Saint Clement Shrine Podcast

I walked into a Sears store because they had something I wanted, and I had something they wanted. When I told the salesman that I was looking for a snow blower, and not a pair of black socks, he got excited.  He exclaimed, “We are having our end-of-season sale, so our best model is twenty...

The post Gospel-Homily for Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

One Thanksgiving morning a doctoral exchange student went for a bike ride and was killed by a hit and run. A nurse called me to say the parents had arrived from Italy and requested a priest. When I arrived at the hospital, the nurse asked me if I spoke Italian.  I said, “As a matter...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-nineth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

You Need a Reason. I preside at weddings, but I do not go to wedding receptions. I typically only know the bride and groom, and I cannot hang out with them the whole time. I would sit at a table of folks I do not know, and after a few drinks, they always grip, “I...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

There are two times in your life that you are totally alone: the moment before you die and the moment before you give a speech. I have been giving homilies at Mass for over 35 years, and I still feel the nerves before I talk. This is what I do. Before I speak, I think...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Something Great. Most of us approach life like the inchworm in the garden. The inchworm crawls forward and sees a branch. It then climbs over the obstacle and sees a rock in its path. The worm takes on the challenge, climbs up the rock, and goes over. Then it sees a pool of water. The worm...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Why would anyone hire a worker for one hour? The reason is my brother. He is an artist. He painted the inside of the church and made it look like stone. Architects are fooled. After a long day, he was too tired to finish. He would leave all the tools in a big pile, throw...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The most selfish thing I ever did was giving my birthday present, a new bike, to my brother. You should have seen the look on his face. It was the greatest feeling. That day I made a new best friend. I was at Mass, and I had a wad of money rolled up in my...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

At the Easter Vigil Mass, everyone gets to hold candles in the night, and everyone really likes that until the next day when I have to clean up the mess. You cannot just scrape up the wax that dripped on the floor; you have to use an iron and a paper bag. So while everyone...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, their diet changed from water and Manna in the desert to delicious food: ribeye, green beans almondine, mashed potatoes, fruit salads, and Cabernet reds. They asked the locals how they got such tasty food. The natives of the land did not tell them about Deere tractors or farming techniques....

The post Gospel-Homily for Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

How to Pass When God Tests Us. God tests us. What does it feel like when God puts us to the test? According to Bible figures who were tested, it feels like they were being scammed. When they tossed Jeremiah in a well to die in the mud. Jeremiah thought, “I was duped. I did everything God wanted...

The post Gospel-Homily for Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2026) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.