Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

What must we do to inherit eternal life? The Question that the rich young man is our question, too. Jesus responds to him to keep the Commandments, and then invites him to discipleship. Keeping the Commandments is important, but only a first step, a minimum step. Christ desires us to be more than minimum - we are to live life to the full, to place our trust in Him alone. So we, too, are asked to leave everything behind and to follow the Lord. When we do, we will find every need meet, and will be given everything in extravagance.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Marriage is a vocation, and as such it requires a commitment that is lifelong. Marriage, like priesthood, is under attack. So many seem to simply desire to define these sacraments their own ways, claiming a moral superiority over the Church, Tradition, and ultimately even Christ, based on their 'conscience'. Marriage is between one man and one woman, who willingly, knowingly choose to enter into the union for the good of the couple and the good of children, until death parts them. Anything else ceases to be marriage and rather a perversion of the truth. Christ gives marriage a sacramental grace, and those who enter it enter for life do so with this gift of grace. Just the same, those who are called by God to be priests and respond do so for life, and are given the grace that is needed to live it out their entire lives...

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary time

There is the reality of sin - and Hell - that we sometimes forget. We are to be so radical to avoid sin that we would do whatever it takes. Christ Jesus himself speaks of the reality of condemnation and Hell, and as the savior, He comes to save us from sin. His power is shown not in simply saying "Everything is okay" but in "I forgive you". Our lives are to be able to give glory to God. Not only that, but we must remember that Jesus asks us to be so aware of our actions that we not lead others into sin by word or example. If we do, He says that we would be better to have a millstone tied around our necks and thrown into the sea (to drown). Again, we are to be so separated from sin. Christ gives us the grace to do so.

A place to explore your calling to be a Catholic Priest

A great site calledA vocation to be a Priest was recently brought to my attention and seems to be a great place to start... Written by teens for teens, it seems to be pretty good.

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Who is the greatest? The question we hear being discussed by the apostles in this weekend's Gospel passage is one that still plagues us. We jockey for position, put just enough of a religious spin on it to make it appear that we are trying to live the Gospel out. The question is not who is the greatest, but who are we serving? Are we serving ourselves, our pride, and our own positions? Are we serving others without counting the cost or expecting repayment, simply because it is the right thing to do? We need to examine our motivations and passions and ask the Lard to purify them.

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

There are certain questions that every single believer needs to ask. The questions are asked by Christ throughout the Gospels, and the question in this weekend's Gospel is important: Who is Jesus Christ? Answering the question is only the beginning - what does it mean for us? Are we willing to take up our cross to follow Him. As St. James instructs us in the second reading, our faith is empty unless we are willing to do works (after all, submission of belief in Christ is also a work according to St. John). May we follow Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Msgr. Greg Schaeffer and the Mission in Guatemala

The CNS service is running a story about one of the priests of the Diocese of New Ulm. The coffee from San Lucas Tolimon is consistently the best I have . For more info, on ordering coffee, call the Diocese!