Pilgrim Priest

Advent, 3rd Sunday (C) For twenty years, Franciscan missionaries labored in Mexico with very little success. Finally, God acted through Mary, and in 10 years, over 8 million Aztecs and Chichimecas became Catholic. 

Zachary Feldker served as a missionary to teens through the Spiritus program. He often prayed at Champion Shrine and complained that God wasn't revealing his vocation to him. Finally, Mary spoke in his heart. All that waiting had put him in exactly the right place to answer the call.

We can get discouraged when God doesn't act promptly. We might think that God isn't listening or doesn't care. We need to wait in joyful hope for God to act. Trust me, when God acts, it will be worth the wait.

(14 Dec 2025)

Going Deeper: Read the story of the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe for yourself. Or read about the scientific study of the Tilma.

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Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Which Catholic teaching is the most difficult to accept? It's not the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation, or Transubstantiation. Most people seem to have a really hard time with the idea that every child is a gift from God.

Thanks to original sin, every child is perfect and precious and also rather annoying. And we make things worse when we make our own sinful choices.

So when God wanted to send the most perfect gift, he made Mary not only precious and beautiful and loved, but also without original sin. Mary could spend her whole life being the good and beautiful person she was created to be.

Mary gave God the gift of herself, and God gave her an even more perfect gift: Baby Jesus. By giving his life on the cross, Jesus made it so that each of us can become immaculate, like Mary. Mary reminds us that we are each a gift. She reminds us to treat ourselves as a gift and to treat others as a gift. She also shows us that, by giving ourselves back to God, we can become a more perfect gift.

Going Deeper: Do you agree with Fr. Joel that this teaching is hard to accept? Why or why not?

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Advent, 1st Sunday (A) Winter was coming, but were you prepared? Advent was coming, were you ready? Jesus is coming; are you prepared to meet him?

Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters use today's Gospel to justify "the rapture." But in the days of Noah, the evil people were taken and the good people were left. The rapture is the opposite: the good people are taken and the evil ones are left. The Catholic church does not believe in the rapture. We believe that Jesus will walk with the good people through difficult times. "He who perseveres to the end will be saved."

 When Jesus says, "One will be taken and one will be left," I think he means the experience of loosing those who were close to us.

How can we be ready when it's our turn? I recommend the old Catholic practice of seeing every bedtime as a little death. We never know if today is our last day on earth. Before you go to bed, prepare yourself to meet Jesus. Spend some time in gratitude. Where was Jesus present in your day? How did you respond to his presence? Say an Act of Contrition. Then make a resolution for tomorrow. 

Winter was coming. Were you prepared? Christmas is coming. Are you prepared? Jesus is coming. Are you ready to meet him?

(30 Nov 2025)

Going Deeper: Before bedtime, make three simple steps: Gratitude, Contrition, and Resolution.

Rest in Peace, Fr. Daren J Zehnle.

Welcome to Season 16 of the Pilgrim Priest Podcast. This season is titled Breath Fire Light.

The new podcast year always starts with the first Sunday of Advent. I try to find a meaningful title for the podcast that reflects what is going on spiritually in my life and in the parishes. This year, the image that came to me was that of a fire that has almost burned itself out. There are just a few coals left flickering.

You breathe on the fire to breath life back into it. Then you add some kindling and keep breathing on it, coaxing it back into life. If you are successful, there is a moment when the kindling bursts into flame. Suddenly you have light!

Our parishes have grown cold and many Catholics are barely smouldering. We need the Holy Spirit to breathe on us and coax us into flame. When we catch fire, then we can start to be a Light to the nations again. Breath. Fire. Light.

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The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (C) Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, a relatively new feast in the church year. It was added to the church calendar in 1925. It is not a celebration of the idea that it would be really nice if Jesus were our king. Nor does it celebrate the fact that Jesus will be a future king. Rather, this feast day acknowledges that all power in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus. Jesus is king now, despite the fact that earthly kings, presidents, and CEOs currently appear to have much more power than Jesus.

God anointed King David, and later the people of Israel accepted his kingship. In a similar way, we get to pick our own leaders here and now, but God has picked the eternal king. We can decide if we will live in his kingdom. What do you need to entrust to the king? Some of us need to entrust our Sundays, our finances, a relationship, or our past. All of us need to trust him with our future. Today, entrust yourself, and all that you have, to the King.

(24 Nov 2025)

Going Deeper: Oriens starts next week. Join me for a pilgrimage through Advent and Christmas. Learn more at pilgrimpriest.us/book

Over 14 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome • The consecration or dedication of a church building sets it apart for the worship of God. Every Christian is consecrated to the Lord. We were Baptized and Confirmed and received Holy Communion. The church is holy so we can be holy. We should be no less holy than our local Catholic Church!

Some of us are called to dedicate ourselves particularly to God. The men and women who join religious orders are "set apart" for the worship of God. They live here now as all will live in Heaven. When you come to the church, you should find Jesus. When you come to the priest, you should meet Jesus. When you come to any Christian, you should see Jesus there.

Are we willing to give God only a little, and keep the rest for ourselves? We are called to give--dedicate, consecrate--every part of our lives to God. These beautiful buildings dedicated to the worship of God speak to us of our true dignity and vocation.

(9 Nov 2025)

Going Deeper: Do you celebrate your Baptism anniversary? Does your local church celebrate it's dedication anniversary? My churches' dedication days are as follows:

• SS. James & Stanislaus: October 11, 1920
• SS. Mary & Hyacinth: March 3, 1935
• St. Wenceslaus: October 25, 1953
• St. John: September 1, 1957

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All Souls Day • The dead are not so very far away. They have a message for you:

"What you are, I once was.
What I am, you will be."

I want to start my homily by talking about funerals. Funerals and Baptisms have more in common than you might realize. We greet the body at the door, we sprinkle the casket with Holy Water, and we unfold a white pall over the casket. Jesus receives all of our concerns and burdens, and covers us in his own holiness. Finally, we are given a lit candle, the Light of Faith, to light our way to heaven.

Our Baptism starts us on our journey to God's kingdom. We then spend the rest of our life preparing for our funeral.

We are deeply connected with the spiritual world, but we are often unaware of this aspect of our existence. When the soul leaves the body, it sees it's own state. Souls that said "No" to God, and that was their final answer, begin immediately to experience hell. Souls that were free of all sin begin immediately to enjoy the happiness of heaven. And those that still had some attachment to sin enter a state of purification.

Salvation isn't finished yet. On the last day, at his Second Coming, Jesus will return in glory with his angels. He will raise the dead and put Heaven and Earth together forever. It will all go quicker than we think. Are you preparing for your funeral?

(2 Nov 2025)

Going Deeper: Go walk in a cemetery, pray for the dead, and reflect on your own funeral.

Join me for the final year of Oriens: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas learn more at PilgrimPriest.us/book

Image: AdobeStock_677256140 | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Solemnity of All Saints • What are we celebrating today? The Preface for All Saints explains:

For for today, by your gift, we celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise. Towards her we eagerly hasten, as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of your Church to whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example. And so we glorify you with the multitude of saints and angels, as with one voice of praise, we acclaim...

The word Saint is the French word for, "holy." I looked it up in Greek and I found three related words:

• Hagios means holy, set apart, different.
• Hagos: awe-inspiring, wonderful, amazing.
• Hagnos: clean, innocent, modest, perfect.

Holiness is not fundamentally the fruit of our hard work. It is a gift from God: gazing at the face of God and being transformed by his love.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a description of his own face. He is poor in spirit, he mourns the disconnection between us and God, he is meek, he hungers and thirsts for righteousness, he is merciful, clean of heart, and a peacemaker. Lastly, Jesus is persecuted. This is what we look like when we become holy in God's likeness.

"God, help me to be what you created me to be." 

Holiness is not an escape from this world. It is living fully in the world according to the true destiny and purpose of this world.  As pilgrims let us hasten towards our heavenly homeland to join the saints, receiving from them both strength and good example.

(1 Nov 2025)

Going Deeper: What deceased holy person, canonized or not, gives you both strength and good example?

Ceiling Fresco Secco painting The heavenly Jerusalem at St. Blasii Cathedral Interior - Braunschweig, Germany | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.

Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday (C) Welcome to our Stewardship Commitment Sunday. When it comes to stewardship, I feel like the little old lady who is constantly badgering the judge. "Turn in your card!"

When God doesn't answer our prayers, we need to step back and notice our underlying need. The Lord wants to grow deeper in a relationship with us. We are often not open to receive the gift of Jesus himself. The good times and the bad, the sickness and the health, can all be opportunities to grow closer to God. But we need to be persistent in prayer if we want to see growth happen.

Our annual Stewardship Renewal is not fundamentally about Time, Talent and Treasure, but rather about growing closer to the Lord. "Lord, show me how you are inviting me to grow closer to you through my Time, Talent and Treasure commitments in 2026."

Do you ever feel like you're not having an impact on the world? When you make changes to your own life, you also change the world. Thank you for changing the world today!

(19 Oct 2025)

Going Deeper: If you are a member of the Antigo Area Catholic Churches, please turn in your Stewardship Renewal card or fill out your commitment online through the parish website.

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Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday (C) Naaman the Syrian is powerful, wealthy, and successful. But his strength and wealth are not enough to make him healthy. He encounters love and truth through his obedience to God's will, and experiences wholeness and communion.

When we started our stewardship program, I thought everyone else needed to learn stewardship. The program is helping me learn to trust in God, be grateful, and be generous with God's gifts. Being obedient to God leads to healing. Even the sufferings, burdens, and challenges that we face are really gifts from God.

(12 Oct 2025)

Going Deeper: If you are a member at the Antigo Area Catholic Churches, please turn in your stewardship renewal card next weekend. Consider committing yourself to a daily Rosary.

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Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (C) "I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?  Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord." Was the prophet Habakkuk looking over my shoulder as I watched the evening news?

We come to Sunday Mass to get a new vision, a vision that is different from the evening news or your social feed. God appears not to intervene because he is more concerned about the state of your soul than about the state of the world. Let's consider an attitude adjustment.

First, how do we look at the global and national news? Some people like to use the lens of "Spiritual Warfare." By this, they mean that the Devil has a secret plot to undermine the Church and take over the world, and we have to act now to stop him! But that's not how the Church sees the world. Our Father is still in control, and he is quietly working things out for our good.

We spend a lot of energy on the big-picture things we have no control over. And we miss chances to change the world immediately around us. I'm an advocate of Stewardship because I believe that it can be an antidote to our consumer culture. It starts when we are grateful for God's gifts. Then we can be generous with the time, talents, and treasures that God has given us. The more we give, the more we will see ourselves as a gift.

If I'm trusting in myself, my resources, and my smarts, then I only have a limited amount to work with. But even the smallest amount of faith gives us access to the infinite power of God. Faith enables us to act with power, love, and self-control. And when we have done great things by God's power, we can simply say, "I was just a faithful steward."

(5 Oct 2025)

Going Deeper: Take some time to re-evaluate your life. "Am I really living as a Steward?" Am I taking care of my little world, and trusting God with the big picture?

Oriens: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas 2025

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