Shows / Pilgrim Priest
Pilgrim Priest
Have you thought sermons were boring? Think again as Fr. Joel unpacks the word of God for today's audience. Fresh, local, and live takes on the Gospel for our world. A new homily every Sunday.
Episodes
Pilgrim PriestThe Anniversary of the Dedication of St. Wenceslaus Church (October 25) | #1643
Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church • Today we celebrate a baby's Baptism on the anniversary of the dedication of St. Wenceslaus church. I want to walk…
Pilgrim PriestRepay to God What Belongs to God | #1642
Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday (A) The Pharisees set a clever trap. If Jesus supports taxation, he will lose the support of his populist base. If Jesus opposes…
Pilgrim PriestWho Wants to Go to a Royal Wedding? | #1641
Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday (A) The Chosen People didn't like Jesus and they didn't want to come to his wedding feast. So God opened the kingdom to all people…
Pilgrim PriestIt's Harvest Time in the Vineyard | #1640
Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (A) God gave us the Garden of Eden, but we didn't take good care of it. We lost paradise and had to scrape a life out of the…
Pilgrim PriestPeople Who Think They Already Know | #1639
Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (A) We get ourselves into the most trouble when we think we have all the answers. Basic training is all about proving how little the…
Pilgrim PriestWe're Hiring | #1638
Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (A) A parable about a landowner with a vineyard should make us think of God, the Garden of Eden, and the people of Israel. If God is…
Pilgrim PriestWe're Hiring | #1638
Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (A) A parable about a landowner with a vineyard should make us think of God, the Garden of Eden, and the people of Israel. If God is…
Pilgrim PriestHey Little Brother | #1637
Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (A) If God is our Father, then what does that make us? We and our fellow Christians are brothers and sisters. In Matthew 18, Jesus…
Pilgrim PriestJesus Announces Major Construction Project | #1636
Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday (A) CESAREA PHILIPPI - Jesus of Nazareth today revealed the blueprints of a brand new building project. Jesus first affirmed his…
Pilgrim PriestTrust the Journey | #1635
What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey to a holy place. Native American peoples have sacred places. Hindus, Buddhists, and Shinto have shrines and holy sites…
Pilgrim PriestHow to Not Bear Rotten Fruit | #1634
Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday (A) Romans 8:35 is a great passage to memorize. St. Paul has experienced all kinds of anguish and distress but the love of God has…
Pilgrim PriestWeeds and Wheat Growing Together | #1633
Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday (A) You come to Mass most Sundays, and even Holy Days of Obligation. You try not to swear or drink too much or gossip. You are…
Pilgrim PriestCultivate the Soil of Your Heart | #1632
Ordinary Time, 15th Sunday (A) When scripture talks about a gardener, a vineyard owner, or a sower, we are meant to think of God. God "gardened" the world into…
Pilgrim PriestShe Recevies a Prophet. This is How God Rewards Her | #1631
Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday (A) God sees us and he rewards hospitality. A woman of influence feeds and houses Elisha. He wants to reward her, so he promises her…
Pilgrim PriestGod Sees. And He Understands | #1630
Ordinary Time, 12th Sunday (A) You spend a couple hours playing in the basement building the world's most amazing marble track. Then along comes your…
Pilgrim PriestSome Give by Going and Some Go by Giving | #1629
Ordinary Time, 11th Sunday (A) The Israelites leave Egypt, cross the Red Sea, and spend a year and a half at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It is here that God gives…
Pilgrim PriestBreak the Cycle of Not-a-Gift | #1628
Trinity Sunday (A) God is one divine nature but three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father IS self-giving love and when he gives himself…
Pilgrim PriestAre You Standing Outside the Fire? | #1627
Pentecost Sunday (A) God is a community of love. We were made by love and for love; we were created to live in God's community. God's one desire is to draw us…
Pilgrim PriestPin the Flame on the Apostle | #1626
Easter, 6th Sunday (A) The Sunday Lectionary is designed around the idea of promise and fulfillment. In the Gospel, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. The Acts of…
Pilgrim PriestLiving Stones Show How Every Vocation Can Be Special | #1625
Easter, 5th Sunday (A) How can every vocation be special? Each rock that makes up St. Hyacinth Church is a unique shape, size, and color. The whole church is…
Pilgrim PriestThe Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life and So Do We | #1624
Easter, 4th Sunday (A) Happy Good Shepherd Sunday, which could have also been called "Sheep Gate Sunday." Today is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations…
Pilgrim PriestThree Steps to Emmaus | #1623
Easter, 3rd Sunday • The Road to Emmaus is one of my favorite stories. It's possible that a married couple, Cleopas and his wife, are walking together. They…
Pilgrim PriestPeace in the Midst of Transitions and Trials | #1622
Easter, 2nd Sunday (Divine Mercy) This weekend the Diocese of Green Bay made public the new priest assignments. Today I read a letter from the Diocese…
Pilgrim PriestThe Easter Secret for a Successful Life | #1621
Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord • If Easter Sunday were just a one-day celebration, our current wintry weather would really dampen the celebration…
Pilgrim PriestIs This the Worst Kind of Suffering? | #1620
Good Friday • We experience many different forms of suffering: illness, tragedy, the death of loved ones. But the worst kind of suffering is to have no sense…
Pilgrim PriestWe Love Because He First Loved Us | #1619
Holy Thursday • The Paschal Lamb was a sacrifice and a sacred meal. It's blood saved the Israelites from the Angel of Death. It died for them, so that they…
Pilgrim PriestDonkeys are Marked with the Sign of the Cross | #1618
Palm Sunday (A) Today, Jesus looks like a king. He fulfills the prophecy of Zachariah 9:9. Following Jesus, and accepting his kingdom, gives us freedom from…
Pilgrim PriestHave You Prepared for Your Funeral? For Your Resurrection? | #1617
Lent, 5th Sunday (A) It is never too early to plan your funeral! At least write a few things down: what church, what cemetery, what funeral home, what do you…
Pilgrim PriestJesus Teaches a Master Class on Evangelization | #1616
Lent, 3rd Sunday (A) Our annual parish Lenten retreat talked about discipleship, stewardship, and evangelization. Let's watch Jesus as he shows us how to…
Pilgrim PriestA Mountain Top Experience As We Journey Into the Desert | #1615
Lent, 2nd Sunday (A) Lent does not exist for itself. It exists to prepare us for Easter and new life in Christ. On the way into the desert, the nation of…
Pilgrim PriestGuarding the Garden | #1614
Lent, 1st Sunday (A) Adam is given the job to "keep" the garden (the Hebrew word is shamar). Adam fails to guard both the garden and his wife. Jesus feels…
Pilgrim PriestHalf-Hearted Lovers | #1613
Ash Wednesday • Would you want a boyfriend or girlfriend who loved you half-heartedly? How many of you would want to play on a team with half-hearted…
Pilgrim PriestLet Your Yes Mean YES and Your No Mean NO | #1612
Ordinary Time, 6th Sunday (A) Campus ministry is thriving at UW-Oshkosh thanks to your donations to the Bishop's Appeal and the Raising Vocations collection…
Pilgrim PriestIlluminating Holy Matrimony | #1611
Ordinary Time, 3rd Sunday (A) Jesus is the light. By the light of his love, we can see our own lives more clearly. We know that we were made by love and for…
Pilgrim PriestLet's Talk About Confirmation | #1610
Ordinary Time, 2nd Sunday (A) Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of our Lord's Baptism. This week, the readings speak to us of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation…
Pilgrim PriestI Never Thought I Would Preach a Homily on This Topic | #1609
Baptism of the Lord (A) We naturally love that which is good. Therefore, you should love yourself. Rightly-ordered self-love is the fruit of seeing your own…
Pilgrim PriestGifts for the True Star | #1608
The Epiphany of the Lord • Marco Polo claims to have seen the incorrupt bodies of the three magi. God is directing a great drama and each of us has a special…
Pilgrim PriestA Mother's Authority | #1607
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord) • God is three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is…
Pilgrim PriestJoseph's Secret to Being a Great Father | #1606
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (A) We are each special, hand-made, and unique. When God creates children, he wants them to be welcomed into…
Pilgrim PriestThe Only Gift That Will Save You | #1605
Christmas Eve • I decorated my tree on Christmas Eve. It was a journey through my life history. As we listen to the genealogy of Jesus, we get a brief summary…
Pilgrim PriestA Sign That God Is With Us | #1604
Advent, 4th Sunday (A) A young King Ahaz faces a complicated and difficult political situation. He doesn't need a plan, a strategy, or powerful allies because…
Pilgrim PriestWaiting In Joyful Hope | #1603
Advent, 3rd Sunday (C) For twenty years, Franciscan missionaries labored in Mexico with very little success. Finally, God acted through Mary, and in 10 years…
Pilgrim PriestThe Most Perfect Gift | #1602
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Which Catholic teaching is the most difficult to accept? It's not the Immaculate…
Pilgrim PriestBe Ready With This One Simple Habit | #1601
Advent, 1st Sunday (A) Winter was coming, but were you prepared? Advent was coming, were you ready? Jesus is coming; are you prepared to meet him? Some of our…
Pilgrim PriestWhat Do You Need to Entrust to the King? | #1550
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (C) Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, a relatively new feast in the church year. It…
Pilgrim PriestSet Apart for the Worship of God | #1549
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome • The consecration or dedication of a church building sets it apart for the worship of God. Every…
Pilgrim PriestFunerals Have Much in Common with Baptisms | #1548
All Souls Day • The dead are not so very far away. They have a message for you: "What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be." I want to start my homily…
Pilgrim PriestHastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547
Solemnity of All Saints • What are we celebrating today? The Preface for All Saints explains: For for today, by your gift, we celebrate the festival of your…
Pilgrim PriestPersistent Prayer Changes the World | #1546
Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday (C) Welcome to our Stewardship Commitment Sunday. When it comes to stewardship, I feel like the little old lady who is constantly…
Pilgrim PriestThe Healing That Flows From Obedience | #1545
Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday (C) Naaman the Syrian is powerful, wealthy, and successful. But his strength and wealth are not enough to make him healthy. He…
Pilgrim PriestThe Devil's Secret Plot to Take Over the World | #1544
Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (C) "I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and…
Pilgrim PriestWinners and Losers | #1543
Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (C) I saw a lot of amazing things on my pilgrimage to Italy: medieval towns, Pope Leo, three Eucharistic miracles, the four major…
Pilgrim PriestSnake! (Look at the Cross) | #1542
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross • Anti-venom comes from animals who were poisoned but survived. Jesus drank the poison of our sins and it killed him…
Pilgrim PriestDiscipleship Only Works When You Do This | #1541
Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (C) We think we are free, but many of us are slaves. We are burdened by the needs and worries of the flesh. The book of Wisdom says…
Pilgrim PriestWhy Would Anyone Choose Poverty? | #1540
Ordinary Time, 22nd Sunday (C) Jesus goes to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the guests at the banquet are observing them carefully…
Pilgrim PriestDiscipline Makes Good Camping | #1539
Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday (C) Tent-camping is the best kind of vacation, because when you come home, your ordinary life feels like a luxury vacation! Fr…
Pilgrim PriestJesus Helps His Leaders with the Heavy Lifting | #1538
Ordinary Time, 20th Sunday (C) Leadership isn't cool. People lead badly when they start trying to look good. Jesus wasn't worried about being cool. Jeremiah…
Pilgrim PriestA Humble Little Ark | #1537
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mass during the Day) • Mary was assumed into heaven at the end of her earthly life. There have been…
Pilgrim PriestMost of Us Are Living Irrational Lives | #1536
Ordinary Time, 19th Sunday (C) Today we hear a witness from one of our Diocesan seminarians. He helps us see that faith is not a made-up fairy-tale. When we…
Pilgrim PriestWhat's In God's Wallet? | #1535
Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday (C) What's in God's wallet? Certainly not cash, credit cards, receipts, or insurance cards. The only thing in God's wallet is photos…