Evangelization
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Ezekiel 33:7-9 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 (8) Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20September 6, 2026 Silence is not the answer. Much of the world tells us to be silent about our faith. They claim that faith is a private matter not to be talked…
Read MoreAs I work on our evangelization ministry, a recurring question is how do we get people to listen and engage with what our faith teaches. This is true for people who do attend Mass. It is even more true for those who do not come to church. How do we…
Read More22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Jeremiah 20:7-9 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (2b) Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27 August 30, 2026 When Jesus asked Peter, “who do you say that I am”, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter got it write! Or did he? Jesus…
Read MoreThis morning I offered a presentation called A Reason For His Hope. In this presentation I tell the story of my journey of faith in a way that I hope shows why our Catholic faith is important to me and…
Read More19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13aPsalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 (8)Romans 9:1-5Matthew 14:22-23August 9, 2026 Elijah took shelter in a cave. Why? Did he expect to find God there? If you read the passage leading up…
Read MoreLast week, in my article, “The New Parish,” I mentioned that I now have time to work on evangelization ministry that is near and dear to me. I thank God that I have been able to spend a significant amount of time working on evangelization ministry and, since last week’s article, prolife ministries. This…
Read MoreIn May I announced I would be moving to a new assignment (see my homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter and my previous post, “Working For a Better Future”. In those posts I explained my reasons for moving to a new parish. I was tired and found myself not able to work on…
Read More5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 58:7-10Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 2:1-5Matthew 5:13-16February 8, 2026 “You are the salt of the earth.” We add salt to food to make it taste better. We are to do our part…
Read MoreFourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13 Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 (Matthew 5:3) 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Matthew 5:1-12a February 1, 2026 The Israelites were struggling. In their struggles our Lord speaks to them. He speaks of the remnant that will remain in their midst. For several decades now,…
Read More2nd 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 18, 2026 Paul speaks of himself as one “called to be an apostle.” For Paul, his work to share the gospel…
Read MoreA few days ago I received an email from a parishioner saying he had watched a bishop’s homily on the First Sunday of Advent and found it thought provoking. His email to me focused on one particular issue that struck him in the homily, the topic of when should the…
Read MoreAs Jesus disembarked from the boat (see today’s gospel), “his heart was moved with pity” for the crowds. He knew their longings. He knew what they needed. He knew better than they did what they were searching for. He knew…
Read MoreIn the last couple of days we have heard how God called Moses to lead his people out of Israel. Yesterday’s first reading concluded the call of Moses at the burning bush. Today’s first reading jumps ahead a few chapters. …
Read MoreAs Christians we know we are supposed to love our neighbors. We are even called to love our enemies (see Matthew 5:43-48). The problem is that we get confused about what this means. Some people think it means we must…
Read MoreThe work of sharing the gospel is not easy. That’s because it is not easy to live according to what Jesus says. So, people often don’t want to hear it. The resistance may come from religious leaders, as it does…
Read MoreIf you are a regular reader of my blog, I would think you probably are a regular churchgoer. If so, you can use this article to reflect on why you find value in going to church. This can help keep…
Read MoreHere is an article in PDF format that I recently composed (with proofreading and editorial assistance from some friends.). The topic is what is the purpose of a parish.
Read More5th Sunday of Easter, Year BActs 9:26-31Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 (26a)1 John 3:18-24John 15:1-8April 28, 2024 We read in Acts, “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in…
Read MoreHow much time do you spend trying to make other people happy? Now, there are clearly some people that we should want to make happy. Certainly, a married person should want their spouse to be happy. We should want our…
Read More12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AJeremiah 20:10-13Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 (14c)Romans 5:12-15Matthew 10:26-33June 25, 2023 Jeremiah faced danger. He heard “the whisperings of many” who sought to “denounce him.” Why did they want to denounce him? Because he…
Read MoreYou might be surprised by the title of this article, “The Importance of Hell.” Is Hell important? It is important for us to know that Hell exist and that people can actually end up there. Now, while our Catholic Church…
Read MoreLast week I began my reflection on The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017) with my article “Discipleship Necessitates Evangelization.” In that article, I presented Sammons’ discussion…
Read MoreI recently read The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017). When I saw the title, I ordered it based on my continuing desire to evangelize. As…
Read MoreAt the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would like to talk about something I have spoken about before. Why do we go to Mass? I write this in the midst of Holy Week. In the events we…
Read More