Evangelization
5th 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 MoreIn the midst of the Babylonian Exile God offers Ezekiel a vision that points to the Resurrection and new life (first reading – read all of chapter 37 for the whole story). The Lord promises that He will open our…
Read MoreOctober 9th is the feastday of Cardinal John Henry Newman. This year it fell on a Sunday. Sundays take precedence over the feastdays of saints (unless it is a solemnity). So, his feast was not celebrated this year. However, I…
Read MoreIn our gospel reading today, Jesus frees people from illnesses. On the Cross, Jesus frees us from our sins. In the United States of America, today we celebrate another time of freedom. Today is July 4th. It is the anniversary…
Read MoreToday a letter I wrote, with comments and suggestions from staff, will be going out to all our parishioners in the two parishes I serve. While it is with St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s in mind, I…
Read MoreI recently posted an article, “Helping Our Children be Disciples,” inspired by my recent reading of An Evangelizing Catechesis: Teaching from Your Encounter with Christ by James C. Pauley (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. 2020). Today I would like to…
Read MoreThose who are regular readers of my blog know that evangelization, the sharing of our faith, is very important to me. The articles I write here, on my website, and the presentations (also available on my website) are all geared…
Read MoreIf you are reading this blog article, it would seem likely that your faith means something to you. It likely means faith is more for you than just going to church on Sunday for one hour. The time spent at…
Read More