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Our Blog

Peter J. Kreeft’s “How to Destroy Western Civilization”

By Fr. Jeff | 07/20/2021

I recently read Peter J. Kreeft’s new book, How to Destroy Western Civilization and Other Ideas From the Cultural Abyss (San Francisco: Ignatius Press. 2021). From the title alone one might think it is a “how-to” book giving ideas on…

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 07/18/2021

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BJeremiah 23:1-6Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 (1)Ephesians 2:13-18Mark 6:30-34July 18, 2021 Jeremiah served as a prophet of the Lord in the time leading up to and including the start of the Babylonian Exile.  God…

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Catching Up

By Fr. Jeff | 07/16/2021

Since I haven’t posted anything on my blog since Sunday, I thought those of you who are regular readers might be wondering if I am too busy in my new assignment to have time to write. I do find myself…

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Chosen

By Fr. Jeff | 07/11/2021

One of the things that is different for me in my new assignment is that the parish has three deacons. They each have a turn in preaching on Sunday. Currently, I will be preaching every other weekend. They each take…

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Where Do you Go to Find God?

By Fr. Jeff | 07/09/2021

As I settle into a new rectory, I look to shape the space in which I will pray. This rectory has enough rooms that I am able to dedicate a whole room to prayer and God. Many people may not…

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Seven Days In

By Fr. Jeff | 07/06/2021

I am now seven days into my new assignment at St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s. In my first article (“From an End to a Beginning”) after the move, I wrote about the people I was meeting and…

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 07/04/2021

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BEzekiel 2:2-5Psalm 123:1-2, 2, 3-4 (2cd)2 Corinthians 12:7-10Mark 5:7-10July 4, 2021 Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place.” Hum…Either God has a sense of humor or I am…

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From an End to a Beginning

By Fr. Jeff | 06/30/2021

Well, the change has finally taken place. Yesterday, June 29th, with the help of some good friends (a big thank you to them), we loaded my stuff into our vehicles at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish and left there about…

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 06/27/2021

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BWisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13 (2a)2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15Mark 5:21-43June 27, 2021 Why are we here today? Taking the question literally, we are here to celebrate Mass.  Going a…

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The USCCB and the Eucharist

By Fr. Jeff | 06/25/2021

You may have heard in the news that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB – www.usccb.org) voted last week at its annual June meeting to approve the writing of a document on the Eucharist. If you have been…

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Seven Days…

By Fr. Jeff | 06/21/2021

As I write this, I am just seven and a half days from moving from my current assignment as the Parochial Vicar at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in western Livingston County to St. Mary’s of the Lake in Watkins…

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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 06/20/2021

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BJob 38:1, 8-11Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31 (1b)2 Corinthians 5:14-17Mark 4:35-41June 20, 2021 “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” This is the question the disciples ask Jesus.  They are in a…

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Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment

By Fr. Jeff | 06/18/2021

In the Lord’s Prayer we pray “thy will be done.” We say it but do we mean it? Are we willing to completely set aside our own will to completely abandon ourselves to God’s Will? I would like to use…

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It’s Not Always Easy

By Fr. Jeff | 06/15/2021

Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. It seems like this should be easy but it is not without its difficulties. In loving and caring for others, we make ourselves vulnerable to feeling pain. It might be from sharing their…

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11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 06/13/2021

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BEzekiel 17:22-24Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (2a)2 Corinthians 5:6-10Mark 4:26-34June 13, 2021 We returned to Ordinary Time right after Pentecost.  However, for the last two Sundays we celebrated two Solemnities, The Most Holy Trinity and…

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What is a Missionary Disciple?

By Fr. Jeff | 06/11/2021

Recently, I have been using Fr. James Mallon’s new book, Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020) for reflection both on change and leadership. Today, I offer my final article using this book. In…

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I Hope to be a Good Leader

By Fr. Jeff | 06/08/2021

Those who have been reading my recent articles on change know that I recently read Fr. James Mallon’s new book, Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020). Today, I would like to use some…

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The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

By Fr. Jeff | 06/06/2021

The Most Holy Body and Blood of C, Year BExodus 24:3-8Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18 (13)Hebrews 9:11-15Mark 14:12-16, 22-26June 6, 2021 Today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  In the Eucharist, it is truly Jesus we receive. …

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Resistance to Change

By Fr. Jeff | 06/04/2021

Since it was announced that I will be moving to a new assignment, I have written several articles related to change. The first one, “The Next Change”, started with the saying “change is inevitable.” For me, change almost seems a…

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Maintenance & Mission

By Fr. Jeff | 06/01/2021

Four weeks from today I will be moving to my new assignment at St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s. As I prepare to lead them, I continue to reflect on what it is that God calls us to.…

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The Visitation of Mary

By Fr. Jeff | 05/31/2021

Today (May 31st), we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of Mary. One might wonder why this feast falls at this time of year. We are in Ordinary Time. However, yesterday, for our Sunday Mass we celebrated the Solemnity of…

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The Most Holy Trinity, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 05/30/2021

The Most Holy Trinity, Year BDeuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22 (12b)Romans 8:14-17Matthew 28:16-20May 30, 2021 Today we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They are three persons yet one God.  This can…

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What Does It Mean to Serve the People?

By Fr. Jeff | 05/28/2021

In my last article, “Hopes and Dreams”, I spoke of helping people and leading people to Jesus. In my past article, “What Sort of Church Should We Be?”, I spoke of serving the people. Today I would like to write…

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Hopes and Dreams

By Fr. Jeff | 05/25/2021

As preparations continue for me to transition to St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s at the end of June, a couple of people from there have asked me about my “hopes and dreams” for the parish. It is…

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Pentecost – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 05/23/2021

Pentecost, Year BActs 2:1-11Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (32)1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13John 20:19-23May 23, 2021 Fifty days ago we celebrated Easter.  Easter is the most important day of the year (Christmas is #2).  Today, we celebrate the third most…

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