Pilgrim Priest

Easter, 3rd Sunday • The Road to Emmaus is one of my favorite stories. It's possible that a married couple, Cleopas and his wife, are walking together. They are feeling discouraged and have been walking away from the church. Seeing Jesus in the Eucharist causes them to come back to the church.

Do you want to see the risen Jesus? Then follow these three steps from today's Gospel:

1. Be really honest with Jesus. Put your burdens in front of him.
2. Receive what Jesus wants to say to you. Are you making time each day to read the Word of God?
3. Invite Jesus deeper into your life.

When we realize the Risen Jesus really is walking with us, we can say, as St. Peter does: I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.... You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

(19 Apr 2026)

Going Deeper: How is the Holy Spirit calling you to invite Jesus more deeply into your life?

DUCCIO di Buoninsegna, Road to Emmaus (scene 26) 1308-11 Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena | Thank you to those who come to our services in person. | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Easter, 2nd Sunday (Divine Mercy) This weekend the Diocese of Green Bay made public the new priest assignments. Today I read a letter from the Diocese informing the people of our parishes that our current assistant, Fr. Kamal Gopu, will be leaving us on May 4th. Our new assistant, Fr. Michael Thiel, will be starting on July 1, 2026.

The Diocese does not usually tell the story behind the decisions, which can cause confusion, doubt, and hurt feelings. St. Peter says, "In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." I don't enjoy trials, but as they often expose our weaknesses. They can also prove us and purify us.

The Risen Jesus brought great peace, strength, and unity to the early Christian community. With Jesus, they could face every trial. Transitions bring grieving and new opportunities. The same Risen Jesus stands in our midst and offers us peace when we are ready to receive it.

(12 Apr 2026)

Going Deeper: How do the trials you are facing look or feel different if you know that Jesus is with you?

Image Source | Thank you to those who come to our services in person. | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord • If Easter Sunday were just a one-day celebration, our current wintry weather would really dampen the celebration. But we began preparing for this celebration 40 days ago with the start of Lent. And Easter Sunday itself is the final day of a three-day journey, beginning with Holy Thursday and continuing on Good Friday.

The Shroud of Turin testifies to the brutality of the crucifixion, all that Jesus would have suffered. It also testifies to something else... you would have needed 34 trillion watts of energy to create this image. Was that the moment of the Resurrection?

The Holy Fire miracle happens every Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Easter reminds us that Jesus is with us and his light will always conquer the darkness.

I think most of us want to get to the end of our life and look back and say, "That was worth it!" How can we guarantee that our life can be successful? Easter reveals Jesus's secret for success: We are God's children, and doing our Father's will will lead to the most successful life possible. The Resurrection is an invitation to new life right here and right now.

(5 Apr 2026)

Going Deeper: How would my life look different if I let go of the need to be strong, smart or successful, and chose to follow the will of God in my life?

AdobeStock_715900547 | Thank you to those who come to our services in person. | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Good Friday • We experience many different forms of suffering: illness, tragedy, the death of loved ones. But the worst kind of suffering is to have no sense of our purpose. Each one of us is a gift, hand-made by God and given to the world. But the world often does not receive us as a gift. On Good Friday, Jesus is completely and totally rejected. Even though the world rejects him, he knows that his gift is safe in the Father's hands. No one can take away his gift; he gives it freely and generously.

You are worth it. Jesus died for you. No matter where you have been or what you have done, Jesus still sees you as a gift. Your gift is meant to be given back to God. When we unite our sufferings back to God, they find their meaning and purpose in the cross of Jesus Christ.

(2 Apr 2026)

Going Deeper: How can each of the kinds of suffering you experience be united to Jesus on the cross?

Image: AdobeStock_409645104 copy | Thank you to those who come to our services in person. | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Holy Thursday • The Paschal Lamb was a sacrifice and a sacred meal. It's blood saved the Israelites from the Angel of Death. It died for them, so that they could live. Then the people then consumed the sacrifice with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. We give people we love mementos of our love. Jesus reminds us of his love by giving us his very self.

Before you consume this meal, ask yourself: "Am I willing to give in the same measure?" We must love others as we have been loved. We wash feet, and then we invite those whose feet were washed to wash the feet of their loved ones. We love because he first loved us.

(2 Apr 2026)

Going Deeper: Have a family Last Supper moment by the husband washing his wife's feet, then the parents can wash their children's feet.

Image: AdobeStock_1816495077 | Thank you Fr. Kamal and Deacons Andy and Peter | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Palm Sunday (A) Today, Jesus looks like a king. He fulfills the prophecy of Zachariah 9:9. Following Jesus, and accepting his kingdom, gives us freedom from all the kingdoms of this world. Even donkeys are marked with a cross! It's easy to follow Jesus when everyone is cheering for him. But will you keep following Jesus when things get hard? If we follow Jesus and accept his kingship, then our lives will also be marked with the cross.

After the reading of the Passion

How can God be a good Father if he lets us suffer? How could God be a good Father when he lets Jesus die on the cross? Jesus believes that his Father is a good Father. He believes that if he's doing his Father's will, God will be with him, he will have the strength to accomplish it, and it will be worth it in the end.

Peter wants to do God's will, but he is relying on his own strength. Judas thinks he has everything figured out; he knows better than God. Peter falls back on Jesus' love for him, while Judas has nothing to fall back on. Whenever we are suffering, Jesus suffers with us and for us. We can unite our sufferings to Jesus on the cross. Here in Holy Week, let us turn our sufferings into sacrifices.

(29 Mar 2026)

Going Deeper: How do the sufferings you experience in your life look differently if you know that God is with you, he will give you the strength you need, and those sufferings will be worth it?

Image Source | Thank you to Nate and Sarah, Patrons for 3 years! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Lent, 5th Sunday (A) It is never too early to plan your funeral! At least write a few things down: what church, what cemetery, what funeral home, what do you want to wear at your funeral?

Jesus totally disappoints his friends. They tell him that their brother, his friend, is sick. He totally ghosts them. Jesus doesn't show up until after the funeral is over. When he finally turns up, his friends say what we've all thought a time or two: "Lord, if you had been here my brother, sister, parent, child... would not have died!"

Jesus cries with them. Then he offers them new life. Whoever has Christ, has life. Jesus calls his friend by name... and gives him new life. The human race has been "tied" by burial bands. Jesus wants to untie us and set us free. We cannot expect to rise with Christ if we have not died with Christ. Are you prepared for your funeral? Are you prepared for your Friend to raise you from the dead?

(22 Mar 2026)

Going Deeper: Make a funeral plan. Talk to your loved ones about it. Then talk to them about the Resurrection of the Dead and Life Everlasting.

Image Source | Thank you to Nate and Sarah, Patrons for 3 years! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Lent, 3rd Sunday (A) Our annual parish Lenten retreat talked about discipleship, stewardship, and evangelization. Let's watch Jesus as he shows us how to evangelize. 

Jews and Samaritans don't get along, so Jesus starts with something they have in common. Jesus knows that she is thirsty. All this time as she has been searching and thirsting, Jesus has been the one she has been looking for. 

The Samaritan woman has been blocking the flow of God's life by her selfish lifestyle choices. She tries to change the subject to an argument about religion. Jesus points out her deep desire to be a worshiper of the true God. 

She leaves her water jar. She no longer needs to ask the things of this world to satisfy her because she has found the source of true life and true love.

When we are trying to evangelize, we need to first remove the obstacles that prevent us from truly receiving the life of God. We need to recognize how thirsty we are, and unblock ourselves from all the ways we have tried to satisfy our own thirst with something other than Jesus. 

Jesus was sitting on the well. God was standing on the rock in front of Moses. In a similar way, Jesus is already present in the lives of those we love. He can do for them what we cannot do ourselves. 

Evangelization is not about convincing people that we are right. It's about helping people we love discover how thirsty they are, and then showing them where to find the spring of life-giving water.

(8 Mar 2026)

Going Deeper: Listen to Roxane Salonen interview Peter Andrastek about how to evangelize and the lay vocation. How is God calling you to evangelize? You can also read Bishop David's letter on sharing Jesus with others.

Image Source | Thank you to an anonymous donor! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Lent, 2nd Sunday (A) Lent does not exist for itself. It exists to prepare us for Easter and new life in Christ. On the way into the desert, the nation of Israel stops for a mountain-top experience. The Israelites have been brought out of Egypt but they still have Egypt in their hearts. Are we the sort of people that have to wander in the desert because we don't trust God, or are we the new generation that trusts in God?

Jesus gives his three closest disciples a mountain-top experience. I had a mountain-top experience in adoration this past week. When did Jesus become real for you? Save your mountain-top moments. Keep going back to them. Here are three ways you can do that: 1) Make a commitment to come to Mass on Sunday. When you do, kneel down and reconnect with a place where you felt that God was with you. 2) Make time to come to confession so you can look Jesus in the face again. 3) Make time for adoration. Save those mountain top moments; you'll need them as we go back down into the desert.

(1 Mar 2026)

Going Deeper: When did God become real for you? How has he revealed his presence to you? How is he trying to strengthen you for your combat in the desert?

AdobeStock_232588083 | Thank you to Patrons Mark & Kathy! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Lent, 1st Sunday (A) Adam is given the job to "keep" the garden (the Hebrew word is shamar). Adam fails to guard both the garden and his wife.

Jesus feels abandoned by God. He falls back on the lessons God taught the Israelites in their 40 years in the desert. Jesus is guarding and protecting his true identity, and God's true identity as his loving Father.

We do not conquer sin and death by figuring out the techniques that Jesus used. Instead, we conquer sin and death by joining Jesus in HIS victory over sin and death. We need to guard and protect our true identity this Lenten season. Guard your mind: "Take every thought captive to obey Christ." Guard your words. Guard your actions. Guard your true identity in Christ.

(22 Feb 2026)

AdobeStock_1834183058 | Thank you to Patrons Mark & Kathy! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform. | Thank you Patrons Pete and Patty! | Over 15 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.