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…
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…
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…
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…
In the Gospel Jesus says worry more about what is in our hearts than what goes into our stomachs…basically he’s saying don’t worry about dietary laws but change your hearts. Fr. Michael equates this to the masks of sin that we all wear and that hide our true selves from each other. Pray for the…
Given at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House during a Day of Prayer focused on making decisions through discernment, Fr. Michael contrasts the unifying nature of God with the divisive nature of sin. Mark 3:22-30 The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he…
Jesus shows in the Gospel that the Law and human compassion are not always in sync with each other. Weaving this story into our modern times, Fr. Michael preaches that even though abortion is legal and giving basic human aid to illegal immigrants illegal, as Christians we must speak truth to power when our faith…
God called to Samuel in the night and after three times, Samuel said, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Fr. Michael urges us to seek the grace to listen for God’s call. Mark 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with…