SJBExcelsior Podcast

Accept the Invitation

What does Taylor Swift have to do with accepting God's invitation to the wedding feast?

The Vineyard

What is the produce from God’s vineyard? It’s you. We are his children whom He loves. He wants us to enter into this relationship with Him, not because he needs us, but because we need him.

Words Without Actions

We profess the creed at Mass and say “I believe”. We say “Amen” before receiving Holy Communion. If we leave the church and don’t live this out, though, are we truly meaning yes? Let us live out our ‘yes’ every day of our lives. May we not put off growing our faith life until another day, another month, another Lent, another year.

Radically Merciful

God is radically merciful. He is always willing to take us, no matter when we come to him. It’s not too late for you to come into relationship with God. He is always searching us out. Accept the invitation.

A Parking Brake and Unforgiveness

Over and over again in scripture we hear about the theme of forgiveness. You just can’t hide from it; but what does a parking brake have to do with forgiveness? Father uses a story from a trip of his to explain what unforgiveness does to us.

What Is Love?

St. Thomas Aquinas gives a definition of love - “Love is willing the good of the other.” Love is not loving so that I can get something from you. We all know that love can be hard. We all know, especially, that fraternal correction can be hard. Fraternal correction is fraternal love. If someone is in sin, we have to go correct (love) them.

 

Society will tell us, you do you, and that’s just fine. If this leads you away from God, though, it’s not fine. In love, we are called to go to those we are close to, and invite them to come back to the Lord.

Finding Joy, Fulfillment, Everything

Our faith life takes work. Jesus tells us in this past Sunday’s Gospel, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”. We must deny ourselves when taking up our cross. To deny oneself is hard, but it helps us to rely more on God. What do we find when we deny ourselves and follow Jesus? Joy, fulfillment, everything we are searching for. September 3, 2023 - Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Excelsior, MN

Lord, Help Me

The Canaanite woman in Sunday’s Gospel says to Jesus, “Lord, help me.” How often we too have done this. “Lord, I have no one else to turn to. I can’t do this by myself. Lord, I need you.”

An Invitation to Come

Stepping out of the boat and walking on water towards Jesus, it's not a one time thing. Jesus is asking us each and every day to come and follow Him, to put our trust in Him. He's not saying 'go', but rather 'come'. It's an invitation to follow Him. He never leaves us to go on our own; He is always there with us.

Remember What He Has Done For You

Deacon Nevin's homily from Sunday, August 6, 2023 - The Transfiguration of the Lord.

 

Why did the Transfiguration happen? What does it mean for us? Jesus revealed His divinity to Peter, James, and John - He IS God.  He didn’t reveal his glory just to show off. He was speaking to the apostles. They had a weak faith that needed strengthening. Looking at our own selves, we need that kind of faith too.

 

Our Lord gives us times that we can look back on to help us through suffering. When we suffer, we can draw back to an experience when God revealed his glory to us. 

 

This week, take some time to consider, when has God transfigured your life? When has he entered into your life? When you suffer, draw on this experience and say, I’m not in charge here, but I can get through this with God’s grace. May I remember what you have done for me, Lord.