WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? (21st Sunday ordinary Time - Year A)

 

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

This Sunday’s Gospel asks one of the most important questions Jesus ever asked His disciples:

“But who do you say that I am?” — Matthew 16:15

Peter responds with a declaration of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

But Jesus’ question wasn’t only meant for Peter. It is a question each of us must answer.

We may know what the Church teaches about Jesus. We may recite the Creed every Sunday. We may have been Catholic our entire lives. But eventually faith becomes personal:

Who is Jesus to me?

Is He simply someone I believe in—or is He truly the Lord of my life?

In this homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, we reflect on Peter’s profession of faith, Christ’s promise to build His Church upon the rock, and what it means to follow Jesus not simply with our words, but with the way we live.

🎙️ The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns

Faith. Truth. Encouragement for the Journey.

#Catholic #CatholicFaith #CatholicHomily #SundayHomily #21stSundayInOrdinaryTime #Matthew16 #JesusChrist #CatholicChurch #CatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns

The Long Way Home

 🎵 The Long Way Home 🎵

This song is very personal to Liz and me.

For nearly 20 years, Redding was home. It was where we raised our children, built lifelong friendships, and where I served as a deacon at Our Lady of Mercy Parish.

Then God called us onto a different road.

When our youngest left for college, Liz and I left Redding and spent a missionary year in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala. From there, life took us to Idaho, Texas, and eventually Sacramento. Each place brought new people, new experiences, new ministries, and blessings we never could have anticipated.

And now, after all these years and all those miles, we're going home.

In just a couple of weeks, we'll return to Redding—to old friends, familiar places, Our Lady of Mercy, and a community that has always held a special place in our hearts.

I wrote "The Long Way Home" to tell that story.

It's about Liz and me, but it's also about something I've come to believe more deeply through the years: sometimes God has to take us a long way before we understand where He's been leading us all along.

Every road mattered. Every season had a purpose. Every place changed us.

And somehow, through it all...

God led us back home. ❤️

I hope you'll take a few minutes to listen.

— Deacon Pat Kearns
The Catholic Journey

Why Do Catholics Strike Their Breast at Mass?

 

Why Do Catholics Strike Their Breast at Mass?

“Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault…”

We say these words during the Confiteor at Mass while striking our breast—but have you ever wondered why?

This small Catholic gesture has deep biblical roots. In Luke 18:13, the tax collector beats his breast and prays, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus tells us that this humble man went home justified before God.

In this episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns, we uncover what this gesture really means. It isn't about shame or believing we're unworthy of God's love. It's about having the humility to stop pointing at everyone else and look honestly at our own hearts.

When our hand touches our chest, we're saying:

“Lord, start with me.”

Show me where I have failed to love. Forgive what is sinful. Heal what is wounded. Strengthen what is weak. And make my heart more like Yours.

🎧 Join me for another episode of The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions and discover why even the smallest gestures at Mass can carry profound spiritual meaning.

Humility. Repentance. Mercy. A heart turned toward God.

#TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #CatholicMass #CatholicTraditions #JesusChrist

Start With Me

 

Start With Me

It’s easy to look at the world and see everything that needs to change. But real change begins much closer to home.

Start With Me is a song about asking God to begin His work in us—in our hearts, our choices, our forgiveness, and the way we love others.

Before I ask God to change the world, I need the courage to pray:

“Lord, start with me.”

🎵 Start With Me
Deacon Pat Kearns | The Catholic Journey

#StartWithMe #TheCatholicJourney #DeaconPatKearns #CatholicFaith #ChristianMusic #Faith #Jesus #Prayer

Why Do Catholics Pray the Rosary?

 

Why Do Catholics Pray the Rosary?

For centuries, Catholics have held Rosary beads in their hands during moments of joy, fear, grief, uncertainty, and hope. But have you ever stopped to ask what the Rosary really means?

The Rosary isn't about worshiping Mary, and the beads themselves aren't magical. At its heart, the Rosary is a journey through the life of Jesus Christ—from the Annunciation and Bethlehem to Calvary, the Resurrection, and beyond.

In this episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns, we explore why Catholics ask Mary to pray for us, why we repeat the Hail Mary, what the mysteries mean, and how this simple prayer can quiet our hearts and draw us closer to Christ.

Sometimes when life becomes overwhelming, we don't need complicated words. We simply need something to hold onto—one bead, one prayer, one moment with Jesus at a time.

🎧 Join me for the next episode in The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions.

The goal of the Rosary isn't simply to say more prayers. It's to know Jesus more deeply.

#TheCatholicJourney #CatholicFaith #HolyRosary #DeaconPatKearns

Why Do Catholics Have Statues and Sacred Images?

 

Why Do Catholics Have Statues and Sacred Images?

“Doesn’t the Bible forbid statues?”

It’s a question Catholics hear often—and the answer reveals something beautiful about our faith.

In this episode of The Catholic Journey, we continue our series The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions by exploring why Catholic churches contain crucifixes, statues of Mary and Joseph, images of the saints, stained glass, and sacred art.

Catholics do not worship statues. Worship belongs to God alone. Sacred images are meant to do something entirely different: they point beyond themselves toward God.

Just as a photograph of someone we love helps us remember that person, sacred images remind us of Jesus, Mary, the saints, and the great story of salvation.

We'll also discover something that sometimes surprises people: while Scripture clearly condemns idolatry, God Himself instructed His people to create sacred images—including the golden cherubim placed upon the Ark of the Covenant.

And perhaps most importantly, the saints depicted in our churches remind us that holiness isn't impossible. They were ordinary human beings who allowed God's grace to do extraordinary things in their lives.

Sacred images aren't gods. They're signposts—and every good signpost points beyond itself.

Join me for this episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we uncover another beautiful meaning hidden within our Catholic traditions.

#TheCatholicJourney #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions #CatholicChurch #DeaconPatKearns

Why Do Catholics Use Incense?

 

Why Do Catholics Use Incense?

The smoke rises. The fragrance fills the church. But have you ever wondered why Catholics use incense at Mass?

In this episode of The Catholic Journey, we continue our series The Hidden Meanings Behind Catholic Traditions and discover that incense isn't simply an ancient Catholic custom—it's deeply rooted in Scripture.

The Psalms compare our prayers to incense rising before God, and the Book of Revelation gives us an extraordinary glimpse of heaven where incense rises with the prayers of the saints.

We'll explore why incense is used to honor the altar, the Gospel, the priest, the people of God, and even the body of a loved one at a Catholic funeral.

Most importantly, incense gives us a visible reminder of something we cannot see:

Our prayers are rising before God.

The next time you see incense drifting toward the ceiling of a church, think of the prayer you're carrying and quietly say:

"Lord, let my prayer rise before You like incense."

Join me for this episode of The Catholic Journey with Deacon Pat Kearns as we uncover another beautiful meaning hidden within our Catholic traditions.

#TheCatholicJourney #CatholicFaith #CatholicTraditions #CatholicMass #DeaconPatKearns