Wed, 26 December 2018
Fr. Riccardo considers four questions in this Christmas homily from the Midnight Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Fr. John asks the congregants: what are we celebrating, why is everything still so messed up, what impact does what we are celebrating have on our lives tonight, and how should we respond? |
Sat, 8 December 2018
Fr. Riccardo discusses an important lesson of trust that Mary can teach each of us in the homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr. John draws analogies between Mary and Eve while detailing the reasons why the church honors Mary for her surrender to God and trust in Him. |
Sat, 3 November 2018
Fr. Riccardo discusses what Jesus is trying to teach us through the Beatitudes in this homily for the Solemnity of All Saints. |
Mon, 22 October 2018
Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 10 AM Mass, Fr. John discusses the request made by James and John in the gospel reading (MK 10:35-45), the response of the other apostles, and Jesus's words to them and to us regarding the nature and purpose of authority. |
Wed, 19 September 2018
The funeral liturgy for Thelma Riccardo, the mother of Fr. John Riccardo, was celebrated at Holy Name Catholic Church in Birmingham, Michigan on September 18th. This is a podcast of Fr. John's homily from that Mass. It may also be view on the Our Lady of Good Counsel YouTube channel using this link. Fr. John and the entire Riccardo family are most appreciative of all of the prayers offered for his mother and in support of the family. |
Mon, 17 September 2018
Fr. Riccardo discusses a hopeful word, a familiar word, and a commissioning word in this homily from the 10 AM Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. While reflecting on the passing of his mother, Thelma Riccardo, on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15th), Fr. John turns to Revelation 21 and the promise that God has made to each of us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. He tells the congregants that Jesus has defeated Satan, Sin, and Death by His death on the cross. Fr. John concludes by using the words of Winston Churchill to the people of England during the early stages of World War II as words of commissioning for us. Fr. John remarks that God has created us, and gifted us, to live at this time with the mission to tell others about Jesus. |
Thu, 13 September 2018
On the evening of September 12th, Fr. Riccardo celebrated a Mass for victims of sexual abuse. |
Mon, 30 July 2018
Fr. Riccardo offers an orientation to the sixth chapter of the gospel of John in this homily from the 10 AM Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. As the Sunday gospel readings for the next five weeks are from John 6, Fr. John looks at the readings from a perspective of history. How do we respond to Jesus, who is the savior of the universe? The fitting response is to worship Him and to tell others about Him. In an age where so many are wandering aimlessly, it is important to share the message that God cares, and that He is faithful.
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Mon, 25 June 2018
Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 5 PM Mass, Fr. John discusses our reluctance to share the gospel with others. He encourages the congregants to complete a survey found on the parish website that was designed to assess the reasons why we find it difficult to share the gospel message in public. The survey will be active until Friday, July 6th. |
Fri, 25 May 2018
Each year Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School celebrates a Streamer Day Mass to recognize the eighth grade students who will soon complete their final studies at the elementary school. Fr. Riccardo's homily from this year's Mass is presented here. |
Mon, 7 May 2018
Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. John discusses God's vision for his world and for us. He looks at the spread of Christianity in the early church despite legal prohibitions and the importance of Christian witness. Fr. John concludes by asking the congregants, "How is God asking you and me to turn our world upside down with the gospel and the revolutionary and radical love of Jesus?" |
Tue, 1 May 2018
Deacon Dave Carignan preached at all of the weekend Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 8 AM Mass, Deacon Dave discusses the importance of pruning whatever is not of Christ within us if we wish to bear fruit as disciples of Jesus. |
Wed, 4 April 2018
In this homily from the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Fr. Riccardo tells the congregants that God is acting in a preeminent way at the Vigil Mass. While addressing the congregants about to be baptized during the Vigil Mass, Fr. John remarks that through the waters of Baptism, we are transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son. He also tells those being confirmed and those already confirmed that they are sharers in the mission of Jesus Christ and are tasked to bring others to Him. When confronting evil and suffering in the world, Fr. John encourages the proclamation of the gospel to bring God's children back to Him.
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Fri, 30 March 2018
Fr. Riccardo discusses the seven last words of Christ from the cross in this reflection from a Good Friday service at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. |
Fri, 30 March 2018
Fr. Riccardo's homily from the Mass of the Lord's Supper. |
Mon, 26 March 2018
In this homily for Palm Sunday, Fr. Riccardo draws parallels between the allied invasion of western Europe on D-Day and the Passion. Fr. John tells the congregants that the events described in the Passion are the reason why Jesus became man. Through his victory on the cross, Jesus has rescued us from sin and death. |
Mon, 19 March 2018
Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses this past weekend at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. In this homily from the 10 AM Mass, Fr. John discusses what it means to live as a highly contagious married couple while citing the example of his own parents. |
Sun, 25 February 2018
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Abbot Driscoll also preached at all of the weekend Masses at OLGC. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. Driscoll looks at the gospel account of the transfiguration of Jesus (MK 9:2-10) at what this means for us today. On this second Sunday in Lent, we encounter Jesus as the Son of God and on his way to the cross. Through the Eucharist, God can transform us to be highly contagious disciples of Christ.
Direct download: Parish_Mission_2018-Noon_Mass_Homily.m4a
Category:Parish Mission 2018 -- posted at: 2:38pm EDT |
Sun, 25 February 2018
Communion and Encounter with Jesus in the Transformed Gifts and Being Sent into the World as a New Creation in Him
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this final talk of the parish mission titled Communion and Encounter with Jesus in the Transformed Gifts and Being Sent into the World as a New Creation in Him, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Communion and Concluding rites of the Mass.
Direct download: Parish_Mission_2018-Session_3.m4a
Category:Parish Mission 2018 -- posted at: 2:30pm EDT |
Sun, 25 February 2018
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this second talk of the parish mission titled Bringing Gifts and the Transformation of the Gifts: Encounter with God as a Marvelous Exchange, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Direct download: Parish_Mission_2018-Session_2.m4a
Category:Parish Mission 2018 -- posted at: 2:26pm EDT |
Sun, 25 February 2018
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. As the parish mission continued on Saturday morning, Fr. Riccardo preached at the morning Mass telling the congregation that only God can conform our hearts to His heart so that we may even love those who have hurt us.
Direct download: Parish_Mission_2018-Saturday_Morning_Mass_Homily.m4a
Category:Parish Mission 2018 -- posted at: 2:22pm EDT |
Sun, 25 February 2018
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this opening talk of the parish mission titled Gathering to Hear God Speak: Encountering Jesus in the Word, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Liturgy of the Word.
Direct download: Parish_Mission_2018-Session_1.m4a
Category:Parish Mission 2018 -- posted at: 2:09pm EDT |
Thu, 15 February 2018
Fr. Riccardo tells the congregation that the focus of Lent should be on what God has done for us. In this homily for Ash Wednesday, Fr. John encourages the school children and congregants to spend time each day in prayer before a crucifix asking Jesus to help them understand His cross. |
Mon, 12 February 2018
Fr. Riccardo discusses leprosy in Jesus' time, with particular emphasis on the emotional pain experienced by lepers. Fr. John looks at what Moses prescribed when a leper is healed, and offers three suggestions for Lent: returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, attending the Unbound Conference on March 17th, and recitation of the prayer below. Help me Lord, to experience as much as possible, the love that moved you to become man, to save us from the drudgery which is life apart from you. Thank you for loving me by name so much that you willingly shed your blood so that I could go free. |
Mon, 5 February 2018
Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. John continues to breakdown Archbishop Vigneron's pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel while looking at the lives of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Paul. Fr. John remarks that like Francis and Paul, we need new hearts if we are to go out into the world to share the gospel message. As we enter the lenten season, Fr. John proposes praying, "Help us Lord, to experience as much as possible, the love that moved you to become man to save us from the drudgery that is life apart from you." |
Mon, 1 January 2018
In this homily for the vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God Fr. Riccardo tells the congregation that before we can be disciples, we need to learn how to talk to each other and to listen to each other. Fr. John points out how distracted we can all get by our electronic devices, and suggests moderating our use of these devices so as to become more attentive to each other.
Direct download: Homily123117-Solemnity_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary_the_Mother_of_God.m4a
Category:Homily -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT |
Mon, 1 January 2018
In this homily for The Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Fr. Riccardo looks at the promises made by parents when they present their children for baptism in the Catholic Church. Fr. John continues to breakdown Archbishop Vigneron’s pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel while focusing on his remarks concerning the the centrality of parents and family in passing on the Catholic faith to their children. Fr. John concludes by challenging the congregants to adopt one of the Archbishop’s seven action steps for christian family identity and encourages them to try putting God first in their lives. |