Musings of a One-eared Catholic Priest

Zacchaeus had a major conversion when invited by Jesus. We too are called to conversion. We are called to love of Christ and others first in our lives.

Love is not a feeling but willing the good of the other. If we truly love someone, we will challenge them to greater virtue, truth, and holiness.

Year C; October 23, 2022 In order to become great in Christ, we have to admit that we are not great; that we are sinners.

Year C; October 16, 2022 Do not become weary in prayer. Be consistent and persistent. And don't do it alone. We are called to live this Christian life in community.

October 9, 2022 Talk I gave to the Catholic Mavs Sisterhood. The chalice veil hides the  beauty of the chalice until it is ready to receive the body, blood,  soul, and divinity of Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church.

Year C; October 9, 2022 If we want healing in our lives from sin and vices, we need to be bold enough to ask. We also need to be doing the basics of being a Catholic Christian: Mass (every Sunday), Confession (at least once a year), and prayer (daily) on a regular basis.

Often it is not that we ask for too much, but we ask for too little. We need to be bold in what we ask of God and then trust.

Year C; October 2, 2022 As Christians, we should do certain things, not for praise, but because they are the right thing to do.

Feast of the Archangels Jesus knows each of us intimately and loves us unconditionally.

Year C; September 25, 2022 Even if we don't have much material poverty in our lives, we are all spiritually poor. We all need a Savior. We all need Jesus Christ.

Year C; September 18, 2022 "In the eyes of the world, material things are great things and eternal things are small things - but the reality is the opposite - material things are the small things and eternal things are the great things."

Year C; September 11, 2022 God is pursing you. No sin of yours is beyond God's love and mercy. There is always hope. Turn back to the Lord.

Year C; September 4, 2022 We must put God first in our lives. He put us first in His life when He gave up everything on the Cross for our salvation because He loves us. Thus we should put God first in our lives.

Year C; August 28, 2022 Humility is a necessary virtue for a Christian. The first reading tells us to "conduct our affairs with humility."

Year C; August 21, 2022 Jesus says the gate to salvation, to heaven, is narrow. Being good is not good enough. We must have a relationship with Jesus.

Year C; August 14, 2022 Jesus did not come to bring peace. (Peace in our hearts that comes from following Him.) Rather, if you believe and follow the teachings of Christ, then that is going to put you at odds with the culture, with the world around you, maybe even your own family. Following Christ is going to cause divisions. Are you willing to sacrifice, to live in the division, to follow Christ...

Year C; August 7, 2022 Faith is trust. Do we have trust in God? Do we trust that what He gives us is even better than what we want?

Year C; July 31, 2022 Our most valuable resource is time. How are spending this precious resource? Are we spending it on eternal things like our relationships with God and others?

Year C; July 24, 2022 We need to be persistent in prayer. God always answers our prayers. Maybe not in the way or time we want, but we trust that His answer is better than our original request.

Year C; June 19, 2022 The Eucharist is the greatest gift we have on this side of heaven. You cannot be lukewarm about the Eucharist. If Catholics are wrong about the Eucharist, it is the greatest lie that has ever been told. This would mean that billions of Catholics for the past 2000 years have been idol worshiping. But if the Eucharist is what we know it to be, Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul, a...

Year C; June 12, 2022 God is a community of Persons; a community of Love. So if we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we are made to be loved and to love, both with God and with others. Saint Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body gives us a whole new depth to this understanding..

Year C; June 5, 2022 The Apostles were not bold at all. In fact, they were kind of timid. However, once the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, they became bold in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit can radically change our lives as well.

Year C; May 22, 2022 Jesus is the fullness of Truth. He passed on the Truth to His Apostles. Thus, Truth can be found in Church of the Apostles, the Catholic Church, and in the Bible. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to teach us the Truth. There is only one Christian Church that has existed since the time of Christ's Passion and that is the Catholic Church.

Year C; May 8, 2022 Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He wants to be your Shepherd. Listen to His voice. This requires silence and patience.

Year C; May 1, 2022 Do not be afraid to do what the Lord is asking you to do.