Welcome

 These are text versions of the sermons I have prepared for the Sundays of the calendar year. I am a Catholic priest of the diocese of Gaylord (Michigan), ordained in 1997. 

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Second Sunday of Easter [B]

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  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER  You will find that some Bible passages have a way of explaining themselves. These verses come across as straight-forward. You don’t need any help forming your interpretation. But then you make your way into the First Letter of St. John. Chapter five outlines a series of witnesses; referred to as the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood (5:6-8). Jesus comes to us by way of the Spirit, by way of the Water, and by way of the Blood. Upon consulting the commentaries you discover that scholarly opinion remains divided, regarding this selection. A definitive interpretation has not yet been reached. Generally, however, speculation has leaned in the direction of the Jordan River, with Jesus stepping forward to be baptized.   If you pray the Rosary, this ranks as the first of the Luminous Mysteries. You know that this mystery centers around the symbol of water. You know also that the Holy Spirit becomes visible in the image of a dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:...
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Feast of the Ascension [B]

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  FEAST OF THE ASCENSION  I recall attending the annual Old Engine Show in Buckley. I had just been installed as the new pastor at St. Patrick’s, located roughly nine miles north of Buckley, on the outskirts of Traverse City. Having arrived at the Old Engine Show, I walked up and down the lanes, reviewed the displays, and then I stopped for something to eat. Volunteers from St. Patrick’s were staffing a food booth, so I dropped in on them, did some visiting, and had a light lunch. Then it was time to head home, back to St. Patrick’s.  Stepping into the rectory, I dug out a pair of scissors so that I could cut off the synthetic bracelet that had been placed upon my wrist. That bracelet had served as verification that I was a paying customer. When you pay the price of admission, they fasten the band around your wrist. This same practice is carried out at the annual Northwest Michigan Fair. You wear the wristband through the course of your stay—and then you remove it soon af...
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