Anchored In The Lord

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Why is it that we as Catholics are the only Christians that pray for our beloved dead?  Why is it that we are the only Christians who believe in Purgatory?  In this homily I will explore how other Christians believe Jesus saves us versus how we as Catholics believe Jesus saves us, and what that difference means in praying for the dead, purgatory, and how we live our lives here and now!

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sometimes God works incredible miracles that are visually and experientially miraculous.   In our first reading and Gospel today we have 11 lepers who are all miraculously cured by God...but they're healed in very non-incredible ways: taking a bath and out for a walk.  More often than not, God's ways are subtle, quiet and seemingly indirect. God's hand is moving and blessing and answering prayers, but often in unexpected ways, which means that it's easy to miss God's blessings in our lives and the lives of others.  Of the 11 lepers cleansed, only 2 come back to thank God for answered prayers.  As we approach God in prayer, as we attend Mass, let's join with the 2 lepers who came back, and let's give thanks to God for His many blessings and answered prayers in our lives!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today Jesus tells us one of His most confusing parables: "Look at this shady, crooked, underhanded businessman... You should learn a lesson from him!"  Many people are clever in the ways of this world - they are smart and resourceful in using the people and situations around them to further their own gain (even if it is selfish and underhanded, as the steward/manager/businessman is today).  Jesus challenges the "children of light" to be as smart and resourceful in obtaining benefits for heavenly life, as clever in living out our faith in the midst of this busy world and culture, as this shady businessman was in obtaining benefits for his earthly life.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time The most encouraging, effective and result producing words kids can hear from their parents are: "I love you; I'm proud of you."  In our Gospel today Jesus shares three parables, all portraying the illogical, unreasonable, over-the-top love that the Father has for each one of us.  No matter what we've done, no matter how far we've wandered away, the Father never stops seeking us out.  And when we finally let ourselves be found, He says to us, "I love you; I'm proud of you!"  Jesus heard His Father say those words to Him; can we hear our Father say those words to us?

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time It's proven that generosity makes for a happier person; generosity springs from gratitude - to the degree that we're thankful for the gifts we've been given in life, we have a desire to share these gifts with others.  Thankfulness and generosity, though, are two virtues that you will not be challenged to grow in by popular culture, but they are two virtues at the heart of what it means to be Christian - the more thankful and generous we are, the more we become like our Maker!  This weekend is the kickoff for our annual diocesan Catholic Services Appeal (CSA).  The CSA provides so many incredible opportunities to spread the faith of Jesus Christ in northwestern Wisconsin - for our seminarians, for our youth, for our schools, for our parishes - opportunities that I witness and see the fruits of firsthand!  I'm challenging you this year to stretch yourself in thankfulness and generosity (in all senses of those words) and I challenge you particularly this week to think what you might

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time In order to live in this world, we have to trust all kinds of things we see, hear and experience.  On a daily basis we extend trust thousands of times - to people, situations, information...everything.  A generic definition of "faith" is: "confidence or trust in a person, thing or concept."  By this definition, every single person lives their lives by faith each and every day.  Faith in God, then, means having confidence and trust in God - that He will do what He says, that what He promises to us humans He will do.  In our readings today we see how God comes through on His promises, that God IS trustworthy, that we CAN trust God!  The faith held up for us today is that whatever life may bring, no matter how bumpy the road, we know that God has us in the palm of His hand!

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time In our Gospel this weekend the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.  After giving a short version of the Our Father, Jesus tells a semi-humorous story (in my opinion) highlighting the importance of persistence - in the context of this passage of persistent prayer.  In our first reading  we see a model of this kind of persistence in the conversation Abraham has with God (also a rather humorous exchange, in my opinion). But both readings make the point that God seriously encourages persistent prayer. The question remains, though, "What or who does prayer actually change?  Does it change me or God?" Listen to find out!

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time After Moses gave the 10 Commandments to God's chosen people, he said something very interesting: that these commands were already written in their hearts.  If, as Paul says in our second reading, all things are created in Christ, then it makes sense that the Maker would leave His mark deep within each of us, guiding us to what is best.  God has given each of us a conscience, His voice deep within our gut, leading us on the right way.  But then why do we need commandments or rules at all?  Why can't we just each follow our own conscience?  Our conscience can sometimes be a burden and we don't always want to listen to that voice.  So as we grow "smarter" and "wiser" we learn to rationalize away that voice of God deep within, until we hear only what we want to hear.  This week we're challenged by Jesus to go back to the basics, to be reminded of what we already know deep within our hearts, and to listen for that simple and clear (but often difficult and inconvenient) voice of God whi

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time In our readings today, we hear a number of call stories: God calling others to follow Him in a particular way.  Whenever one of these calls happens in Scripture...that person is almost always busy!  They have other plans; something else is on the agenda for the day; other big things are already going on in life.  Sound familiar?!  When God calls it's never convenient - it wasn't before and it isn't now.  But as disciples of Jesus Christ we are meant to listen for and answer God's calls to us, no matter how big or small...or inconvenient.  The challenge this week: grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ by listening for and answering a few more of those calls!

Corpus Christi We believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  But what do we mean by that?  Is it really possible that bread and wine literally become Jesus' flesh and blood? Do we chew on Jesus' flesh and touch our lips to His blood at every Mass?  Let me share a couple stories with you...

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity In the new parishes I am serving - St. Joseph in Hayward and St. Ann in Cable - we have three gifted deacons.  It is the custom in this cluster that the deacons preach every 1st and 3rd weekend of the month.  As a result, I will be preaching less often.  Lucky for you, I have homilies from previous years that I will continue to share ; ).  This is last year's homily from Trinity Sunday: (Enjoy!)

Pentecost Sunday The coming of the Holy Spirit CHANGED the first followers of Jesus.  We received the Holy Spirit in baptism, we were sealed by the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus at every Mass...but how much are we CHANGED by these experiences?  Do you ever long for more in your faith but just don't know why you aren't getting it?  If that's ever been you, listen to this homily, and most importantly - remember to breathe (spiritually)!

Ascension Sunday In the new parishes I am serving - St. Joseph in Hayward and St. Ann in Cable - we have three gifted deacons.  It is the custom in this cluster that the deacons preach every 1st and 3rd weekend of the month.  As a result, I will be preaching less often.  Lucky for you, I have homilies from previous years that I will continue to share ; ).  This is last year's homily from Ascension Sunday: (Enjoy!)

6th Sunday of Easter Have you ever heard one Christian teach one thing about Jesus, and then heard shortly thereafter another Christian teaching the opposite?  Who's right?  How do we find out the truth?  In our first reading we see where the first followers of Jesus turned to find the truth in the midst of disagreements and controversies over what they should believe...and where they turned then is still where we as Catholics turn now!

5th Sunday of Easter The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead turned everything we thought we knew completely upside down!  God showed that He has the power to bring good out of anything...even evil, and even the difficult and painful moments of our lives.  This weekend I celebrated my final weekend of Masses in the Superior area.  I have been asked to assist in covering the Masses in the Hayward and Cable Catholic Churches effective immediately.  Thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your hearts and lives.  Though this time of change and transition will be difficult, I know that God has the power to bring good out of all things.  Please welcome whatever priest comes to this area next with the same warmth and love as you did me, and he will be one lucky priest!

4th Sunday of Easter Jesus says today in our Gospel, "My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me."  What does God's voice sound like in your life?  What happens when you follow it?  What do we and others miss out on when we don't?  Often God's voice/invitation doesn't give us the whole story or plan He has, just the next step in the process...so we can easily dismiss those thoughts, that voice, because it might not seem, from our perspective, to make sense in that moment. But I challenge you this week: listen for that voice, and the next time you hear it (even if it doesn't seem to make sense or takes you out of your comfort zone), follow it!  God has something special in store!

3rd Sunday of Easter Our Gospel story today is one of the passages we as Catholics point to in the Scriptures where Jesus sets Peter apart from the other Apostles, in which we read the beginnings of the papacy and the pope!  God gave us a great gift in our pope, a leader and figurehead meant to keep Jesus' Church united as ONE body.  Jesus' great prayer was that all of his followers might be one, as He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, that we would all be ONE...at present there are over 40,000 different Christian denominations.  Thanks be to God for our ONE Catholic Church, united throughout the whole world, for the gift of the pope to keep us united (even in the midst of struggles and difficulties and disagreements - kind of like the head of a family), and for the gift of the Eucharist where we become what we are: ONE in the Body of Christ!

2nd Sunday of Easter Is it wrong to question God?  Is wanting to know how or why something happened considered a weakness or lack of faith, or even a sin?  In the Gospel today Jesus appears to His apostles, but Thomas isn't there.  When Thomas comes back and all of the others are claiming that Jesus is risen, he refuses to believe unless he sees it himself.  Is that wrong of him?  I think not!  

Easter Sunday Happy Easter to all of you and your families!  One question this Easter: What does God want to do for you?

Palm Sunday This week we are invited to walk with Jesus through the last days of His life on this earth - through his celebration of the Last Supper, his suffering and death, and finally his Resurrection!  "Holy" means "different" and "set apart".  How will you make this week "different" and "set apart" from every other week of your life?  How will you make this, for you, a truly "Holy" Week?