Heart to Heart, A Catholic Media Ministry
“Go into all the world and proclaim the
Good News to all creation.” Mark 16:15
This is another homily Fr. Michael gave several weeks ago. We could have titled it many things, Fear Threatens to Overwhelm Us, Unite Your Suffering to Jesus, Fear is a Liar, Despair Knocks at All of Our Hearts, Beware What You Ask For, and on. There is a spiritual depth to the hope offered by…
What is Practices for Pandemic? Practices for Pandemic is a collaboration between Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ, Heart to Heart and Aaron Niequist. Audio meditations will be released each Sunday during the coronavirus mandatory shelter at home order in Illinois. These meditations are available on our YouTube channel or as an album on our Bandcamp page.…
Originally preached on March 4th before stricter measures were put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Fr. Michael reminds us that the word “repent” means literally to turn around. As our social and spiritual lives are tested these last few weeks of Lent, examine those places where you can turn around…
Luke 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will…
Given during the recent 4-Day retreat at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House Fr. Michael builds on Jesus’ message that reconciliation and forgiveness come before all else. Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You…
Luke 9:28-36 About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of…
Given during his Ash Wednesday Day of Prayer at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, Fr. Michael’s homily reminds us that Lent is less about what we ourselves do or don’t do, but more about what we let God do in us. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds…
Matthew 4:1-11 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”…
In this story of Jesus healing a blind man from Mark’s Gospel, Fr. Michael reminds us that it wasn’t the blind man’s faith, but that of his friends that brought him to Jesus and that healing isn’t always instantaneous, even for Jesus it is a process that we must allow to unfold. Mark 8:22-26 When…
Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants…