Pilgrim Priest

Ordinary 14 - God calls you to preach the Gospel in your own town and to your own family. Here are three suggestions for preaching the Gospel to your children: 1) Let yourself be challenged and changed 2) Pray with your children 3) Play with your children.

13th Sunday - Jesus touched José, Greg, and Kyle through Confessions, daily Mass, and CYE. Sometimes we have to seek Jesus and take hold of his garments. At other times we need to stay put and wait for Jesus. Are you confident in Jesus' love for you?

Birth of John the Baptist - Our family tells us where we come from but only God can reveal who we are. God calls you to be missionary disciple of the good news. To be fully yourself, you must live John's motto: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Ordinary 11 - What in your life needs pruning? God wants us to be prepared – not just for power outages and rainstorms – but for eternal life. If you want to give a good harvest at the end, you need to do some pruning now.

10th Sunday - No sooner have Adam and Eve decide sinned against God then they begin to turn against each other. We are a house divided when we reject God's will. Jesus teaches us that God's will is the path to a united heart and a united home.

Corpus Christ - I was given the gift of priesthood so I could give it away. The Eucharist teaches us that you are a gift. Don't use others and let them use you. Instead, the Eucharist teaches us how to give ourselves away.

Holy Trinity - The One God, Lord of the whole Universe, is also our God, a community of persons. Baptism invites us into God's community of love. Live your life, and every moment, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost - God’s Spirit fills us with love, shapes us in His image, and restores us to Communion with one other. Ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray for others in the Spirit. The gift of the Spirit grows to the degree that we give it away.

Ascension - Jesus returns to the spiritual realm where he came from. He is present to us through the Spirit that dwells in our hearts. May the eyes of your heart be enlightened so you can live your daily life from Jesus' eternal perspective.

I didn’t preach this weekend so I have nothing to share with you. But here are a couple of older homilies if you’re looking for inspiration. May you more deeply experience the merciful love of God this week.

From 2015:

What Happens When You Fall in Love… with God (#527, Easter 6)

From 2012, which was also Mother’s Day:

How to know it’s really Love (Homily for Mother’s Day)

And a mediocre recording from way back in 2009:

Fr. Joel’s Homily for May 17