Know - Grow - Go

Putting Jesus first – yes, even above family – keeps everything in the right order and fills our lives with God's love and wisdom. This actually strengthens the love of spouses, families, and all of our relationships! Making Christ the top priority brings lasting peace and joy — but to do this, we must be deliberate about our priorities. May we all have the grace to rightly order our lives, let go...

When we de-center ourselves and re-center God, that’s when life becomes exciting and unpredictable and full of purpose — because God is exciting and unpredictable and purposeful. It’s liberating when we discover this! And it is a reminder that, at the end of the day, when our time comes, the most important thing that can be said about us is, “Here was a child of God, who was loved by God.”   Readi...

Jesus’ response to our complaints, our preoccupation with everyone and everything else, is 'What about you?'. Don’t worry about them. You strive to enter through the narrow gate. You come and follow me. You be my disciple. The essence of being a Catholic Christian is transformation: bringing that relationship with Christ into everything else I do. If I’m only focused on the things I do or everyone...

Jesus is not tame; He is God. And His peace is not like that of the world. Today's Gospel demonstrates that He knew that following Him would cause division. But following Him will also set your heart on fire with the Holy Spirit — filling you with joy beyond understand and providing hope that, no matter what befalls us, He's got us.   Readings at this Mass: Jer 38:4–6, 8–10 | Heb 12:1–4 | Lk 12:49...

True readiness for when Jesus comes again is about having a real, living relationship with Him. To abide with Him. And as we grow in that loving relationship, our hearts are moved to love and serve our families and neighbors, the poor and lonely. That’s how we keep our lamps lit and our hearts ready for the day when Jesus returns.   Readings at this Mass: Wis 18:6–9 | Heb 11:1–2, 8–19 | Lk 12:32–4...

Our culture makes it hard to slow down. Depending on your stage of life, it might feel nearly impossible — jobs, kids, commitments, constant demands. So what’s the solution? Learn from the life of Jesus. Live at his speed — not a rushed speed, not a distracted pace. Can you picture Jesus cutting people off in traffic, or glued to his phone while talking to someone? Of course not! And as disciples,...

Fr. Bill has an unexpected conversation with God about the Lord’s Prayer.   Readings at this Mass: Gn 18:20–32 | Col 2:12–14 | Lk 11:1–13

True peace comes from having our hearts attached to the Lord’s and living out of that center. In letting His words speak to the deep places inside, letting them shape our thinking, our speaking, our choosing — even in our busyness. The Lord knows we lead busy lives. Jesus comes to us anyway and says, “I know you don’t have hours. How about just a few minutes. Can you give me that? Just a few minut...

How desperately we search for peace in all the wrong places: our achievements, possessions, wealth, travels, and more. But true peace can only come from abiding with God. When we serve faithfully, God abides with us. We don't serve others because of who they are, but because of who we are. And when we serve from a place of faith and love, we find that peace doesn't disappear — it grows.   Readings...

Generally in the world we think of peace as an absence. They used to say, ‘Visualize world peace’ and they mean nations not fighting each other. But that is not what Christ is talking about — not an absence of conflict or struggle. It’s a presence; it’s something that can be with you. That’s the peace Christ comes to give us. We can’t say, ‘May an absence be with you.’ It’s a presence within us. I...

Fr. Anthony offers the homily for the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 12:1–11 | 2 Tm 4:6–8, 17–18 | Mt 16:13–19

Fr. Anthony offers the homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also known as Corpus Christi).   Readings at this Mass: Gn 14:18–20 | 1 Cor 11:23–26 | Lk 9:11b–17

The way we enter into the divine life – and the way we experience the joy and the sense of purpose that come from God – is by fixing our gaze on Jesus, who reveals to us the Father. Real life consists not in fixating on ourselves, but in forgetting ourselves, in letting go and losing ourselves in service to God and one another.   Below is a photo of Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity, which is disp...

Using milk and chocolate syrup, Fr. Bill illustrates our need to stir up the Holy Spirit inside each of us and go out to make a difference with our God-given gifts.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 2:1–11 | 1 Cor 12:3b–7, 12–13 | Jn 20:19–23

Fr. Anthony offers the homily on the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 1:1–11 | Eph 1:17–23 | Lk 24:46–53 

When we praise God in the midst of our storms, we’re declaring that He is still in control – that darkness has not overcome the light. Praise pushes back against the darkness and becomes both a weapon and shield, guarding our hearts from anger, hate, resentment, and the desire for revenge or retaliation. It’s okay to cry out or be angry with God; He can take it. Even Jesus sweat blood in His angui...

When you find yourself confronting something new or something seemingly out of control, and you wish your life was different or that things could just continue like they always have — resist that thought. Resist. Remember: God has known about this time and this situation from all eternity, and He’s known about you from all eternity, and He’s chosen this time and this place for you – from all etern...

Fr. Anthony preaches the homily on Good Shepherd Sunday.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 13:14, 43–52 | Rv 7:9, 14b–17 | Jn 10:27–30

Fr. Bill speaks to the children celebrating their First Communion about how Jesus accompanies us every day, everywhere, through the Eucharist.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 5:27–32, 40b–41 | Rv 5:11–14 | Jn 21:1–19 

The first and most important job of the Pope is to help us walk together, as brothers and sisters of the Lord. St. Augustine is our guide here. He said, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. And in all things, charity.” So, pray for the cardinals this week. Pray for an open and gracious heart. And pray, too, for our new Pope, whoever that will be. Being Pope is a weighty burden. Let’s...

Because of Jesus, no day is wasted. In Jesus, every season of life — whether it be joyful or painful — can become an opportunity for meaning and transformation. When we unite our experiences to those of Christ, life itself takes on new perspectives and meaning.   Readings at this Mass: Acts 10:34a, 37–43 | 1 Cor 5:6b–8 | Jn 20:1–9

Our Lord made the journey to Mount Calvary to take on the sins committed by every human being in the past, present, and future. Tonight, as we journey with Him, is the night to recommit ourselves to live out our identity as Christians; to yearn for the Eucharist, the life-giving and eternal food; and to lay down our lives for one another in service, forgiving faults, and creating peace.   Readings...

God wants to touch your life. To wash your feet. To change your heart. These days aren’t just about remembering what happened to Jesus 2000 years ago. In a very mysterious but real way, they’re about becoming present to Jesus, allowing him to draw us along the path of his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.   Readings at this Mass: Ex 12:1–8, 11–14 | 1 Cor 11:23–26 | Jn 13:1–15

Jesus' ambiguous answer to the question of who He was should also be a challenge for us: do we call Him our King, our Savior, our God? Do we see Him in all moments of our lives? In whatever way we suffer, do we unite our suffering to that of His? Or do we glorify Him only in the good moments, and put the blame on Him when we are suffering, when we are alone and afraid, when we feel abandoned and r...

Judgment is a very dangerous thing. I’m not talking about judging choices, attitudes, or actions, but judging hearts. Condemning and dismissing others. Ridiculing and dehumanizing them. Using them. When we do that, we put ourselves in God’s place — and God takes that very seriously. Only God can judge the heart, because only God can see the heart. Let’s remember that when we’re angry or frustrated...