Homilies Transcribed

Click on a date for the transcript of the homily.

October 29, 2025 - We Ought to Pray: a Call to Deeper Commitment

 As we listen to St. Paul in his letter to the Romans today, there's one important word that he uses how we to pray as we ought. He didn't say as we should, but as we ought, that's a much stronger word. It calls for commitment. Not just something we should do, but we ought to do it. Do we really understand that meaning?

 

It's so deep that we come to mass, we ought to pray. Not that we should pray, that we should be so involved and put our whole being into what we do at mass, what we do in our daily pray. When we say the rosary, when we do the prayer to Saint Michael, there are important parts of who we are as people of faith, and that we ought to get involved in what we do.

 

And not only in our prayers, but in how we treat one another, how we react to God's love and our, for our brothers and sisters in caring for them and physical acts and spiritual acts of help to lead them to a closer relationship with God. It's interesting when the Lord is talking about who will enter into the kingdom, it's gonna be a narrow gate.

 

Are we ready to enter? Have we done all we could to finish the race to be welcomed home with God for eternity? We ought to take the time to examine our lives so we can be more in tune with what God has for us and what we can do to help better the lives of our brothers and sisters.

 

October 26, 2025 - Thrown Down, Raised Up: Lessons in True Humility

  Our scripture today really reflects on humility as we hear from St. Paul. He writes his love letter to Timothy that he's run the course. He's fought hard, but he knows it's the end, but he's given everything to the Lord with true humility. A man who persecuted the church and yet had this incredible experience of changing his life, really being humbled, being thrown off his horse and hearing the word of the Lord, telling him to change his life, to be opening for this new church that has come upon the world.

 

Then we hear of these two individuals who come into the temple to pray. That's. Pharisee, this man of great wealth and privilege, and he doesn't really humble himself. He thinks he's above everyone else. Then we have this tax collector who very humbly comes before God says, I'm a sinner and I need your help.

 

We have to recognize within our own lives where we stand in our relationship with God. In the seminary at one of our masses in the chapel, we had this little platform in which the celebrant would sit. It was a raised elevation, but it had no backing on it. And Father, after he did the opening, he probably went to sit down and he fell backwards off the back of it.

 

And his vestments were all askew, and he said, I always pray before mass that God will keep me humble, and all he ever does is humiliate me.

 

There's a difference between humility and being humble, being humiliated. I find that every time I talk to a bishop. After I'm done talking with him, I think, oh, what did I say? I'm sure I said everything wrong. And when you get into that habit and not rec, really recognizing the Lord works through us in so many ways.

 

Even when we think we're at the bottom, he lifts us up. And that's being humble, knowing that we're not in charge of anything. Only God is in charge. And that really takes humility and giving ourselves over to God. 'cause we know God loves us, he cares for us, and he'll never do anything to really harm us.

 

And that seems contradictory to the lives of the Saints when so many were martyred for the faith, but it's in their humility that they offer themselves up for the glory of God. That's being humble. 'cause we know God's gonna take care of us. As we look at our world today, and we see so many martyrs when we look at the church in Nigeria where so many Christians are being murdered, so many churches are being burned down, but God still raises them up.

 

When we look at all the innocent children in the womb that are being taken, the sacrifice that they're offering, that in their innocence, God lifts them up, but it's our responsibility is people of faith to pray for them and to pray for an end to this insidious crime, this murder of innocence. And to recognize that all life from conception to natural death is precious.

 

It's a God-given, right that we have no responsibility to take away that. To truly be humble is offering all life to God and let him be the master. May the Lord help us in our journey of faith to answer that call. That the Eucharist that we receive today is that gift to us to help us to be humble when we come forward, to receive the Lord, to be humbled in his sight when we say amen.

 

So be it that this is a living God who gives himself to us to keep us strong in our faith. The Lord help us in this journey to live up to that faith that we've been given. And to be that instrument of peace and humility for our brothers and sisters.

October 22, 2025 - The Smile That Changed a Life: Lessons from St. John Paul II.

 This morning we have an incredible gift that has been given to us as we remember St. John Paul II, having had the opportunity to go to Rome before he died and being to see him even in his weak state, whenever a child was presented to him, this incredible smile would come upon his face, and he loved to be able to touch the children.

 

That kind of grace. Is unbelievable to be. Imagine anytime we meet somebody and there's a smile on their face, it makes a difference in our lives. I know at at church when I'm greeting people before mass and they come in all sour, and as soon as you smile, their face changes. It makes a difference. One simple gesture can make a whole different change for people's lives.

 

To be able to greet another person. I was reading a commentary today about a gentleman who was driving down the street and there was this one crossing guard was there every day, and she would smile at everybody. So this one day he decided, well, he's gonna smile back. It changed his life. 'cause not only seeing her smile, but him responding with a smile changed him.

 

For us to have that grace to be able to witness to our brothers and sisters of the joy of God's presence in our lives, that he gives us so much and we should be joyful. It's hard sometimes when we're preaching and we look out and everybody looks like they wanna go to sleep

 

in reality. I am sure most are just pondering what is being said, but to be able to give back to God the joy that he has provided for us and the Lord continue to inspire us and strengthen us in our faith, and to be that servant who is ready for when the Lord comes to be a witness of his grace for our brothers and sisters.

October 18, 2025 - Unyielding Faith, Moses, the Persistent Widow and the Call to Perseverance.

  The key to our scriptures this evening is that of persistence. We first see the persistence of Moses in his war against the amids to bring a victory, but it wasn't easy holding up our hands for any period of time. We get weak, and as he got weak, they would overtake his his kingdom. But when his hands were raised, they'd win again.

 

To have the wisdom of finding a stone frame to sit on so that they could help support his arms was such a bright idea that would come to them so that he could have that victory. Then there's some incredible letter that Paul writes to his good friend Timothy. I charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead.

 

And by his appearing and his kingly power proclaim the word, be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient, it confess. Reprimand encouraged through all patience and teaching. That's the real key to priesthood is to be that witness to the faith, to be strong in our commitment to delivering the truth to the people of God.

 

Whether it's convenient or inconvenient in too often today's society, it's easier to be inconvenient than convenient 'cause the world doesn't want to hear what we have to say. They have their own. Guidance as it were, which is totally against the will of God. And we have to be strong. We have to be forthright.

 

And that can be a challenge 'cause the world doesn't want to hear it. And sometimes that happens within our own families. One of the hardest things in confession is hearing parents say, our children have lo left the church. I think in reality that's not really true. 'cause as parents, we've given them the truth and it's there.

 

It's, it's somewhere in there. And if we are truly like St. Monica and we're praying for our children, they'll return. She waited 30 years for Augustine to come back to the church. And what an incredible time that was. It would not only come back to the church, become one of its greatest teachers, one of the greatest men of faith, even confessing his own sinfulness so that others could see the light of God in their own lives.

 

And as the Lord today talks about this judge who's pretty wicked 'cause he doesn't believe in God, he doesn't believe in. His brothers and sisters 'cause he's the judge. He makes all the right decisions. Yet this poor widow keeps coming to him saying, you've got a rule for me back over and over and over again.

 

And finally he says, I guess I better do something. Or someday she's gonna go whack me. Well, I don't think she would ever do so. But her persistence is what won her victory. So we have to have that same persistence to really recognize God is there for us. He cares for us. He cares for us so much that he's willing to sacrifice his own son for us, giving us the possibility of turning life, eternal life.

 

But if we don't live our faith, then we're at risk. Through this wonderful gift that we received this evening, this wonderful gift of Jesus Christ himself that comes to us in this incredible sacrament that gives us the strength to carry on that mission. Just as he gave this great calling to the disciples to be able to reach out and touch their brothers and sisters, bringing them the faith.

 

Will Lord help us to be that witness to our brothers and sisters to bring Christ in his love, his mercy, his forgiveness and his grace to our brothers and sisters.

 

October 11, 2025 - From Leprosy to Thanksgiving: The Samaritan Who Returned

  Two incredible events take place in our readings, both involving lepers, the first being healed and going back to give thanks and there's no greater God than your God. He says to them, then we have the 10 lepers way off in a distance. 'cause they weren't there allowed to get near anyone else. So Lord sees them after they yell.

 

And he says, go yourselves. Show yourself to the priest, and they all take off. What's interesting about this account is the one that returns, 'cause you went to see a priest, it wasn't a Jewish priest, it was a Samaritan priest. So I often wonder, what did that priest say to him that was different than the others?

 

Go back and tell him, thanks. Give thanks to his God for what he has done. In many ways we are lepers. 'cause we all have sores mostly that no one else can see, but we can see them ourselves and we too need to be healed. That's why we have this incredible gift of reconciliation when we can go and be cleansed of our sins to give thanks to God for all that he has done for us.

 

It is good to see so many are returning to the sacrament today. There was over 40 people that came to the gift before mass to imagine that taking place again in a church. The times that I've been up in Kettering for celebrations, they had to call me to help 'cause they already had three priests and they were still needing priests to help with a sacrament.

 

That is so hopeful 'cause it's saying we understand the need for healing within our own lives and that the only one that can bring that healing is God himself. God in the blessed trinity heals us of our sinfulness. But first we have to acknowledge it that we are sinful people. But too often our pride gets in the way.

 

We think we're better. That we think we have the answers. In reality we don't. The other one that really has the answers is God himself, but he guides us. He gives us what we need to be able to be that source of strength and courage, not only for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters, for the members of our families.

 

'cause how we live and how we recognize our own sinfulness helps us to understand the sinfulness of others. And to be able to give forgiveness and grace such wonderful gifts that we have to offer. The greatest gift of all the Lord saw that we needed was himself, that he so freely gives us from this altar that he feeds him, feeds us with himself.

 

May we accept that gift. And prepare ourselves to be that example of strength and courage for our brothers and sisters, bringing them to the gift of reconciliation, their own gift of forgiveness for them and for ourselves.

 

 

October 8, 2025 - Jonah’s Anger and God’s Mercy

 I love this story of Jonah and his relationship with God. He's angry at God in the beginning because God is of given forgiveness, and yet he knows that's the very heart of who God is compassionate and loving and caring, but he's still mad at him. You did all this stuff to me. Why aren't you being cruel to them?

 

And yet. God gives him the simple grace. He protects him overnight, but then when morning comes, he falls into the same predicament. He's angry at God again. I think for the most part, we're very much like Jonah. We can get so angry at God. Why aren't you doing this for me? Why aren't you taking care of me?

 

Oh, God takes care of us. We're the ones that are usually at fault. We're the ones that don't really listen to his word. We don't practice the faith that we've been given to know that we truly have a loving and tender and merciful God, and yet we are far from that. We don't forgive very easily. And the worst is when we don't forgive ourselves in the sacrament of reconciliation, when people at the end, because it's been tradition and for all my past sins.

 

Well, if those sins have been forgiven, they're forgiven. Stop holding onto them 'cause they're not gonna take you anywhere. Good. To really recognizing God is so forgiving, then we have to be forgiving of ourselves. And today when he's asked, teach us to pray, he gives us the greatest prayer of all. There's no greater prayer than the Lord's Prayer.

 

To really listen to the words, to proclaim them whenever we say them, to really understand what we are saying. Too often we rush through it just to get through it. There's nothing worse, and the times when I've been in communion with others and playing the rosary and they want to get it done in 10 to 15 minutes.

 

When in reality it should take 20 to 25, 30 minutes if we're truly praying, allowing those words to touch the very heart of who we are, to know that God is present to us, and asking the intercession of blessed mother to give us that guidance that we need, may our prayer truly be one of unity -- Union with God and with one another.

 

 

October 4, 2025 - Mustard-Seed Faith: Trusting a Caring Master

 It is a fascinating gospel that we hear. The first part seems so obvious, Lord, increase our faith. Don't we all wanna say that to the Lord? 'cause our faith, for the most part, is pretty weak, and we need to have that help to be even more compassionate and caring and loving for one another and for ourselves.

 

And he says, simple. If you have the faith, the size of a mustard seed, you can say that it's mulberry tree be uprooted and planted into the sea and it would obey you. That's not much faith is it? Very simple. Yet we still lack. We still struggle. Then we hear this interesting tale of this master and a servant.

 

What is a servant to do? Well, he's to do what he's supposed to always do, obey the teaching and the directions of his master. So it's interesting. He starts out and saying, well, servant, come in and sit down and have your food and drink. I'll take care of you. It doesn't seem very logical. Rather that you are to be weighted upon,

 

the servant is there to help the master. I think sometimes we get confused in our own lives on who's the master in our lives, especially in our culture today. We want to be the ones in charge. We want to have all the say and rarely do we rely on the Lord to be that master in our own lives. And that's the key to the gospel.

 

We have to turn to the Lord, he will provide for our needs. We are to wait on him. And that can be a challenge at times. 'cause we get so caught up in our own lives and what we want to do and the things that we have to do. But if we really step back, usually those things we don't need to do. Because if we truly put our faith and trust in God, he'll take care of everything.

 

For us to have that understanding is such a great gift. 'cause that's the wisdom comes with age. As we get older, we realize there's not much ahead of us, far fewer days before us than is after. So what do I do with the last of my days? How do I spend them in loving God and loving my brothers and sisters?

 

As I'm getting older, I'm recognizing there's not as many summers ahead of me and how am I gonna fulfill those days? Summer seems to be so short and winter's so long, and yet they're the same length. To recognize the gifts that we have are so precious and that the Lord has given us each and every day, 365 days of the year, each one, unique and wonderful, all and the ability to give praise to God, to recognize we are servants of the Lord.

 

So what does that mean for us? We like the disciples to be willing to reach out to the brothers and sisters and share the faith that God loves us so dearly and we in turn need to love one another. I mean, Lord, help us in that journey through this incredible gift that we receive tonight in his Eucharist, that he gives us himself this wonderful, unique gift.

 

Nowhere else in the world can you receive this gift than from the mass The Lord blesses us and the strength of us in our faith. Let us bring that faith to our brothers and sisters.

 

 

October 3, 2025 - Woe and Welcome: Hearing the Lord’s Call Today

     It has always fascinated me when we have a reading like our first today, that we would end with, thanks be to God. 'cause it's anything but thankful things were happening that were not good. And it often reminds me that the past really never changes. That rather that letter could be written to us today how much we have forsaken the Lord.

 

How we've turned away from him in so many parts of our lives today. Our culture is in a way, foreign to what we should be living. People have faith and understanding and compassion and mercy, but also tied to the Lord, listening to what he has to tell us and living that faith and that continues in our gospel today.

 

Woe to you Zen. Woe to you be. Why are you not listening to the Lord? Why are you not living your faith? It's often hard for priests to preach to congregation because you're the choir. You're already living your faith. What needs to be done is going out to the broader world and saying, you need to change.

 

You need to be open to the Lord speaking to you. And that can be really difficult. 'cause sometimes it's even a challenge within our own families for them to hear the word of God and to live that word. But yet that's our calling, not just for priests and bishops and the Pope, but for each one of us. We have responsibility to live the faith and to guide others to the faith.

 

We ask the Lord to assist us in that journey. Because he is given us the help we need, that we receive right here from this altar today. 'cause the Lord gives us himself and there's no greater gift that we could receive than we receive in our baptism, in this communion and in the confirmation that we've received that the Holy Spirit's been given to us to be that challenge for our brothers and sisters.

 

The Lord continued to inspire us. To fill us with his love, that we can be that instrument of grace for our brothers and sisters.

 

 

October 1, 2026 - Forgiven — Don’t Look Back: Finding Freedom in God’s Mercy

    I often use this passage when I'm in confession, especially when people are saying, well, all of my past sins, well first of all, if they've been forgiven, we don't have to remember them anymore. That can be real Satan working against us 'cause he loves to bring up our past. But if we've been forgiven, we have to trust God's forgiveness. To look back can be a terrible thing for us.

 

I think that image of the one who is plowing, if he looks back, he goes off course. He can't keep on the straight and narrow. So we have to always look forward. How am I gonna live my life? That is for the gift of God to be a instrument for our brothers and sisters of what did it that makes us different.

 

That makes us special because the way we live our lives. On that journey forward looking at the promised goal of being with God for eternity. If we keep looking back, we're gonna be lost. I think one of the great gifts that came from the Exorcist, the movie, as hard as it was to watch, is the what happens to the young priest?

 

Because Satan keeps reminding him of how he treated his mother. Well, as long as he was looking back, he couldn't provide the ministry he needed for the young girl. I think that can happen so often in our lives. We keep looking back instead of looking forward, and God wants us to be forward looking 'cause that way we really help ourselves and we help our brothers and sisters, your Lord, help us in the greatest gift that's possible in this Eucharist.

 

To receive him in the fullness of his love, to be able to proclaim that truth to our brothers and our sisters.

September 29, 2026 - Seeing the Son of Man: Nathaniel’s Moment of Truth

     To have been like Nathaniel, a man without duplicity. He was not two faced. He had a true heart. Being able to see the greatness that was in front of him, seeing the son of God and proclaiming that wisdom. Yet it's interesting that Jesus never ever called himself the son of God. He only called himself the son of man.

 

Isn't that interesting? It was others that called him the son of God. And truly that is who he is, but he never wanted to place himself above God himself, even though he was God. One of the three persons of Blessed Trinity, a man beyond our own comprehension in many ways. Yet he was truly God and truly man.

 

And for Nathaniel to be able to see that great gift that was in his midst was a great gift. And for us to recognize within our own lives, the Lord that is present before us, to know that he is present right now, each and every one of us. He's constantly giving himself to us. How well do we appreciate that gift?

 

To be able to see like Nathaniel here is the son of God who loves us and cares for us. And today as we honor these incredible archangels to recognize their gift to us in so many different ways, announcing the incarnation to be able to help in the desert to be present. And giving life to those who need it and protection to really rely on the angels for their gift to us.

 

And being a messenger of God, that's one of the greatest gifts to be open to them speaking to us. And sometimes that can be a challenge because we angels, you gotta be talking about something that's really foreign, but can be, or it can be something that really touches our heart. I was in an accident once and I thought, I don't know how I made it through it.

 

It's a guardian angel. One good friend of mine. We were traveling out of Butte and we're coming down the hill and it was all ice and there were cars all over the road down below. We got through it. I don't know how we got through it. But the interesting thing is that priest that was with me is now a bishop.

 

God had his guardian angel with us helping us get through that with no problems to rely on the angels to help us as a great gift. The Lord help us in understanding as we see the son of man that he, Nathaniel, has given that wisdom through the Holy Angels. To be able to beyond himself and not be duplicitous, but open to the presence and the glory of God.

September 28, 2026 - Across the Chasm: Lazarus and the Rich Man

    This morning we are faced with a paradox, (and that's not a couple of physicians).

 

A paradox of two individuals. We have a young man who's outside the wall, starving with sores, not given anything, and maybe even a few scraps that he's given by people passing by. Was taken by the dogs that were licking his wounds, and we have a gentleman on the other side who has everything God has blessed him with so much that he doesn't see what's happening on the other side of his wall.

 

This man who is named Lazarus, which means God is my help. Kind of ironic. That the two men that are in the scripture by the name of Lazarus are given great hope. Here's this young man who has given new life by God for all of his suffering. Then we have the close friend of Jesus who the Lord gives new life from the dead.

 

He's in a tomb and the Lord brings him back to life. The question for ourselves is, which side of that chasm are we on? Are we like Lazarus or like the rich man? The rich man had want for nothing, and yet he didn't see the need of his brothers that was laying on the other side of his door. He didn't care.

 

We can be like that so easily. I can remember driving to the store and there's these beggars asking for money and against the other side of the street is a store that says, help want it. I'm thinking, why can't he just walk over there and get a job instead of just wanting a handout?

 

I remember one of my brother priests, when anyone would come to the door, he would always offer them some cash and I was only, you know, he is. They're gonna just spend it on booze says, I don't care. That's their responsibility, not mine. I give them what I can

 

for us to recognize. Where are we in this life that we share? Do we care about our brothers and sisters and their want, or do we keep everything to ourselves because that's our culture, it's all for ourselves. And where do we think about our brothers and sisters if that's the very core of the gospel today?

 

The Lord's saying, look at the poor around you. How can you help them? And we do so much in a church when we provide through our cash that we give to the church, it provides ministry to our brothers and sisters. But that does not free us from our own personal responsibility at times to be able to reach out and touch the lives of our brothers and sisters when we see they need our help.

 

That can be a true challenge. If God gives us the ability, 'cause he always provides, if we trust his love, he always pays us back. He always gives us more than we really need and he gives us everything at this altar 'cause He gives us his very self. Jesus is here. He asks us to follow him. To take up our cross, and that can be a challenge at times, but he will never abandon us.

 

He constantly loves us and he asks us to love one another. May we be responsive to that love and share our love with our brothers and sisters.

September 24, 2026 - From Temple to Test: Ezra’s Call to Repentance

   Yesterday we heard from Ezra, the building of the temple, the restoration, and it was accomplished because of a foreign king, one who had been an enemy but had a change of heart and helped them to build the temple. And today, Ezra is saying, but we've been a wicked people. We've not really listened to the Lord, we've not followed him, and we're embarrassed.

 

We need to change our lives. I think that's true even today. We really need to examine who we are as children of God, that we're not perfect. We make mistakes. We err, we're sinful, and yet God still provides for us. He gives us everything that is good, but we have to be responsive to the Lord in our own way.

 

Him to give him thanks for all he has done for us today is Jesus sends out the 12 to bring healing and grace to the people of God. He's making them be challenged 'cause it's not easy. They're not to take anything with them. It's interesting how God provides, even when he tells us to take nothing. Yeah, it's interesting that once a priest is retired, that's exactly what happens.

 

He has nothing, but God still provides, and that's a great gift that he offers to us. He's always going to be there to give, give us what we need, but we have to be responsive and responsible to provide, not for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters. May Lord help us in that challenge to be forthright, to be challenged, but to be merciful just as the Lord himself is merciful to us.

September 23, 2026 - Rejoice in the House of the Lord: Joy, Mercy, and Family

  To go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. There's no greater gift than to be able to come with joy to this place, the center of our worship. But that doesn't mean it's only here. It's everywhere. But to give this place it's due honor. You're willing to sacrifice to have it present to us that we can gather as a body of Christ.

 

To celebrate his mercy and his love to have all these people witnessing the Lord's family coming to him and saying they, they wanna see you. And he steps back and says, no. Everyone who proclaims the truth is a member of my family, meaning we are part of his family. And do we really understand that grace has been given to us, that we are part of Christ's family.

 

He loves us that dearly to recognize that as we gather together, that we are brothers and sisters, that we need to care for one another. And that can be a challenge. Sometimes even sitting next to somebody in church that we're not the closest to, and yet, that's how we should treat them as a sibling, one that we should care for.

 

And what does it mean to care for another person? Or sometimes the real challenge is being able to confront them. Confront them on things maybe they haven't done correctly. And to be willing to be chastised ourselves because we're not perfect either. And to have that humility and that love for another person is so very important.

 

The Lord help us in our journey of faith. Because we aren't perfect, but God loves us nonetheless and he calls us to repentance for mercy and for peace for one another. Today as we honor Padre Peel, an incredible man spending 12 to 16 hours a day in confession. Hearing people's confessions. What amazes me that he knew their sins before they did.

 

If they didn't confess everything, he would say, you have one more thing to confess. I'm glad I don't have that gift. Oh, the pain that would be to know everyone's sins, to imagine the suffering that he went through from the age of five, knowing that he was going to be a person of great love for God and be sacrificed through the incredible stigmata.

 

The pain to see all that blood pouring forth from his body and the sacrifice of Christ. The interesting thing is about the Sigma is that it didn't smell like blood. It smelled like flowers, the fragrance of God coming forth. I've been told at times that I'm like, father Peel. And there's no way I'm close, but to imagine what it must have been like, the pain and suffering.

 

Yet he endured it out of love for God, even though he is ill most of his life. He did it for love of God and for us in our small little injuries that we have to recognize that God loves us despite. And maybe sometimes because of our injuries, he helps us to overcome that bitterness that we may have.

 

And to love one another and to love ourselves knowing that we are made in the image of God.

September 20, 2026 - Come With Joy: Eucharist, Sacrifice, and the Call to Witness

 As we listen to our responsorial psalm, I think there's nothing greater than these words come with joy into the presence of the Lord, the joy that we have enable to come before the Lord, and this great gift that he has to offer us to recognize how much God loves us. He is willing to sacrifice his own son, that we could have eternal life to be able to come to the Eucharist.

 

This time of Thanksgiving, I think sometimes we fail to understand the word of Eucharist of Thanksgiving, to be able to come and give thanks for everything the Lord has done for us this past week and asking for his help in the week coming. It's such a wonderful gift that he has to offer us, and as we listen to the gospel, where do we fall upon this?

 

Time of, of being fertilized and giving grace to our brothers and sisters by how we are planted. Are we firm in that commitment? Are we willing to sacrifice for that love of God? As we've seen in the last week and a half, how one individual is willing to stand up for faith. Willing to give his life so that others could be informed by God's love to hear the truth.

 

And I think far too often we're not willing to stand up for the truth. We shy away from it, and yet we're called as people of faith to go forth and proclaim the truth as difficult as it may be, even within our families. Our community, and sometimes even in the church, to be a strong witness to God's presence and his life, and the gift that he gives us in these incredible gifts, the holy scripture and his wonderful gift that is given to us on this salter.

 

Why do we shy away, to recognize the gift that Charlie Kirk gave to the world of being willing to sacrifice himself, to bring truth. Not many people don't want to hear the truth, and that's frightening. Are we willing to be that source of strength for our brothers and sisters? Bring them the truth. As we look at all the martyrs, the martyrs we share today, they're incredible witnesses in South Korea.

 

Of willing to stand up and say, this is my faith, and to see them put on a cross, he and his companions are all lined up along the road, all crucified as a witness against the church, and yet they were his strongest witnesses. And it's interesting that his father, not long after, was sacrificed as well. because he was converted to the faith and he too would be crucified.

 

We're not willing to be crucified. We don't do that in our culture, but we can be assassinated if we're really gonna be true to our faith. When in the seminary, we were taught you're gonna be facing a lot in the future. And of course, 40 years ago we had never thought of that kind of sacrifice. But it's real, and we have to acknowledge that truth and be willing to stand up for our faith. May the Lord through this gift, through this Cursillo, help us to be aware of that presence that God has for us, and to be able to willing and to share that faith with our brothers and sisters.

 

September 17, 2026 - Uncomfortable Truths: When the World Rejects the Gospel

  It amazes me how in 2000 years the world has not really changed very much. The people were not happy when the Lord came preaching the truth. They turned away from him trying to find reasons to hate him. Oh, look, he's a drunkard. He eats with sinners. How disgraceful.

 

And yet John the Baptist did neither. They despised him as well as we see in the events of this past week. We see how the world has not changed. They still don't want to hear the truth, and I think unfortunately, the church has not been very good at proclaiming the truth either. We as pastors and bishops have not spoken up for the truth. We tend to whitewash things, cover 'em up so we don't have to address them, and that's really basically a sin. Because we have a responsibility of guiding people to the truth, of teaching the truth. And if we don't do that, then we're at fault.

 

People don't want to hear the truth. Because we wanna live in our own world. We don't want to give ourselves to Christ. The Lord is here to help us. He gives us the truth in the very presence that we reside in today. The incredible truth of this altar Christ giving himself to us, challenging each one of us to live the truth. To be a witness to that truth, to our brothers and sisters, even when it hurts.

 

And it can hurt within our families, within our community, and sometimes even within the life of the church. But we have to be, have the courage to be that witness of truth, to bring others to the reality that God loves all his children, but he challenges us. To live a faith that is worthy of who we are in our baptism, in our confirmation, in the very Eucharist that we participate today.

 

The Lord help us in that journey to be people of truth and to lead others to that same truth.

 

September 16, 2026 - Arise: A Call to New Life and Service

  As we listened to our first reading this morning from Paul's letter to Timothy, I'm glad he talked about bishops and deacons and not priests. Interesting how bishops and deacons be married only once. At that time, that was a good thing because many of them were coming from a married life, so it was giving them an opportunity to serve the church.

 

But it's also interesting that he included women 'cause that was unheard of at that time, women didn't have any role. He was saying, I'm giving them a role within the life of the church. Sometimes I think we forget in our own ministries how important the life of women is. They not only bear children, but they bear the life of the church.

 

Because the first people that the Lord visited after his resurrection were women. Isn't that an interesting fact? They had to go and tell the disciples what had taken place. "The Lord has risen." We saw him. What incredible gift that the Lord is willing to come to all of us and share the gift of new life.

 

Today is Jesus' journeying and he sees this poor woman. She has nothing. There's not gonna be anyone to take care of her. And he has moved with such pity that he goes to the coffin to imagine that here he comes and he touches the coffin. And of course they're gonna stop. Young man arise. He gives him back to his mother so she can have the fullness of life.

 

The Lord says that to us in the power of this Eucharist today, I tell you, arise, be filled with the life that God has for us. They cause us beyond ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters. The Lord continued to bless us as we journey forth. To be that sign of hope and blessing for one another.

 

 As we listened to our first reading this morning from Paul's letter to Timothy, I'm glad he talked about bishops and deacons and not bi and priests. Interesting how bishops and deacons be married only once. At that time, that was a good thing because many of them were coming from a married life, so it was giving them an opportunity to serve the church.

 

But it's also interesting that he included women 'cause that was unheard of. In that time, women didn't have any role. He was saying, I'm giving them a role within the life of the church. Sometimes I think we forget in our own ministries how important the life of women is. They not only bear children, but they bear the life of the church.

 

Because the first people that the Lord visited after his resurrection were women. Isn't that an interesting fact? They had to go and tell the disciples what had taken place. The Lord has risen. We saw him. What incredible gift that the Lord is willing to come to all of us and share the gift of new life.

 

Today is Jesus' journeying and he sees this poor woman. She has nothing. There's not gonna be anyone to take care of her. And he has moved with such pity that he goes to the coffin to imagine that here he comes and he touches the coffin. And of course they're gonna stop. Young man arise. He gives him back to his mother so she can have the fullness of life.

 

The Lord says that to us in the power of this Eucharist today, I tell you, arise, be filled with the life that God has for us. They cause us beyond ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters. The Lord continued to bless us as we journey forth. To be that sign of hope and blessing for one another.

 

September 13, 2026 - The Greatest Gift: Christ in the Eucharist

   For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that he might believe in Him might not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but the world might be saved through him. For us to recognize that great truth that Jesus came to save us.

 

To unite us once again with a father, there is no greater gift that God could give us than willing to sacrifice his own son. For our sake to recognize that gift as we receive the Lord today in this wonderful Eucharist who understand what a blessed thing has taken place within the mass. A God in the Holy Spirit comes upon these wonderful gifts of bread and wine, making them Christ's body and blood.

 

There's no greater gift as we read in our first reading. It's interesting how God's people never seem to be happy. They're always looking for an answer, and they weren't happy with Moses. Why have you put us out here in this desert? We're dying of thirst. We don't have anything to eat. Why have you done this to us?

 

Go pray to God. And he does. And God says, I will provide. And God did that. Doesn't have to take place anymore. 'cause God gives himself to us every time we come to Mass. Every time we receive Vatican. God has given to us to raise us up beyond our own lives, to recognize we are united in the one brilliant faith that God has saved us.

 

We pray for our world who is very lost in these days, and yet there's a growing faith out there. Young people are coming back to the church. It's amazing how many people have been converted to the Catholic church in this last year. It's happening all over the world now. Young people are turning back to a faith that they had never had before to see the college campuses being lifted up to watch Ohio State football team baptizing people into the faith.

 

What an incredible gift. That God is still working. He still loves us as he always has and always will. And for us to be that sign of faith for our brothers and sisters to bring them the faith. And one of the great opportunities we have in this parish family is a rescue project, which is forthcoming.

 

Where we have an opportunity to understand the scriptures, the gospel working within our lives for us as adults to take this into ourselves, to recognize the gift that God has for us and for us to be able to provide it for our brothers and sisters, Lord, continue to bless us in this journey of faith, that we can be the example to bring others to the faith and understand the joy and the love that God has of.

 

Through his son a great gift that we receive in this Eucharist.

September 10, 2026 - Words that Matter: Choosing Speech in a Distracted World

 As we listen to our first reading today, Paul's letter to the people of Colossian. It's fascinating how he wants them to focus on the things of heaven and not of earth and to be careful of what we say. How, I was at a breakfast one day with another priest friend, and behind me were two gentlemen in conversation.

 

And the one gentleman, every other word was gd, and they were really frustrating. So at the end of the meal when we were leaving, I went up and I said, I did not appreciate what you said all through breakfast. And he looked at the other man and said, what did I say? He had to be told that he had been saying those words.

 

I think so often in our society today, we say things without even thinking. It becomes such a habit that we use words that are so false and can lead people astray. What we say with our words is so critical to our lives, how we represent Christ, how we represent ourselves as the people of faith. We have to be very careful.

 

And we have to rely on the Lord 'cause he'll tell us what to say in the proper way with the proper words. We ask the Lord to give us that guidance, especially as we receive this incredible gift today, this Eucharist, which is the Lord himself, that he gives us himself to help us in our A actions every day.

 

That we can be that example. We can bring Christ to our brothers and sisters. The Lord continue to bless us and strengthen us in that faith to help guide us in Word and indeed.

 

September 9, 2026 - Chosen from the Ordinary: the Calling of the Twelve

Today we hear the calling of the apostles, these 12 individuals. You might wonder, well, why were these 12 called? What made them different from everyone else? And they were called from the other disciples, the 72, which we know very little about, but we know something about the 12. But amazing as they were.

 

They were just ordinary people. Just doing their jobs when he goes out and chooses them to be a follower. The amazing thing is he calls each and every one of us to be a follower. We're called to take up our cross and follow him. What does that mean? It means really examining our lives and seeing those areas of our lives that we need to change to be more of truly following in his footsteps.

 

And that can be a real challenge for us is where we live our lives. 'cause we get into routines and those routines can guide us in a way that probably isn't the best. But if we truly take the time like we do when we come to mass during the week, we can take the time to really examine our lives, see where it is that I need to change, what I need to do to be more like Christ.

 

To take up his cross. To take up our cross, to be that reflection for our brothers and sisters. The power and the mercy of God, the Lord who has chosen us. Help us to be that example for our brothers and sisters to be disciples and bring Christ to one another.

 

September 7, 2026 - Give up everything: The Call to True Discipleship

  I believe that we, like the disciples at that moment must have been very confused. The Lord's saying, you have to give up everything in order to be my disciple, giving up family, giving up all their possessions to be his disciple. Are we willing to follow that example, to give up everything? What is the Lord saying?

 

Today we have another example of humility to be humble in the face of God. That we don't rely on anyone else. We can only rely on God. He's a total source of our strength and our courage to understand how we can rely on the Lord. 'cause he's gonna support us even better than our family can. And that can be frightening to be able to give up and surrender ourselves.

 

As St. Paul said, he was a prisoner for Christ. That means he gave up everything to follow him. He was an incredible individual. The traveling he did was remarkable. Bring the faith to people that had no idea. That's the gift that he brings to us today. The incredible gift of being a follower of Christ. The immeasurable gift that the Lord offers to us in this very mass.

 

He gives himself freely to us from this altar. How do we respond to that gift? It's no longer bread and wine. It becomes his own body and blood. Do we recognize that gift that is so freely given to us, be beyond anything that the world can know? 'cause they do not understand the power and the love that God has for each and every one of us, willing us to be open to his presence in our lives, to receive him in the fullness of who he is.

 

That he can bring us the freedom and graces we need to be that example for our brothers and sisters to bring Christ to others by what we do and what we say. And that can truly be a hard thing to do sometimes even with our own families, with our spouses, with our children, with our parents, to be able to show them the presence of Christ living through us.

 

That he totally gives himself to us, to fill us with that grace, to understand what grace is, a gift freely given, and to be open to that gift, which means challenging ourselves to look at ourselves and say, what do I need to do to change my life to be closer to Christ? Because when we become closer to Christ, we become closer to everyone else.

 

'cause just as he reached out to all those who needed his help, he was there for them. And we need to follow that example. Being there to help our brothers and sisters, sometimes just with a friendly smile, can bring a multitude of blessings to another person to reach out her hand when there's a need. To be present.

 

Sometimes that's all it takes. I remember in a seminary they said, it's not what you say when you visit people, it's your being present. And that can be difficult at times. 'cause I know when I go into certain circumstances, I don't know what to say. That's okay. Just being present can be such a great gift.

 

May we be more like St. Paul and willing to reach out and touch those lives that we wouldn't normally touch. Bringing them a presence of Christ, that's God's gift to us through the incredible gift to the Eucharist, to be that witness, that source of strength for one another.

 

September 3, 2026 - Healed and Serving: Jesus Restores and Inspires

  For such a short passage of scripture, there's a lot going on. First, Jesus is doing his traveling and he comes to the home of Simon Simon's mother-in-law's ill. So he goes and brings her healing. What's amazing that she gets up and starts waiting on them. You would think, I've already done all that I need to do 'cause I've been sick.

 

But yet she gets up and waits on them. To imagine that kind of grace and thanksgiving to give to the Lord and they keep bringing more people 'cause they've seen what he's done and all these people are coming and he's healing all of them. And even the devil is working 'cause they know who he is. I always find that fascinating how we have struggle.

 

Accepting the Lord in our lives, especially in the gift of the Eucharist, and yet Satan recognizes it. He knows Christ is present and he's doing everything he can to make it so that we don't appreciate what we have. I just don't understand how so many Catholics have left the church when they have the greatest gift, right?

 

Be front in front of them. We have Christ with us. He gives himself to us and there's no greater gift. Why would we ever leave the church when we have Christ right here?

 

Then he says to the people, I've got more places to go. You can understand why they don't want him to leave 'cause he is bringing all this cure to all of them no matter what their affliction. We would say the same thing. If he were here, don't go. We need you here. If he knows he has more ministry to perform, he gives us that gift as well to reach out to our brothers and sisters, bringing them healing to touch their lives, to know that God loves them and that's the gift that we have to offer the Lord who has nourished us.

 

Then we in turn nourish our brothers and sisters.

 

September 2, 2025 - Are You Ready? St. Paul's Call to Watchfulness

  As St. Paul is writing to the people, he's sharing an incredible gift with them. 'cause they've been blessed. But are they ready? Are they ready for the coming of the Lord? It's a question that he asks of each of us. We've been so blessed. God has given us every opportunity. To show our love for him and for our brothers and sisters, and yet he's going to come at an unexpected time.

 

Are we gonna be ready? That's a real challenge. 'cause that means that every moment we should be on our best to do what is the best for ourselves, for our families, and for our community to be outstanding individuals that bring Christ's presence to one another. That can be a challenge at times because sometimes it means correcting and none of us like to be corrected, but sometimes we have to be challenged 'cause we're not living the best life that we can live and we all force fall short.

 

But that's okay. 'cause God always welcomes us home. He's always there to say, come back. He's never going to deny us, but we have to have that open spirit. To recognize that we're not perfect, but God calls us to perfection. May the Lord help us in that journey of faith to recognize that he's present to us, especially in when we receive this incredible gift to the Eucharist, that he supports us.

 

He loves us, and he calls us for the betterment of ourselves.

 

September 1, 2025 - He Walked Through Them: A Message Rejected and Continued

As we listen to our scripture readings today, it's interesting when we listen to the Lord here, he has proclaimed this incredible message to the people of God, and at first they're overwhelmed by it. It's such an powerful statement of what's happening in their lives. But then when he goes and preached a little further, they get angry.
 
We don't like what he's saying. We want to get rid of him. So they take him out to the top of the hill to throw him away, and what does he do? He walks right through the midst of them and goes away only to continue his message to more people. The one gift that we have from our first greeting today is St. Paul's incredible courage that he had to travel around the whole Mediterranean area. I remember studying about Paul's journey and you see it on the map and you think, wow, that was something. But until I had the opportunity last year to actually go to Greece and be able to follow in his footsteps to realize the incredible work that he did accomplished, traveling from the different cities and giving the message of Christ to his brothers and sisters, foreign people, people that spoke a different language.
 
People that were not even connected to the Jewish community and he was bringing the message of Christ to these people. Incredible words of wisdom and of grace, and this is from a person that was persecuting the church, but his whole life was changed by the power of God. Just as God can change our lives, draw us ever closer to him.
 
And by doing so, drawing us closer to one another, the gift that we have is proclaiming Christ's message to our brothers and sisters, helping them to see the incredible love that God has for each and every one of us. May we be ministers like St. Paul, reaching out to our brothers and sisters, those who have no idea of what God is or who, and bringing them closer to him. May Lord help us in our journey of faith that as we labor for Christ, he will assist us and give us everything we need. Especially through this wonderful gift of the altar that Christ is present to us. He gives us himself and helps us in our journey to be able to bring Christ to our brothers and sisters.
 

August 30, 2025 - Humbled before the Altar: Finding True Humility

 The key to our scriptures today is a wonderful word of humility. When I was in the seminary, we had a mass and our lower chapel, and it had a platform similar to this where the priest's chair would sit, and we had a very humble and wonderful priest who became my spiritual director. And as he ended the opening prayer, he went to sit down and the chair went over.
 
He got up. Everything was a mess. And he says it happens every time. Every time before mass. I pray that the Lord will keep me humble, and all he does is humiliate me.
 
I think one of the great virtues we have in life is to be humble. And it's so easy to be humiliated, to be humbled, to recognize that there's only one person that has the fullness of righteousness, and as God himself and the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one that we need to be humbled before as we enter into this wonderful celebration of the Eucharist to truly come before the Lord.
 
As we receive his presence that Gracie offers us in this incredible sacrament to be humble, to recognize we are not at the high place he is, and we need to give him the honor that is his due is not always easy to be humble. The Lord has a way of humiliating us from time to time. Priests need to be humbled from time to time.
 
'cause we're not perfect. We make mistakes and the Lord needs to tell us. You need to step down a pagar too. You're not this great guru that you may think you are. And I've seen many priests who think they are gurus. They want to be worshiped and no one should be worshiped, the Lord himself as we gather to celebrate this incredible feast.
 
May we, in our humility, come before him with trust and love to know that he provides everything for us. 'cause he's given us himself willing to sacrifice, to be punished, to be nailed to a cross, but then in a great gift of God to be given eternal life for us. May we be that humble servant. It's interesting that the Holy Fathers call the servant of the servants of God a man of humility.
 
 
 

August 29, 2025 - Ready to Learn: A Blessing for the New School Year

 The Lord today asks us to be prepared as we start a new school year. We need to be prepared for all the great learning that's going to take place. That God is going to give you some great ideas, gonna fill your minds with wonderful things. That's a great gift that we have from God. He wants to fill us with good things.
 
As St. Paul said in the first reading, as he's talking to the people, as he's going out to minister. That they have to be open to God's love to listen to the words that he has to offer us. Jesus gives us everything that we need in life. The joy of family, of being able to come together as a body in a school to celebrate God's love together.
 
That's one of the great gifts we have as a Catholic church to be able to have our schools. To help us connect with God in a new way, to be filled with his love and his mercy. I ask the Lord to bless all of you this year to give you great gift of learning, to open your minds that God is here for you, that he loves each and every one of you.
 
My Lord indeed, bless all of us in our journey of faith. From the moment of our conception, God has shown that he loves us because he is named each one of us. And so we offer our love for each other, for our teachers, our parents, that God will be with all of us as we make this journey of faith. So I ask God's special blessing upon all of you throughout this year that he will continue to show his love and His mercy and his grace. To each and every one of you.