Following Stars

Epiphany

Today three wise men/three kings/three magi arrive at the place where Jesus was born after following the sign of a star.  The presence of these three non-Jewish kings shows that God is calling not only the Jewish people but ALL people of the world to believe in and follow His Son Jesus.  God’s sign was a star; everyone can see the stars.  So why is it only these three wise men who followed that star?  Was everyone else just too busy?  Were they so caught up in life that they didn’t even notice the sign?  We encounter three different kinds of people in the Gospel today: those who don’t notice the sign, those who notice the sign but don’t follow it, and those who notice the sign AND follow it.  This week: What are the signs God is placing in your life (what are the stars)? And when you see a sign, do you follow it?

Raw Prayer

3rd Sunday of Advent

This weekend we encounter a powerful New Testament figure, John the Baptist, in a difficult and dark time – literally and figuratively.  John has been imprisoned, he probably knows he is not getting out anytime soon, and he (who proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God and prepared for Jesus’ coming by his preaching and teaching) is now questioning whether or not Jesus is the promised one of God.  We can all take two important lessons away from John’s experience, lessons useful for our everyday life of prayer, but especially in our own times of darkness: 1) John is honest with his doubts 2) John lays his doubts at the feet of Jesus.  When we are raw with our thoughts and emotions, when we lay them at the feet of our Lord without any filter, then we finally give God permission to enter into the most important areas of our life.  Try it (I dare you) and God will bring great things out of it!

I Love You, I’m Proud of You

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?

Thankfulness & Generosity – CSA Appeal

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 be able to sacrifice monetarily to support the CSA for your parish this coming year.

A Holy Week

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?

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

The day you’re a little more self-conscious (if you went to Church in the morning).  The day people look at you funny, wondering why your forehead is dirty but probably not willing to say anything to you about it.  The day you find out which of your co-workers are Catholic.  The ashes placed on the foreheads of millions of Christians throughout the world this day proclaim three things: we belong to God, we are totally dependent on God, and we have decided today to take concrete steps during these next 40 days to turn back to the Lord!

Vocations Work

This weekend I will be taking a prospective seminarian down to
St Francis Seminary in Milwaukee on a weekend visit (so I will not have a homily to post).  Please say a prayer for our safe travels and that this young man might hear God’s voice clearly this weekend, know what step to take next in life, and have the courage to take it-wherever that step might lead.

Generosity – Diocesan Annual Appeal

Last weekend, in place of the homily, our parishes viewed the annual diocesan Catholic Services Appeal video.  The Catholic Services Appeal supports the operational costs of our diocese, over 30 faith building programs (especially for our youth), and the education and formation of our seminarians.  Totus Tuus and Extreme Faith Camp are just two of the youth programs made possible through the diocese, both of which I have been a part of and both of which I see producing so much fruit in our youth as they encounter Jesus Christ in new and deeper ways.  God has given each of us so many blessings and gifts — please be generous with what God has given you!  (And if you don’t belong to the Diocese of Superior, please be generous in supporting those programs in your area that contribute to the building up and spreading of our amazing Catholic faith!)