Set Apart for the Worship of God | #1549
Pilgrim Priest
• The consecration or dedication of a church building sets it apart for the worship of God. Every Christian is consecrated to the Lord. We were Baptized and Confirmed and received Holy Communion. The church is holy so we can be holy. We should be no less holy than our local Catholic Church! Some of us are called to dedicate ourselves particularly to God. The men and women who join religious orders are "set apart" for the worship of God. They live here now as all will live in Heaven. When you come to the church, you should find Jesus. When you come to the priest, you should meet Jesus. When...
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Funerals Have Much in Common with Baptisms | #1548
Pilgrim Priest
• The dead are not so very far away. They have a message for you: "What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be." I want to start my homily by talking about funerals. Funerals and Baptisms have more in common than you might realize. We greet the body at the door, we sprinkle the casket with Holy Water, and we unfold a white pall over the casket. Jesus receives all of our concerns and burdens, and covers us in his own holiness. Finally, we are given a lit candle, the Light of Faith, to light our way to heaven. Our Baptism starts us on our journey to God's kingdom. We then spend the...
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Hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547
Pilgrim Priest
• What are we celebrating today? The Preface for All Saints explains: For for today, by your gift, we celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise. Towards her we eagerly hasten, as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of your Church to whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example. And so we glorify you with the multitude of saints and angels, as with one voice of praise, we acclaim... The word Saint is the...
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Persistent Prayer Changes the World | #1546
Pilgrim Priest
Welcome to our Stewardship Commitment Sunday. When it comes to stewardship, I feel like the little old lady who is constantly badgering the judge. "Turn in your card!" When God doesn't answer our prayers, we need to step back and notice our underlying need. The Lord wants to grow deeper in a relationship with us. We are often not open to receive the gift of Jesus himself. The good times and the bad, the sickness and the health, can all be opportunities to grow closer to God. But we need to be persistent in prayer if we want to see growth happen. Our annual Stewardship Renewal is not...
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The Healing That Flows From Obedience | #1545
Pilgrim Priest
Naaman the Syrian is powerful, wealthy, and successful. But his strength and wealth are not enough to make him healthy. He encounters love and truth through his obedience to God's will, and experiences wholeness and communion. When we started our stewardship program, I thought everyone else needed to learn stewardship. The program is helping me learn to trust in God, be grateful, and be generous with God's gifts. Being obedient to God leads to healing. Even the sufferings, burdens, and challenges that we face are really gifts from God. (12 Oct 2025) Going Deeper: If you are a member at the...
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The Devil's Secret Plot to Take Over the World | #1544
Pilgrim Priest
"I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord." Was the prophet Habakkuk looking over my shoulder as I watched the evening news? We come to Sunday Mass to get a new vision, a vision that is different from the evening news or your social feed. God appears not to intervene because he is more concerned about the state of your soul than about the state of the world. Let's consider an attitude adjustment. First, how do we look at the global and...
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Winners and Losers | #1543
Pilgrim Priest
I saw a lot of amazing things on my pilgrimage to Italy: medieval towns, Pope Leo, three Eucharistic miracles, the four major basilicas... but the most amazing thing was our Italian bus driver, Pino. I used to think that Italian driving was highly competitive. But I watched Pino and the other drivers cooperating with one another. Do we see the world through a lens of competition or cooperation? Many of our political leaders today see the world as winners and losers. Jesus has a message for us: The winners of today will be the losers of tomorrow, and the losers of today will be the winners of...
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Snake! (Look at the Cross) | #1542
Pilgrim Priest
• Anti-venom comes from animals who were poisoned but survived. Jesus drank the poison of our sins and it killed him. But he rose from the dead and now his body is the antidote to sin and death. Grumbling is a kind of poison. If left unchecked, it will kill our spirits. When you suffer, look at the cross. Know that Jesus suffers with you and he suffers for you. You can unite your sufferings to Jesus. It is a good habit to have a cross in every room in your house. (14 Sep 2025) Going Deeper: Hang up a crucifix in a prominent place in your home. Spend 15 minutes gazing at a crucifix and...
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Discipleship Only Works When You Do This | #1541
Pilgrim Priest
We think we are free, but many of us are slaves. We are burdened by the needs and worries of the flesh. The book of Wisdom says, "For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns." In today's Gospel, Jesus seems to be adding more burdens: Hate your family, take up your cross, and renounce all your possessions. In reality, Jesus is not adding more burdens, but lifting burdens from us. He is setting captives free. Think of the times we worry about our family and friends. If Jesus is the most important person in our lives, all our...
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Why Would Anyone Choose Poverty? | #1540
Pilgrim Priest
Jesus goes to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the guests at the banquet are observing them carefully. Jesus is also watching them. He offers some sage advice, a radical suggestion: fight for the lower spot. Make yourself as humble as possible, and wait for the host to exult you. Two news stories shocked me this week. The first was the shooting at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis. The second was a priest of the Madison diocese who was arrested for pursuing an illegal relationship with a young girl. I don’t know a lot about these situations. And it’s...
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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