Straightening Our Paths

2nd Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist quoting Isaiah invites us to allow God to fill in our valleys, bring down our mountains, and make our roads straight and smooth. What does that mean?"

Real Hope In Our Real God

1st Sunday of Advent. "Jeremiah's preaching to turn back to God, worship God alone, and follow God's law is also what he preaches to us. This is because we live by a hope that has been realized in Christ. Advent helps us to live according to the reality to which we have been called into."

Hear O Israel - and Catholics!

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Hear O Israel... The Shema and Jesus' teachings are rooted in God speaking, our hearing, and our responding. Our response in loving action means that we know how to speak naturally about what is most important."

The Good Challenge

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus and the Rich Young Man helps us to know what is most important and how to follow him."

God's Intention - Marriage and the Impossible Ideal

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What did Jesus teach about marriage and why? How does his teaching help us to strive toward his intention in our creation and how do we do that?"

To Depend and Trust

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "God calls us to make him highest in our lives. We can only do that with trust, humility, and service. Yet, this is how God asks us to live."

To desire and be drawn by God

24rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "We desire God and he draws us in. So why don't we follow through better? God reveals himself in three ways. It's through revelation in the Church that we can know the fullness of God through Scripture, Church teaching, and prayer."

All Things Well

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Who is like Jesus? Why is he unique? How do we accept his uniqueness in a world where many choose not to? What can we do practically to live according to his perfection?"

Eat, Drink, Live

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why do we believe the Eucharist is Jesus? What is the Eucharist? What is the purpose of the Eucharist?"

Bread and Jesus

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What does our heart truly seek? How does God provide us a way to that end? What is with the bread?"

Multiplication and Mana

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes so important? What was it really saying? How can we enter into the Kingdom that Jesus, the Messiah, brings?"

T-Rex and Jesus' Rejection

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Do we dismiss because we think we have something all figured out? Have we lost our sense of wonder? This is what happened in Nazareth when Jesus was rejected in his home town. How can we avoid the same mistakes?"

Jairus and Coming to Christ

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. God demonstrates that we are not disposable. If we come to God, we need to put a little effort into it, come in humility, and live for God rather than the opinions of others."

Birth of John the Bapist

Birth of John the Baptist. "What is a prophet? What does John teach us and how can we be prophets in word and deed like John?"

How Do We Pray?

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. How the Kingdom grows is how it works with prayer as well. Thomas Green has a nice little book describing prayer. I hit some highlights this weekend and help frame what prayer is and how to do it well."

The Fount and Summit of Christian Life

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. For what and for whom do we live? What ultimately can make us fulfilled and happy? Jesus, Vatican II, and The Catechism tell us it is the Eucharist as the fount and high point of Christian life. Why?"

The Consequence of the Trinity

Feast of the Holy Trinity. Why does the Trinity matter? What are the implications of the Trinity? How specifically can we live in harmony with what God teaches us in his very nature?"

Unity and Pentecost

Feast of Pentecost. What the Holy Spirit and the Church teach us about unity in the Body of Christ."

Jesus Shepherds In Us and Through Us

Good Shepherd Sunday is also First Communion Sunday at St. James. How does Jesus shepherd us and how can we learn from his example by allowing others to shepherd us and encouraging us to be shepherds for others."

Lenten Mission - Answering the Skeptic

This week and for the next three weeks we have a parish mission The mission is partly based on the book "The Case for Jesus" written by Brant Pitre as well as Fr. Mike's own research and commentary. It is focused on giving reasonable explanations to the skeptic who might also have a bias against Christianity. How can we know and explain who Jesus was and is? How do we know that our information is accurate? Can we reasonably have confidence in what Jesus said and did? Did Jesus really claim to be God? These and other questions will be discussed."

Leaving Our Mark

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "How do we live according to what is eternal? How does Jesus want to leave his mark in us? How can we leave our mark on the world?"

God's Calling and our Calling

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "God calls all of us to him. We find our calling when we are open, sit at his feet, step out in faith, and persevere. We don't need to wait, he calls us now and where we are."

Epiphany 2018

The lesson of the Magi and how they lead us by their example to be better Christians."

Christmas 2017

Experiencing the reality of Christmas and learning from the example of the first Christmas."

Advent Preparation and Repentance

First Sunday of Advent: "What is Advent? What do we do to prepare for Christmas as Christians? How does our alertness help us to do repentance and preparation?"

What's in a Talent

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "How much is a talent? Why does that matter and what does it say for us?"

Greatness According to Jesus

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Being a slave to the slaves and how Jesus calls us to reject worldly jockeying for importance and greatness for Christian greatness."

The Great Commandment

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Jesus tells us to love God, neighbor, and self. What does love mean and how do we do it?"

Giving to God What is God's

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's but give to God what is God's. What does that mean for us, really?"

Wedding Feasts and the Kingdom

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "The parable of the king throwing a wedding banquet is the opposite of Cana. How can we live by Cana?"

What We Can Learn Along the Way of Santiago

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "The beauty of God's plan in giving us a Church. We have support and we support others. Some lessons along the way of Santiago that relate."

Called to Walk on Water

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Peter stepped out in faith and almost had it. We also are called to step out and keep our focus on Christ."

Glory and the Power

Feast of the Transfiguration: "Jesus will be glorified regardless of whether or not anyone notices. Will we see his glory, glorify him, and participate in his glory?"

Weeds to Wheat

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Weeds and wheat both grow together until the harvest. What does this say about what God wants us to be and how he wants us to live? Quite a bit."

Sowing the Seeds of the Kingdom

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "The parable of the sower helps us how to know how to receive the Kingdom and avoid those areas that prevent God's purpose from taking root in us."

Family and Sacred Hospitality

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "What does it mean to love God above all else and practice sacred hospitality? Today we talk about these two practices."

The Spirit and Life

Feast of Pentecost: "Pentecost is a feast of the Holy Spirit coming down upon the disciples but it is also a feast of our life in the Spirit - and that changes everything."

The Ascension, Jesus, and Us

Feast of Ascension: "The bigger story of the Ascension and our place in it."

Jesus the Way, Truth, and Life

5th Sunday of Easter: "Who is Jesus according to his own words and what does that mean for us?"

Shepherding is for the Birds

4th Sunday of Easter: "Good Shepherd Sunday teaches that Jesus is with us and cares for us. What can we learn from the example of a recent bird feeder that I have?."

Sunday, Jerusalem, and the Resurrection

3rd Sunday of Easter: "Jesus rose on Sunday, appeared on Sunday, and the Church glorified the risen Jesus on Sunday. Beginning in Jerusalem, the infant Church came together for worship. We come together on Sunday in the New Jerusalem and follow the patter that Jesus established as Emmaus points out."

The Lessons from the Raising of Lazarus

5th Sunday of Lent: "The raising of Lazarus by Jesus demonstrates his glory, calls us to be a part of it, shows God's love, and unbinds us and sets us free. It is much more than a big miracle, it shows a reality that God wants to share with us."

The Three Stages of Faith

4th Sunday of Lent: "The blind man came to see because of his faith. There are some stages to faith for us too and we are called to always go deeper."

Transfiguring of Jesus Speaks to Us

2nd Sunday of Lent: "The Transfiguration of Jesus tells us not only about him but what we are called to be and do."

Pray for Enemies and Love Persecutors?

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Jesus says we need to pray for our enemies and love those who persecute us. This is a difficult teaching. Why would we want to do that and how can we do that? This is what we will explore."

The Truly Blessed

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Jesus calls a series of different groups blessed but it seems odd by today's standards. How can a poor, mourning, meek, hungry, merciful, pure of heart peacemaker who is persecuted possibly be blessed? Well, we need to look at life more realistically and comprehensively."

Defeating the Defeated

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Jesus defeats our defeatedness if we give him the opportunity. How can we listen and do what he calls us to?"

Stories of Baptism

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Baptisms that stand out point out the deeper reality of what baptism is and why Jesus became baptized for us."

Mary and the Goals of the New Year

Feast of Mary, Mother of God: "Looking at the new year with three goals in mind: Being people of blessing, partnering with God, and being prayerfully present."

Joseph and the Tuned In

Fourth Sunday of Advent: "Free will means we can choose to follow God's ways but it doesn't happen by accident. It comes from tuning our lives to God and his way and being open to his message when it comes. Joseph shows us a great model in doing this."