SJBExcelsior Podcast

The word “worth” comes up frequently in our society today. Sometimes when it comes to the word worth, we don’t see ourselves being worthy at all. How do we think of worth when it comes to our relationship with God? Do we truly value ourselves? Not in a prideful way, but do we see ourselves as God sees us? God sees us for who we really are. We are not worthless. We are worth more than the sin maybe we are in. We are worthy of his love and his help. We need to accept his love, and his grace. 

 

Fr. Carlson shares the poem titled “The Touch of the Master’s Hand” by Myra Welch. So often we too are battered and scarred. So often we can feel like an old, worthless violin. When we let God touch us, he makes us a new creation.

Fr. Carlson shares the story of the Grand Forks flood in 1997. The priest of St. Michael Church went in the midst of the flood to save the Eucharist in the tabernacle, since he worried that the flood waters were going to overtake the church. This story is inspiring because it shows the reality of the Eucharist. It’s not a piece of bread. It’s not a cup of wine. It truly is Jesus Christ.

We are not only moved by our senses, we are moved by our faith. Even when we may doubt this reality, we can say, Jesus, help my unbelief. He is always there for us.

 

June 11, 2023

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the most important mystery in the Church. A mystery of our faith isn’t what we typically think of when we hear mystery, that something needs to be solved. Instead, a mystery of our faith is something that God reveals to us. For example, the mystery of the Incarnation, and the mystery of the Holy Trinity - these aren’t things to be solved, rather they are an unveiling, an opening of our eyes and heart to know God. God is love. Love is the best way to describe this mystery of the Holy Trinity.

 

Deacon Michael Nevin preached this weekend.

In his homily this past Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, Fr. Carlson spoke about the Holy Spirit in the life of the disciple, using the analogy of a pickle. We need to be plunged, soaked, and pickled with the Holy Spirit!

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. We’re all familiar with this popular saying. This Sunday we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. One of the prayers during Mass says, “he ascended, not to distance himself from our lowly state but that we, his members, might be confident of following where he, our Head and Founder, has gone before.” As Catholics, we don’t just know a guy, we know THE guy. Jesus does not leave us. He desires more than we’ll ever know that we would join him in heaven. We know that we have THE guy, and he’s waiting for us. He wants to be bothered. He desires to hear from us, his sons and daughters. Let us go to him in prayer and get to know him even more.

May is the month of Mary. On May 13 the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. Our Lady asked the children to tell the world to do three things - to have a conversion of heart, to repent from sin, and to pray the Rosary every day. Fr. Carlson’s shares how mothers always know best, especially our heavenly mother, and that praying the Rosary every day is a great way to grow closer to Christ.

We all know what it’s like to prepare for a guest to come to our house. What do we do before we receive the Eucharist? We too prepare. When we receive the Eucharist, it is not a piece of bread or a cup of wine, but the body and blood of Christ. He wants to dwell inside of us. Every single time we go to Mass we too are called to prepare to receive Jesus Christ. He’s not just a one time visitor - he is a part of our lives. May we prepare a place for him to dwell. Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary for you.

When you are struck to the heart with questions saying - isn’t there something more than this world has to offer? Isn’t there something more than academics? Isn’t there something  more than sports? Isn’t there something more than Instagram? The answer is yes. The answer is, it is God, who wants to be with you, in good times and in bad. Let him shepherd you.

When the two disciples on the way to Emmaus saw Jesus in the breaking of the bread, in the Mass, their eyes were opened to who he is. We today should consider, do we recognize him?

Is Mass just a requirement for us? Do we “punch the clock” and get our obligation out of the way? Do our hearts burn with anticipation and love when we come forward to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament or do we think the Eucharist is just some symbol? Is there something impeding the eyes of our heart from seeing him? We need to let go of those things that impede our eyes from seeing Jesus. Ask Jesus for the grace to let go of these things, and to recognize him and have our hearts burn within us.

Peace be with you. This is what Christ wants to give - he wants to give us peace, love, grace. Many times we can think, what is God going to say to me? I’ve abandoned him, I’m afraid to come to him. Maybe this keeps us away from church, maybe this keeps us away from Confession. Can God truly forgive me? Does he truly want to give me peace? We know the answer to this in our head - we’ve been told over and over again that he loves us, but it can be hard to let that truth penetrate our heart sometimes. 

 

This is what God wants to give - He wants to say to each and every one of us - peace be with you. He wants to give us what we’re longing for, which is Him. We can receive this mercy over and over again, for God never tires of giving it. It’s only in God that we are going to find fulfillment and that we are going to find peace.

 

In his homily this past Sunday, Fr. Carlson speaks about God’s mercy, and tells a powerful story of one woman’s search for peace, and how she found it.