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.
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Joseph's Secret to Being a Great Father | #1606
01/01/2026
Joseph's Secret to Being a Great Father | #1606
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 imperfect images of a perfect God. How do our actions contribute to a more or less holy family? Men, let us learn to be obedient sons to our heavenly Father so we can be the best fathers to our earthly families. (28 Dec 2025) Going Deeper: Do your rules for your children reflect God's high standards and his unconditional love? What would a man look like if he was striving to be an obedient son of God the Father? | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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The Only Gift That Will Save You | #1605
12/28/2025
The Only Gift That Will Save You | #1605
• 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 again. We don't always get the things we ask for from God. Even when we don't get what we wanted, we always get the gift we needed. Jimmy learned an important lesson when his little brother proved a better gift than a bicycle. Many of us will leave Jesus at church and not take him home with us because he doesn't fit our expectations or our lifestyle choices. But those who are willing to take him home will realize that he's exactly what they always needed. Because only this gift can save you. (24 Dec 2025) Going Deeper: When did God not answer your prayers with the gift you were hoping for? What did he give you instead of what you asked for? AdobeStock_451760533 | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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A Sign That God Is With Us | #1604
12/23/2025
A Sign That God Is With Us | #1604
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 has been guiding the human race with wisdom and love since the beginning, and he will be with us until the end of time. In a similar way, Catholics sometimes think that the Eucharist is the only place we can find God. This is simply not true. God is everywhere. He made everything. The heavens tell his glory and the earth is full of signs of his wisdom, power, and love. But we have become so scientific-minded that we have forgotten how to read the signs all around us. The Eucharist is not the only place when can find Jesus. It is a sign to look for him everywhere. St. Joseph needs a sign. He is willing to leave Mary and take her shame with him. In Joseph we see true manhood: a willingness to sacrifice for others. He is also a sign of the coming sacrifice that Jesus will offer for me and for you. Joseph welcomes Mary, and Mary brings Christ. No matter how messy your heart or your home might be, do not be afraid to welcome Mary. She will prepare a place for Emmanuel, God-with-us. (21 Dec 2025) Going Deeper: slsl | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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Waiting In Joyful Hope | #1603
12/19/2025
Waiting In Joyful Hope | #1603
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 joyful hope for God to act. Trust me, when God acts, it will be worth the wait. (14 Dec 2025) Going Deeper: Read the story of the for yourself. Or read about the . | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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The Most Perfect Gift | #1602
12/09/2025
The Most Perfect Gift | #1602
• 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 created to be. Mary gave God the gift of herself, and God gave her an even more perfect gift: Baby Jesus. By giving his life on the cross, Jesus made it so that each of us can become immaculate, like Mary. Mary reminds us that we are each a gift. She reminds us to treat ourselves as a gift and to treat others as a gift. She also shows us that, by giving ourselves back to God, we can become a more perfect gift. Going Deeper: Do you agree with Fr. Joel that this teaching is hard to accept? Why or why not? AdobeStock_220604677 | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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Be Ready With This One Simple Habit | #1601
12/04/2025
Be Ready With This One Simple Habit | #1601
Winter was coming, but were you prepared? Advent was coming, were you ready? Jesus is coming; are you prepared to meet him? Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters use today's Gospel to justify "the rapture." But in the days of Noah, the evil people were taken and the good people were left. The rapture is the opposite: the good people are taken and the evil ones are left. The Catholic church does not believe in the rapture. We believe that Jesus will walk with the good people through difficult times. "He who perseveres to the end will be saved." When Jesus says, "One will be taken and one will be left," I think he means the experience of loosing those who were close to us. How can we be ready when it's our turn? I recommend the old Catholic practice of seeing every bedtime as a little death. We never know if today is our last day on earth. Before you go to bed, prepare yourself to meet Jesus. Spend some time in gratitude. Where was Jesus present in your day? How did you respond to his presence? Say an Act of Contrition. Then make a resolution for tomorrow. Winter was coming. Were you prepared? Christmas is coming. Are you prepared? Jesus is coming. Are you ready to meet him? (30 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: Before bedtime, make three simple steps: Gratitude, Contrition, and Resolution. . Introducing the New Album for 2026 Welcome to Season 16 of the Pilgrim Priest Podcast. This season is titled Breath Fire Light. The new podcast year always starts with the first Sunday of Advent. I try to find a meaningful title for the podcast that reflects what is going on spiritually in my life and in the parishes. This year, the image that came to me was that of a fire that has almost burned itself out. There are just a few coals left flickering. You breathe on the fire to breath life back into it. Then you add some kindling and keep breathing on it, coaxing it back into life. If you are successful, there is a moment when the kindling bursts into flame. Suddenly you have light! Our parishes have grown cold and many Catholics are barely smouldering. We need the Holy Spirit to breathe on us and coax us into flame. When we catch fire, then we can start to be a Light to the nations again. Breath. Fire. Light. | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at | Like, , and share us with your enemies. | Find me on | | or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.
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What Do You Need to Entrust to the King? | #1550
11/24/2025
What Do You Need to Entrust to the King? | #1550
Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, a relatively new feast in the church year. It was added to the church calendar in 1925. It is not a celebration of the idea that it would be really nice if Jesus were our king. Nor does it celebrate the fact that Jesus will be a future king. Rather, this feast day acknowledges that all power in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus. Jesus is king now, despite the fact that earthly kings, presidents, and CEOs currently appear to have much more power than Jesus. God anointed King David, and later the people of Israel accepted his kingship. In a similar way, we get to pick our own leaders here and now, but God has picked the eternal king. We can decide if we will live in his kingdom. What do you need to entrust to the king? Some of us need to entrust our Sundays, our finances, a relationship, or our past. All of us need to trust him with our future. Today, entrust yourself, and all that you have, to the King. (24 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: Oriens starts next week. Join me for a pilgrimage through Advent and Christmas. Learn more at 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.
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Set Apart for the Worship of God | #1549
11/14/2025
Set Apart for the Worship of God | #1549
• 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 you come to any Christian, you should see Jesus there. Are we willing to give God only a little, and keep the rest for ourselves? We are called to give--dedicate, consecrate--every part of our lives to God. These beautiful buildings dedicated to the worship of God speak to us of our true dignity and vocation. (9 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: Do you celebrate your Baptism anniversary? Does your local church celebrate it's dedication anniversary? My churches' dedication days are as follows: SS. James & Stanislaus: October 11, 1920 SS. Mary & Hyacinth: March 3, 1935 St. Wenceslaus: October 25, 1953 St. John: September 1, 1957 Image © PilgrimPriest.us | 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.
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Funerals Have Much in Common with Baptisms | #1548
11/04/2025
Funerals Have Much in Common with Baptisms | #1548
• 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 rest of our life preparing for our funeral. We are deeply connected with the spiritual world, but we are often unaware of this aspect of our existence. When the soul leaves the body, it sees it's own state. Souls that said "No" to God, and that was their final answer, begin immediately to experience hell. Souls that were free of all sin begin immediately to enjoy the happiness of heaven. And those that still had some attachment to sin enter a state of purification. Salvation isn't finished yet. On the last day, at his Second Coming, Jesus will return in glory with his angels. He will raise the dead and put Heaven and Earth together forever. It will all go quicker than we think. Are you preparing for your funeral? (2 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: Go walk in a cemetery, pray for the dead, and reflect on your own funeral. Join me for the final year of Oriens: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas learn more at Image: AdobeStock_677256140 | 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.
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Hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547
11/03/2025
Hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547
• 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 French word for, "holy." I looked it up in Greek and I found three related words: Hagios means holy, set apart, different. Hagos: awe-inspiring, wonderful, amazing. Hagnos: clean, innocent, modest, perfect. Holiness is not fundamentally the fruit of our hard work. It is a gift from God: gazing at the face of God and being transformed by his love. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a description of his own face. He is poor in spirit, he mourns the disconnection between us and God, he is meek, he hungers and thirsts for righteousness, he is merciful, clean of heart, and a peacemaker. Lastly, Jesus is persecuted. This is what we look like when we become holy in God's likeness. "God, help me to be what you created me to be." Holiness is not an escape from this world. It is living fully in the world according to the true destiny and purpose of this world. As pilgrims let us hasten towards our heavenly homeland to join the saints, receiving from them both strength and good example. (1 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: What deceased holy person, canonized or not, gives you both strength and good example? | 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.
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Persistent Prayer Changes the World | #1546
10/25/2025
Persistent Prayer Changes the World | #1546
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 fundamentally about Time, Talent and Treasure, but rather about growing closer to the Lord. "Lord, show me how you are inviting me to grow closer to you through my Time, Talent and Treasure commitments in 2026." Do you ever feel like you're not having an impact on the world? When you make changes to your own life, you also change the world. Thank you for changing the world today! (19 Oct 2025) Going Deeper: If you are a member of the Antigo Area Catholic Churches, please turn in your Stewardship Renewal card or . | 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.
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The Healing That Flows From Obedience | #1545
10/15/2025
The Healing That Flows From Obedience | #1545
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 Antigo Area Catholic Churches, please turn in your next weekend. Consider committing yourself to a daily Rosary. | 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.
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The Devil's Secret Plot to Take Over the World | #1544
10/06/2025
The Devil's Secret Plot to Take Over the World | #1544
"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 national news? Some people like to use the lens of "Spiritual Warfare." By this, they mean that the Devil has a secret plot to undermine the Church and take over the world, and we have to act now to stop him! But that's not how the Church sees the world. Our Father is still in control, and he is quietly working things out for our good. We spend a lot of energy on the big-picture things we have no control over. And we miss chances to change the world immediately around us. I'm an advocate of Stewardship because I believe that it can be an antidote to our consumer culture. It starts when we are grateful for God's gifts. Then we can be generous with the time, talents, and treasures that God has given us. The more we give, the more we will see ourselves as a gift. If I'm trusting in myself, my resources, and my smarts, then I only have a limited amount to work with. But even the smallest amount of faith gives us access to the infinite power of God. Faith enables us to act with power, love, and self-control. And when we have done great things by God's power, we can simply say, "I was just a faithful steward." (5 Oct 2025) Going Deeper: Take some time to re-evaluate your life. "Am I really living as a Steward?" Am I taking care of my little world, and trusting God with the big picture? AdobeStock_125406453 | 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.
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Winners and Losers | #1543
09/30/2025
Winners and Losers | #1543
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 tomorrow. St. Francis of Assisi chose to be poor today and became wealthy in eternity. Emperor Nero tried to be the big winner, but St. Peter was victorious. St. Wenceslaus was a loser to sibling rivalry, but he was the big winner in the final analysis. Pope Leo invites everyone to . I just started a commitment to a daily Rosary, and I want to encourage you to do the same. The Rosary will help you be grateful and generous. (28 Sep 2025) Going Deeper: Consider a commitment to a daily Rosary. | 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.
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Snake! (Look at the Cross) | #1542
09/14/2025
Snake! (Look at the Cross) | #1542
• 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 sharing your burdens with Jesus. Image © Benjamin Sember | 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.
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Discipleship Only Works When You Do This | #1541
09/14/2025
Discipleship Only Works When You Do This | #1541
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 other relationships will find their proper order and place. We all face suffering. But if we carry our crosses with him and for him, our burdens will be lighter. We all worry about our material possessions. But if we follow Jesus, he will make sure we have what we need. I find marriage to be a useful illustration of this "all-in" principle. Can a husband say to his wife, "I love you, but my mother is more important than you. My family, my friends, these are all more important."? I tell you, his marriage will not last long. A wife needs to be the first and most important woman in her husband's life. Then the other relationships will find their proper places. How many would want to be married to a spouse who says, "I will be with you when things are easy, fun, and comfortable, but I will be leaving as soon as things get hard?" Even in marriage we must take up our crosses daily. Lastly, the possessions of one become the possessions of both when you are married. Some people are trying to be married as a kind of side job. Marriage only works when both spouses are willing to go "all-in". In a similar way, many of us are trying to follow Jesus as if it were a side-job, something we do after we've done everything else. But it's only when we are willing to be "all-in" disciples of Jesus that everything else falls into place. (7 Sep 2025) Going Deeper: Join me for this year. Learn more at | 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.
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Why Would Anyone Choose Poverty? | #1540
09/03/2025
Why Would Anyone Choose Poverty? | #1540
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 always dangerous to judge things at a distance. But, with those caveats, I want to hazard a guess. I bet that deep down, both the perpetrators in these terrible situations had, at some point, refused to accept their own poverty. They looked for ways that they could grasp at that would make them feel powerful. St Francis of Assisi grew up the son of a wealthy merchant. He liked expensive clothes and throwing lavish parties. He decided he wanted to be a knight. His father paid a pretty penny for a new suit of shiny armor and off he went to win glory in a local war. Instead he was captured and put in prison. He was held for ransom. There in prison he began to have a change of heart. He realized that fighting for the best place at the table was not working for him. He realized that Jesus chose poverty. He decided to choose poverty. When he was released from prison, he started praying a lot and dressing like a beggar and begging for food. As you can imagine, the town thought he had gone crazy. But in reality, he was falling in love. Francis chose poverty because it made him like Jesus. Jesus chose poverty because it made him like us. You see, deep down we are really poor. The richest, most powerful man on earth will die and lose everything. We are all poor little creatures. And we can respond to our poverty one of two ways: Grasping at more so we don’t have to feel poor, or childlike trust in the Father's love with a gratitude that feels no need to possess. When we grasp at things, we can only hold so much in our own two hands. And it's all slipping through our fingers. As my empire expands, that reality doesn’t really change. I only control so much and it can easily be lost, stolen, or corrupted. When I live in childlike trust of my Father, I own nothing of my own, but the wealth of his kingdom is also mine. Paradoxically, by choosing to accept my poverty and see myself as a grateful steward, I become unimaginably wealthy. I don’t own anything but Daddy owns the sun, the moon, the stars, and the whole planet. And he lets me use whatever I need whenever I need it. When we choose the path of childlike trust, then we can turn and be generous to others. Today Jesus holds a banquet and invites the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. He wants you to do the same for others. (31 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: Reflect on Psalm 131: O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. | 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.
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Discipline Makes Good Camping | #1539
08/26/2025
Discipline Makes Good Camping | #1539
Tent-camping is the best kind of vacation, because when you come home, your ordinary life feels like a luxury vacation! Fr. Michael is a very disciplined camper. He taught me the importance of doing the important things first, then relaxing and enjoying yourself afterwards. When we hear the word "discipline", we think of punishment. But the Latin word actually means, "instruction." Discipline is about teaching ourselves, and others, to put first things first. Whe first discern what is important. Then we train ourselves to say "Yes" to the good and important things and "No" to the bad and less-important things. In this context, the other two readings make more sense. Jesus is telling us that we need to keep doing the important things regardless of how others are acting. Jesus himself is the narrow gate. The bar is high, but God is generous. Focus on the important things, and do your work well. That is how we strive to enter in. (24 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: Want to add more discipline to your life? Not eating meat on Fridays s a great place to start. If you already observe meatless Fridays, consider adding a fast day or two in your week. Thank you Cathy who on August 6 celebrated 1 year as a Patron. | 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.
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Jesus Helps His Leaders with the Heavy Lifting | #1538
08/18/2025
Jesus Helps His Leaders with the Heavy Lifting | #1538
Leadership isn't cool. People lead badly when they start trying to look good. Jesus wasn't worried about being cool. Jeremiah wasn't worried about being cool. When we are called to lead, we can't worry about trying to be cool. Thank you, men, for coming to Mass today. The world tells you that you should be anywhere else but here: fishing, working, having fun, or sleeping off a hangover. But you are here because you know that you can only be a good leader for others if you let Jesus lead you. August 17 is the feast day of St. Hyacinth. He teaches us that whatever Jesus calls us to, Jesus will also give us the resources to accomplish the call. If we are trying to lead with our own smarts, we will never be strong enough on our own. Let us heed the call to leadership by allowing Jesus to lead us. (17 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: How can being a follower of Jesus make you a better leader? Listen to and here's . | 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.
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A Humble Little Ark | #1537
08/17/2025
A Humble Little Ark | #1537
• Mary was assumed into heaven at the end of her earthly life. There have been many through history that are awaiting the resurrection. Mary is the ark of the new covenant. As David welcomed the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, so Jesus welcomes his Ark, Mary, into the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Ark preserved a jar of manna, the tablets of the Law, and Aaron's rod. In a similar way, we need to preserve moments when we have seen God working in our life. God is producing a great play, the "Theo-drama", starring Jesus with Mary as Best Supporting Actress. We each have a special and unique roll, which we discover and live when we let the Holy Spirit direct us. We need to allow Jesus to be the star of the play. This helps us escape our "ego-drama." Mary humbly fulfills her roll and God exalts her. Living our roll well lifts us up and everyone else along with us. (15 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: What would it mean to play your humble roll well? | 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.
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Most of Us Are Living Irrational Lives | #1536
08/13/2025
Most of Us Are Living Irrational Lives | #1536
Today we hear a witness from one of our Diocesan seminarians. He helps us see that faith is not a made-up fairy-tale. When we see the world through the eyes of faith, WE SEE IT AS IT REALLY IS. The reason why faith is comforting is ultimately because it's actually true. Jesus is real. We can trust him. Jesus promised he would rise from the dead. And his promises came true. "Walk with me," Jesus said. By faith, Logan walked away from his girlfriend and began attending daily Masses. By faith he joined the Kairos year. Logan has learned the incredible joy that comes from walking with Jesus every day. Jesus is leading us somewhere. We are pilgrims; this is not our home. The things here and now are passing away and we need to use them in a way that prepares us for eternal life. Some people think that faith isn't rational. That's not true; faith is above reason, but not contrary to it. IF you believe that God exists, AND that he offers a heavenly homeland, THAN the most rational thing would be to trade the pleasures and comforts of this life for the blessings and security of eternal life. It is supremely IRRATIONAL to believe that God exists and that heaven is our homeland and still live for the here and now. Jesus is trying to save us from living irrational lives. Jesus is real. You can trust him. Walk with him today. You won't regret it! (10 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: How are fear, selfishness, and shame preventing you from walking more closely with Jesus? Consider participating in the . 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.
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What's In God's Wallet? | #1535
08/05/2025
What's In God's Wallet? | #1535
What's in God's wallet? Certainly not cash, credit cards, receipts, or insurance cards. The only thing in God's wallet is photos of his kids. Lots and lots of photos, because God has lots and lots of kids. And he knows each one's name and their story. God loves every child like an only child. The Catholic Church believes that every person has a dignity and value that comes from God himself. There are so many temptations not to recognize the dignity and value of every human being. There are many obvious ways that human dignity is attacked: genocide and racism, abortion, suicide, and eugenics. Then there are less obvious ways, such as IVF and surrogate motherhood. Lying, gossip, the exploitation of workers, and the mistreatment of immigrants all attack human dignity. "There can be no true democracy without a recognition of every person's dignity and without respect for his or her rights." (Pope St. John Paul II) "Holy Spirit, show me the true value of every person, starting with myself." "Holy Spirit, how are you calling me to uphold the dignity of every person in my community, state, country and world?" (3 Aug 2025) Going Deeper: Thank you Fr. Paul Timmerman for helping with this homily. Reflect on the following quotes: Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti "The dignity of others is to be respected in all circumstances, not because that dignity is something we have invented or imagined, but because human beings possess an intrinsic worth superior to that of material objects and contingent situations. This requires that they be treated differently." Declaration of the Infinite Dignity of Human Dignity (2024) "Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle...underlies the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights. ...the Church resolutely reiterates and confirms the ontological dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ. From this truth, the Church draws the reasons for her commitment to the weak and those less endowed with power, always insisting on "the primacy of the human person and the defense of his or her dignity beyond every circumstance." Vatican II Gaudium et Spes #27: "Furthermore, whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia or wilful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are supreme dishonor to the Creator." St. John Paul II in the encyclical the Gospel of Life (pp 101): "There can be no true democracy without a recognition of every person's dignity and without respect for his or her rights." Photo credit AdobeStock_392287192 | 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.
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Jesus the Good Samaritan, According to Bishop Barron | #1534
07/19/2025
Jesus the Good Samaritan, According to Bishop Barron | #1534
I was away on a Steubenville youth conference. I had the privilege of listening to Bishop Barron preach on how Jesus is like the Good Samaritan. My favorite part of the homily is that the Catholic Church is kind of like the inn. We are helping those wounded by sin recover from their injuries. (13 July 2025) Going Deeper: Can you find me in the picture? Learn more about the . Photo credit post | 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.
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Sent as Missionaries Two-by-Two | #1533
07/09/2025
Sent as Missionaries Two-by-Two | #1533
The Jews think that Jerusalem is invincible because they are the Chosen People and they have the Temple. But they fail to obey God and He allows Babylon to destroy the city. Many are tempted to adopt the lifestyle and beliefs of the Babylonians. But God calls his people to continue to be faithful to him while living in a foreign land. The Christians of Galatia are living in a pagan world soaked in sex, violence, gluttony, and every kind of material excess. St. Paul encourages them to keep living for Jesus. Today, our situation is surprisingly similar to that of the Jews in Babylon or the Christians in Galatia. We live in a secular pagan culture soaked in sex, violence, gluttony, and material excess. Many are tempted to adopt the lifestyle of our neighbors. But God is calling us to be missionaries. How can married couples be missionaries? First, they need to be disciples of Jesus. Second, they trust in their Father to provide for their needs. Third, their trust in God allows peace to live in their hearts and their homes. Fourth, we cannot let the world's rejection of Jesus cause us to question his value. Fifth, we can trust that God will protect us. Finally, you don't have to be the perfect Catholic married couple in order to be missionaries of His love. As long as you are a disciple of Jesus and abiding in his love, God can use your "yes" to serve his kingdom. May the peace of Christ reign in our homes! (6 Jul 2025) Going Deeper: What married couples have been missionaries to me? How can they inspire me to live more deeply for Jesus? How can I be a witness of the love of Jesus to the world around me? Image © PilgrimPriest.us | 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.
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A Homily 18 Years in the Making | #1532
07/04/2025
A Homily 18 Years in the Making | #1532
• 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 . 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? Image © PilgrimPriest.us | 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.
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The Vulnerability of God | #1531
06/24/2025
The Vulnerability of God | #1531
We cannot have deep, meaningful relationships with other people unless we are willing to be vulnerable with them. When we know our own worth, then we will be able to open up and share with others even if they don't always receive us well. The Eucharist shows that God is willing to be vulnerable with us. Satan knows that God hurts when we are hurting ourselves and hurting others. God became vulnerable when he became human, and his vulnerability continues in the gift of the Eucharist. Jesus knows that a deep, meaningful relationship is not possible without vulnerability. So He chose to be vulnerable first in hopes that we will not be afraid to open up and be vulnerable with him. (22 Jun 2025) Going Deeper: The podcast I was referring to was podcast. Jack does a whole intro about his Defcon party. A large number of these hacker types like Grifter grew up in divorced families, had ADHD, and spent unhealthy amounts of time on computers. Also notice that the trajectory of his life changes when he joins a community that is intentional about forming virtue in its members (in this case it was the Air Force). Later on in life, he continues to live by those same virtues. AdobeStock_471173901 | 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.
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Mind, Body, Spirit | #1530
06/17/2025
Mind, Body, Spirit | #1530
The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. There are not three gods, but one God. We call this mystery, "The Holy Trinity". Human beings are body, mind, and spirit. When our spirit is led by the Holy Spirit, it can lead the body and mind into a harmony, a communion, a human trinity. The family is husband, wife, and children. When the husband listens to God and to his family, he can lead the family into unity. A healthy family balances the individual gifts of each member with the community. In Communism, the individual is virtual annihilated by the community. In modern Western culture, the community is annihilated by extreme individualism. Society needs healthy families in order to recover a healthy balance of individuals in communion. Christians are members of the Holy Trinity. From within the communion of the Trinity we can recover harmony in ourselves, our families, and society. (15 Jun 2025) Going Deeper: When do you experience harmony in mind, body, and spirit? When and how do you experience disunity? Image: AdobeStock_860232509 | 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.
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Every Member a Missionary | #1529
06/09/2025
Every Member a Missionary | #1529
We are made for communion. We are called to communion. But you can't force anyone into communion. God respects our free will so much that if we say "No" to him, he won't override us. This is why we don't pray for the souls in hell; it's too late for them to change their minds. I firmly believe two contradictory things: 1) You need to be perfect, free of all sin and sinful habits, in order to enter heaven. 2) Jesus died for every person and God offers salvation to every person. We find ourselves right in the middle between the impossible goal and the impossibly generous gift. Will we allow God to make us worthy of eternal communion? Evangelization should be motivated less by a fear of hell and more by the love, joy, and peace we have found in communion with God and others. Imagine a church where every member were set aflame by the power of the Holy Spirit and formed and equipped to share the good news with others. That is my dream! "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love." (8 Jun 2025) Going Deeper: Read the or the at the Family Missions Company. | 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.
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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.
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Dunked Into Communion | #1527
05/28/2025
Dunked Into Communion | #1527
Easter, 6th Sunday (C) The and the . God's deepest desire is to be in communion with us. We can find happiness in many places. But we can only find fulfillment in communion. Our communion with God started with our Baptism when we were dunked into the very life of God. It deepened when we received our first Holy Communion. God is in us and we are in God. The consumer mentality makes me a black hole, endlessly pulling people, things, and experiences into my orbit. But grasping does not lead to lasting fulfillment. Communion happens when we can enter into a relationship of mutually self-giving love. We are helping to bring people into communion with God so they can also experience true communion with themselves, others, and creation. Jesus is praying for us! He lives every day in deep, intimate communion with his Father. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to live every day in deep, intimate communion with the Trinity. Come, Holy Spirit! (25 May 2025) Going Deeper: What would it look like to soak more deeply into God's love? Image AdobeStock_44429041 | 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.
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