Illuminating Holy Matrimony | #1611
Pilgrim Priest
Jesus is the light. By the light of his love, we can see our own lives more clearly. We know that we were made by love and for love. Love moves us into communion and community. From the very beginning of creation, Adam and Eve were able to receive one another as a gift. But after sin happens, they fall into the trap of using and being used. This leads to rivalries, jealousies, and divisions. How can we give ourselves completely to one another? We need to start by giving ourselves completely and totally to God. God will teach us that we are a gift an will help us make a gift of ourselves to...
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Let's Talk About Confirmation | #1610
Pilgrim Priest
Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of our Lord's Baptism. This week, the readings speak to us of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is the sacrament most closely connected to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was Baptized by John in the River Jordan, me came out of the water and the Holy Spirit landed on him like a dove. The Holy Spirit remained with him. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "His whole life and his whole mission are carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father gives him 'without measure.' This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's,...
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I Never Thought I Would Preach a Homily on This Topic | #1609
Pilgrim Priest
We naturally love that which is good. Therefore, you should love yourself. Rightly-ordered self-love is the fruit of seeing your own goodness and loving that which is good. You should desire your own continued existence and your own flourishing. You are not the source of your own goodness. We love our Creator as the source of our goodness. And when we look around at others, we see that they are also good like us, and we love them. So love of others and love of God flow from love of self. Do you see how important it is to love yourself rightly? This is exactly why the Devil attacks your value!...
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Gifts for the True Star | #1608
Pilgrim Priest
• Marco Polo claims to have seen the incorrupt bodies of the three magi. God is directing a great drama and each of us has a special role. Everyone else is fighting to be the star of the show. But we recognize that the true star is Jesus, with Mary as Best Supporting Actress. Herod needs to be the star, and he will eliminate any competition. The Wise Men show us who is the true Star. They also teach us that we have a gift to give. Every Sunday at Mass, we present our gifts to the King and God, the healer of our ills. (4 Jan 2026) Going Deeper: What kind of gifts do you have to give at...
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A Mother's Authority | #1607
Pilgrim Priest
• God is three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is one person with two natures - human and divine. So can we call Mary the Mother of God? Yes, because she is the mother of a person, not a nature. God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons. - Sirach 3:2 A mother has authority over her children. Mary is fully human but she has been given special graces and blessings. She has been given authority as the Mother of God's family. Her authority extends even over the demons. As our new year begins, let us...
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Joseph's Secret to Being a Great Father | #1606
Pilgrim Priest
We are each special, hand-made, and unique. When God creates children, he wants them to be welcomed into the world by a family. Right from the beginning, the family is under attack. Adam doesn't protect the garden. He and Eve disobey God. They begin living lives of isolation, self-protection, and self-reliance. How does Joseph manage to best Herod? Joseph is a good father to God's son because he is an obedient son of the Father. He does not rely on his own strength, wisdom, or abilities, but on God. Fathers and mothers are called to be visible signs of God's invisible love. We are all...
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The Only Gift That Will Save You | #1605
Pilgrim Priest
• I decorated my tree on Christmas Eve. It was a journey through my life history. As we listen to the genealogy of Jesus, we get a brief summary of the history of the entire Bible. Only one name is repeated. Each person is a unique link on the chain that leads to Jesus. You are precious and unique. God delights in you and rejoices in you. Not all of us are faithful. In fact, most of us are not faithful some of the time. God was faithful to his side of the covenant even when the ancestors of Jesus were not faithful to their side of the covenant. God sent his Son so that we could be born...
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A Sign That God Is With Us | #1604
Pilgrim Priest
A young King Ahaz faces a complicated and difficult political situation. He doesn't need a plan, a strategy, or powerful allies because God will be with him. God wants to give him a sign, but he doesn't want a sign. Does he feel ashamed? Is he trying to be the one in control? Is he afraid to trust? Or maybe me thinks he doesn't matter. Whatever difficult situation, challenge, or darkness you are facing, God is with you. The answer you are looking for is not a present under a tree. God himself is the answer to your prayers. Watch and wait for him. Jesus's life on earth was itself a sign. He...
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Waiting In Joyful Hope | #1603
Pilgrim Priest
For twenty years, Franciscan missionaries labored in Mexico with very little success. Finally, God acted through Mary, and in 10 years, over 8 million Aztecs and Chichimecas became Catholic. served as a missionary to teens through the Spiritus program. He often prayed at Champion Shrine and complained that God wasn't revealing his vocation to him. Finally, Mary spoke in his heart. All that waiting had put him in exactly the right place to answer the call. We can get discouraged when God doesn't act promptly. We might think that God isn't listening or doesn't care. We need to wait in...
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The Most Perfect Gift | #1602
Pilgrim Priest
• Which Catholic teaching is the most difficult to accept? It's not the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation, or Transubstantiation. Most people seem to have a really hard time with the idea that every child is a gift from God. Thanks to original sin, every child is perfect and precious and also rather annoying. And we make things worse when we make our own sinful choices. So when God wanted to send the most perfect gift, he made Mary not only precious and beautiful and loved, but also without original sin. Mary could spend her whole life being the good and beautiful person she was...
info_outlineJune 30, 2025 • Today I celebrate the eighteenth anniversary of my ordination as a Catholic priest. Babies born the year I was ordained a priest are now graduating from high school! I have a few thoughts to share about priesthood.
Blessed to be a Blessing
Saturday I attended the ordination of Fr. Nico Stellpflug. At the end of the ceremony, he gave his first priestly blessing to the Bishop who ordained him. After Mass, members of the congregation lined up to receive his blessing. A priest is blessed so that he can be a blessing to others. You, too, are a gift! And the gift that is you is a gift that was meant to be given away.
Not the Perfect Catholic Priest
I thought I was supposed to save the world by being "the perfect Catholic priest." Today's scripture reading (Monday of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time) tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah would have been saved if there had been just ten righteous people living there. My job, and yours, is to be in right relationship with God, ourselves, others, and the world. All God needs is our individual "yes" to his call and he will take care of the rest.
Lived in Community
My individual "yes" to God matters every day. But I am also called to be part of a community of love. My church family teaches me how to be a priest. Thank you for the ways that you have shaped and continue to shape my priesthood. My priesthood has been a blessing to me and I hope it has also been a blessing to you.
(30 June 2025)
Going Deeper: How are you a blessing? How do you use your gifts to bless others?
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