WEBVTT 00:00:23.080 --> 00:00:24.200 Good morning. 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:29.480 Just uh one announcement before I give my homily on the Word of God today. 00:00:29.880 --> 00:00:36.920 This Wednesday, we begin our third season of Alpha from 6 30 to 8 30 p.m. 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:43.640 Uh with free food, with uh a film on the faith and fellowship, a time to talk about uh things of the faith. 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:50.600 I would just like to extend a cordial invitation for you to uh come to our experience of Alpha or to come back to serve. 00:00:50.760 --> 00:00:53.000 We are in need of a lot of people to come back to serve. 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:58.920 So far, we have about 150 adults who have registered, as well as 80 teens who will be with us as well. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:02.920 So if you have gone through Alpha, please consider coming back uh to serve. 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:11.400 Um, before I give the homily, one of those participants of Alpha today would like to share a brief testimony about their experience going to Alpha. 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:17.719 So I'd like to invite uh Isaac and Connie Ford to come forward at this moment to share a brief testimony about their experience on Alpha. 00:01:17.800 --> 00:01:20.359 Could you please help me to welcome them, please? 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:59.560 And we're here to share our Alpha testimony with you today. 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:05.159 Before we begin, can we take a moment to praise God, everyone? 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:09.000 God is good all the time. 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:10.519 And all the time. 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:13.000 Amen. 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:14.199 Amen. 00:02:16.920 --> 00:02:21.159 Before Alpha, my life took a sudden turn. 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:29.240 I woke up one morning in a medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital in a speeding ambulance, sirens blaring. 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:32.039 It felt so unreal. 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:36.280 That began a year of being in and out of hospitals for me. 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:45.560 One night, I was laying in the hospital bed lonely, uh, in pain, and I reflected on how I ended up there. 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:48.599 And then something unexpected happened. 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:51.560 I found that I wasn't alone at all. 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:55.319 God was with me, and I felt his presence. 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:01.240 In that moment, I realized that his promise was real. 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:07.400 Over that year, I healed physically, but I also healed spiritually. 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:14.439 One Sunday at Mass, just like all of you today, Father Martin talked about Alpha. 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.240 I joined to know Jesus more deeply. 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:22.759 I remembered my Alpha leader saying to me, Connie, you can't be a Christian alone. 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:27.000 So after Alpha, I chose to serve as a volunteer. 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:30.360 In serving, Jesus gave me even more. 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:35.960 During Alpha, we had open, judgment-free conversations about faith. 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:39.240 We shared our experiences of Jesus Christ. 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:43.159 We prayed together, ate together, and laughed together a lot. 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:44.840 We had so much fun. 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:47.879 Alpha also drew me closer to him. 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:52.840 And you'll often hear me saying now that I'm on fire for Jesus. 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:03.000 Before Alpha, I thought my relationship with Jesus was already strong. 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:08.199 And the idea of weekly meetings for 11 weeks made me hesitant. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:18.039 Though the Bible was part of my everyday life growing up, I didn't grasp that Jesus wanted an ongoing, living connection with me. 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:22.360 Just like with any relationship, I needed to work on it. 00:04:23.080 --> 00:04:26.199 After thinking it over, I decided to join. 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:28.759 The experience surprised me. 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:32.919 Dinner, which were very good dinners, I will say. 00:04:50.679 --> 00:04:58.039 Knowing he is always by my side, my constant advocate, gave me comfort I didn't know I needed. 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:03.720 I'd been wanting to get more involved in church, and those conversations stayed with me. 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:07.720 I enjoyed Alpha so much that I served in the second session. 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:13.799 After that, I joined the men's ministry and Catholic 101. 00:05:14.200 --> 00:05:16.120 One step turned into many. 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:23.080 I still have much to learn, but Alpha was the gateway, an incredible beginning to my faith journey. 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:36.200 So wherever life has brought you at this very moment, we invite you to open your heart and come and see what Alpha is all about. 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:39.799 Whatever you're facing, Jesus changes things. 00:05:40.039 --> 00:05:43.240 We know this to be true because He changed us. 00:05:44.679 --> 00:05:46.440 Thank you, and God bless you all. 00:05:46.840 --> 00:05:47.639 Thank you. 00:05:54.919 --> 00:05:57.960 Thank you, Connie and Isaac, for your beautiful testimony. 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:03.720 And that's what we're all about here is we're about changing lives through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:10.360 And uh maybe their testimony, their sharing, touched some of your hearts to maybe consider trying out Alpha for this third season. 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:13.240 God has something prepared for you, something special for you here. 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.440 I want to share one other thing, especially for parents of young ones. 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:18.679 For this season of Alpha, we're also doing something new. 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:23.639 We're offering child care uh from preschool, uh potty trained, please. 00:06:23.799 --> 00:06:27.240 Pop pot preschool, um, all the way up to sixth grade. 00:06:27.320 --> 00:06:32.279 So for families with little ones, we're offering something new to help you in this third season of Alpha. 00:06:32.440 --> 00:06:34.279 So I hope to see uh some of you there. 00:06:34.440 --> 00:06:42.200 And I would encourage signing up as soon as you can because if we don't find enough hosts for the many people that we have, we may have to do a cutoff for this third season of Alpha. 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:43.879 So love to see you guys there. 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:46.840 Okay, for homily on the Word of God today. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:53.080 Uh the theme of my homily today is My Way or God's Way. 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:54.759 My way or God's way. 00:06:55.159 --> 00:06:58.600 Um, there is a song that I really like. 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:05.399 And uh I love the song, but I'm a little bit torn on the lyrics, and you guys might know this song. 00:07:05.559 --> 00:07:07.320 You may have heard this song before. 00:07:07.559 --> 00:07:09.720 Uh, can I share the words with you? 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:11.799 Should I sing it? 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:26.120 And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain. 00:07:27.320 --> 00:07:42.360 My friends, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case of which I'm certain I've lived a life that's full. 00:07:43.159 --> 00:07:53.480 I've travel each and every highway, but more much more than this. 00:07:54.679 --> 00:07:55.960 I did it. 00:08:07.799 --> 00:08:10.360 I love this song by uh Frank Sinatra. 00:08:10.679 --> 00:08:19.639 I'm a little bit torn on the lyrics though, and the reason why I'm a little bit torn on the lyrics, even though I love the song so much, is the very last line, which is the heart of the song, right? 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.519 says, I did it my way. 00:08:23.080 --> 00:08:31.159 And for all those who follow Jesus, we know that following Jesus is not about doing it my way, it's about doing it God's way. 00:08:31.320 --> 00:08:35.480 That's why I love the song, but I'm so torn about the lyrics, you know? 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:40.440 And so uh I was debating whether I should sing it or not, but since you guys gave me an applause, I okay. 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:52.759 Um so today for the homily, what I'd like to do is to help us take one step away from I did it my way for those who are open, and to take one step towards I did it God's way. 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:55.240 What's God's way for my life? 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:59.319 Now, in order to do that, I'd like to share with you these three words to help us reflect on this. 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:03.799 And these are the three words belong, believe, and become. 00:09:03.959 --> 00:09:05.399 Could I invite you to say that with me? 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:08.360 Belong, believe, and become. 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:14.919 I believe these are three important steps to move towards more of what God wants for our lives, God's way for our lives. 00:09:15.079 --> 00:09:17.639 I want to dive into what each of these words means. 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:20.360 Let's begin with the first one, the word belong. 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:21.480 Here at St. 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:26.199 Joseph, we believe that we're not meant to walk the journey of faith alone. 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:27.720 We heard that in your testimony, right? 00:09:27.799 --> 00:09:34.839 We're not meant to do this alone, we're meant to do it in a family, in a community, to be seen, known, loved, and welcomed. 00:09:35.079 --> 00:09:38.039 You know, by the way, this is why here at St. 00:09:38.199 --> 00:09:42.600 Joseph, we're trying to create this culture of radical hospitality. 00:09:42.839 --> 00:09:48.360 How many people in here have you ever been received as you're coming in from the parking lot by someone with a yellow umbrella? 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:51.159 How many people have been received by one of them? 00:09:51.399 --> 00:09:56.039 You know, or or somebody in the parking team helped you to find a parking spot? 00:09:56.279 --> 00:10:00.600 Or hopefully somebody in our hospitality team greeted you with a smile or gave you a bulletin. 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:01.959 What are what are we trying to do there? 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:06.919 We're trying to create a culture of radical hospitality so that we belong. 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.000 We belong to a family of faith. 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:17.159 And if you hadn't seen that picture before, that was at my installation mass as pastor when we had about 40 of our, they call themselves sunshine greeters. 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.319 I didn't give them that name, they named themselves that. 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:30.360 Sunshine greeters, welcoming people from the doors of their cars to the doors of their church, radical hospitality so that the first beast so that we can belong to a family of faith. 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:35.319 Okay, let's go to our next word after belong is believe. 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:40.919 Once we belong to a family of faith, we have a place we can call our home, we feel welcome, seen, known, and loved. 00:10:41.079 --> 00:10:42.839 The next step is to believe. 00:10:43.079 --> 00:10:43.959 To believe in who? 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:45.240 Who do we believe in? 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:48.679 We believe in Jesus, right? 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:52.519 To take that next, and that's why we're so big on alpha around here. 00:10:52.679 --> 00:11:05.240 Because alpha creates a space where we can belong without having all the answers to the questions in our lives and say, I want to take this next step and believe, just like Connie and Isaac said, I want to believe in Jesus. 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:10.199 We have a picture of our, I think this is our inaugural alpha when we launched this in January. 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:15.079 We had over 300 people uh come to our first alpha for our second alpha. 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.919 Uh, you know, we had over 200 people for our third third alpha. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.079 How many are we gonna have for our third alpha? 00:11:21.319 --> 00:11:26.199 I don't know, but we have 150 adults so far in 88, so we're gonna see what it turns out to be. 00:11:26.360 --> 00:11:37.159 But this is a place to explore the big questions of life and faith and meaning so that we can take that next step from belonging to believing, believing in Jesus, the Son of God. 00:11:37.319 --> 00:11:42.679 Okay, last step after belong and believe is become. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:54.120 Once we belong to a family of faith, once we believe in Jesus, the Son of God, then we begin a lifelong journey of becoming fully who God wants us to be. 00:11:54.360 --> 00:12:00.759 You know, I'm on that journey myself, and I make many mistakes and many area errors in my life. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:05.319 Just ask my staff, they'll give you a laundry list and they'll probably make copies and give it to you. 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:08.120 So these are all of Father Martin's mistakes and errors and stuff. 00:12:08.199 --> 00:12:09.240 We'll give it to you. 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:14.919 But we're on this lifelong journey of becoming fully who God wants us to be. 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:15.480 Okay. 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.600 So three things belong to a family of faith. 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:28.519 Second, belief in Jesus, the Son of God, and third, become who God made us to be. 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:32.839 You know, just this past Saturday, we brought a big group from St. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.199 Joseph to the event There's More at the Honda Center. 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:37.319 It was like a sea of blue. 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.000 Do you see the sea of blue there? 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:45.879 And what we were doing there, we were trying to become fully who God has called us to be. 00:12:46.199 --> 00:12:47.720 Fully who God's called us to be. 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:48.199 Okay. 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:55.319 So I began the homily by asking the question: My way or God's way? 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:57.480 Maybe there's some of you here. 00:12:58.199 --> 00:13:01.000 You're in that first, the first B, belong. 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:04.199 And you're asking the question, do I belong here? 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:05.559 Do I belong at St. 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:06.120 Joseph? 00:13:06.199 --> 00:13:07.480 Do I have a home here? 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:09.399 Am I accepted here? 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:13.159 And if that's you, you're sitting in the pews, that's where you are. 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:21.079 I just want to say to you, as the pastor of this church, you belong here. 00:13:22.199 --> 00:13:23.480 You're welcome here. 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:25.159 We're happy you're here. 00:13:25.319 --> 00:13:26.679 You have a home here. 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.799 And I want to say that to you as your pastor, you belong here. 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:33.879 So if there's some of you that are discerning, I don't know how to you belong here. 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:36.919 Maybe there's some of you are on that second step. 00:13:37.159 --> 00:13:40.120 You have questions and doubts, you're not sure if you believe yet. 00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:44.679 Maybe today is the day you take that next step and say, I believe in Jesus, the Son of God. 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:46.199 I receive him into my life. 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:49.480 Maybe I'll explore some of my questions at Alpha. 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.279 Or maybe you're on that third step. 00:13:52.600 --> 00:14:01.000 You've you belonged to this community for some time, you believe in Jesus, and now you're on that lifelong journey to become fully who God wants you to be. 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:05.319 You can ask God for the grace to become uh all that God wants us to be. 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:16.519 So when we reach the end of our lives, we might say to God, God, I didn't do it my way, I did it your way, God's way. 00:14:16.839 --> 00:14:19.639 In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:14:19.959 --> 00:14:20.600 Amen.