Every week in my 8th grade religious ed class, I share about a saint of the week.  At last Wednesday’s first class for the school year, in starting our introduction to saints, I asked the students, “who wants to be a saint?”  None of them raised their hands.  I then asked, “who wants to go to heaven?” and they all raised their hands.  This was a reminder to me that sharing the faith with others does not have to be complicated.  It must start with the simple message regarding what our purpose in life is.

There is a lot of value in the details of our faith.  From Church history to doctrine and everything in between, these are important areas to know and share with others.  However, we have to start with the basics.  What is our point here in life?  It all comes back to one simple truth which is to know, love, and serve God.  We must always keep this in mind and should also come back to this simple truth ourselves, no matter where we are at in our faith.

We should ask ourselves often, how am I doing with knowing, loving, and serving God?  Where is there room for growth?  What do I need to change and do differently?  Are we accepting God’s grace and remaining open to how He wants to work in our lives?

In this weekend’s Gospel, we heard one of the most popular verses in scripture, John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  This verse is simple and it reminds us of the deep love God has for us.  And it is when we encounter that love that our lives are changed.  It is when we encounter that love that our faith leads us to action and leads us to live for God.

That is what I want for each of my students and for every single person.  When one has an encounter with God who is love, it leads to knowing, loving, and serving Him.  And this is how God makes saints.  My hope and prayer for each of us is that we would always remember our purpose, to be saints!

Yesterday, September 7th, was an exciting day in the Catholic Church.  Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were canonized.  These two newly declared saints seemed to have brought more excitement and noise than usual.  I think one of the main reasons is because of how young they both were and also the fact of how ordinary they were.  They were normal and ordinary but their love for God was extraordinary.  They lived their faith boldly and followed God wholeheartedly.  In Pope Leo XIV’s homily, he stated that, “the greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan” (homily, Rome, September 7, 2025).  These two saints clearly did not waste their lives.  As we reflect on our lives, can we say the same?

Knowing what God is calling us to do each day and in particular moments can be really hard.  How do we know if we are doing what He is asking?  How can we be sure we’ve heard Him correctly?  Are we following His plan?  What if we are wasting our lives?

God has given every single person specific gifts and talents that He wants us to use for Him and for His glory.  I think if we are using those gifts and talents to serve Him, we are not wasting our lives.  The challenging part can be knowing and understanding what those gifts and talents are.  It’s easy to compare ourselves to others and start to doubt what they are.  But God equips each and every one of us with what we need in order to serve Him.

St. Carlo and St Pier Giorgio should inspire in us a desire to love God extraordinarily through our ordinary lives.  In our work, in our interactions with family members, friends, and others, in receiving the Eucharist and in our time spent in Eucharistic adoration, and in our commitment to living our faith daily; these are the ordinary ways that God asks us to serve and follow Him.

If we are striving to use our gifts and talents for God, to love and serve God and others wholeheartedly, and to live our faith daily, we will be on the right path.  May we all follow the examples of these two saints and countless others who did not waste their lives but loved God with everything.

1. Pope Leo XIV, “Homily at the Canonization Mass of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati” (homily, Rome, September 7, 2025), https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250907-omelia-frassati-acutis.html

On Friday, I worked my last shift at Eddie Whipp’s Dining Hall.  It was a part time weekend job that I started when I was 14 and in eighth grade.  Having worked there for 14 years and five months, literally half of my life, it will be a huge change to not work there anymore.  While it was really hard to make the decision to stop working there, I made the choice  in order to put more focus on some other upcoming events.  We all go through changes in our lives, some big, some small.  Change can be good, but it can also be hard.  There is one thing in life that is guaranteed to never change, and that is God.

For the most part, people like to have routine and consistency.  Changes in our lives can be a big adjustment, because what we once knew becomes different and unfamiliar.  But a normal and natural part of life is change and it comes in all forms.  The jobs we work, the places we live, the people we are close to, and our stages of life all change.  Through it all, one thing is constant.

God never changes.  We read multiple times in scripture of this reality.  One verse from Hebrews tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).  And what a blessing that is.  We can be sure of the fact that no matter what changes happen in our lives, God is always the same.

We can count on God always and at all times.  His love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, goodness, wisdom and all other aspects of who He is remain the same.  And that is a great comfort.

Have you experienced any changes in your life recently?  If so, take it as an opportunity to reflect on the one and only thing that is unchanging.  God never changes, but He changes everything.  Knowing and loving God makes a profound difference in our lives.  May we all be reminded that whatever changes we experience, God is always the same.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to some people who were part of a pilgrimage group that had stopped at my parish.  They were talking about their experiences of the day.  They talked about the small towns and rural areas they walked through and how beautiful the fields, trees, and trails were.  They were from Colorado and had not been to Wisconsin before.  They were also commenting on how beautiful the church was and were amazed at the architecture and style.  They reminded me that God gives us beautiful things and they are all around us, even if we don’t always recognize it.

The people I was talking to reminded me of the beauty that is all around us.  Living in a small town in Wisconsin, it can be easy to miss the beauty that surrounds us.  The landscapes do not appear that extraordinary, at least to someone who has always lived here.  These few pilgrims that I was talking to came from a state with mountains and some of the most beautiful landscapes that exist.  I wondered how they could think the small rural areas in Wisconsin were beautiful when they have mountains.  But, it is simply a different kind of beauty.  God created it, and He only creates good and beautiful things.  The group also talked about how beautiful the church was, which is something I can easily overlook when seeing it week after week.

Everything God created is beautiful, and that draws us back to Him.  Whether we see it or not, beauty surrounds us every day.  Sometimes it might be in the small things, other times, it might appear more grand.  Works of art, music that is sung or played, and words that are written can also be beautiful, because God has given people gifts and talents that can reflect Him.  And beauty is also in the people around us, because each and every person is created in God’s image and likeness.  We just need to stop and take time to see it right in front of us.

God wants us to see the beauty around us and wants us to be drawn closer to Him through it.  We need to open our eyes to see it.  And once we recognize it, we must remember to thank God for the gift.  Whether it’s in the sunrise or sunset, places we go, people we talk to, or words we read, it’s all a gift.  My prayer for today is that we would all be able to recognize the beauty that we encounter today and see it as a gift from God!

The Gospel we heard at mass over the weekend may appear to be challenging at the surface level.  But Jesus is just telling us about the reality of living our faith and following Him.  He wants us to be on fire with love for Him and, if we are, this will come with a cost.  Our faith will cause division and conflict, possibly even among people close to us.

In this culture, if our faith has never offended or upset anyone, are we truly living it out?  While our goal as Catholics and Christians is not to offend and upset others by our faith, we know that the Church’s teachings are in direct opposition to the world around us, so it is highly likely that when we live our lives in accordance with the Church, people will be offended and upset as a result.

I am grateful that the family members closest to me, my siblings, all are Catholic and practice their faith.  It is a huge blessing to share the faith we were given and to continue to grow in it.  When it comes to some extended family members, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, that is not the case.  Whatever your situation is, you probably have family members, whether immediate or extended, who don’t practice the faith, have left the church, or who think your faith is weird and outdated.  Wherever we find ourselves, we must not let people around us weaken or diminish our faith.

Jesus knows that our faith will cause division, whether that is among family, friends, or other people we know.  Our love for Jesus and desire to follow Him must be greater than our fear about what others think and our desire to fit in.  In the Gospel passage from this past weekend, Jesus says “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing” (Luke 12:49)!  Are our hearts on fire?  Are our lives already blazing?  Do we allow Jesus to work in our lives and increase our faith?

Our greatest desire should be to have hearts that are on fire for Jesus and a desire to live our faith boldly.  Jesus wants to use us to help spread the fire of His love.  And we can only do this if we are willing to face division, conflict, and discomfort.  My prayer for each of us today is that we would let His fire overtake us so that we can help spread it to the people around us.

The Gospel we heard at mass this past weekend should serve as an awakening for all of us.  It is a reminder to be vigilant and live our faith daily.  Jesus tells us, “you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Luke 12:40).  Are we actively working to grow in our relationship with Jesus and deepening our faith or are we being complacent and putting off what we know we need to do?

Our faith is not something we can put off for a later time.  It is not something we can just decide to pick up when we’re older, less busy, or when we’re facing hardship and uncertainty in our lives.  Our faith needs to be fully lived each and every day, here and now, in each present moment.  So often, faith gets put on the back burner.  But Jesus never puts us on the back burner, so why would we do that to Him?  Are we remaining vigilant and prepared?

When I take time to reflect on this in my own life, I recognize just how far I am from being fully the person God created me to be.  Holiness often seems so unobtainable.  If Jesus came now at this exact moment, would I be ready?  In our weaknesses, sin, and human condition, we will never be exactly where we should be, but are we putting in effort and commitment?  Are we acknowledging that we cannot do it on our own and asking Jesus to lead us and work in our lives?

If we are doing the things we know we need to do to deepen our faith, grow closer to Jesus, and try to grow in holiness, we are on the right path.  If we are not doing these things, we become complacent, staying the same.  And when complacency sets in, the worldly distractions take over.  And when worldly distractions take over, we cannot be watchful, vigilant, and prepared.  This Gospel passage about the vigilant and faithful servants reminds us that our actions have consequences and our choices either bring us closer to God or further from Him.  Are we living like the faithful and vigilant servants or the unfaithful and ignorant servants?

Jesus, thank you for loving us and for teaching us the way.  You alone can give us the ultimate fulfillment and happiness.  Help us to be vigilant and watchful, so that we are always prepared and ready to meet you, not just at the end of our lives, but in each moment that you come to us.  Open our eyes to see you in each day.  Help us to keep our focus on you today and always.  Amen.

Today’s Gospel (8/5) is one of my favorite passages in scripture.  We read the story about Jesus walking on water and Peter doubting.  It is so relevant in our world today and a much needed reminder to trust and stay focused on Jesus, especially in the storms around us.  What is greater; our fear or our faith?

Fear and doubt are real and normal human emotions.  And the media can make these emotions much worse, as the media loves to evoke fear and push certain ideas to make people panic.  We can also experience fear when something is happening in our lives that we don’t understand and that we are worried about.  The noise and activity around us can easily cause doubt and uncertainty.  In the Gospel passage, as Peter walks on the water toward Jesus, his focus turns to the storm and how strong the wind is instead of staying focused on Jesus, which causes him to sink (Matthew 14:30).  How often in our lives do we do the same?  We look at our problems, struggles, and challenges instead of at Jesus, and then we start to sink.  As Peter starts to sink, he cries out, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus stretches out His hand to catch him (Matthew 14:30-31).  That’s what Jesus does, not just in this passage, but in our lives too.

Jesus will always be there to catch us.  We simply need to ask Him for help because we cannot do anything on our own.  We need to trust that He is with us, waiting to stretch out His hand and pull us up.  This passage reminds us to step out of what is comfortable and familiar, and walk into a deeper trust of Jesus, no matter what storms are going on around us.  Jesus is always gazing upon us, and we must not take our gaze off of Him either, so that we do not sink.  Just as he says to His disciples in the boat, “take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), He says the same to us.

We must have courage and trust in Jesus.  He is always there, waiting for us to walk closer to Him and grow in our trust in Him.  And He is ready to catch us when we call out.  My prayer for each of us today is that we would keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, and have courage to walk through whatever storms we may encounter.

Last week at work, I had my annual performance review.  While it’s a necessary part of the job, it brought up thoughts about how much our jobs seem to define us, at least in the eyes of other people.  I always strive to do my best and I want to be an employee who is dependable and can be counted on.  But at the end of the day, it’s just a job.  My job is not my priority and I don’t really have job-related goals.  My main goal in life is to love Jesus and to become a saint.

It seems like many people of a certain age love to ask others about their jobs.  They want to know where you work,  what you do, all the ins and outs of your job, what your pay is like, and if you can advance in the job.  We spend a lot of time at our jobs, so it is understandable that people ask these things.  But the way many people go about asking these questions often makes it seem like our jobs are the most interesting and exciting parts of our lives and like our job is what defines us.  Our jobs are what we do, not who we are.  And we are all replaceable at work.  If your job were to ever be taken from you, you would still be the same person.

I get to work at 7:30 AM and leave at 5:00 PM, and outside of those hours, I don’t think too much about work and do not take my work home with me.  I recognize that certain jobs may be a bit different.  But my mindset is that the work will still be there the next day.  Regardless of the jobs we have, our goal should be to grow in our faith and love Jesus and others.  Is our main focus to climb the ladder of success and advance in our careers or to advance in our faith and love for Jesus, to climb closer to Him?

I do want to do well at my job, but much more than that, I want to do well at living for Jesus.  What are your goals in life?  What is your priority?  Take some time to reflect on that, as it may just reveal an area to grow in.  Jesus, help me to love you more and help me to be a saint!

Last week, there was an attack on a Catholic church in Gaza, which resulted in death and injury.  The horrifying event was a reminder that Christians in other parts of the world go to church with the risk of being harmed or even killed.  In the US, we not only have the freedom to worship, but we can go to mass without fear of being harmed or attacked.  Yet, our churches are missing a lot of people, people who are Catholic, but choose not to come to mass for a variety of reasons.  The mass is the highest form of prayer and should be the priority of our week, yet for so many, it is not.

People come up with many excuses to not go to mass.  Aside from the legitimate reasons, such as illness, emergency weather, and other reasons along those lines, everything else is just an excuse.  Sporting events, being on vacation, not feeling like it, or being bored are just a few of the many excuses people have for not attending mass.  And when you look at the fact that people in certain parts of the world are physically risking their lives to worship God, these excuses are quite poor and sad.

The eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.  And it is the greatest gift God has given us.  Yet, so many Catholics are blind to this reality.  If they knew that Jesus was present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, they would be there every week, no excuses.  You cannot encounter Jesus Christ Himself and not be changed.

Each of us has a job, and that job is to keep sharing about Jesus in the eucharist and why the mass matters.  It is a large task, but one that is vital to our faith and to helping people recognize what the mass is and who is there, waiting for them.  My prayer is that each of us would strive to be eucharistic missionaries, sharing about our encounter with Christ and how it is has changed our lives. 

The next best thing after having an encounter with Jesus is seeing other people encounter Jesus.  Last week, I was blessed to experience both while on a Catholic Leadership Retreat in Wyoming.  At the end of the day, that’s what we want; for people to encounter Jesus in a profound and life-changing way.  We want to see people’s hearts set on fire with love for Jesus and for that fire to continue burning after the experience ends.

Too often, people have an amazing, life-changing experience and over time, they forget and allow their faith to fade or to disappear completely.  Unfortunately, the devil is very much real and always working hard to pull us away from Jesus.  When we experience Jesus in a powerful and profound way, we need to let that experience stay with us when we return to normal life.

In his homily at our mass on Thursday evening, Fr. Matt spoke about “remembering your peak.”  He told us about the importance of remembering this profound mountaintop spiritual experience when we go back home to the valley.  It’s easy to be on fire when you’re living in community with a group of others who’ve experienced the same thing, but going back to the real world is much more challenging and where the growth in our faith needs to continue to happen.

It was a huge blessing to be on this trip again and one of the best parts was seeing people encounter Jesus and get excited about their faith.  On Thursday of the retreat, while spending some time in quiet, individual prayer, I opened up scripture to find a passage to pray with and reflect on.  I ended up reading Matthew 13:18-23, which is The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.  Reflecting on the four different responses people may have to God and His word was quite relevant to the moment, as I thought about the ways in which the retreatants might respond moving forward from the trip.  The passage talks about how there are those who never accept the word of the Kingdom, those who believe for a while but fall away because of persecution, those who believe, but in whom the word is choked by worldly anxiety and the seduction in riches, and those who respond to the word and produce fruit abundantly.  Seed is either planted on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, or on good soil.  I want to see everyone embrace Jesus fully and go forward to produce fruit abundantly.  The challenge in this is to help people to have receptive and open hearts, continuing to walk with each other so that we stay close to Jesus.

When we encounter Jesus in a powerful way, we cannot forget.  We need to always take time to think about the times we’ve experienced Him in a profound way so that we continue to recognize He is real and always working in our lives and walking with us, even when we go back to regular life.  My prayer for each of us today, especially for each and every retreatant and leader on the CLR 2025 trip, is that we would “remember our peak” and never let our love for Jesus fade.