SJBExcelsior Podcast

Fr. Andy McAlpin O.P. invites us to look again at the Sacrament of Baptism.

Have you ever encountered God? Or maybe encountered him in a new way? The magi departed by another way when they left Bethlehem - they were changed by their encounter with the Lord.

What do we do when we have loved ones who have fallen away from the faith? Fr. Carlson reflects on this reality in his homily from the Feast of the Holy Family.

The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord December 25, 2024

Fr. Carlson uses the image of a garbage truck to illustrate what we are supposed to do with our anxieties.

What does it look like for us to really prepare a place for the Lord? The Lord wants to dwell inside of us, in our hearts. Advent is the perfect time to take an inventory of our life, of our soul - where am I blocking the Lord? Where have I put up a wall, not letting the Lord completely in? A great way to make room in your heart for God, and remove any blocks, is to go to the Sacrament of Confessi...

This Sunday's Gospel reminds us what we are living for. Advent is all about preparation. If we were told we had to swim a mile a month from now, we would take time to prepare for it. Just so, we need to prepare for our ultimate goal - being with God.

November 24, 2024 Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Let God be the one that fills your heart.

Jesus is the personification of love. In light of this, Fr. Van Sloun unpacks the two very important instructions Jesus gives to his disciples in the Gospel this past Sunday.

How are we supposed to love God with all of our mind? What does that mean? Spending time in prayer. The key to prayer is that we actually have to do it. When we do, we’re able to enter into this quest, this journey with the Lord.

Sometimes we can question - does Jesus really know me? Am I worth it? When Jesus was on the cross, he answered these questions definitively. He knew all of your past sins, all of your present sins, and all of your future sins, and he still died for you. Why? Because he loves us. Because he loves you. And he came to serve.   Jesus longs to be our servant. Will we let him serve us? Will we acknowled...

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 13th, 2024

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time October 06, 2024

This past weekend Fr. Greg Schaffer visited St. John's and spoke about the needs of the Archdiocesan mission parish in Venezuela called Jesucristo Resucitado. To donate to the mission, you can go to Faith Direct on our website linked here: https://membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/MN855

St. Augustine was asked, “how does one become a saint?” He answered, "The first part, humility, the second part, humility, the third part, humility." In his homily this weekend, Fr. Carlson shared the story of St. Jeanne Jugan, a woman who lived a life of great humility.

There are moments in our lives that are turning point - “I’m going to go deeper in my faith”, “I'm going to get married", etc.. All of a sudden fear and anxiety can set in. It’s important to remind ourselves when this happens - who doesn’t want us to turn towards God? The evil one. He’s going to try to put up as many obstacles as possible.   In these moments we can say, “get behind me, Satan”. The...

How important it is to spend time in prayer. We have to protect our time with the Lord. The world is full of noise, so it can be hard to hear God. Two practical ways to hear God in prayer: Leave the phone behind Silence

The commandments lead us into union with God. Fr. Carlson talks about the differences between traditions and commandments. Do your traditions undercut God’s commandments?

So often we can come to Mass with our hearts heavy. Fr. Carlson asks us: where else are we going to go? “To whom should we go?”, as we hear in this week’s Gospel. I hope that’s what you do when you come to Mass - pour out your heart. Let him be the one to answer all of your needs.

The Eucharist - the mystery that is above all words and songs.

God never tires of helping us. When we are at our lowest point, he is there. He wants to give us Himself to strengthen us.

Msgr. Peter Vaccari explains the work of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and Pontifical Mission. Three things you can do to help: Pray for the regions they serve and the work they do Learn the work that the Catholic Church is doing on the ground Donate to the mission: www.cnewa.org

Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive God Himself. When we go to eucharistic adoration, we are face to face with God Himself.

So often we can give into that temptation of go, go, go, go, thinking that’s what give us value, that’s what gives us purpose. How often do we think we have to take care of everything? Jesus is inviting us to rest in Him, to let him be the Good Shepherd, to receive his peace.