Please enter a valid email address.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Our Blog

Homily for Ash Wednesday

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2020

Ash WednesdayJoel 2:12-13Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14, 17 (3a)2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2Matthew 6;1-6, 16-18February 26, 2020 We are here today because a fast has been proclaimed and we have been called to gather as an assembly.  We are called to gather…

Read More

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/23/2020

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ALeviticus 19:1-2, 17-18Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 (8a)1 Corinthians 3:16-23Matthew 5:38-48February 23, 2020 Last week we heard Jesus say that He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.  He began…

Read More

“Answering Those Who Say They Don’t Get Much Out of Mass”

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2020

If this is the first article you are reading on my blog, please allow to begin by saying this is the fourth article in a series on “how do you evangelize a culture that used to be Christian?”  In order…

Read More

Answering Those Who Think Faith is Irrelevant

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2020

I began a series of blog articles last week reflecting on the question, “How do you evangelize a culture that used to be Catholic?”  Our whole culture used to be based on Christian faith.  People are now turning away from…

Read More

Has Science Eliminated the Need for God?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/19/2020

Evangelization, meaning to help those who already believe in God develop a deeper faith and to reach out to those who have fallen away from Christianity or have never believed, is something near and dear to my heart. Thus, it…

Read More

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/16/2020

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ASirach 15:15-20Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (1b)1 Corinthians 2:6-10Matthew 5:17-37February 16, 2020 God had given the Ten Commandments through Moses.  Moses told them that if they followed the commandments they would live.  If they…

Read More

The Quest for Fulfillment in the Modern World

By Fr. Jeff | 02/15/2020

People look for what brings them fulfillment. The question is where do we look? In a society that is becoming more and more secularized people look for fulfillment in material things; money, property, clothing. We are told “more is better.”…

Read More

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/08/2020

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 58:7-10Psalm 112:4-5, 607, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 2:1-5Matthew 5:13-16February 8, 2020 Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” Who is He speaking to?  Who is the…

Read More

My Latest Presentation on the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation

By Fr. Jeff | 02/07/2020

I just uploaded the video and handouts for the second presentation in my series on the Sacraments. This one is on Baptism and Confirmation. It can be found online at www.renewaloffaith.org/sacramentsinitiation1. Please note that with a lot of good questions,…

Read More

Why Do We Celebrate Funerals?

By Fr. Jeff | 02/07/2020

While I have written in the past about funerals, as customs seem to be changing regarding funerals, I would like to offer some understanding of what funerals are about and how we do them in our Catholic faith. Ecclesiastes 3:1…

Read More

How We Can Witness to Our Faith

By Fr. Jeff | 02/06/2020

Here’s something I wrote for our parish bulletin 2/9/20 Evangelization: How Can You Share What Our Faith Means to You? I hesitated to use the word “evangelization” in the title of this article.  I think when people here the word…

Read More

Presentation of the Lord – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/02/2020

Presentation of the LordMalachi 3:1-4Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10 (8)Hebrews 2:14-18Luke 2:22-40February 2, 2020 Our psalm today speaks of the “king of glory.”  Of course, the “king of glory” is the Lord.  The historical setting for this psalm is the…

Read More

Biology Makes Me Pro-Life

By Fr. Jeff | 01/31/2020

The gospel reading for today (January 31, 2020, Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time) points to why I think biology points us to the fact that life begins at conception and is to be cherished. In this gospel…

Read More

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 01/26/2020

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 8:23 – 9:3Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a)1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17Matthew 4:12-23January 26, 2020 As John is arrested, Jesus begins his public ministry.  Hearing of John’s arrest, Jesus “withdrew to Galilee” but we should…

Read More

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

By Fr. Jeff | 01/22/2020

As today’s gospel begins, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath. “There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath.” They did not like Jesus…

Read More

Some Thoughts on Atheism

By Fr. Jeff | 01/19/2020

I just finished reading a book called Inside the Atheist Mind: Unmasking the Religion of Those Who Say There is No God by Anthony DeStefano (Nelson Books, Nashville. 2018). Before I highlight a couple of ideas from the book, I…

Read More

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 01/19/2020

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 49:3, 5-6Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 (8a, 9a)1 Corinthians 1:1-3John 1:29-34January 19, 2020 To prepare us for Christmas as the First Coming of the Lord, we first celebrated the season of Advent.…

Read More

Baptism of the Lord – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 01/12/2020

Baptism of the LordIsaiah 42:1-4, 6-7Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (11b)Acts 10:34-38Matthew 3:13-17January 12, 2020 Christmas day was 18 days ago.  We began our Christmas season with the story of the birth of our savior “who is Christ and Lord.” …

Read More

New Presentation Series – Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace

By Fr. Jeff | 01/10/2020

On Wednesday I started a new series of presentations on the Sacraments. It’s a five part series. Here is a link to the first presentation (a general introduction). www.renewaloffaith.org/sacramentsintro Peace, Fr. Jeff

Read More

The Epiphany of the Lord – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 01/05/2020

The Epiphany of the LordIsaiah 60:1-6Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (11)Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6Matthew 2:1-12January 5, 2020 At Christmas we heard that the shepherds were the first to hear the “good news of great joy” that “a savior has been born…who…

Read More

The Application of Just War Theory

By Fr. Jeff | 01/03/2020

I just watched the national news talking about the killing of an Iranian general. Our government says he is responsible for terrorism and was currently planning attacks against American citizens. I do not want to make any judgment on the…

Read More

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 12/29/2019

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and JosephSirach 3:2-6, 12-14Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 (1)Colossians 3:12-21Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23December 29, 2019 We continue our celebration of Christmas for Jesus’ birth is too important to celebrate with just a single day.  So, we…

Read More

Christmas Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 12/25/2019

Christmas 2019Mass During the NightIsaiah 9:1-6Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2019 There is much joy in seeing so many people here at Christmas as we celebrate something very special, very sacred. What makes this time…

Read More

4th Sunday of Advent, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 12/22/2019

4th Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 7:10-14Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 (7c, 10b)Romans 1:1-7Matthew 1:18-24December 22, 2019 It’s almost Christmas but not yet.  We have to wait a couple of more days.  On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our reading from…

Read More

Advent Penance Homily 2019

By Fr. Jeff | 12/19/2019

Advent Penance Service 2019Isaiah 57:14-21Psalm 63Matthew 3:1-12December 19, 2019 Christmas is coming but it is not yet here. We get excited for Christmas.  Psalm 63, our responsorial psalm today, is one of my favorite psalms because it expresses our desire…

Read More

Archives