SJBExcelsior Podcast

Christ the King

This weekend was the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Father Carlson shared a bit about the history of this great solemnity which was added to the Church calendar in just the last 100 years. The day is especially a good reminder that no matter what may be going on in the world or in our lives, Christ is King and we can place our trust in Him.

Putting God First

This week, the Gospel talks about the end times. It's a good reminder that we need to be ready to meet God at all times - we don't know the hour of the second coming or how long we have on this earth for that matter. So how are we living our lives? Are we putting God at the center or is He just something we try to fit in when we have time? Do we give God our first fruits or just whatever we have leftover?

Our Gifts, God‘s Work

How hard is it to give from our livelihood versus from our excess? Do we give generously and trust God will provide or do we only give when we know we won't really even notice that the money is gone? The woman in the Gospel today gave all she could in her poverty - it was hardly anything monetarily, but it was of far greater value than what others gave from their excess. How can we be generous with the gifts God has given us?

The Greatest Commandment

As humans, we can often get bogged down in the details. Navigating life as a Catholic can be hard and seem complicated, but Jesus told us how to live our lives, He showed us by His example. This week, Jesus tells us the greatest commandments and these two commandments really encapsulate the Ten Commandments.

Vocations

Discerning a vocation can seem daunting. Many may think the call to something like priesthood or religious life is too high or too much is expected, but Father reminds us this week that Jesus called imperfect humans to follow Him. Each time a priest offers the Mass it is both for the people and himself – priests are imperfect humans just like anyone else. We all need Jesus and need to discern how God is calling us to serve Him with our lives.

Turning to God with Confidence

How do you turn to God in prayer? Do you spill your whole heart, holding nothing back, confidently trusting that God will listen and understand everything you are going through? Fr. Carlson reminds us in his homily this week that God wants us to turn to him and that Jesus humbled Himself to the point of taking on human form and experienced many struggles on this earth just as we do. We can turn to God with confidence knowing His great love for us and that He understands what it’s like to be human.

Where Do You Place Your Trust?

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). How often do we ask the Lord that question? Do we ever ask Him what we personally must do to inherit eternal life? The Gospel today calls us to reflect on where we are placing our trust – Do we trust in God or in earthly things and our own abilities?

The Institution of Marriage

Divorce in our current culture is common, but this week we are reminded that from the beginning of creation it was not so. Marriage is meant to be lifelong and the Catholic Church is one of the few faiths that teaches of its permanence.

Choosing God and His Mercy

God is greatly merciful, but this week's Gospel reminds us that we need to choose God, choose His mercy. How can we keep God at the center of our lives and choose Him daily?

The First Shall Be Last

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 9/19/21 - Fr. Carlson homily

It's so easy to get caught up in the comparison game. Even the disciples were called out on that in today's Gospel! This is a good reminder to put things in their proper order.