, “Where were you?” Where are you going? Today’s Scriptures remind us that this world was never meant to be our final home. St. Paul tells us to “run...

What’s the opposite of love? Most of us would probably say hate. But maybe there’s something quieter — and sometimes even more dangerous: “I don’t care.” “Not my responsibility.” “Not my problem.” In this homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Jim Chern reflects on Jesus’ challenging teaching about confronting someone who has gone astray — and the difference between correcting someone because we want to win an argument and speaking because we don’t want to lose a brother or sister. Christian love isn’t simply being nice. It doesn’t mean fixing everybody, tolerating destructive behavior, or ignoring necessar...

THE JESUS WHO FOLLOWS ME | Catholic Homily You can believe in Jesus. Love Jesus. Call Him Lord. And still spend your life trying to lead Him. In this homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Jim Chern reflects on one of the most jarring moments in the Gospel: only moments after Peter correctly identifies Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” he begins telling Jesus what His mission should—and should not—look like. Peter wants Jesus. He just wants Jesus according to Peter’s plan. And that raises an uncomfortable question for every Christian: Who’s lead...

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. But Jesus doesn't ask Peter what everyone else thinks. He asks: “Who do you say that I am?” And if Peter's answer is actually true — if Jesus really is the Christ — then Christianity can't simply be one part of our lives. Gospel: Matthew 16:13–20 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time homilyonthespot.com

Mass Readings for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 16, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 Reading 2, Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28

Mass Readings for 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 9, 2026 Reading 1, First Kings 19:9, 11-13 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 Reading 2, Romans 9:1-5 Gospel, Matthew 14:22-33

Mass Readings for 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 2, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 55:1-3 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18 Reading 2, Romans 8:35, 37-39 Gospel, Matthew 14:13-21

Mass Readings for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 26, 2026 Reading 1, First Kings 3:5, 7-12 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130 Reading 2, Romans 8:28-30 Gospel, Matthew 13:44-52

Mass Readings for 16th Sunday on Ordinary Time - July 19, 2026 Reading 1, Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16 Reading 2, Romans 8:26-27 Gospel, Matthew 13:24-43

Mass Readings for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time -July 12, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 55:10-11 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14 Gospel, Matthew 13:1-23 Reading 2, Romans 8:18-23

Mass Readings for 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 5, 2026 Reading 1, Zechariah 9:9-10 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 Reading 2, Romans 8:9, 11-13 Gospel, Matthew 11:25-30

Mass Readings for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - June 28, 2026 Reading 1, Second Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 Reading 2, Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 Gospel, Matthew 10:37-42

Mass Readings for 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - June 21, 2026 Reading 1, Jeremiah 20:10-13 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 Reading 2, Romans 5:12-15 Gospel, Matthew 10:26-33

Mass Readings for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - June 14, 2026 Reading 1, Exodus 19:2-6 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 5 Reading 2, Romans 5:6-11 Gospel, Matthew 9:36-10:8

Mass Readings Reading 1, Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 Reading 2, First Corinthians 10:16-17 Gospel, John 6:51-58

Mass Readings for Sunday May 31, 2026 Reading 1, Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 Responsorial Psalm, Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Reading 2, Second Corinthians 13:11-13 Gospel, John 3:16-18

Mass Readings for Pentecost Sunday - May 24, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 Reading 2, Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 Gospel, John 20:19-23

Mass Readings for The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord May 17, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 1:1-11 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2, Ephesians 1:17-23 Gospel, Matthew 28:16-20

Mass Readings for Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 10, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 Reading 2, First Peter 3:15-18 Gospel, John 14:15-21

Mass Readings for Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 3, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 6:1-7 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 Reading 2, First Peter 2:4-9 Gospel, John 14:1-12

Mass Readings for 4th Sunday of Easter -April 26, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 36-41 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 Reading 2, First Peter 2:20-25 Gospel, John 10:1-10

Mass Readings for Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 2:14, 22-28 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 Reading 2, First Peter 1:17-21 Gospel, Luke 24:13-35

NO ONE SPECIAL - Homily 2nd Sunday of Easter - 4/12/26 by Fr Jim Chern

Mass Readings for Easter Sunday April 5, 2026 Reading 1, Acts 10:34, 37-43 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Reading 2, Colossians 3:1-4 Gospel, John 20:1-9

Mass Readings for Palm Sunday March 29, 2026 Reading 1, Isaiah 50:4-7 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Reading 2, Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel, Matthew 26:14-27:66

Mass Reading for Fifth Sunday of Lent -March 22, 2026 Reading 1, Ezekiel 37:12-14 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 Reading 2, Romans 8:8-11 Gospel, John 11:1-45

Mass Readings for Fourth Sunday of Lent March 15, 2026 Reading 1, First Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 Reading 2, Ephesians 5:8-14 Gospel, John 9:1-41

Mass Reading for Third Sunday of Lent - March 8, 2026 Reading 1, Exodus 17:3-7 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2, Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 Gospel, John 4:5-42

Mass Readings for Second Sunday in Lent - March 1, 2026 Reading 1, Genesis 12:1-4 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 Reading 2, Timothy 1:8-10 Gospel, Matthew 17:1-9

Mass Readings for First Sunday of Lent - February 22, 2026 Reading 1, Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 Reading 2, Romans 5:12-19 Gospel, Matthew 4:1-11

Mass Readings for Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026 Reading 1, Joel 2:12-18 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 Reading 2, Second Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Gospel, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18