Pilgrim Priest

Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (C) Faith seems to be a key concept for Jesus and for Catholics. "If only I had more faith, like my Grandma." The Apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus responds with a seemingly crazy rant about a mulberry tree and unprofitable servants. Whenever Jesus doesn't make sense, we need to come around and see things from his perspective.

Uprooting mulberry trees and planting them in the sea is an impossible task. You can't do it. All you need is to have faith that God will do it. When you do, amazing things will happen. People will praise you for the great job you did and you will say, "I am an unprofitable servant."

I trusted God to take care of a busy weekend and he give me the energy I needed. I trusted God with a bigger task -- raising money for a new church -- and God took care of it.

When we look forward, we sometimes see a whole mulberry plantation in front of us. But when we look behind us, we can see that God has provided for us. Faith helps us to keep walking the right path, or to stay put when we face hardships, until we see God come through for us. In the midst of another busy time I am learning to trust and wait for God to uproot the mulberry trees.

(2 Oct 2022)

Going Deeper: Every Saturday I sit and review my past week. I noticed that prior to feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, I had two moments of joy and one moment of peace earlier in the week. I encourage you to pause each week to look back on your past week. Ask yourself:

1. My biggest blessing in the past week was …
2. My biggest challenge was …
3. Where did I notice God, and what was he doing or saying?
4. How did I respond to what God was doing?
5. I felt God’s love most strongly when …
6. I’m grateful for …
7. This past week, my strongest sense, image, moment, or experience of God’s loving presence was …

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Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (C) Today's parable has a simple message: rich people are going to hell. We in the United States, both globally or historically, are some of the richest people who ever lived. This parable is meant for us.

So what's the good news? First, the attitude of your heart is the most important thing, more important than how much we own or how much we give. Second, the rich man has both invitation and opportunity. He has been commanded by Jewish law to be generous. God has placed a rich man within easy reach. He does not have far to go to find invitations to be generous. Third, we are running out of chances to be generous. Respond with kindness while you are able.

Let me give you some practical advice.

1. Notice the needy. Learn their names. Listen to their stories.
2. See the needy as an opportunity, not an imposition.
   
3. Give in three ways:
   1. To charities that serve the poor, such as Living Waters International.
   2. Volunteer your time to serve the poor.
   3. Even if you cannot give money or time, you can still give kindness.

We need to start at home. Start noticing the needs of your of your own family and co-workers. They might need an onion and you might need to give an onion.

(25 Sep 2022)

Going Deeper: Meditate on this little story: Once upon a time there was a peasant woman and a very wicked woman she was. And she died and did not leave a

From The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Part III., Book VII: Alyosha, Chapter 3: An Onion

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Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (C) People sometimes think that Jesus is a rather straightforward teacher and the church has made everything complicated. In many cases, though, Jesus is rather confusing and the Church has tried to make things clearer. Take today's parable of the Dishonest Steward. A rich man learns that his administrator is misusing his money, so he plans to fire him. Meanwhile, the administrator takes advantage of his position to further cheat his master by reducing debts.

Is Jesus recommending dishonesty? Of course not. We must look at the change of attitude that happened. Before, the steward was only taking care of himself; now he is taking care of others in hopes that they, in turn, will take care of him.

So how does this apply to us? The rich man is God and each of us is a steward. The Master will be taking the stewardship away from you because you are going to die. When you prepare an accounting of your stewardship, you realize all the money you spent on yourself was basically wasted. "The only thing we take with us when we die is what we have given away." (Francis Cardinal George).

The biggest danger that we stewards have is that we would value money and things more than people. God wants his stewards to value his children as he does. We often see the poor and needy as a problem to be solved. We should instead recognize that the Master is sending us opportunities to be generous.

(18 Sep 2022)

Going Deeper: Meditate on these words from the final blessing from the Rite of Marriage: "May you be witnesses in the world to God's charity, so that the afflicted and needy who have known your kindness may one day receive you thankfully into the eternal dwelling of God."

Ask yourself how many afflicted and needy will be waiting to welcome me when I get to the doors of heaven?

Look for one opportunity to be generous this week. And by that I mean, see one needy person in a new light and act accordingly.

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Ordinary Time, 24th Sunday (C) Moses prayed and God had mercy on the Israelites. St. Paul himself received mercy and wanted everyone to experience it. Sometimes I get frustrated when God has mercy seven times on others, but then I turn around and receive God's mercy for the 77th time.

The children of Fatima were invited to pray the Rosary every day and to offer sacrifices for sinners. It's not enough for us to go to heaven. We also should be praying and offering sacrifices for others. I suggest praying a daily Rosary and also sacrificing meat or doing some other penance on Fridays throughout the year.

When we begin to do penance for others we discover that we ourselves still need conversion.

(11 Sep 2022)

Going Deeper: Consider committing to a family Rosary each day during the month of October. Prayerfully consider not eating meat or performing some other sacrifice every Friday throughout the year.

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Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (C) Onesimus was a slave in the city of Colossae. He ran away from his master and escaped to Rome. He discovers that he still isn't free. He makes the acquaintance of a prisoner named Paul. Though on house arrest, Paul has found true freedom and peace in Jesus Christ. He converts Onesimus to Christianity and sends him back to his former master, Philemon, with a letter of introduction to smooth things over.

We were made to serve God. We wanted to be free so we ran away from our Father's house. We became slaves to our passions, to a paycheck, and to the opinions of others. When I choose to serve God, I become a co-creator. I find that inner freedom and peace that St. Paul knew even when in prison. Whom do I serve?

(4 Sep 2022)

Going Deeper: Where do I seek freedom from God, only to find myself enslaved. How have I found freedom in serving God like St. Paul did?

Image: Gustave Doré, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | Over 10 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. Find me on Facebook/frjoelsember and Twitter @frjoelsember | Powered by Patrons

Ordinary Time, 22nd Sunday (C)

I just got back from what has become an annual tradition, a kayak-camping trip on the Great Lakes. Paddling through the waves of Lake Michigan reminds me of how small I am. But paddling 12 or 16 miles to an island and camping there brings with it a feeling of greatness.

When have you felt poor? I don't just mean a lack of money. We experience our poverty when we don't have the answers, feel not in control, or struggle with friendships. We chase power, possessions, pleasure and popularity so we never have to feel poor. As creatures, we are fundamentally poor. When we embrace our poverty, we also experience greatness.

Let me tell you the story of the Innkeeper's Daughter. It reminds us that Jesus embraced poverty. When Jesus invites us to take the lowest place, he is inviting us to come sit down next to him. Embrace your poverty. Give to those who cannot repay you, and you too will experience greatness.

(28 Aug 2022)

Going Deeper: Reflect on a recent experience of smallness or poverty. What happened? How did you respond to the feeling? What can you learn from that experience?

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Ordinary Time, 20th Sunday (C) Jeremiah finds himself stuck in the mud at the bottom of a cistern. Is he angry that the people haven't listened to him? Is he hopeless? Depressed? Or does he hold out hope in God? In the end he remains faithful and God rescues him.

Jesus wants to set the earth on fire with God's love. But most of us our smoldering. How do we love like Jesus in the midst of a world grown cold and dark? We fix our eyes on Jesus and we will experience the fruits of faithfulness.

(14 Aug 2022)

Going Deeper: Can you think of a time that God rescued you from the mud, metaphorically speaking? How can you help to rescue others?

Brought to you by Oriens 2022: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas

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Ordinary Time, 19th Sunday (C) Last week I explained how all the things of this world are like so many bubbles. What, then, are the things that don't pop?

Only God IS. Everything else comes from God and depends on God. He is solid, and Faith enables us to stand on Him. Faith teaches us three things: 1) We come from God. 2) We are going to God. 3) God's loving care will lead us to him.

Today's Gospel explains two consequences oft this faith. Why store up bubbles if they are only going to pop? Share them generously and you will bless others and God, in turn, will bless you. Secondly, you should be prepared to pop at any moment. Our Lord and Master is also a servant. Serve him faithfully here and now and he will serve you in eternity.

(7 Aug 2022)

Going Deeper: Have I been a faithful servant of Jesus? What is one way I can worry less about this world and be better prepared for eternity?

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Over 10 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast.
Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies.
Find me on Facebook/frjoelsember and Twitter @frjoelsember