First Homilies

New Deacons Preach at Masses of Thanksgiving

The Christian message [is] not only “informative” but “performative”. That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known—it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. Spe Salvi 2

Daniel Scanlan ’23 Diocese of Venice in Florida

CHURCH OF ST. LOUIS OF THE FRENCH

"If you look at Caravaggio’s painting (the Call of St. Matthew), it is Jesus who calls Matthew. In the Gospels, it is Jesus who calls Peter and Andrew, and all the other apostles. God’s call is always an invitation and it is such a beautiful gift because it is God who wants to be in relationship with us. This call to conversion is his initiative, his desire for us to be with him."

Justin Echevarria ’23 Diocese of Portland in Oregon

SANT’ANDREA DELLA VALLE

"Biblical texts are not archaic, but dynamic! The Bible is the story of salvation, the story of our salvation. The end of the Bible in the Book of Revelation does not say “The End,” but rather “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.”

Richard Sofatzis ’23 Archdiocese of Sydney

DOMUS AUSTRALIA

"We can find alongside the Archangels, St Jerome, and the beautiful choir singing the music, that we can be part of God’s plan along this everlasting way of guiding each one of our brothers and sisters to eternal life."

Taylor Colwell ’23 Archdiocese of Washington

BASILICA OF SAINT MARY MAJOR

"A vocation of service to God and the Christian people is always the result of God’s call—the result of God revealing himself in a personal way. God revealed himself to me in a way that was truly life-changing and led me to give myself over to his plan."