Pilgrim Priest

Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (A) We get ourselves into the most trouble when we think we have all the answers. Basic training is all about proving how little the new recruits know so they will be open to learning how to be a good soldier. The last thing you need is 18 year olds thinking they know everything in situations where they can kill themselves or others.

Jesus tells a parable to people who think they already have all the answ...

Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (A) A parable about a landowner with a vineyard should make us think of God, the Garden of Eden, and the people of Israel. If God is the landowner, then who are the workers? That's us.

The story contains several surprises. First, the master keeps welcoming new workers. Other landowners hire their workers right away in the morning. This Master always has room for more people who say, "Yes".

Second, he has ...

Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (A) If God is our Father, then what does that make us? We and our fellow Christians are brothers and sisters. In Matthew 18, Jesus talks about what it means to be a child of God and how we should treat our brothers and sisters.

Here's a brief summary:

Matthew 18:3 - You need to humble yourself like a little child.

Matthew 18:6 - Don't cause a brother to sin.

Matthew 18:8 - Get rid of all sin (it keeps yo...

Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday (A) CESAREA PHILIPPI - Jesus of Nazareth today revealed the blueprints of a brand new building project. Jesus first affirmed his true identity as "the Christ" and the "Son of God." He then shocked his followers by choosing Simon the fisherman to be the foundation of his new church. In an apparent rebranding, Simon's name was changed to "Rocky." "I give you the keys of the kingdom," Jesus said, in a refere...

What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey to a holy place. Native American peoples have sacred places. Hindus, Buddhists, and Shinto have shrines and holy sites. The Exodus out of Egypt was a kind of pilgrimage. Jews would make a pilgrimage once or even three times a year to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship God on his Holy Mountain.

The call to follow Jesus is a call to pilgrimage. If you've seen The Chosen, you realize how much time...

Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday (A) Romans 8:35 is a great passage to memorize. St. Paul has experienced all kinds of anguish and distress but the love of God has conquered it. The Romans will need to believe in God's love to survive the coming persecution.

Isaiah 5 is about how the people trusted in themselves and bore rotten fruit. Isaiah 55 shows that God will restore and renew the people once they have been purified. Even our sins...

Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday (A) You come to Mass most Sundays, and even Holy Days of Obligation. You try not to swear or drink too much or gossip. You are learning to pray and you want to follow Jesus as faithfully as you can.

Meanwhile you know many people--friends, coworkers, your children, siblings, even a spouse--who don't seem to care. They spend every Sunday working, sleeping, or doing basically everything but coming to church...

Ordinary Time, 15th Sunday (A) When scripture talks about a gardener, a vineyard owner, or a sower, we are meant to think of God. God "gardened" the world into existence by speaking his word. The world simply receives God's word and does what he says. 

Human hearts are more complicated. Matthew chapter 12 shows much opposition to Jesus's word. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus changes his preaching style. He keeps preaching the tru...

Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday (A) God sees us and he rewards hospitality. A woman of influence feeds and houses Elisha. He wants to reward her, so he promises her a son. God sees the desire of her heart even though she refuses to acknowledge it. He gives her the gift she doesn't even dare to dream about. Then he takes the boy away from her; then he gives him back to her.

Is God being cruel? God knows that our deepest desire is for God...

Ordinary Time, 12th Sunday (A) You spend a couple hours playing in the basement building the world's most amazing marble track. Then along comes your brother... and maliciously smashes everything! How do you respond? You might yell, cry, call him names, go smash something of his... or you might go tell Mom everything. This Mom has the time to listen and she really understands. And she assures you that she and Dad are going to take ...

Ordinary Time, 11th Sunday (A) The Israelites leave Egypt, cross the Red Sea, and spend a year and a half at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It is here that God gives them the Law and they become "The Chosen People."

Christians believe that we, too, are the chosen people. But we also believe that we have been given authority and a mission to bring the love and truth of Jesus Christ to all peoples. Every Christian participates in the mission...

Trinity Sunday (A) God is one divine nature but three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father IS self-giving love and when he gives himself away, that gift is the Son. The Son gives himself back to the Father, and their mutual love is the Holy Spirit.

The Church believes that every human child is a gift from God. The proper response to the presence of a child is to receive, cherish, and protect that gift. As chil...

Pentecost Sunday (A) God is a community of love. We were made by love and for love; we were created to live in God's community. God's one desire is to draw us into communion with himself. Our sins have made us both unworthy and unable to participate in God's community. So Jesus comes to reconnect us with God. He does this first "in the flesh" by being God and Man. He offers himself as the perfect sacrifice to free us from our sins....

Easter, 6th Sunday (A) The Sunday Lectionary is designed around the idea of promise and fulfillment. In the Gospel, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles shows what happens when the Holy Spirit comes in power. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, "the Paraclete" which means "one who is called alongside of you." The Spirit helps Christians in our needs. 

One day at Faith Formation we played a game, "Pin the flame on ...

Easter, 5th Sunday (A) How can every vocation be special? Each rock that makes up St. Hyacinth Church is a unique shape, size, and color. The whole church is built of unique, unrepeatable stones. Every stone is special! In a similar way, each and every person has a special vocation.

These vocations all have something in common. Every Christian shares in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, which means we offer sacrifice, sanctify the wo...

Easter, 4th Sunday (A) Happy Good Shepherd Sunday, which could have also been called "Sheep Gate Sunday." Today is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I think we often associate the word "vocation" with recruiting people to be priests and nuns. But the first vocation, the first "call" we receive, is the call of Baptism.

I was recently listening to a podcast on the idea that Judaism is about love. Mr. Shai Held says that lov...

Easter, 3rd Sunday • The Road to Emmaus is one of my favorite stories. It's possible that a married couple, Cleopas and his wife, are walking together. They are feeling discouraged and have been walking away from the church. Seeing Jesus in the Eucharist causes them to come back to the church.

Do you want to see the risen Jesus? Then follow these three steps from today's Gospel:

1. Read more