Below is my homily from this Sunday.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Give Me A Drink
Below is my homily from this Sunday.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Go in Peace, to Love and Serve the Lord!!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
St. Joseph, Husband of the VIrgin Mary
Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary and it is one of my favorite days of the year. Of course, one of the reasons why it is my favorite is because St. Joseph’s in West St. Paul is my home parish, but this is not the only reason why. Another reason why it is one of my favorite days is because it always seems to fall in Lent, yet when we celebrate this Mass we sing (or say) the Gloria, which does not even happen for Sundays during Lent. But, the main reason why it is one of my favorite days is because I believe the St. Joseph is undervalued as a Saint in our world. Here is a man who had angels appear to him, and every time he always did what they asked of him. He put all of his trust in God, and did what He willed of him, and this is what we are all called to do. Also, he took on the role of a father to Jesus, and was the husband of Mary, and so for all husbands and fathers out there, he should be your example, always providing for the family, not only physically but also spiritually. If Joseph was not a spiritual man, then he would not have listened to the angels, but he was a spiritual man, and this is what we are called to be.
Of course we know that today is the patronal feast of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, so we keep him in our prayers today in a special way. However, Joseph is also the Patron of the Universal Church, and so we keep the whole Church in our prayers. On a final note, another reason why I really like this day is because it is a Solemnity during Lent, which means that it frees us from our Lenten resolutions, because as we all know, it is not right to fast on day’s the Lord has given us to celebrate. (Just don’t overdo it).
St. Joseph:
Pray For Us.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Go Deeper or Flee
On a somewhat related note, I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to go on a silent retreat. As mentioned in the homily, my first one did not go so well, but now I look forward to going on them every year. They are an opportunity to retreat from the world, and see where God is calling you to go deeper.
Below is my homily from Sunday, have a good week.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Add another Book to the Bookshelf
Something that most priests will admit to is that we have too many books. I know that I have some books that are just sitting on my book shelves (I have two book shelves, one in my office and one back in the rectory) that have never been opened. It is not that I do not enjoy reading, I love to read, but it is just hard to find the time to sit down and read. Obviously I have a lot of theological books, and I do enjoy reading those. But, the books that I like to read for pleasure the most are autobiographies or biographies of people, especially when it comes to lives of the saints.
A couple of months ago a parishioner, and reader of this blog, gave me a book to read called: The Shadow of His Wings. It is about a German soldier during World War II, who was a seminarian. So, over these last couple of months I have gradually read through the book, and I am amazed at the faith of this priest, and all of the good work that God has done through him. I am almost done with the book (I am finishing up the appendix) and I strongly recommend it to everyone. It is a fairly easy read, but at the same time will inspire you to keep on putting your trust in God.
This is what the back cover of the book states: Here is the astonishing true story of the harrowing experiences of a young German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS at the onset of World War II. Without betraying his Christian ideals, against all odds, and in the face of evil, Gereon Goldmann was able to complete his priestly training, be ordained, and secretly minister to German Catholic soldiers and innocent civilian victims caught up in the horrors of war. How it all came to pass will astound you.
Father Goldmann tells of his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice.
This book can be purchased online, and I’m sure at many religious book stores. I’m not sure if Epiphany gift center carries it or not, but I did send them an email stating that it would be a great book to add to their selection. If you do pick it up and read it, please let me know what you thought of the book, I would love to hear what you have to say about it.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Who are you going to Serve
This past weekend I preached at St. Stephens in Anoka. Here is my homily, sorry about the quality of it, it was recorded on my phone, and it ends around the 6:35 mark.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thank our Shepherd
A couple of months ago I was contacted by a reporter asking me if I would share with him some thoughts about Archbishop John Nienstedt. I responded and did not think much of it, but was grateful that this magazine, the Catholic World Report, would do an article profiling our Archbishop, so that those who read it may see how much he actually cares about the flock that he serves. This past Tuesday I received an email from the writer of the article, stating that the profile is now available. As I read through the profile, I once again was moved to pray for Archbishop Nienstedt. He does so much for the Church, and he has given his life over to the service of us, but so many times he is not thanked for what he does. What we should do is continue to pray for him, and also make sure to thank him. I know from personal experience that he reads every card that comes to him, and he sure seems to enjoy the ones that are positive towards him, rather than the negative ones. So, if you feel moved to do so, please write him a note, thanking him for all that he does. Here is where you can write him:
Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
226 Summit Ave
St. Paul, MN 55102
Also, here is a link to the magazine article, I hope that you can take some time to read it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
To Infinity and Beyond!!!
This Sunday I started off my homily talking about watching Toy Story 3 with my niece, nephew and mother. It was a great movie and one that was enjoyable to everyone watching. However, sometimes it can be hard to find movies that are appropriate to watch. I know that there are some movies out there that seem like they should be alright to watch, but once you start watching them you realize that they are not really appropriate to watch, even if they are only rated PG-13. So, a couple of years ago I decided that I was going to take advantage of a resource that the United States Council of Catholic Bishops has for all of us. It is a website where they give a brief description of the movie, and then give it a rating, ranging from A-I which is for a general patronage to O which means that the movie is morally offensive and should not be watched. Watching movies is perfectly fine, and can be a part of leisure. However, we also need to realize that there are certain movies out there that are going to be offensive to watch, and if we know about them ahead of time, how great is that, what a great resource we have to help us live our life for Christ. Here is a link for the website to the USCCB movie page, please take a look at it, and make sure to check it out before you head out to the movie theaters, or add a DVD to your queue for Netflix.
Below is my homily from Sunday, I hope you enjoy.
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Great Trip
Today is my first day back at the parish, and I’m glad to be back. I was on vacation for a week, and most of that time was spent ice fishing up at Lake of the Woods with Fr. Aaron Kalmon and Fr. Josh Brown, both classmates from the seminary. It was a very successful fishing trip, with a total of 109 fish for four and a half days of fishing. The biggest walleye was caught by me and it was 25.5 inches (out of the slot limit, so it had to be put back down the hole), which is the biggest walleye that I have ever caught. Both Fr. Aaron and Fr. Josh also caught some big walleyes but not quite as big as this one.
When I got back from up north I was able to concelebrate at a friend’s wedding, where there were 12 priests (he used to be in the seminary). It was also great to catch up with many classmates and friends that I have not seen for awhile. My vacation ended with me concelebrating Mass at St. Joseph’s in West St. Paul, where I am from, and also being able to hang out with my family (including watching Toy Story 3, with my niece and nephew). Overall, a great vacation, but as mentioned before, I’m glad to be back and be home.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
You Are the Light of the World!
Below is my homily for this Sunday. I will not have a homily for next week, because I will be on vacation and hopefully catching some fish.
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