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Religion & Spirituality
Fr. James Searby
From the classroom to the office to everywhere in between, struggling for goodness & holiness can be a daunting task. In these homilies, meditations, classes & talks by Fr. James Searby, discover the possibility of Holiness for the Working Day.
Solemnity of Christ, the King of the Universe 2024
14:4224/11/2024
Meditation on the Journey of the Spiritual Life, Part 2
32:3921/11/2024
ROMAN Catholics
The feast of the dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul
10:5918/11/2024
Meditation on the Journey of the Spiritual Life, part 1
31:3214/11/2024
The Pregnant Pause Before The Election
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B November 3rd, 2024 Gospel Mk 12:28b-34 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
16:3503/11/2024
Death, We Don't Know What to Say
Feast of All Souls 2024
13:3002/11/2024
Meditation on Mary, Death's Antidote
Meditation on the 4th Glorious Mystery, the Assumption of Mary.
16:3802/11/2024
Our Hearts Are in the Trim
Solemnity of All Saints 2024
15:0402/11/2024
Where We Fall
The Narrow Gate
09:0302/11/2024
Meditation on Death, Judgement, Hell & Heaven
30:2402/11/2024
The Little Seed's Surrender
09:5102/11/2024
Bartimaeus & The Cry of the Heart
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
17:1227/10/2024
Meditation on Daring & Risk of Faith
28:1924/10/2024
Feast of Pope Saint John Paul II
11:4124/10/2024
All In the Family
Feast of St. Luke
08:5719/10/2024
A Meditation on Hope & Christian Optimism
31:2217/10/2024
What a Shame It Would Be to Go to One’s Grave Unused Up!
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Gospel Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."
19:5214/10/2024
Martha's Internal Cacophony
09:3708/10/2024
We're Holding Out for a Hero
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Prayer of Forgiveness Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whom you need to forgive (family, friend, abuser, yourself) Picture the person in front of you and pay aBenCon to what you feel in your heart and body Make an account of the debt they owe you (what did they take from you, how did they hurt you? It is okay to feel angry or nothing at all) Imagine yourself telling them what they did to hurt you and how it has affected you Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any identity lies you believe about yourself based on that incident Renounce the identity lie “In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce the lie that I am not loved or cared for, that I have to perform well to be loved, etc.” Announce the truth of your identity in Christ-“In the name of Jesus Christ, I announce the truth that I am seen, that I am valuable, that I am loved, etc.” Bring the person with you to meet Jesus on the Cross at Calvary and look at His face of care and mercy Ask Jesus to forgive the person 10. Ask Jesus to give you the grace to forgive the person 11. Pray a prayer of blessing for that person-as God to bless them and heal them on their journey 12. Ask Jesus to seal this forgiveness and heal the wounds in your life 13. Thank God for His healing mercy and grace
16:1706/10/2024
St. Francis and the Matrix
Feast of St. Francis
12:5906/10/2024
The Millstone
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 2024
14:5429/09/2024
The Wondrous Padre Pio
Feast of Padre Pio
06:4623/09/2024
The Observing Power of the Broken
Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle
08:3922/09/2024
Dust Called to Glory
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
18:0422/09/2024
The Most Beautiful Sound I've Ever Heard
Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary 2024
11:2312/09/2024
The Keeper of the Flame
07:4908/09/2024
Hearing, Seeing, Knowing
22nd Sunday in Ordinary time, Year B eading 2 Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27 Dearest brothers and sisters: All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
19:1701/09/2024
The Foolish to Shame the Wise
07:4431/08/2024
St. Augustine
08:5931/08/2024
"Please Don't Give Up On Me"
The Feast of St. Monica
08:5031/08/2024
Wives Be Submissive?
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B This is a Homily about marriage & Ephesians 5 and I recommend it for all married couples or those discerning marriage.
20:2426/08/2024
Theosis
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 2024 You are Deified, Divinized
17:1611/08/2024
The Dark Depth of Love
Feast of St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross 2024
10:2309/08/2024
A Dress Rehearsal for Death
Feast of Pope St. Sixtus II and Companions
08:2707/08/2024
I'm Freaking Out: Finding God Through Anxiety
This is a talk that was given at Theology on Tap at Murphy's Grand Irish Pub in Old Town Alexandria, VA. If you would like a more comprehensive exploration of anxiety and a Catholic approach to mindfulness and healing please search my podcast for a multi-part series I did called "Mindfulness in an Anxious World" some years ago. I also recommend another course I taught on the Podcast called "the Little Way" about St. Therese and her little way. I hope this talk helps anyone who is struggling with anxiety. I am praying for you. Fr. Searby
51:0606/08/2024
Changing Appetite
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B August 3rd, 2024 Bread of Life Discourse
15:4404/08/2024
The Power of Words
Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus
07:5501/08/2024
Lord, Don't You Care?
Feast of St. Martha (Mary & Lazarus)
10:4629/07/2024
The Feeding of the 500,000
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B The Feeding of the 5000
12:4928/07/2024
Mary Magdalene & The Deepest Love
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
11:0322/07/2024
The Dark and the Light
16th Sunday in Ordinary time, Year B Gospel Mk 6:30-34 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
17:5221/07/2024
You Are Summoned
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
15:1614/07/2024
The Tyranny of Fun
Monday of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time July 8th, 2014
08:0108/07/2024
The Dog & The Oxen
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B First homily at the Basilica of St. Mary
17:3308/07/2024
Oh Say Can You See
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Independence Day Weekend First posted Homily from the Basilica of St. Mary in Old Town Alexandria, VA
16:3508/07/2024
Look Eye, Always Look Eye
My Last Homily at St. Timothy. A farewell to such a loving family. 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 2024
17:4623/06/2024
They Will Sing Songs of the Things We Will Do!
11:2420/06/2024
No Need to Clown Around
June 19, 2024
10:0219/06/2024
Wait, Offer No Resistance?
06:0618/06/2024
The Thrill of Courage
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B 2024 Darkness yields to dawn’s embrace, as courage lights the way ahead. Through shadows deep and trials fierce, where many tremble, who are led In the silence of the night, where doubt may spread its icy chill, A flame ignites within the soul, a beacon on a distant hill. And though the winds of fate may howl, and storms of fear may thrash the shore, The valiant stand with steadfast will, for hope is kindled in their core. The darkness whispers of defeat, yet in Christian hearts, a brighter song, For courage draws the dawn anew, and from despair, the brave march on. As courage leads and hope takes flight, shadows retreat, giving way to light, And in the heart of every soul, a fire burns, undying, whole. For in the end, the dawn will break, and courage will have won the day, The brave will shine and light the way, to see God’s face at heaven’s gate.
20:4317/06/2024