Homily: October 4, 2025 Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time (devil's fear)

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“Behold, I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy, and nothing will harm you.”

Last week, during one of my classes at Holy Family, I asked the 4th graders, “How many of you are afraid of the devil?” Every single one of them raised their hands.

And so, I ask you too, how many of you are afraid of the devil?

I suppose it is normal to fear the devil, thinking he has powers which we do not have. But do you know what the devil is afraid of?

The next slide I showed the class was a quote from St. John Bosco: “There are two things that the devil is deadly afraid of: fervent Communion and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”

Isn’t that good news for all of us here? If we do these two things, the devil will be more afraid of us than we are of him. But note the emphasis St. John Bosco made, it is ‘fervent communion’ and ‘frequent visits’.

The truth is, the devil is jealous of us because we are God’s beloved children. We are created in His image and likeness. The devil has no power over us at all, unless we give in to him. He can tempt us to sin, and if we fall, we allow ourselves to become the slaves of sin and evil. Shame will keep us hiding in the dark, and keeps us away from Holy Communion. But God calls us out into the light. Be unafraid to go for the sacrament of reconciliation to get out of the darkness and return to communion with God. 

Thus, today’s Gospel is such a powerful reminder: we are not called to live in fear but to live in the freedom and joy of being God’s children. We are not slaves to sin, we are heirs to eternal life.

So let us reflect, do I live in the freedom, joy, and peace of being God’s beloved child? Or do I allow fear, anxiety, and the presence of evil in the world to distract and disturb me?

Christ has already given us the power to overcome evil. Let us claim that power by living faithfully in communion with Him, by receiving the sacraments with devotion, and trusting that nothing can harm us if we remain close to God. Amen.


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March 1, 2025: First Holy Communion Homily: St. Joseph's Catholic Church Seffner, Florida

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