Pilgrim Priest

Have you thought sermons were boring? Think again as Fr. Joel unpacks the word of God for today's audience. Fresh, local, and live takes on the Gospel for our world. A new homily every Sunday.

The Vulnerability of God | #1531 06/24/2025

Mind, Body, Spirit | #1530 06/17/2025

Every Member a Missionary | #1529 06/09/2025

Jesus Ascends and the Spirit Descends | #1528 06/03/2025

Jesus Ascends and the Spirit Descends | #1528 • We know that the earth is a giant sphere suspended in outer space. The ancient people thought of the world like a snow globe. Jesus is ascending to the highest point of the universe. From there he can see everything and lead his people to victory. The cloud of God's glory leads the Israelites out of Egypt, meets Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai, and takes up residence in the newly-consecrated Temple of Solomon. The cloud appears at the Transfiguration. So when Jesus is hidden from their sight by a cloud, it means that he has moved into the presence of God. How can Pope Leo the Great say, "Jesus had not left his Father when he came down to earth, nor had he abandoned his disciples when he ascended into heaven"? It's almost like Jesus and the Holy Spirit are two sides of an old-fashioned two-car elevator. When Jesus walked the Earth, the Holy Spirit kept him connected to his Father. Jesus ascends and the Holy Spirit descends. Now the Holy Spirit is here with us keeping us connected to Jesus and the Father. Jesus is the head; we are the body. We could say that the Body of Christ has its feet on the ground and it's head in the clouds. We, the Body of Christ, is suffering, dying, rising, and ascending into heaven. Meanwhile, our head is safely home and leading us there. Let us pray for a greater communion with God through the Holy Spirit. Place your hands over your heart an repeat after me, "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the heart of your faithful, and kindle in me, the fire of your love." (1 Jun 2025) Going Deeper: Reflect on these words from Pope Leo the Great: "Even the blessed apostles, though they had been strengthened by so many miracles and instructed by so much teaching, took fright at the cruel suffering of the Lord's passion and could not accept his resurrection without hesitation. Yet they made such progress through his ascension that they now found joy in what had terrified them before. They were able to fix their minds on Christ's divinity as he sat at the right hand of his Father, since what was presented to their bodily eyes no longer hindered them from turning all their attention to the realization that he had not left his Father when he came down to earth, nor had he abandoned his disciples when he ascended into heaven." Image Various | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/36827990

Dunked Into Communion | #1527 05/28/2025

The Purpose of Our Parish | #1526 05/21/2025

A Felt Sense of Safety and Security | #1525 05/12/2025

The Pope's Job Description | #1524 05/04/2025

The Pope's Job Description | #1524 This Gospel is one of my personal favorites. It was given to me on a in 2004. John chapter 20 ends with these words: Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. It's a perfect ending. Roll credits. Then chapter 21 opens with one final scene, like those after-credit scenes in the MCU movies. Captained by Peter, the church is sailing into the Resurrection. Jesus is waiting there with a banquet. St. Augustine tells us that the Greeks had identified 153 species of fish and therefore people from every language, culture, and race are invited into the Kingdom. Three times Peter confesses his love for Jesus and is given his job description as the first Pope. Peter must love Jesus and he must care for the flock. If he follows Jesus faithfully, he will eventually die for Jesus as Jesus died for him. This Wednesday, the Cardinals will enter the Conclave to elect a new pope. They will begin by celebrating Mass at 10 AM (3 AM Central Time). Cardinal Re, the same Cardinal who celebrated Pope Francis’s funeral, will pray, "O God, eternal pastor, you who govern your people with a father's care, give your church a pontiff acceptable to you for his holiness of life and wholly consecrated to the service of your people." Is this not the same job description that Peter was given? At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the highest-ranking member of the College of Cardinals who is under the age of 80 and eligible to enter the conclave, addresses the cardinals: "After having celebrated the divine mysteries, we now enter into conclave to elect the Roman pontiff. The whole church, united with us in prayer, invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we elect a worthy pastor of the entire flock of Christ." Let us pray for a Pope who loves Jesus and will feed and tend His sheep. (4 May 2025) Going Deeper: Spend some time this week praying for the election. You might use this prayer, taken from the : O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/36428565

Where Can We See the Risen Jesus? | #1523 04/29/2025

When Did God Become Real for You? | #1522 04/21/2025

When Did God Become Real for You? | #1522 • We have three reasons to be happy for Easter. The first reason is what we move from fasting to feasting. Happy "feaster" everybody! The second reason is that we can dress up nicely and have a good day with family and friends and our church family. And the third reason to be happy is that Jesus has risen from the dead. The Resurrection means that we can find hope even in our most hopeless places. It is hard for us to appreciate how truly hopeless Good Friday looked to Jesus' first disciples. When did God become real for you? Did you ever have an experience that moved you from believing in God just because that's what you were told to knowing for yourself that God exists? For me, the death of Pope John Paul II was a time when God let me know he was with me. The Risen Jesus is with us and he wants to walk with you every day. If some guy in India died and then rose again, it wouldn't impact you very much. But what if your best friend rose from the dead? That would change your life! The reason why many only experience Easter as a nice day is because they don't know Jesus personally. Your friendship with Jesus is what makes Easter great. Easter is proof that, even after we have rejected him, God still desires Communion with us. We are often unaware of how deeply we desire communion. We were made for a life of Communion with God himself. The invitation of Easter is to die to the old life of self-reliance and isolation and rise to a new life of communion with God and reliance on God. The harder we try to live for ourselves, the less fulfilled we feel. The more we see ourselves as a gift and give ourselves back to God, the more fulfilled we feel. Jesus desires a deep, personal communion with you. What do you want? (20 Apr 2025) Going Deeper: Our Communion with Jesus should transform us into visible images of his invisible love. If you're doing life well, your wife and kids should see Jesus in you. How much do you really look like Jesus? | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/36255060

Was God Still a Good Father on Good Friday? | #1521 04/19/2025

The Miracle Moving Host (God Is With Us) | #1520 04/18/2025

The Miracle Moving Host (God Is With Us) | #1520 Holy Thursday • God is with us! He is with us in the happy Christmas times, the intimate Holy Thursday moments, and our tragic Good Fridays. No matter how much we run from him, abandon him, or choose everything else besides him, God is still with us! And he chooses us. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, but he still washed his feet and did everything he could to show love. If only Judas had been able to receive God's love. If only Judas had chosen Jesus. The Christian life is not about trying to do well on the "final exam". It is, rather, that we need to learn to see that Jesus is walking with us. Sin has closed our eyes, ears, and heart to God's presence in our world and within us. We won't be able to share the love of Jesus with others if we ourselves have not received it. I want to share with you a Eucharistic miracle I experienced at St. Wenceslaus. It was the Sunday after Fr. Kelly's funeral, and a number of large hosts were left in the tabernacle. I dumped the ciborium into the second host bowl on the altar and then thought, "That wasn't smart. Now all the large hosts are on the very bottom of the host bowl." I had wanted to use them up at Mass. I moved some small hosts to the first host bowl, and then when I looked back, all the large hosts were neatly on the top of the first host bowl. This tiny miracle reminded me that God is with us. May this year's Triduum experience open your eyes, ears, and heart to God's presence. (17 Apr 2025) Going Deeper: Do you live your daily life in Communion with the God who is with us, or do your daily choices and anxieties reflect a life lived as if God wasn't there? How have you noticed Jesus walking with you in your daily life? In whom do you most clearly see Jesus? | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/36221375

Two Obstacles to Self-Giving Love | #1519 04/13/2025

Written In The Dust | #1518 04/07/2025

Written In The Dust | #1518 The Pharisees have set a trap for Jesus. They can accuse him either of breaking Roman law or of breaking Mosaic law. Jesus cleverly escapes their trap by stating, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” But first, he starts writing in the dust with his finger. What was he writing? Scholars have been fascinated by this question. I have heard three different theories of what Jesus is writing. The first is that he was writing the sins committed by the scribes and Pharisees. The second theory is that Jesus is writing the text of the law in question. I know of two places in the Bible that reference punishing adulterers: Lev 20:10: “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death." Deut 22:22: “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Israel." Notice that the law requires both the man and the woman to be put to death. The Pharisees are only selectively applying the law. A third theory comes from the scripture scholar Jeff Cavins. John chapter 7 comes before John chapter 8. In that chapter, Jesus has secretly visited the temple for the Feast of Booths. Jesus starts teaching in the Temple. The chief priests and the Pharisees send officers to arrest Jesus. John 7:37 says, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." Afterwards, the officers return without arresting Jesus. They say, "No one ever spoke like this man." The next day, Jesus is again teaching in temple area. The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery and interrupt Jesus' teaching. What is Jesus writing in the dust? Well, Jeremiah 2:13 says, "my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Jeremiah 17:13 says, "O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; those who turn away from me shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water." Jeff Cavins thinks Jesus is writing the names of the accusers. The names of the chief priests were listed in the temple from oldest to youngest. They all leave, beginning with the eldest. The prophets were always reminding God's people that they had a covenant with God. When the Israelites worshiped false Gods, the prophets likened their unfaithfulness to adultery. Jesus is essentially telling the leaders of Israel that by rejecting him, they are guilty of the same crime that this woman is guilty of. Let's look again at Jesus's words: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” There is, in fact, one among them who is without sin: Jesus himself. Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, the true judge, and the only one qualified to mete out justice. He alone can stone her. He instead offers her mercy and the chance at a new life. As Pope John Paul II said, "We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become images of his Son." Our true identity is God's love for us. Despite our sins, we have not erased our capacity to become images of the Son. The offer of mercy costs Jesus something. In fact, when he dies on the cross, Jesus dies for her so that she can have new life. He pays her penalty so she can go free. St. Paul was one of those Pharisees who was not afraid to throw stones at sinners. But then Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. He realized that he, too, was a sinner. He stood before Jesus as Jesus wrote in the dust, then straightened up and looked at him and said, "Go, and do not sin any more." Imagine for a moment that someone died in your place. Someone offered his life so that you could live. Would you not feel a sense of gratitude, and responsibility? Would you not feel that you needed to make it worth his while? Jesus died for Paul. Paul now lives for Christ. He spends the rest of his life living, and dying, for the One who died for him. Every time we put something else first in our lives, we too are guilty of adultery. Jesus remains faithful and he dies in our place. How will you live for him? (6 Apr 2025) Going Deeper: What do you think Jesus was writing in the ground? What would he write if YOU were the one being accused and condemned? AdobeStock_317310634 | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/36038530

Living in the Gaze of Unexpected Love | #1517 03/31/2025

This Is What We Do When We Feel Inadequate | #1516 03/25/2025

The Light Is Our Destination | #1515 03/18/2025

Dunkirk and the Father's Protection | #1514 03/09/2025

Dunkirk and the Father's Protection | #1514 On May 10, 1940, the Nazi German Army invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. By May 21, German forces had trapped the British, Belgian, and French field armies along the northern coast of France. The British withdrew to Dunkirk, the closest good port, in a desperate attempt to evacuate the army across the English Channel. German tanks and dive bombers were closing in. Winston Churchill had just taken office. He was not known to be religious, but at the request of King George VI, a national day of prayer was declared in England. The people didn't really know exactly what they were praying for, as the media had not reported the desperate situation. Inexplicably, the German army halted for three days. They were worried about the marshy ground and getting over-extended. It gave the allied armies just enough time to build defensive fortifications. Meanwhile, a massive sea operation was taking place. Ordinary people took their boats and yachts across the channel to assist the evacuation. Often very rough, the waters were as smooth as glass. German bombers assaulted Dunkirk and destroyed much of the town and the docks. But the smoke from the bombing hung over the beach, obscuring the operation. The RAF flew squadron after squadron across the channel to provide air coverage. A force of 40,000 French fought to the death against wave after wave of German tank attacks. Imagine being trapped on the beach between the sea and the war. To calm themselves, soldiers started singing hymns. One had memorized Psalm 91 and recited it from memory. Many other soldiers knew it and they began saying it too. Soon whole companies were chanting, "He who dwells on the shelter of the most high, and abides in the shade of the Almighty..." By the 8th day, 338,000 men had been evacuated. The evacuation is considered a miracle. Historians believe this was evacuation was one of the key reasons why Hitler lost the war. Where do you turn when things look hopeless? Do you run and hide? Do you give up? Or do you turn to God's word? Jesus has spent 40 days in the desert. He's hungry, tired, and he feels abandoned by God. It is precisely when he is down that Satan pounces on him. Jesus responds, not with his own words, but with the Word of God. God's word is on his lips and in his heart. A quarter-century ago, me and my fellow seminarians would pray Psalm 91 as part of Night Prayer every Sunday night . To this day, I know the Psalm by heart. It is there when I need it. Have you committed any favorite hymns to memory? Do you know any psalms by heart? When your back is against the sea and your enemies have you surrounded, where will you turn? Going Deeper: Pick a psalm that speaks to you and recite it morning and night. The version I know of Psalm 91 comes from the GRAIL psalter. Psalm 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High * and abides in the shade of the Almighty says to the Lord: “My refuge, * my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!” It is he who will free you from the snare * of the fowler who seeks to destroy you; he will conceal you with his pinions * and under his wings you will find refuge. You will not fear the terror of the night * nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that prowls in the darkness * nor the scourge that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, * ten thousand fall at your right, you, it will never approach; * his faithfulness is buckler and shield. Your eyes have only to look * to see how the wicked are repaid, you who have said: “Lord, my refuge!” * and have made the Most High your dwelling. Upon you no evil shall fall, * no plague approach where you dwell. For you has he commanded his angels, * to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you upon their hands * lest you strike your foot against a stone. On the lion and the viper you will tread * and trample the young lion and the dragon. Since he clings to me in love, I will free him; * protect him for he knows my name. When he calls I shall answer: “I am with you,” * I will save him in distress and give him glory. With length of life I will content him; * I shall let him see my saving power. | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/35598965

Remember You Are Dust and to Dust You Will Return | #1513 03/08/2025

Is God a Good Father? | #1512 02/24/2025

Put Out Into the Deep | #1511 02/22/2025

Tend The Living Flame | #1510 02/05/2025

Time for a Fresh Start | #1509 01/29/2025

Time for a Fresh Start | #1509 In addition to a sabbath day, Jewish law also prescribed a Sabbatical Year. Every seventh year, the land was to be left fallow and debts would be forgiven. After seven such sabbatical years, or 50 years, the Bible calls for a Jubilee. This was like a super sabbatical year. Slaves were freed and land that had been sold returned to its hereditary owners. The land is a gift from God and all human ownership is temporary. We all owe debts to God, and we are destined for freedom and not slavery. No one knows for sure if these jubilee rules were followed, but they depict a kind of heaven on earth of rest, freedom, and the chance to have a fresh start. The Catholic Church has picked up the practice of the Jubilee. A Jubilee is the granting of a special plenary indulgence every 25 years. On December 24, 2024, Pope Francis began opening the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas in Rome. Local Bishops are also able to designate pilgrim sites. In our Diocese, Champion Shrine, St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, and St. Pius X Parish in Appleton are the designated pilgrimage destinations. Pope Francis hopes that we can experience peace, hope, an openness to life, a recovery of the joy of living. This jubilee has been entitled, "Pilgrims of Hope." Today's first reading we see the Israelites listening to a reading from the scroll of the Torah. They are weeping because their hearts are moved by love: the love that chose them, that has been faithful to them, and has now brought them back to their land and allowed them to rebuild their city. God's love comes first, and our actions are a response to his love. Dr. Scott Hahn responded to God's love by offering his children a jubilee, a chance to come clean without punishment. He had learned from Jesus that the relationship is what matters most. In our Gospel reading, Jesus announces a Jubilee. When we draw near to Jesus, we experience the freedom, peace, hope and a fresh start. Jesus himself is the jubilee. "Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength." (26 Jan 2025) Going Deeper: Read and meditate on the words of Pope Francis in the bull to open the Jubilee year of hope 2025. Thank you to new Pete & Patty. | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/35060100

Donal Walsh Knew Where to Find the Wine | #1508 01/23/2025

Jesus Wants Your Best and Your Worst | #1507 01/08/2025

Jesus Wants Your Best and Your Worst | #1507 • The Feast of Epiphany is older than Christmas. Early Christians celebrated January 6th as three feasts in one: the visit of the magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the miracle of water into wine at Cana. In the East, the Baptism of the Lord emerged as the most important of the three feasts. In the West, the Baptism migrated to next Sunday and Epiphany became "Three Kings Day." What can we learn from this feast? Sometimes we need to seek Jesus. It could be a long journey. We will find him not so much in lofty places but more so in the humble places. The Wise Men receive Jesus as a gift and they give the gift of themselves back to Jesus. Gold symbolizes giving Jesus our very best. The frankincense and myrrh are the fruit of where the plants have been wounded. They symbolize giving Jesus our wounds, our very worst. Christ was born in Bethlehem so that he could be born into your heart. "May we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." Bring him your best; bring him your worst; allow him to transform you from the inside. (5 Jan 2025) Going Deeper: Know, dear brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of Godʹs mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior. On the 5th day of March will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season. On the 20th day of April, you will celebrate with Joy Easter day, the Pascal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the first day of June will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ (May 29 is the actual Thursday). On the eighth day of June, the feast of Pentecost. On the 22nd day of June, the feast of the most holy body and blood of Christ. On the 30th day of November, the first Sunday of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Images from | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/34768820

Jesus Comes to Heal Our Identities | #1506 01/02/2025

Jesus Comes to Heal Our Identities | #1506 The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us that Jesus comes not only to restore us as as individuals, but also to heal our family. The help to reveal God's original plan for the family. These identities have three characteristics: Relational. Each identity requires another; none are just my sense of me in isolation. Foundational. They build on each other and move us from receiving to giving. Gift. The identities are healthy when I receive the other as a gift and the other receives me as a gift. Here are the fundamental identities one at a time: Child (son/daughter) -- The infant feels herself to be a gift. Parents welcome her and give her safety, recognition, reassurance, delight, love and belonging. Sibling (brother/sister) -- Siblings treat each other as a gift. They join the parents in receiving one another and loving one another. Spouse (husband/wife) -- Giving and receiving siblings, friends, classmates and co-workers prepares us to give and receive a total gift of self in marriage. Parent (father/mother) -- Marriage prepares a couple to receive children as gifts and to give to them without counting the cost. Sin, wounds, and self-protection cause siblings to compete with each other for the scare resources of parental affection. Friendships become a choice and friends are rejected when they no longer meet my needs. Spouses use each other rather than giving themselves to one another. Children are no longer welcomed as gifts, and the cycle repeats itself. Hannah receives Samuel as a gift and she gives him back to God (). Jesus comes to heal our families. He does that by healing our fundamental identities. Jesus invites us to discover that our true father is God the Father, and our true mother is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Even after we our born, our belly button marks the place where we drew life from our mother. Mary is the relationship we need to grow in first. Mary will introduce us to Jesus and Jesus will lead us to God the Father. (29 Jan 2024) Going Deeper: Start a daily Rosary. Check in with your spiritual mother Mary once or twice each day. Images from and AdobeStock | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/34702940

Is There Room For Him In Your Inn? | #1505 12/28/2024

Is There Room For Him In Your Inn? | #1505 • There was a time when your ancestors did not celebrate Christmas. Then one day, missionaries came to bring the good news of Jesus Christ. This was their message, "Your Father loves you and he wants you to come home." Remember how God made our first parents and put them in a beautiful garden? There were two trees in the middle of the garden, a good tree and a bad tree. They ate from the bad tree and had to leave the garden. They went out into the cold, cruel world. They learned to hunt and fish and farm, to make warm clothes and build houses. They also learned some really bad stuff: to lie and gossip, to steal and horde stuff, to beat each other up and steal their stuff. But let me tell you a secret: no matter how far we wandered, we have never gotten out of our Father's back yard! When the time had come, God sent his Son Jesus into this cold, cruel world. He came to tell us that we have a Father who loves us and who wants us to come home. Jesus not only shows us how to be God's children, but he also remains with us to help us. Remember how there was no room for Baby Jesus in the Inn? Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room in my heart and my life for Jesus. When Jesus comes to live in your heart, you can experience the peace and joy of Christmas all year long. (25 Dec 2024) Going Deeper: Sing this carol (or meditate on these words): Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there. AdobeStock_396661125 | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/34640610

Christmas Pageant or Ego-Drama? | #1504 12/24/2024

The Wheel of Fortune | #1503 12/17/2024

The Wheel of Fortune | #1503 The monastery cloister teaches us to keep part of our hearts closed to the world and open to heaven. The ancient and medieval world was familiar with the example of the wheel of fortune: One minute you're on top of the world, the next minute you are on the bottom. We need to move from the chaos of the outside to the peace at the center. Peace comes from being with Christ in the core of our own being. Joy comes from healthy connections with God and others. Stop trying to find security in your own power and possessions. That will just take you for another trip around the wheel of fortune. Seek the peace and joy that comes from Christ at the center. (15 Dec 2024) Going Deeper: Meditate on Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you. Thank you Bill for being a . | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on and | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. /episode/index/show/wordcast/id/34494360

We Are Made for Communion | #1502 12/10/2024

Pilgrim Priest

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