Deacon Mike Meyer / Sunday, February 8, 2026 / Categories: Blog, Homilies Life Is Beautiful, Not Always Pretty Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A In Roberto Benigni’s 1997 Oscar-winning film, Life is Beautiful, Guido Orefice, a Jewish-Italian bookshop owner, uses his delightful imagination to protect his son Giosuè from the horrors of their life in a Nazi concentration camp. Guido convinces Giosuè that the camp is a game. He’ll earn points for completing every task given to him, but will lose points for bad behavior, like crying, complaining that he’s hungry, or failing to hide from the guards. Whoever reaches a thousand points first wins a tank. Guido’s extraordinary efforts to protect his son from the horrors of camp life prove that life is beautiful, even when it’s not always pretty. Our readings encourage us to prove it, too. Today’s readings offer us concrete, human examples of how to live an upright, moral life, a life pleasing to God. When we share our bread with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and do good deeds, we don’t just make the world a better, holier place; we also glorify God in the process. You see, as Saint Irenaeus explained, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive.” When we act the way God created us to act, unencumbered by sin, free from fear and oppression, we live our perfect lives. When we live our perfect lives, we prove that life is beautiful, even when it’s not so pretty. There’s no better way for us to praise and glorify God than to live as God intended, no matter what our circumstances may be. Proving that life is beautiful and glorifying God in the process doesn’t require extraordinary acts. The vocations we pursue in our everyday lives—marriage, single life, Holy Orders, or religious life— offer us ample opportunities to prove that the life God gave us is beautiful. Today, we highlight one of these vocations as we celebrate World Marriage Day. That a man and a woman would join forces out of love for one another to tackle life’s challenges together is beautiful, but not always pretty. So, as an early Valentine’s Day gift to you, Father Chester has asked me to end my homily here so you can hear how the sacrament of marriage helps a couple from our parish prove that life is beautiful, even when it’s not always pretty. Readings: Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 112; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16 What’s Your Superpower? Print 0 Please login or register to post comments.