Fr. Will Rooney
Co-Host of Luke 10:41
Fr. Will Rooney was baptized at St. Anthony’s Parish in Bryan, TX where his parents had been married. He has two younger brothers, David and Travis. Will received his First Communion at St. Anthony’s and around that time began to think about becoming a priest. Will was confirmed at St. Thomas Aquinas in May 2006. During high school, he actively participated in the parish youth group and was involved in robotics competitions. He and his brothers also raised poultry for 4-H and FFA projects. Upon graduation from A&M Consolidated High School in 2009, Will studied Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University. While at A&M, he worked as a Middle School youth minister and felt a growing desire toward priesthood. In his senior year at A&M, he decided to apply for seminary, was accepted, and began attending Holy Trinity Seminary for pre-theology after he graduated. Two years later, Will was sent to St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston for theological studies. He served his pastoral year at St. Louis, King of France, Catholic Church and School in Austin (2017-2018). He was ordained to the Diaconate May 18, 2019 and currently ministers at Our Lady of the Visitation in Lockhart, TX. He was be ordained to the priesthood June 27, 2020 and currently ministers at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin, TX
Fr. Will Rooney has hosted 153 Episodes.
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Envy: The Joy-Stealing Sin | Fr. Will Rooney | 4th Sunday of Lent
March 15th, 2026 | Season 4 | 13 mins 2 secs
4th sunday of lent, catholic homily, comparison, david and jonathan, deadly sins, envy, fr. will rooney, gospel of john, joy, laetare sunday, lent, man born blind, saul, seven deadly sins, st. mary temple tx
On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Fr. Will reflects on the healing of the man born blind and the deadly sin of envy. Beginning with the reality that inequalities exist in the world, this homily explores how comparison can become fertile soil for resentment, sorrow, and insecurity. Envy twists the desire for joy and communion, making another person’s good feel like our loss.
But the Gospel offers a different vision. In Christ, weakness can become the occasion for God’s glory, and the gifts of others can become a cause for rejoicing rather than sorrow. The antidote to envy is not pretending differences do not exist, but becoming secure in the abundant love of God.
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Living Water for the Wounded Heart: Lust and the Woman at the Well | Fr. Will Rooney | 3rd Sunday of Lent
March 8th, 2026 | Season 4 | 15 mins 36 secs
3rd sunday of lent, catholic homily, conversion, fr will rooney, gospel of john, lent, living water, lust, samaritan woman, seven deadly sins, sexual ethics, st mary temple tx, theology of the body, woman at the well
Why is the Samaritan woman at the well in the middle of the day?
Fr. Will reflects on the deep wounds and spiritual thirst revealed in the Gospel of the Woman at the Well. Through the lens of the Lenten series on the deadly sins, this homily explores the destructive power of lust—not simply as a moral failure, but as a distortion of our deepest desire for love, intimacy, and communion.
Yet the story does not end with shame. Jesus meets the woman exactly where she is: wounded, isolated, and searching. There at the well, He reveals Himself as the true Bridegroom who alone can satisfy the thirst of the human heart.
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That They May Have Life | Part 4 – The Fifth Commandment: Life, Justice, and the Christian Citizen
March 5th, 2026 | Season 4 | 1 hr 12 mins
abortion, adult faith formation, catholic moral teaching, catholic social teaching, conscience, euthanasia, fifth commandment, legitimate defense, pro life, st mary temple tx, suicide, ten commandments, you shall not kill
Part 4 in our morality series: Jesus fulfills the law, the Fifth Commandment, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, legitimate defense, and Christian citizenship.
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Rise and Do Not Be Afraid: The Transfiguration, Zeal, and Sloth | Fr. Will Rooney | 2nd Sunday of Lent
March 4th, 2026 | Season 4 | 18 mins 45 secs
acedia, catholic homily, communio, conversion, discipleship, eucharist, fr. will rooney, holiness, lent, marriage and family ministry, matthew gospel, prayer, second sunday of lent, seven deadly sins, sloth, st. mary temple tx, transfiguration, zeal
On the Second Sunday of Lent, Fr. Will reflects on the Transfiguration: why Jesus reveals His glory to Peter, James, and John—and how that vision strengthens the disciples against the coming scandal of the Cross. Connecting the Gospel to the Lenten series on the deadly sins, this homily explores sloth (acedia) as “sorrow at spiritual joy,” and calls us to renewed zeal: living our mission, investing in prayer, and loving those closest to us with diligence.
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Ash Wednesday | Remember You Are Dust | Homily by Fr. Will Rooney
February 18th, 2026 | Season 4 | 6 mins 7 secs
ash wednesday, ash wednesday homily, lent homily
On Ash Wednesday, Fr. Will Rooney reflects on the meaning of the ashes we receive at the beginning of Lent. If Jesus tells us not to perform righteous deeds to be seen by others, why do we walk out of Mass with ashes on our foreheads? Ashes are not a badge of holiness. They are a sign of repentance. A reminder that we are dust—and to dust we shall return. Lent is a spiritual battle. Our weapons are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—not to prove something to the world, but to humble our pride and open ourselves to grace. “Be reconciled to God… now is the day of salvation.”
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The Sermon on the Mount | Part 3: A Reality Check (Ask, Seek, Knock) | Homily for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 15th, 2026 | Season 4 | 8 mins 5 secs
ask seek knock, catholic homily, conversion, discipleship, grace, humility, ordinary time, sermon on the mount
Jesus’ teaching isn’t meant to shame us—it’s a reality check that leads to humility, conversion, and grace: ask, seek, knock.
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That They May Have Life | Part 4 - The Ten Commandments: Law, Worship, and the Domestic Church
February 12th, 2026 | 1 hr 16 mins
Christian morality through the lens of the Ten Commandments—always interpreted in light of Jesus Christ who “came not to abolish but to fulfill” the Law (Matthew 5:17–20). We review the foundations: beatitude as our common end, the call to repentance, and the way law and grace work together. Then we walk through the First Table of the Decalogue (Commandments 1–3) and begin the Fourth Commandment, covering practical questions like the occult/mediums, superstition, reverence for God’s name, keeping Sunday holy, holy days of obligation, and the precepts of the Church. We conclude with Q&A about livestream/TV Mass and the Sunday obligation, then close in prayer.
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The Sermon on the Mount | Part 1: The Master Teacher | Homily for the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 1st, 2026 | Season 4 | 16 mins 40 secs
beatitudes, catholic homily, discipleship, happiness, ordinary time, truth, wisdom
Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount by inviting us to see reality as He does. In the Beatitudes, Christ reveals the true path to happiness and teaches us how to see the world through His eyes.
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That They May Have Life | Part 3 – Virtue, Law, and Grace: How We Become Good
January 29th, 2026 | 1 hr 1 min
adult faith formation, that they may have life
In Part 3 of That They May Have Life, we explore virtue, conscience, law, and grace. Discover how Christ transforms us from within so that we may choose the good quickly, joyfully, and with ease.
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Called By Name | Mission – Come After Me | 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
January 26th, 2026 | Season 4 | 11 mins 52 secs
a, called, mission
Part three of the Called By Name series: Jesus calls the disciples to follow him—not all at once, but through relationship that leads to mission. What nets is he asking you to drop?
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That They May Have Life | Part 2 -Why Is It So Hard to Be Good? Sin, Freedom, and the Moral Act
January 26th, 2026 | 1 hr 8 mins
adult faith formation, morality
This second talk in the That They May Have Life series continues a practical introduction to Christian morality by addressing a question everyone feels: why is it so hard to be good? Fr. Will explains sin as “missing the mark,” explores original sin and its effects on the human person, and clarifies the Church’s distinctions between mortal and venial sin. The session then introduces the three sources (fonts) of morality—the object chosen, the intention, and the circumstances—along with a discussion of intrinsically evil acts, moral responsibility, and how to hold together truth and compassion when walking with people in difficult situations.
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That they may have life | Part 1 - Foundations | What does it really mean to live a good life?
January 15th, 2026 | 1 hr 59 secs
flourishing, happiness, morality, virtue
In the first session of That They May Have Life, we explore the foundations of Christian morality: what every human person is made for, where true happiness is found, and how freedom, conscience, and grace shape our moral lives. Far from being a list of rules, Christian morality is an invitation to share in the very life of Christ, who came so that we might have life in abundance
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Called by Name | Relationship | Baptism of the Lord
January 11th, 2026 | Season 4 | 17 mins 11 secs
a, baptism, called, relationship
This homily begins a three-part series titled Called by Name, preached on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Fr. Will Rooney reflects on how our mission in life flows not first from what we do for God, but from who we are in relationship with Him. Drawing on the witness of St. Louis IX and the Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism, this reflection explores how baptism establishes us as beloved sons and daughters, invited into Christ’s own relationship with the Father—a relationship that becomes the foundation for identity, prayer, and mission.
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Growing in Relationship with Jesus | Prayer, Charity, and a Rule of Life | Adult Faith Formation
January 8th, 2026 | 54 mins 46 secs
faith formation, relationship
In this Adult Faith Formation talk, Fr. Will Rooney explores what it truly means to grow in a relationship with Jesus. Drawing on Scripture, the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, and the lived experience of Christian discipleship, this reflection emphasizes that Christianity is not first a moral system but a relationship rooted in God’s love. Participants are invited to respond to that love through prayer, the sacraments, obedience to God’s commandments, intentional community, and the creation of a practical rule of life that fosters growth in charity and holiness.
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Your Holy Family | The Mission of the Family – To Educate, Empower, and Evangelize | Feast of the Epiphany
January 7th, 2026 | Season 4 | 20 mins 44 secs
a, epiphany, family
This homily concludes a Christmas–Epiphany series on the family by reflecting on the Feast of the Epiphany and the mission entrusted to every Christian family. Preached by Fr. Will Rooney, this reflection draws on the visit of the Magi to show how Christ chooses to reveal Himself—and change lives—through the witness of a family. Just as Jesus was manifested to the nations through the Holy Family, so every family is called to become an epiphany: a living sign of God’s grace that educates, empowers, and evangelizes through prayer, sacrifice, and love.
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Your Holy Family | Fatherhood - To Protect and Provide | Feast of the Holy Family
December 28th, 2025 | Season 4 | 20 mins 28 secs
catholic, faith, family, mass
This homily for the Feast of the Holy Family launches a new Christmas–Epiphany series on the family. In this first reflection, Fr. Will explores the mystery of the Incarnation—God choosing to enter the world not only as a child, but within a family. Drawing from Scripture and the witness of St. Joseph, the focus is on the role of the father as provider and protector, whose authority is rooted in charity and self-gift after the model of Christ. This episode invites all families—especially those marked by struggle or brokenness—to conversion, healing, and renewed hope in Christ.