SJBExcelsior Podcast

Come Follow Me

Father Carlson shares a personal story of driving through a storm which parallels Jesus' invitation to each one of us to follow him and he will lead us home.

Forgiving Others

Father Carlson's shares a story of one families extraordinary act of forgiveness and how we too can be instruments of forgiveness towards others.

The Prodigal Son

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

This weekend we heard a well-known parable – The Prodigal Son. While many relate to one son more than the other, a constant is the love of the father for his sons – this is how God loves us. God is always there, ready to welcome us back and offering His love wherever we are in life.

True Repentance

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

What is repentance? Is it just feeling bad about the things we’ve done wrong? We may feel shame or sadness for our sins, but true repentance changes your heart. It causes you to look at your past sins and be appalled – to never want to commit them again.

How can we each have truly repentant hearts, deeper conversions of our hearts this Lent?

Adoration

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

If you don’t spend time with someone, how can you grow in relationship with them? This weekend, Fr. Carlson reminds us that spending time with Jesus, growing in relationship with Him, is the best way to spend our time.

Here at St. John’s we are blessed to have an Adoration chapel that is open every day and all are welcome to come visit. Whether you are signed up for an hour or just have a few minutes to stop by during the day, spending time in Adoration is a beautiful devotion. 

If you are interested in signing up for an hour or just viewing our schedule, visit https://stjohnthebaptist.weadorehim.com/. Keep an eye out in our communications for more about Adoration here at St. John’s and great resources for adorers!

Blind Guides

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

This weekend’s Gospel calls us to self-reflection. Jesus points out that a blind person guiding another blind person doesn’t go well! How often do we point out the faults of others’ and completely ignore or miss our own failings?

As we prepare to enter Lent, how can we allow Christ to heal our blindness? How can we incorporate prayer, fasting, and almsgiving into our lives?

Imitating Christ

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

Love your enemies? Do good to those who hate you? Today’s Gospel asks a lot of us. We may say we believe in Christ, but do we imitate Him? How often do we love our enemies or think to pray for those who have hurt us? How often do we instead let our anger get the best of us?

Jesus is calling us to imitate Him and live as He lived – loving others, even those who hate us.

Happiness

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

This week we hear a version of The Beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel. They are put a little different than the version we are used to hearing in Matthew’s Gospel. However, they drive home the point that God doesn’t promise blessings/happiness in this world for doing His work, but He does promise blessings/happiness in the next.

If we live only for the things of this world, we will never truly be happy. But if we live for God, we can be happy despite hardships that come our way on this earth and we will be happy in Heaven as well.

How can we detach from worldly desires and better focus on serving God?

Allowing God to Transform Us

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

We hear the story of Peter being called by Christ this weekend.  Jesus called a fisherman – someone who may not have been the most educated or qualified in the sight of most people.  Yet, God chose to work through this ordinary man.  How is God calling each of us and how does He want to work in our own lives? 

Agape Love

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar

Today, Fr. Carlson zoomed in on the second reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. We all may be familiar with the passage, “Love is patient, love is kind…” However, do we live it out as God calls us to?

God loves us and holds nothing back – Jesus died on the cross and made a total gift of self for us. We are called to accept that total gift of self from God and allow it to transform us and share that agape love with the world.