The Church on Offense

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "How did the disciples miss the possibility of Jesus' power to feed the 5,000? How do we fail to have the right perspective and how can we allow Jesus to complete his will through us?"

Obstacles and Sowing

15th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What are the obstacles that keep God and his Gospel away from us, and how can we be better at removing those obstacles for our sake and the sake of others?"

Wisdom and Independence

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What is true wisdom, who has it, and how do we get it? What wisdom does our country possess and how can we foster it. Finally, how can we apply Godly wisdom in our country and lives?"

Real Passion for Real Life

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "People devote themselves to many things, but what is worth devoting oneself to? People say they want to follow their passions but Jesus says he wants us to follow him."

Billboards and Life

12th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "How Jesus' teachings give us a way to live that is not only counter to the culture but the better way to live for many reasons. We don't need to live in fear of anything in this world because our God is a God of justice and love."

The Eucharist and Life

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - "When Jesus is with us we thrive. When he is far from us we starve. How do we experience life in the kingdom vs. life in the world?"

Unity with God and in God

Feast of the Holy Trinity - "Examples from the beginning of human disunity needs to be corrected by God and following his ways. Contrast between human arrogance trying to control God and God's humility in inviting us to his unity speak about a solution to our current divisions."

The Ascension of Jesus

Feast of the Ascension - "Jesus is raised to be with the Father in the fullness of his glory. There was a pattern of Jesus lifting himself up to the things of Heaven and the Father. How can we follow his example?"

The Hope That We Can Explain

Sixth Sunday of Easter - "Peter speaks of giving a reason for our hope. What is our hope and how do we explain this reason?"

Show Us The Father

Fifth of Easter - "Jesus' priestly prayer shows us what he will do for us not only in the future but right now."

The Samaritan and Faith

Third Sunday of Lent - "The Samaritan woman teaches us that faith grows in stages, that truth matters, and how we can take Jesus to the world regardless of our weakness or insecurities."

Considering God and Others

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - "The Sermon on the Mount is a teaching based in having a right relationship with God and others. Being more concerned with God and others than ourselves is countercultural. What can we do to live by Jesus' standard? One thing is our consideration of others"

Sunday of the Word of God

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday of the Word of the Lord. "How Jesus reveals himself to us and why the Bible matters."

My Beloved

The Baptism of the Lord. "My beloved son with whom I am well pleased. This is what the Father said of Jesus, but it is a goal that hopefully we all share."

Epiphany History, Gifts, and the Winding Road

The Feast of the Epiphany. "What is the story behind the story? We'll look at the significance of the Magi, how they represent all the nations, and how we can learn from them by offering similar gifts and allowing the light of Christ to guide us."

Family and the Holy Family

The Feast of the Holy Family. "Families have a history, a present lived out experience, and a future hope. What did the Holy Family do and how does that teach us what to do?"

Christmas and the Nativity Scene

Christmas. "St. Francis at Greccio popularized the Nativity Scene. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter asks us to contemplate the various aspects of the Nativity. So, let's do that a bit."

John the Baptist Part II

The Third Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist part II has him in prison awaiting his execution. He turns to Jesus in his humanness and asks for confirmation. What are we to make of this and what does it say about our lives and the life Jesus wants to offer us?"

Special Podcast - A Teaching on Mary

"Who is Mary? What does the Bible say about her and what does the Church teach? What about apparitions and the theology of why she matters? This is a brief talk that touches upon those and other matters. It isn't an exhaustive teaching, but one that might be helpful as we prepare with her this Advent for the coming of Jesus."

John the Baptist for Catholics

The Second Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist was a man of prophet and a man of prayer. What does he tell us about being Catholic and living ready for Jesus' coming?"

Patton and Testimony

The 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Patton, The Battle of Bastogne, and Jesus' description of testimony spell out what is most valuable in life."

Jesus Too Good to Be True, Yet Still True

The 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why did the Sadducees want to win that argument? What did Jesus say? Why the saints are important for those alive in God, and why sometimes 'too good to be true' is still true."

The Humble Truth

The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "God asks us to approach him and life with humility. Why should we?"

Leper Faith

The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "After Jesus heals the leper he tells him that his faith has saved him. What does that mean?"

What Dives Tells Us About Lazarus

The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why does the rich man have no name? What is our response to poverty and why does it matter?"

The Lesson of the Dishonest Steward

The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is Jesus getting at with this strange seeming parable? How can we apply its principles, especially with evangelization and stewardship?"

The Prodigal Lesson

The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What the parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us about life and life in God."

No Halfway Disciples

The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus seems to express extreme views about what we need to do to follow him. Why is he so demanding that we put nothing else before him?"

The Importance of Humility

The 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why struggle to be important, popular, or better than others? God gives us another way to live that is concerned with what our God wants. We practice this through a life of humility."

To Know and to Love

The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus says he doesn't know us even if we ate with him and he taught in our streets. How is that possible and what can we do to allow him to know us in the way that brings salvation to us and his people?"

The Purpose of Jesus' Gift of Himself

The 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus wants us to be on fire for him. But what are the consequences if we don't live for him, his gospel, and his kingdom? We can see the effects all around us but the good news is that we can live as we were created to do so and have his promises to boot."

Special Teaching - Immigration

Immigration is a hot issue today. In this special teaching, Fr. Mike explores the Bible, Church Teaching, Pope Francis, and some practical responses.

Faith and Faithfulness

The 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is faith? What is the fullest meaning of the word and what does a life of faith bring?"

Sin and the Lessons of Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah

The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Sodom and Gomorrah are symbolic of idolatry and a people giving themselves over to every kind of sin. How do we understand sin and how do we respond to it as Christians?"

Sacred Hospitality

The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is hospitality based in? What are some ancient rules that will help us to be good hosts and good guests? Finally, what does it say about our relationship with God and our life in Christ?"

Missionary Catholics

The 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus calls all of us to missionary disciples and missionary Catholics. Today's sending of the 72 gives some great instructions on how to do that well."

To Live and Learn with the Eucharist

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi. "Some things are worth believing including the Eucharist. Why should be believe and what should we do about it? We can live and learn."

Struggle and Abide in Trinity

The Feast of the Holy Trinity. "How does the Trinity help us to know God and experience him through faith in our struggles and our abiding in him?"

Descending and Ascending

The Feast of the Ascension. "The Ascension isn't about Jesus disappearing into Heaven, but about Jesus being glorified after his humble service. It is also a time we prepare for Pentecost through imitating our Lord's humility, praying, and getting to work."

Good Shepherding

4th Sunday of Easter. "Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He comes from a long line of shepherds in the Old Testament but he is God so he can fully accomplish what a Good Shepherd must. We also are commissioned to shepherd others.."

The Disciples Are So Excited!

3rd Sunday of Easter. "Jesus appears to them a third time and they are overwhelmed with excitement. Jesus invites them to have breakfast and spend time with him. He does the same with us every week."

Doubting Thomas?

2nd Sunday of Easter. "Thomas got a bum rap. But the example of what he did right speaks to us all, especially at this time."

Palm Sunday and the Entrance

Palm Sunday. "What does Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem mean, and how does the way it happened fulfill what the prophets said hundreds of years before and show why Jesus is the Messiah?"

The Prodigal Sons and Father

Fourth Sunday of Lent. "The parable of the Prodigal Son is a classic. The three characters have much to teach us about our faith and how to live it."

Repentance and Tragedy

Third Sunday of Lent. "Jesus uses some tragedies to speak about the the nature of bad things happening to lead to the ultimately more important question."

Blessed in this Mess?

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus gives a seemingly contradictory explanation of happiness or blessedness. How is it possible to be blessed while enduring hardship?"

Jeremiah and the Lesson of Humanity

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jeremiah and the lesson of the human person. How do we follow the consequence of God's law?"

Jesus' Short Homily at Nazareth

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why did Jesus read that text from Isaiah? What did it mean? What does that call us all into?"

Jesus Gets Baptized for Us

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. "What Baptism is for us, why Jesus was baptized, and what we can learn from his example. What does Jesus and baptism lead us to?"

The Epiphany and the Magi

Feast of the Epiphany. "The Magi show us what responding to God's draw to discover truth, justice, and restoration looks like."

Family and the Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family. "The Holy Family teaches us how holiness can be found in the context of ordinary life. Wherever we are in our families, God can lift us up as well."

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."