The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022126.cfm

Fr. Gabe  Cillo, MIC challenges us to examine the condition of our souls: “Who here wants to be healthy spiritually?” The Gospel reminds us that “those who are well need no physician, but those who are sick do” (Lc 5:31; NABRE). In this Lenten moment the priest points to the universal sickness caused by sin, emphasizing that our only cure is the grace of God initiated in Christ.

The Catechism teaches that justification is “the free and unmerited gift of God’s grace” (CCC 1987). As Fr. Gabe explains, the first instant of conversion is wholly God’s initiative; human effort alone cannot bring the dead in sin to life. This aligns with Saint Augustine’s insight that the “doctor of grace” must be empowered by divine mercy, for without Christ’s sacrifice even the Immaculate Conception of Mary rests entirely on His redemptive work.

Turning away from God is likened to turning one’s back on a parent—a gesture of profound disrespect. The priest uses this vivid image to illustrate that rejecting Christ is a betrayal of the Father, while conversion is the act of turning back. Scripture affirms this: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice…that they may turn and be saved” (Hos 6:6; NABRE). The Holy Spirit, moved by love, calls us to repentance, yet the power to change resides in Christ alone.

In practical terms, the homily urges believers to recognize their spiritual illness, to seek the physician of Christ through the sacraments, prayer, and sincere repentance. By embracing the divine bridegroom’s invitation, we exchange the “hand that turns away” for the “hand that reaches out,” experiencing the healing that only God can provide. May this Lenten season become a genuine turning‑back, restoring our health in the Spirit and preparing us for the wedding feast of the Lamb.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022026.cfm

Father Tyler Mentzer, MIC, invites us to confront this penetrating question, “What are you hungry for?” On the first Friday of Lent, this inquiry becomes a mirror for our own souls, urging us to examine the cravings that dominate our hearts.

The Gospel’s wedding feast imagery frames fasting, not as a punitive rite, but as a preparation for the ultimate celebration of the divine Bridegroom. Jesus asks, “Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them?” (Mk 2:19; NABRE). When the Bridegroom remains present, the feast of love outweighs the austerity of fasting. Yet He also foretells the inevitable departure of the Bridegroom, announcing that “then they will fast” (Mk 2:20; NABRE). This duality reveals fasting as medicinal: a temporary giving up of earthly food that readies us for the future sorrow of the Passion and the ensuing joy of the Resurrection.

The “Catechism” teaches that “fasting is a penance that draws us closer to Christ, the source of true nourishment” (“CCC,” 2043). By denying ourselves food, drink, or sinful habits, we create interior space for the Spirit, allowing the hunger for God’s will to replace the hunger for fleeting pleasures. As Fr. Tyler notes, the Lenten season is a “time of intentional communion with the suffering Christ,” echoing the ancient Jewish practice of fasting on the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16) and its fulfillment in the New Covenant.

Saints Jacinta and Francisco of Fatima exemplify this sacrificial love. Even as children, they offered their meals to the poor, endured bitter suffering, and embraced fasting as a conduit for the conversion of sinners. Their witness reminds us that fasting, when rooted in love for the Bridegroom, transforms personal deprivation into communal charity.

Thus, the Lenten call is threefold:
- Identify the hidden cravings that enslave us — power, pleasure, control, or even the illusion of self‑sufficiency.
- Rebuke those cravings through disciplined fasting — whether by abstaining from meat on Fridays, limiting meals, or refraining from harmful thoughts and words.
- Redirect the resulting emptiness toward the love of Christ, the true Bridegroom who satisfies every longing (see Jn 6:35; NABRE).

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021926.cfm

Father Matthew Tomeny, MIC invites us to contemplate today’s Gospel in light of the witness of St. Thomas More and St. Anthony the Great.

Jesus warns, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16:24; NABRE). In the same breath He calls us to “pick up our cross daily and follow Me” (Lk 9:23; NABRE).

The drama of Thomas More, who refused King Henry’s demand for a divorce and chose fidelity to Christ above crown and comfort, illustrates the cost of true discipleship. When Rich perjured himself for worldly gain, the saint reminded him that “the whole world is fleeting; what truly matters is the kingdom of God.” This echoes the “Catechism”: “The Christian is called to die to self and live for God” (CCC 1033).

Saint Anthony the Great taught the same radical love: “Die daily, if you wish to live eternally.” Our lives are like a house on fire — clinging to material treasures ensures our destruction, while abandoning them opens the path to everlasting life. As Moses declared, “I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom” (Dt 30:15; NABRE).

Thus, each day presents a choice: hold fast to the fleeting comforts of this world, or lay them down at the foot of the Cross. The cross is not a burden to be avoided; it is the gateway to the resurrection. By surrendering our will to God’s will, we align ourselves with the divine plan and secure the promise of eternal life.

Let us, like St. Thomas More, abandon pride, ambition, and fear, and like St. Anthony, practice the daily death to self. In doing so, we fulfill Christ’s invitation: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15; NABRE).