Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

Along the U.S.-Mexico border, Flavio Bravo, S.J., celebrates Mass in migrant shelters among people living in fear and uncertainty. Reflecting on John’s resurrection appearances in which Christ shows his wounds and breathes his Spirit, Flavio preaches the risen Christ, not as an idea, but as a presence encountered in woundedness. Flavio joins host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to speak about preaching resurrection and hope from within places in which migrants are suffering as part of this Easter series of the "Preach" podcast.

0:00 A Haitian girl blesses the priest

2:07 Meeting Fr. Flavio Bravo, S.J.

2:48 Crossing borders: arriving in the U.S. as a teenage refugee

5:00 Who comes to the border today

9:34 Inside Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries

11:35 Homily: The risen Lord is the crucified one

24:50 How preaching grows out of daily ministry

25:57 The Gospel stories we never wrote down

27:54 How his preaching has changed

28:39 Resurrection within suffering—not escape

30:25 Preaching on the move: new faces each week

32:00 Joy at Mass: children, bells, holy water

35:10 Sustaining the work: community and self-care

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How does one keep their belief in the resurrection in a war-scarred area of the world? In this third episode of Preach’s Easter series, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks to Brother Peter Iorlano, F.S.C., who has lived and ministered at Bethlehem University in the West Bank for over 20 years, accompanying Palestinian students and colleagues through occupation, conflict and loss. He is also the university’s vice president for human resources.

Together, they discuss how Brother Peter came to Bethlehem from New York after a meaningful encounter with a Muslim student. They also talk about how Brother Peter’s work at Bethlehem University has shaped his spirituality, emphasizing the power of daily resurrections.

0:00 Br. Peter Iorlano's journey to Bethlehem
4:55 Why Bethlehem University is special
9:23 An Easter reflection in a warzone
22:20 Preaching demands overcoming revenge
24:10 Being vulnerable when preaching
26:14 Preaching resurrection during a time of war
30:37 Making sure people do not feel alone
33:20 Tensions between despair and hope
35:15 Preaching as a lay brother

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“You see the light in people's eyes come back and you see faces start to move instead of being frozen," says Tom Weston, S.J.,  speaking about his experience ministering to people in addiction recovery. “The humanity is reborn [...] it's resurrection.”

 In this episode we continue our Easter series on preaching the hope of the resurrection in a broken world. Our guest Tom Weston, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, counsellor, and man in long-term recovery, who has devoted most of his priestly life to working alongside people battling addiction — leading 12-step based retreats, offering counseling and spiritual accompaniment, and lecturing internationally. 

Together with host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., they discuss how we can all be witnesses to the resurrection and recipients of God’s grace, no matter how dark our lives may seem. 

Timecodes:

0:00 We can see the resurrection clearly in those in recovery

7:00 Tom Weston’s homily

17:07 God’s grace is greater than our human will power

21:45 How much should a preacher reveal about themselves in a homily?

25:00 Grace isn’t only for those in recovery

26:40 What does the resurrection look like?

28:47 Preaching hope in darkness

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What does it mean to preach resurrection into a broken world? In this first episode of our 2026 Easter series, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., welcomes Alberto Solano, a New Testament scholar at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. Together, they open up the post-resurrection appearances in John’s Gospel—Mary in the garden, Thomas in the upper room, Peter by the charcoal fire—and ask why the risen Christ keeps showing up not to the powerful, but to the grieving, the fearful, and the lost. 

Timecodes:

0:00 The risen Christ first meets the outcast, the fearful, the rejected

1:25 What do the resurrection appearances in John have to offer preachers today?

2:50 Alberto Solano brings scripture scholarship to Preach

4:26 Why does Jesus call Mary Magdalene by name?

8:50 What did “resurrection from the dead” mean to a Jewish people?

18:46 “Doubting Thomas”—or the most faithful disciple?

22:20 Your worst moment isn't your whole story

27:04 Why does the Church turn to John at Easter more than the other Gospels?

34:40 Acts — how the early Church learned to love its enemies as neighbours

38:45 What does Easter call preachers to say?

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What is fasting for? What biblical precedent do we have for the practices of fasting and abstinence? And how can preachers steer between the two extremes of self-punishment and loophole hunting? “Preach” concludes its Lent 2026 series on the three classical pillars of the season with a conversation on fasting.  Host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. is joined by James Keane — senior editor at America and a writer who has spent some time reflecting and writing on what fasting is and what it’s for.

Timecodes:

0:00 What’s fasting for?

2:00 The Brazilian loophole to abstinence during Lent: capibara 

3:55 What does the church teach on fasting and abstinence?

6:53 Fasting is meant to bring you closer to God

8:35 Biblical citations of fasting

11:05 Fasting evolved alongside seasons of food scarcity and abundance

14:10 St. Ignatius’ fervour for fasting

16:10 Avoiding the two extremes of self-punishment vs.  loophole hunting 

18:58 Pope Leo XIV’s message this Lent

James Keane’s articles on fasting:

On fasting: The difference between our preaching and our practice

7 things you never knew about fasting

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