Vocations

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…

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God’s Call

By Fr. Jeff | 04/30/2023

Our first reading today begins with Peter standing up with the Eleven. All of the Eleven were called to be Apostles. As God’s calling, this was their vocation in life. Peter is called to be the first among the Apostles.…

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The Ministry of Priests

By Fr. Jeff | 04/05/2022

I recently read a new book, Priests in Love with God and Eager to Witness to the Gospel by Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes (San Francisco: Ignatius Press. 2021). He wrote the book with seminarians in mind but also for reflection…

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/25/2021

4th Sunday of Easter, Year BActs 4:8-12Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 (22)1 John 3:1-2John 10:11-18April 25, 2021 Who is our shepherd? Who is it that we expect to help us?  Do we trust in man, meaning do expect…

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/07/2021

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BJob 7:1-4, 6-8Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5, 6 (3a)1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23Mark 1:29-39February 7, 2021 What is your life like? Do you have a “good life” or would you call your “life on earth a…

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Living the Priesthood (2021)

By Fr. Jeff | 02/05/2021

Among the numerous pages on my website, you can find one on “Vocations.” There you will find information about “vocation” in general and how everyone is called to live as priest, prophet, and king from their baptism. You will also…

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The Final Video in My Series on the Sacraments

By Fr. Jeff | 05/07/2020

Last night was the final presentation in my series, Sacraments: Channels of God’s Grace, We covered the Sacraments of Service, Marriage and Holy Orders. We are still under the Coronavirus shutdown so there was no in-person presentation. Instead, we did…

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 05/12/2019

4th Sunday of Easter, Year CActs 13:14, 43-52Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 (3c)Revelation 7:9, 14b-17John 10:27-30May 12, 2019 Our gospel reading is quite short today but there’s still a lot we can talk about today.  The gospel passage I just read…

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/22/2018

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B Acts 4:8-12 Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29 (22) 1 John 3:1-2 John 10:11-18 April 22, 2018 Peter becomes a bold preacher for Jesus.  He faces questions and persecution but he is no…

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From Too Many Priests to Too Few Priests

By Fr. Jeff | 01/05/2018

Today we celebrate the Memorial of St. John Neumann, the first American to be canonized.  He was born in 1811 in Bohemia in Europe.  He was studying to become a priest there when the bishop there announced there would be no…

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5th Sunday of Easter, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 05/14/2017

5th Sunday of Easter, Year A Acts 6:1-7 Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 (22) 1 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12 Throughout our Easter season our first reading comes from the Acts of the Apostles.  Acts tells the story of the early church. …

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32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 11/06/2016

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 15 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5 Luke 20:27-38 November 6, 2016 When I arrived here just four months ago, we were all hot.  That was summer.  Now, summer…

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4th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 04/26/2015

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12 1 John 3:1-2 John 10:11-18 April 26, 2015 World Day of Prayer for Vocations Jesus proclaims “I am the good shepherd.”  We take this as a basic statement.  After…

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The Call

By Fr. Jeff | 11/02/2014

This week we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week.  Here is something I wrote for our bulletin followed by some links to material I have previously written on my website. The Call This week we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week.  During…

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Four Years

By Fr. Jeff | 06/29/2011

This week I celebrate the fourth anniversary of my priestly ordination.  In four years, I have served in two very different parishes.  The first (St. Mary’s Southside) was a single church located in the City of Elmira but serving people…

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New Vocations Page by the USCCB

By Fr. Jeff | 05/15/2010

This week the USCCB unveiled a new website  called “For Your Vocation” designed to promote vocations.  There are sections for men considering the priesthood, men and women considering religious life, for parents interested in promoting vocations, and for educators and…

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