Pilgrim Priest

Christmas Day • God created the whole universe. Then God created us in his image and likeness. You might think that between the two, God's goodness would be abundantly obvious. But humans throughout history have believed some pretty strange things. So God decided to reveal his face in the person of Jesus Christ.

The wise men present him with gifts because he himself is the most perfect gift. We continue this tradition of giving a birthday gift to Baby Jesus. The gift that he most wants is you. By dressing up nicely and coming to Mass, you present yourself to Jesus as a gift.

Sometimes we receive a gift and it's not what we were expecting. For many of us, the gift of the Christ Child at Christmas is not what we were hoping for. Maybe we wanted a bicycle, a cure for cancer, or some guidance. Instead, God gives us Baby Jesus once again. We might have to make changes to our lives if we brought him home. Best to leave him under the tree again.

What we don't realize is that Jesus is the answer, not to our wants, but to our deepest needs. We ask for peace and joy, and here he is. We ask for true love, and here he is waiting for you. We pray for guidance and here he is, waiting to walk with you. Instead of giving us the answer, he himself is the answer.

Jesus's birth in Bethlehem 2,023 years ago makes absolutely no difference to your life until you receive him in your heart. When you finally do receive him, this moment makes all the difference in the world. Merry Christmas!

(25 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: Prepare your heart, then present yourself for Holy Communion by giving yourself completely to Jesus as he gives Himself completely to you.

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Advent, 4th Sunday (B) Fr. Michael's patience helped to heal my wound of abandonment. After I got healing, I was able to be patient with him, too.

We were made by Love and for Love. But we didn't trust God and we started grasping for whatever we could get our hands on. God sends his Son Jesus to heal us at the very root. Jesus helps us to accept God's love for us at the very deepest level. His constant love reveals our wounds. Are you wounded by Rejection, Abandonment, Fear, Shame, Powerlessness, Hopelessness, or Confusion? Which of these wounds resonate with you most strongly?

God has given us the seven sacraments so that we can experience love in the very places we have felt wounded. Christmas is about opening our hearts to accept once again the healing love of Jesus, and then letting his love transform our hearts so we can become sacraments of God's love to others.

(24 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: If you live in the Wisconsin area, consider attending the Healing the Whole Person Conference in Milwaukee coming up April 11-13. Registration opens January 8.

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Advent, 3rd Sunday (B) If we sat down to list all the things that are wrong with the world, we would be here a while. Then we look at Christmas and it makes very little sense. How does one day with family opening presents fix any of the world's problems? The first Christmas makes even less sense: one more mouth to feed, and a homeless family.

You must understand that the Bible diagnoses the fundamental problem with the world as this: creatures have lost connection with their creator. We are children who have forgotten that we have a father. Without that fundamental relationship, we are lost and desperate. We grasp at things and overpower one another.

God responds, not with a plan to eliminate poverty or a vaccine to inoculate us against death, but by coming to meet us in the most innocent way possible. Jesus is willing to be the powerless creature that we refuse to be. Even though we have often forgotten God or kept him at a distance, God has never been far from us. The Incarnation is a visible sign of the invisible reality that God is with us.

When we begin to watch for the Lord to come, we begin to notice that God is with us. I pray you get to hold the Baby Jesus and fall in love this Christmas.

(17 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: Spend 5 minutes in quiet prayer just holding the Baby Jesus. What is in His heart for you?

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Advent, 2nd Sunday (B) Watch out for fake news, and for calumny. Always check the sources! Before sharing information, ask yourself three questions: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it good? 3) Is it useful?

Lies can damage relationships. Don't believe me? Ask the Hallmark Channel! Just when a couple starts to believe in the possibility of love, their relationship almost gets torpedoed by "The Misunderstanding." There would be no "happily ever after" if they didn't seek out the truth.

We have become victims of an intentional disinformation campaign. God loves us and he wants us to be happy. In order to keep us from God, the enemy lies to us about ourselves and about God. Here are seven "core wounds" according to the John Paul II Healing Center, and the lies that cause them:

Rejection: I am unloved and unlovable; no one wants me; I am not good enough.

Abandonment: No one knows me or understands me; no one cares about me; I am alone.

Fear: If I trust, I will be hurt. I am not safe and protected. I can't trust anyone or anything.

Shame: I am bad, stupid, ugly, dirty, or worthless. I am broken beyond repair. I can't be forgiven.

Powerlessness: I am weak, powerless, trapped, and can't get out.

Hopelessness: The lie that nothing ever changes; I'll never have what I want. Life is meaningless; I have nothing to live for.

Confusion: Everything is confusing. I don't understand anything. It's up to me to figure things out, and I'll never be able to know.

The lies that I believe are there to protect me from being hurt, but in the end they are keeping God at a distance and not allowing him to truly love me. Pray for the grace to recognize lies and reject them.

(10 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: Pray the St. Michael prayer to be able to recognize lies to reject them, and recognize the truth in order to accept it:

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

or:

Sáncte Míchael Archángele, defénde nos in proélio, cóntra nequítiam

Immaculate Conception • Mary was conceived without sin in the womb of her mother. Let us break this dogma down into two pieces. First, where did sin come from? God is a giver. When he made us in his image and likeness, he made us to be givers, too.

Our first parents got tricked into taking something that didn't belong to them. They felt ashamed and they hid themselves. This is original sin. Even though we know that we were made to be givers, we all look for sneaky ways to take things that don't belong to us.

A great example is the gift of our sexuality. This gift is meant to be given away to the right person, someone who will receive my gift and make a gift of themselves back to me. But we often think I should be using this gift for ourselves.

Mary is given the gift of the Immaculate Conception. This means that she is always a giver and never a taker. Her gift is meant to be given away. She gives it back to God and He blesses her and makes her fruitful. She receives from God, and gives to the world, the most perfect giver, Jesus Christ.

Each of us is a gift. Let us learn to be receivers and givers, instead of takers and users. Let us give God the gift of ourselves today at Holy Mass.

(8 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: When have you felt used, when others took from you instead of treating you as a gift? What are some sneaky ways that you have used others instead of treating them as gifts?

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Advent, 1st Sunday (B) Last week I spoke about the three questions that will be on your Final Exam. If we are busy doing the things we are supposed to be doing, we have nothing to worry about. But are we really doing what Jesus told us to do? That is the question for our Advent season.

We know that God is with us. The world that surrounds us is His Creation. Are you watching for the reminders of his presence? Think back to last Christmas... what were the things you really enjoyed? Did you notice the light and peace of the Christ Child? How did God answer your prayers last year, care for you, and provide for you?

How easily we forget that God is with us. Watch for Him and remember where you saw him.

(3 Dec 2023)

Going Deeper: Do a review of your last Christmas. Maybe just scroll through a year's worth of pictures and notice where God was with you. Spend time giving thanks.

Image (C) PilgrimPriest.us -- This photo was taken last fall at On This Rock Bookstore, and it was the last time I saw Anne Hocking alive. God did great things in her and through her. | Over 12 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share| Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal

Christ the King of the Universe (A) It's the end of the world and we all need to pass the final exam. If you have come to church the last three weeks, you now know the test questions.

1. Are you Wise or Foolish?
2. What have you done with the gifts I gave you?
3. How have you treated the poor? The King of Kings is seated on his glorious throne and all the nations are gathered in front of him. The king judges the people on how they treated him. When they protest that they have never seen him before, he responds, "Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me."
   

It sometimes appears as if God is letting people get away with murder and everything else. We might prefer that God would sort things out right now and then there was no final exam and we all got a pass into eternity. On the other hand, we often act as though, since no one else as preparing for the test, we don't have to, either.

The truth is, no one gets away with anything. Our Teacher is present with us in humble and quiet ways. We are often not humble enough or quiet enough to notice him. Advent is a great time for us to learn to be a little more quiet and humble, so we can start preparing today for our final exam.

(26 Nov 2023)

Going Deeper: Are you ever guilty of thinking, "No one else cares about what God teaches, so I won't either?" Or, "No one as looking so it doesn't matter?" At the end of the world, what are some things you did secretly that will testify in your favor when they come to light?

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Ordinary Time, 33rd Sunday (A)

In the Parable of the Talents, the master only cares about money. He is thrilled with his servants who have learned to do as he does. The third servant is terrified of losing his master's money, and gets exactly the thing he was trying to avoid.

Our master is Jesus. What does Jesus love? He as certainly not a lover of money, power, pleasure, or popularity. Jesus loves God, and he loves God's people. If we want to be worthy servants of our master, we need to learn to love what Jesus loves.

I worry that many of us, like the third servant, more motivated by fear than by love. We allow God to love us to some extent, but then we bury our faith at home and at work. How many of us are excited about Thanksgiving because we have a wonderful opportunity to share God's love with our guests?

The "worthy wife" from Proverbs 31 is putting her love into action by caring for her husband, her children, and the poor. Her love has become "incarnate" in her everyday actions. If we want to be "good and faithful servants" at the final accounting, then we must love what our Master loves, and do what our Master would do.

(19 Nov 2023)

Going Deeper: When have I allowed myself to be more motivated by fear than by love, and buried my gifts instead of bearing fruit for the Kingdom? Do I know others who bury their gifts because they feel insignificant?

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Ordinary Time, 32nd Sunday (A) The intellect is the faculty of the soul that is attracted to the truth. Everything looks true at first, but only that which as genuinely true will hold up to scrutiny. We need to develop good intellectual habits to scrutinize and retain only what is true.

The will is the power of the soul that is moved by the good. Society seems to believe, "It is good because I want it." The reality is the opposite. I want it because at looks good for me. Before we do evil, we must justify it; we convince ourselves that it is somehow good.

The fool will settle for things that look good. The wise person only wants what is truly good. Things that appear good will often turn out to not be actually good. With practice and humility, you can learn to avoid things that only appear good, and choose things that are truly good.

Wisdom begins when you realize that you are not wise and can ask for and receive help. In the last analysis, the only true and lasting good is God himself. If you learn to live wisely here and now, you will be able to enjoy God for eternity.

(12 Nov 2023)

Going Deeper: Are there areas in my life where I have allowed myself to be continually fooled by the appearance of good? What would an actually good choice look like in this area?

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Ordinary Time, 31st Sunday (A) In today's reading, the priests have "...turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction." God says, "I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people." And finally, the people themselves, "break faith with one another,
violating the covenant of our fathers."

Imagine what would happen if the doctors kept changing their teachings on healthy living to match whatever unhealthy habits were popular at the moment. We know what healthy sexuality looks like, but we priests are not teaching the truth for fear of what people might say. Consequently, the priests themselves have been terribly disgraced in this very area. And the people are suffering from broken marriage covenants.

I'm not here to make you feel bad. I want to apologize for at least five different ways your priests have failed you:

1. Priests haven't been fathers. Your priests need to be, "warm demanders." How many priests have you known that really lived up to the name of "Father"?
2. Priests haven't been good at teaching chastity because they haven't been good at living chastity.
3. Priests haven't explained, "Why." There wasn't a good answer to this question until the Theology of the Body by St. John Paul II. He teaches that my sexuality is a gift that is meant to be given away, and not used for myself.
4. Priests haven't walked with people who are struggling. We need to both teach the rules and also accompany people on the journey to healing and wholeness so they can live chastity well, without repressing or indulging.
5. Priests need to do a better job introducing people to a friendship with Jesus. Friendship with Jesus has been to source of guidance, healing, and peace for me.
   

In this day and age, the biggest thing holding the Church back from experiencing new life in Christ is not being good stewards of the gift of our sexuality. I'm not here to throw stones. I want to help you get the healing that you need to allow you to experience the freedom and peace of true chastity.

(5 Nov 2023)

Going Deeper: Do you agree with Fr. Joel's definition of healthy sexuality? Why or why not?

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