Evangelization

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

By Fr. Jeff | 07/14/2024

The 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 More

Why Do You Go to Church

By Fr. Jeff | 05/21/2024

If 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 More

The Purpose of a Parish

By Fr. Jeff | 05/10/2024

Here 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 More

5th Sunday of Easter Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/28/2024

5th 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 More

Theory and Application in a Complex World

By Fr. Jeff | 04/09/2024

In addition to my writing for this blog regularly, I also write a weekly email blast geared to the parishes I serve in its specifics (yet applicable to all in its general content.  You can see last’s week’s email blast…

Read More

Making Others Happy

By Fr. Jeff | 02/06/2024

How 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 More

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 06/25/2023

12th 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 More

The Importance of Hell

By Fr. Jeff | 06/13/2023

You 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 More

More From “The Old Evangelization”

By Fr. Jeff | 06/06/2023

Last 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 More

Discipleship Necessitates Evangelization

By Fr. Jeff | 05/30/2023

I 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 More

Why Go to Mass?

By Fr. Jeff | 04/04/2023

At 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

I am the Resurrection and the Life

By Fr. Jeff | 03/26/2023

In 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 More

The Faith Comes Alive

By Fr. Jeff | 10/11/2022

October 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 More

With Freedom Comes Responsibilities

By Fr. Jeff | 07/04/2022

In 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 More

Invitation to a Deeper and/or more Frequent Practice of Faith

By Fr. Jeff | 05/04/2022

Today 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 More

Spreading the Gospel

By Fr. Jeff | 12/14/2021

I 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 More

Helping Our Children be Disciples

By Fr. Jeff | 12/12/2021

Those 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 More

What Does Your Faith Mean to You?

By Fr. Jeff | 10/26/2021

If 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

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 10/24/2021

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BJeremiah 31:7-9Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)Hebrews 5:1-6Mark 10:46-52October 24, 2021 As Jesus leaves Jericho, “Bartimaeus, a blind man,” is sitting by the roadside begging.  When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is there,…

Read More

In Struggles We Find Hope

By Fr. Jeff | 09/28/2021

I recently read St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina (New York: Scepter Publishers. 2020). I purchased this to read with the Year of St. Joseph called for by Pope Francis (Dec. 2020-December 2021) in mind. As indicated by…

Read More

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 09/05/2021

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BIsaiah 35:4-7aPsalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 (1b)James 2:1-5Mark 7:31-37September 3, 2021 “Thus says the LORD:  Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” Fear can be a powerful thing.  Fear can dictate…

Read More

Our Relationship With God

By Fr. Jeff | 08/20/2021

Earlier this week I wrote an article, “Is Faith a Matter of Opinion?”, based on F.X. Cronin’s book, The World According to God (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press. 2020). That article reflected on the first fifty pages. Today I would like…

Read More

Is Faith a Matter of Opinion?

By Fr. Jeff | 08/17/2021

Is what one chooses to believe merely a matter of personal preference? Does God exist? These are two of the key questions F.X. Cronin discusses in his new book, The World According to God (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press. 2020).…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

Archives