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The Cost of Unforgiveness

September 12, 2026

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In Jesus’ parable today, a servant owes his king an extraordinary debt. Our English translation obscures the amount but in the original Greek text it is 10,000 silver talents, with each talent being about 75 pounds of silver. In the ancient world, it would take a day laborer more than 150,000 years to earn that much from wages. That’s an amount akin to something like seven billion dollars today. How could a servant get himself into a hole of debt that deep? How wealthy would a king have to be to be owed so massive a debt? It is an amount unrepayable for any ordinary person, but this servant’s king is very rich in compassion. The servant pleads and his lord has pity. He forgives the man’s entire loan and lets him go.

Now this forgiven servant was a lender himself. One of his fellow servants owed him (in the original Greek) 100 denarii. That’s 100 days’ wages in the ancient world, something like $15,000 today. That’s not nothing but it’s a much smaller amount than seven billion dollars. The newly debt-free man seeks out this fellow servant and starts choking him while demanding, “Pay back what you owe!” Despite his neighbor’s pleading for patient mercy, the forgiven servant confines that man to debtors’ prison until he should pay back his debt in full.

Now their fellow servants are deeply troubled to see this and report the situation to the king and master of them all. The king summons that unforgiving servant and pronounces a swift judgment: “You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” And then in anger, the unforgiving servant is thrown into debtors’ prison until he should pay back his debt in full.

Jesus tells us this parable and then declares: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” Therefore this is a parable about God and us. The king in this parable represents God. And the servant, whose unrepayable debt to the king will only be forgiven if he forgives his neighbor, represents you and me.

God is our King to whom we owe everything. He is all-good and deserving of all our love. So when we sin in rebellion against him it creates a debt we cannot repay ourselves. But thanks be to God, forgiveness is offered through Jesus Christ when we repent and seek mercy. However, Jesus notes elsewhere in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” “Our Father, who art in Heaven,” will “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Now some folks feel alarm at this teaching because they fear they cannot forgive. Typically they believe that they cannot forgive because they think “forgiveness” means things it doesn’t.

Forgiving is not the same thing as forgetting. You can’t make yourself have amnesia and forget; you might remember someone else’s misdeed for the rest of your life. Forgiveness doesn’t mean saying what a sinner did wasn’t serious or wrong. If the sin committed was gravely wrong, to say otherwise would be untrue. Forgiveness doesn’t mean the offense no longer hurts. Only grace and time can heal some wounds, but we can still forgive while feeling pain. Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean pretending nothing happened. Sometimes going back to the way things were before would be imprudent or even wrong. But you can forgive someone even before they can be trusted. You can forgive even before they are sorry for what they did. Because forgiveness means loving someone despite the wrongs that they have done. Jesus did this from the Cross. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” while he was still in terrible pain and before they were sorry.

Is there someone you are worried that you haven’t forgiven? Then pray for them, since you cannot hate someone and pray for them, willing their greatest good, at the same time. Is there someone you find it hard to pray for? Then that’s whom you should pray for, for their sake and for yours. If you reach the pearly gates and see someone inside whom you hate, you will have to wait outside until you can love that person whom the Lord has reconciled to himself. Forgiveness loves someone despite their sins like Jesus loves us. Jesus came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father. So have mercy. Jesus heals the wounds of sin and division. So have mercy. And Jesus intercedes for us with our Father. So have mercy on others, too.

Posted in Forgiveness, Homily, Parables, Sunday Homilies, Unforgiving Servant | Leave a Comment »

Things Jesus Didn’t Say

September 6, 2026

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

There’s an amusing meme or running joke online quoting the many “Things Jesus Never Said.” These quips can be snarky and insightful. For instance, Jesus didn’t say at the Last Supper, “This is sorta like my body.” Jesus never said to the crowds, “Don’t follow me until you’re perfect.” Jesus didn’t say, “I only care about people who look like me.” Jesus didn’t say, “You can tell whom I love most by who has the most money.” Jesus didn’t say, “No one comes to the Father except through me but others’ opinions about this are all equally valid.” Jesus didn’t say, “Live your truth and do whatever makes you happy.” Jesus didn’t say, “Serving me will always make you popular.” In the style of this meme, let’s retranslate today’s Gospel into things Jesus never said:

“If someone sins against you, go ahead and tell anyone and everyone about that fault, except for that one person alone. (The offending person might not listen to you and giving them the silent treatment guarantees this.) Instead of talking to that person, connect with one or two others (over coffee, on the phone, on social media, or during a work break) to testify to your personal grievance. If your allies listen to you, your gossip may spread throughout your whole community. And that person who offended you—who is surely and always 100% in the wrong—will be treated like a tax collector or a telemarketer.”

All of that, of course, is not what Jesus said. Jesus tells his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.” Approaching someone privately avoids public embarrassment so the other person is more likely to hear you, and approaching someone directly allows them to explain themselves. Maybe you will come to understand each other better and the issue will be resolved. And that’s a win!

“But,” Jesus says, “if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…” Having another person or two with you for this next conversation may help to mediate a solution to the matter or help you and your offender see the issue more objectively. Interpersonal conflicts are often not entirely one person’s fault, and even if one person is more at fault, recognizing one’s own role in the conflict can result in more peaceful resolutions.

After that, Jesus says, “If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” Rather than taking ordinary conflicts immediately to the highest level, see if an issue can be resolved at a lower level between you. This approach will result in less resentment and more community harmony, and where true peace is possible, that is Christ’s will for us. But sometimes an offender’s obstinacy makes that peace impossible, so corrective consequences or punishments should follow. Like a father disciplining his children for their own good, correcting others can be an obligatory act of love.

Another thing Jesus did not say is: “Tolerate one another as I have tolerated you.” Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Loving people and just tolerating their behaviors are different things. If a thirsty person is about to drink a cup of poison, what should we do? Remain silent and detached, or rather say, “Stop, please! That will kill you. Please let me help you, here’s water instead. I care about you”? We are called to love people enough to call and help them toward conversion and fullness of life.

In today’s first reading, God tasks the Prophet Ezekiel to be a watchman for Israel. Whenever the Lord commands Ezekiel to warn his wayward neighbors, if Ezekiel refuses to speak, Ezekiel is told he will be held responsible for the sinner’s death. Now it does not appear that the Lord was expecting Ezekiel to personally, individually correct every sinner in Israel, and it would be unrealistic to expect you or me to fraternally correct every sinner in America today. However, if there’s a case where we suspect our intervention could greatly bless someone or save their soul, how can we be silent? If a poison is poison, we ought to say so. If we refuse to intervene when we could have helped, we may be judged someday for that dereliction of duty. And consider how wonderful it will be to be the catalyst for others’ conversions and salvation.

In addition to what Jesus taught in today’s Gospel, here are three tips for fraternal correction: First, share the truth with love. Hitting people on the head with your “truth bat” makes it harder for them to hear you. People often only care what you believe if they believe that you care about them. So share the truth with love.

The second tip is the importance of giving personal witness. Pope St. Paul VI wrote that “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” If you want to be heard, do not just talk the talk but also walk the walk.

And a third and final tip for fraternally correcting others is to pray. Pray for courage and wisdom and opportunities to help others this way. God wills us to be his ambassadors and instruments of mercy, love, and reconciliation. So pray for God’s grace to be effective in fraternal correction.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Internet, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Get Behind Me: From Obstacle to Disciple

August 30, 2026

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In this Sunday’s Gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus begins telling his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, endure great suffering from its religious leaders, be killed, and on the third day be raised. But this does not make sense to Simon Peter. In secret, Jesus had recently confirmed to the apostles his identity as the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. And in the Jewish expectation, the Messiah was supposed to gloriously restore the Davidic kingdom to Israel, gather God’s people to faithfully keep God’s covenant, and usher in a new era of peace and justice in the world. The idea that the Messiah would be rejected, suffer, die, and rise again was not on their radar. (In fact, more than one gospel notes how the disciples had even wondered what Jesus’ talk about “rising from the dead” might mean.) What Jesus was saying didn’t make sense to the apostles.

So Peter takes Jesus aside and tries to correct him: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!” But Jesus turns and says to him: “Get behind me, Satan! (Literally, “Get behind me, Adversary!”) You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” That’s quite a swing for Simon Peter within just one chapter of Matthew’s Gospel; from being renamed the Rock to being called an Adversary. But here is my favorite reflection from this gospel story.
Earlier, when the Devil had presented Jesus with temptations in the desert attempting to undermine his public ministry before it had even begun, Jesus ultimately rebuked and commanded him: “Get away, Satan!” But in this encounter with Simon Peter, Jesus rebukes and commands him: “Get behind me, Satan!” Not “Get away,” but “Get behind me.” Simon Peter is acting like an obstacle, but Jesus does not want him to leave. Jesus wants his disciples and friends not to stand in his way but to follow after him. Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Christ’s Passion was not understood by the apostles when they witnessed it on Good Friday. Even Jesus was reluctant to endure it, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before that this cup of suffering would pass without him having to drink it. But Jesus fully embraced doing the Father’s will because he trusted his Father was accomplishing good and great things through these trials for Jesus himself and all the world. We will pick up our challenging crosses and follow after Jesus when we trust that God is doing the same with and for us.

We are called to entrust ourselves to God’s Providence, trusting that as St. Paul writes, “God works all things for the good of those who love him.” Now trusting God’s Divine Providence is not the same as inactive passivity. When your house catches fire, you should not say, “Well, I guess God wills this house to burn down,” and neglect to use your fire extinguisher or call the fire department. God calls and expects each of us to do our duties and do our parts. Trusting in Divine Providence means trusting that the all-powerful God, who knows us and loves us, permits what happens in our lives ultimately for our greater good.

The Devil’s first temptation in the Garden of Eden boiled down to this suggestion: ‘You should not trust God.’ Satan says, ‘Grasp at this forbidden fruit and eat it because God is holding out on you! He doesn’t want you to become like gods!’ When people confess to not trusting God, I try to encourage folks that this is humanity’s primordial problem. If we trusted God perfectly, we could be perfect people. People who faithfully trust in God can still express their laments to him, or pray to ask him for his help or to take their cups of suffering away. But grumblers who grumble, doubting God’s goodness like the Hebrews in the Sinai Desert, are failing to trust in him.

So trust in him, and pray for grace to trust him fully. For even if we could gain the whole world living apart from him, what will we have once we must forfeit our lives to him? Whoever lives for himself will still eventually lose his life and this world, but whoever lives with and for Jesus Christ will save his life. For one day, “the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Posted in Homily, Satan, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Our King’s Chief Steward

August 22, 2026

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Seven centuries before Christ, Judea’s most powerful government official beneath the king was a man named Shebna. He was called the “master of the palace,” literally “the one who is over the house.” Some modern translations call him the “royal steward” or the king’s “prime minister.” The master of the palace for a Davidic king would wear a robe and sash and carry a large key over his shoulder. A kingdom’s great gates and doors required massive locks, and large keys were used to open and close them. Like awarding someone today “The Key to the City,” the key on the royal steward’s shoulder was a sign of honor; however, it was also a sign of real authority, since the master of the palace could command others under the king. He controlled entry into the royal palace and therefore controlled who had access to the king. He managed the kingdom’s wealth and lands, and would govern during periods of the king’s absence. How vast was the master of the palace’s power in the kingdom? He wielded extraordinary power, but if he were to command something which the king disapproved of, the king could readily remove and replace him.

Our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah contains an oracle from the Lord declaring that Shebna would be thrown down from his office. The word of the Lord begins by noting how Shebna had had a luxurious tomb dug for himself while the kingdom was still under threat from the Assyrians. (That tomb was likely rediscovered in Jerusalem’s eastern slope in 1870; its burial inscription for one “who is over the house” is preserved today in the British Museum.) The Lord asks Shebna, “You have hewn for yourself a tomb here, hewing a tomb on high, carving a resting place in the rock?” The Lord was greatly displeased with Shebna’s stewardship, declaring, “I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.” And the Lord had already chosen his replacement: “On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe, gird him with your sash, confer on him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open. I will fix him as a peg in a firm place, a seat of honor…”

Now fast-forward to the time of Christ’s public ministry. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And his disciple, Simon the fisherman, replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus says to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter…” Jesus changes Simon’s name literally to “Rock.” The name “Peter” or “Petros” is unseen as a personal name in the ancient world until Jesus gives this name to Simon. And God changed people’s names very rarely in salvation history, just Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and here with Simon; so we know this is a big deal. Then Jesus declares, “[U]pon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Perhaps you now already recognize the revealing parallels here. Shebna had hewn a tomb for his death in the rock of Old Jerusalem. Peter is the rock upon which will be built the New Jerusalem, Christ’s life-giving Church. Eliakim (Shebna’s replacement) would receive “the key of the House of David on his shoulder,” such that, “what he opens, no one will shut, [and] what he shuts, no one will open.” Simon Peter receives “the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven,” such that, ‘whatever he binds on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever he looses on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’ So both receive kingdom keys and a chief steward’s authority. Eliakim was given “a seat of honor,” fixed “as a peg in a firm place,” but he would not be the last or final royal steward. Others after Eliakim would occupy his same office as prime minister to the Davidic king. St. Peter was given a seat of honor and great responsibility in the Kingdom of God by the new Davidic King, Jesus Christ. And the early Church considered the successors to St. Peter as bishop of Rome to be inheritors of his office. Eliakim was, in the words of the Lord, “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.” We call St. Peter and his successors “popes,” a word related to “papa” or “daddy.” And popes are “Holy Fathers” for the household of God, the Church.

Is it possible for a pope to sin, to give bad example, or to manage Church affairs poorly? Certainly. But Jesus’ assurance that whatever his chief steward binds on earth would be bound in heaven guarantees the pope will never bind his Church to heresies. We see how various Christians can read one and the same Bible verse and produce many contradicting interpretations. Christ knew that without a clear and reliable teaching authority for his Church we would inevitably scatter like sheep without a shepherd. So say a prayer for Pope Leo, our successor to St. Peter who governs Christ’s one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. And give thanks to God that his chief steward, guarded by the Holy Spirit, provides the Catholic Church a rock foundation until the return of Christ our King.

Posted in Catholic Church, Homily, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies, Typology | Leave a Comment »

Sent Into The Wind

August 8, 2026

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

“After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” Jesus “made” the apostles get into the boat and depart. In the Greek, Jesus “made them / compelled them / constrained them” to go. Why were they so reluctant to leave? It could simply be that they did not want to be apart from Jesus, but there may be another reason for their hesitation.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John were experienced fishermen who had worked many nights on those Sea of Galilee waters. Jesus was asking them to sail a few miles west across the sea toward Capernaum. When they felt the evening air and looked at the western sky, perhaps they foresaw that the wind and the waves could be strong that night. Besides leaving Jesus behind, the apostles might have been reluctant to be out on the water. Nevertheless, he commanded and they went.

“After doing so, [Jesus] went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a considerable distance offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.”

When I visited Israel ten years ago this fall, it was great to gain a truer sense of sites I had read about in Scripture, like the compactness of the Old City of Jerusalem or the relative smallness of the Sea of Galilee. When you envision “the Sea of Galilee,” perhaps you imagine the view across an ocean or one of our Great Lakes where the opposite shores are out of sight beyond the horizon. But in comparison to them, the Sea of Galilee is tiny. Even Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago is 30 miles in length while the Sea of Galilee, north to south, is just 13 miles. When you stand on its rocky shores you can see the various low mountains surrounding it. Sitting on one of those hillsides a person could watch a boat as it sailed across the sea to the opposite shore.

Jesus was praying alone on a mountainside. The apostles did not see Jesus with them but he was watching them and prayed for them as they were tossed about by waves and sailed against the wind. Likewise, even when we are struggling in the dark, Jesus sees us and intercedes for us.

“During the fourth watch of the night, [between 3 and 6 AM,] Jesus came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’”

In the Gospels, Jesus arguably says variations of “Fear not / Be not afraid” more frequently than he says anything else. And notice how that is not merely his suggestion; it’s a command. Jesus does not want fears preventing us from having peace and doing his will. Peter acted boldly, at least at first. He asked and was invited to walk with Jesus on the water. “But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ After [Peter and Jesus] got into the boat, the wind died down.”

Now here is what struck me most when I read this story this time around. Jesus did not have to send his disciples out across that chaotic sea; he chose to. And as he watched them struggle against the wind and waves, Jesus could have commanded the forces of nature to be still as he did on another occasion with the sea; but this time he chose not to. Jesus is able to walk on water and he welcomes Peter to join him, giving his disciple an opportunity to exercise his trust and virtues. When Peter falters, Jesus pulls him up, and once they reboard the boat together, the wind dies down; for it had served its providential purpose.

Jesus Christ’s will for us in this life is not endless ease. Rather, he desires our greatness. For that purpose, he sends us and calls us to places we might not wish to go; permitting challenges for our greater good and glory. Truly, as his disciples said, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He sees us, he’s almighty, and he loves us. So why ever be afraid?

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies, Trust, Walking on Water | Leave a Comment »

Mourning With Jesus

August 1, 2026

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

He was persecuted for preaching the truth. Though he had done nothing wrong, he was hated. They arrested and imprisoned this righteous and holy man, and when questioned, his answers would confound the questioner. The secular ruler was reluctant to put this man to death, but in the end, bowing to social pressure, he ordered his unjust execution. After his death, his disciples took their teacher’s body, laid it in a tomb, and mourned him. This death, this murder, this martyrdom of St. John the Baptist was mourned by Jesus too.

Recall that John the Baptist was Jesus’ relative and friend. In John’s Passion and death, Jesus could see a foreshadowing of his own. Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus, but Lazarus died from a natural illness and was resurrected soon after. John the Baptist’s death was caused by the wicked, the direct result of chosen sins. And Jesus mourned him realizing he would never see John again in this life.

“When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.” When Jesus arrived, “disembarked, and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.” Then Jesus fed them all using five loaves of bread and two fish; the only miracle (besides his Resurrection) which is recorded by all four Gospels. Then Jesus “made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. Then [Jesus] went up on the mountain by himself to pray, [and] when it was evening, he was there by himself.”

Jesus and his disciples experienced times of mourning. We and our loved ones will experience times of mourning, too. In today’s Gospel, Jesus Christ, our model for our Christian life, provides us lessons for such seasons.

First, Jesus took time to mourn and it was not selfish for him to do so. He withdrew to mourn and spend time alone, but in that solitude he prayed. Many psalms and Old Testament scenes have God’s faithful voicing their painful laments to God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even though he was divine, prayed to God as man. He did this for personal consolation and that others would be helped. Remember to pray for the souls of the departed and feel free to speak to them, for I am convinced that not even death can entirely separate those who are in Christ.

When Jesus arrived at that desolate place and found the large crowd, his heart was moved with pity. Without suggesting any fault in Jesus, sometimes our sufferings can make us more sensitive to the sufferings of others. Jesus does not close in on himself. He goes outside himself to serve others. How do you think it felt for Jesus to help so many (perhaps while experiencing feelings of such powerlessness)? It was a consolation to him. Going out beyond ourselves can help in healing a mournful heart.

Sometimes when we know someone is mourning, we give them so much respectful space they end up being treated like lepers. The crowds (whether conscious of Jesus’ burdens or not) approached him like before and those encounters blessed them both. So do not be afraid to ask them a favor, offer an invite, or give them a gift; since we see such things can help them. And if they decline, don’t take it personally. Jesus’ friends brought him a meal of five loaves and two fish, and doing that did a world of good.

Jesus experienced times of mourning and we will too. Take time to mourn in solitude but keep close company with God in prayer and pray for the departed. Do not simply close in on yourself but go beyond yourself for others. And approach those who are mourning to offer healthy encounters and opportunities. It pained Jesus to be so tragically separated from his dear one, John, but Christ promises God’s people who mourn will be comforted. And these trials make us more like Jesus Christ, who consoles others. As St. Paul told the Corinthians: “[God] comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Jesus mourned like us. Let us mourn like him.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Things, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

The Treasure & The Pearl

July 25, 2026

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds [one] pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Jesus tells two parables today about the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. These stories are symbolic, about him and us.

Jesus speaks of a man who finds a treasure. The treasure has been buried in a field and overlooked. But this man sees it, recognizes its value, and chooses to give up everything he has to gain that treasure. Imagine selling everything you own. It would not only be logistically challenging to do, it would also take courage. But this man joyfully gives up everything he has, eager to gain its reward. This man refuses to just take the treasure, since that would be unjust. Instead, he pays the price for the entire field along with the treasure. As I said, this is a parable story about Jesus Christ and us.

Jesus can be thought of as that man who found us buried in this world. Humanity was buried in sin and death by following the demons in their rebellion against God. From Adam and Eve’s sin, Satan acquired a certain domination over man. We were in “captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil.” The whole world was in the power of the evil one. But while we were still sinners, Jesus saw and loved us. Though divine, he emptied himself, willingly giving up everything to die for us as man. So we adore Christ and we praise him, because by his Holy Cross he has redeemed us with the world. Christians living today will (most likely) still experience death, with our bodies being buried in the earth. But like the treasure in the parable, Jesus will raise us up again rejoicing upon his return.

In light of who Jesus is and his love for us, how should we respond to him? He illustrates this for us through another parable. Jesus says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds [one] pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” You and I may be imagined as that merchant.

In life, we search for the good of human fulfillment, understanding that some things are more valuable than others. And Jesus Christ presents himself as the most worthy object of our love and sacrifice. He teaches, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; [and] anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. … And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” But if everyone in life is looking for the greatest good of human fulfillment, why doesn’t everyone find Christ? Like a successful pearl merchant, a person needs training and/or experience to appraise value correctly. So where is Jesus Christ, our Pearl of Great Price, to be found?

At the conversion of St. Paul, while he was still persecuting Christians, Jesus knocked him down on the road to Damascus and called out to him from a blinding light: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul (also known as Paul) replied, “Who are you, sir?” And the reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Realize that this happened after Jesus had bodily ascended into heaven, when Jesus no longer walked the face of the earth. But Jesus had taught his disciples, “Whoever receives you, receives me,” and ‘Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.’ And the Holy Spirit would inspire St. Paul to go on to explain that Christians are made mystical members of Christ’s Body through baptism, with Christ himself as our head. Coupled with the Eucharist and the other sacraments, we remain in Christ, and he in us. The Body of Christ is Christ’s Church, and Christ’s Church is his Body. As St. Joan of Arc said: “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they are just one thing and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”

Jesus founded upon Peter and the apostles one Church which the Bible calls “the pillar and foundation of truth.” But where is Christ’s one Church to be found today when various Christian groups teach contradictory things? Well, what are the qualities of the best pearls? The criteria for evaluating pearls are size, roundness, surface, shine, and nacre. Different Christian groups may share these pearly qualities to varying degrees, but Christ’s Church should have them in the fullest measure.

The best pearl would have a very large size and fully round shape. I think most people do not realize that 50% of all Christians around the world identify as Catholic. Even if you consolidate each of the different types of Anglicans, Baptists, Evangelicals, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and Eastern Orthodox Christians into their various denominations and none of them come close to the Catholic Church in their numbers or presence throughout the globe. Now, being the largest doesn’t necessarily make something the best. Russia is the largest country on earth by area and (until recently) the largest country by population was China, but we would not call China or Russia the best countries in the world. However, Jesus describes his Kingdom as a mustard seed. It begins as “the smallest of all the seeds, yet it grows into the largest of the garden plants,” offering a dwelling place for birds from north, south, east, and west. So we should not be surprised that Christ’s Church would be the largest Christian communion both in membership and extent across the globe.

The best pearl would also have an unblemished surface and a lustrous shine. The surface of a great pearl is flawless, bright, and mirror-like. Great Catholic saints reflect the goodness of Christ and his Church. And vindicatory miracles (like at Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe, Lanciano, and elsewhere) reflect that the Catholic Church is Christ’s.

Finally, the best pearl would also have thick nacre. The thickness of the nacre (the mother-of-pearl) enables durability. Remember how a pearl grows after being an irritant within a clam? So the world commonly attacks Christ’s Church as an irritant. The endurance of the Catholic Church through two thousand years, despite fierce opposition in every century, manifests that the Lord is working within her as he promised.

In the Book of Revelation, St. John is shown a vision of the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, a gleaming city coming down from heaven. The wall of the city has twelve courses of precious stones as its foundation, inscribed with the names of the twelve apostles, for the Church is built upon them. And the city has twelve gates, three facing east, three facing north, three facing south, and three facing west, inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, for people of every land are called to enter to become God’s people. And those twelve gates are twelve pearls, with each of the gates made from a single pearl. Jesus himself is the Pearl of Great Price, and Jesus says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved,” and the Body of Christ is his Church. So let us respond to him who has loved us so much, by sacrificing anything else to dwell with Christ in his Body, his Bride, his Church.

Posted in Catholic Church, Hidden Treasure, Homily, Parables, Sunday Homilies, Valuable Pearl | Leave a Comment »

Carrots Need Time to Grow

July 20, 2026

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Deacon Dick Kostner

One of my best education days as I was “growing up” was when Fr. Frank explained to his Pastoral Study Students the significance of Jesus always teaching through parables. When Fr. Victor asked when I would like to preach to you folks again and I reviewed the upcoming Gospels for this month and I saw this weeks story about God’s Kingdom and Jesus telling the Parable of Seeds I thought this would be the time to share with you what I learned in class about Jesus and parables.

Jesus, while spending time with his brothers and sisters wished them to understand how the Kingdom of God differs from world thoughts and practices. During this period of time most people were agricultural people and had no formal educational skills to help them mature in thought and deed. So Jesus used parable stories to help them develop into God thinking children of God. Parables tell us a story about activities we are comfortable with understanding. But parables come to us with a twist that takes our mindset on a topic and turns it upside down from what we had learned and sends our mind out into a new direction from world thoughts and sends them upward to help us to understand how God’s Kingdom differs from our Earthly thoughts and practices.

As many of you know, I love to spend time with my garden and watch new life transform into mature good eating things. What I don’t love is doing battle with weeds that wish to choke off my vegetable babies. So, I go into the battle mode with a vengeance. This year we were having trouble getting our carrots to spout. After waiting and waiting I told Barb that we might not be getting any carrots this year. She finally agreed and replanted the 20 feet we had prepared for them. The new plantings started to sprout but soon thereafter so did the seeds we had planted earlier. This required us to remove some of the seedlings in order to have any hopes of getting carrots.

In today’s Gospel, the parable story told by Jesus tells us that we must have patience. Deacon Dick is a slow learner on this common sense lesson taught to us by Jesus so I get a “D-”. After sprouting it was only a couple of days and my watering that my weed enemies invaded my carrots. I told Barb we needed to weed in order to save the carrots. Her response was we need to wait until the carrots grow enough or we will tear out the carrot seedlings. The Farmer Jesus gives Dick an “F” but gives Barb an “A-”. for being a good farmer by earthly standards but she fails to get a an “A” in Gods Kingdom because in God’s kingdom patience is needed allowing the evil persons to repent for having sowed the weed seeds before being condemned and punished for evil acts in trying to destroy Gods plants of Love he calls his children.

In my true story we see that parable not only teaches and reinforces activities we are accustomed to for it takes us to a new road to travel. A road that will lead us to a higher level of love patience leading us to God’s Kingdom. In God’s kingdom the seeds planted by God (us children) are given time to develop and mature through mistakes made by allowing evil (weeds) to move us further away from God and His Kingdom instead of moving us closer to sainthood and a life of love in the Kingdom of God. In God’s Kingdom Forgiveness ,unlike the Earthly Kingdom, always trumps justice where there exists in his children a contrite heart. This time conversion can happen anytime during our life experience.

Jesus gives us the tools to ignore and be patient with the weeds that attempt to keep us from sharing eternal life with him in heaven after our earthly life. The tools are his commandments to love as he has loved us. He also allows us and the sinful, to make mistakes and repent before the final harvest when the weeds of evil will be separated from the wheat and burned, while the wheat , the fruit of love and patience ,is gathered and stored and shared in God’s Kingdom. Wishing all of you a blessed and fruitful harvest, and keep your eyes open to see for yourselves a new road to follow when Jesus shares with us his parable stories.

Post-Script: On First Friday’s I attend Exposition at St. John’s. I close out my hour by asking if God wishes that I do anything for him. Usually he says nothing but the last time I attended on July 3, I received this request: “I ask that you tell my Church that I gave Barb an ‘A’ not an ‘A-.’ She knew it was not evil that put weeds in her garden it was horses who donated fertilizer this year for her garden.” Thanks, God.

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Four Soils, One Calling

July 11, 2026

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus explains the meaning of his own Parable of the Sower. The seed sown on the hardened path is the sort of person who hears about the Kingdom of God without understanding. And what was sown within that person’s heart is quickly taken away by the evil one.

The seed sown on rocky ground is the sort of person who hears and receives the word with joy, but this person is shallow and the seed takes no root. When tribulation or persecution come because of the word that person quickly falls away.

The seed sown among thorns is the sort of person who hears the word, receives it, and begins to grow. But then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and that person produces no fruit.

But the seed sown on rich soil is the sort of person who hears the word, receives and understands it. That person grows and—to a good, or great, or greatest degree—bears abundant fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Some people dismiss Christianity out of hand. Others abandon Christianity when faithfulness begins to burden them. Other Christians are ruled by fears and desires which prevent them from being fruitful. But Jesus wants us to faithfully endure and do many good and holy things for God and our neighbor, in the Church and in the world. So which kind of soil are you?

If you are here today as hardened path soil, or if that describes someone you know, I encourage a deeper search for truth. I believe our only credible philosophical options in life are Catholicism or nihilistic nothingness. Now this fact doesn’t automatically make Catholicism true—it’s true for other reasons—but this justifies a further investigation, since there is no other hope. A person who seeks for truth can find more than just their own excuses. Jesus says that the one who seeks, finds. And to anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

If you are here as shallow rocky soil, appreciate that Christianity does not exempt us from experiencing tribulation or persecution. As St. Peter, the first pope, wrote in a New Testament letter: “Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.” So forewarned, I hope you will be forearmed, prepared and resolved to remain faithful to Christ.

If you are here as thorny soil, dominated by worldly anxiety and the lure of riches, Jesus reminds you to “be not afraid,” and notes that “no one can serve two masters.” Trust Jesus enough not to worry, choose love of God over love of money, and you will begin to bear better fruits.

And if you are here as rich soil: well done, good and faithful servant! Jesus says of every branch in him God the Father prunes so that it bears more fruit. So see if your thirtyfold yield can increase to sixty or a hundredfold.

Inside my kitchen, sitting by the window, are two potted plants that came along with the rectory. From time to time I turn their pots, so I can see the leaves better and so the plants’ other sides can get more sunlight. But as weeks go by, the plants’ leaves and branches gradually turn back toward the window and the sun. It’s their source of life and essential for their growth. Likewise, whatever kind of person or sort of soil you are, you are called to live and grow by turning toward Jesus Christ.

Perhaps this means pursuing him through study, learning more about him. Perhaps this means turning away from sin and encountering him in Confession. Perhaps this means dedicating more consistent time to daily prayer, to better conform your heart and desires to his. Or perhaps he desires you to simply turn more to him throughout your day. St. Therese of Lisieux wrote, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” So wherever you are, turn to him, to live and grow and bear more fruit.

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Loving Jesus Is Rewarded

June 27, 2026

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

An Army private gets called in by his commanding officer for reportedly sleeping while on duty at his guard post:
“But sir, I wasn’t sleeping, honest—I was just keeping my eyes closed!”
“Private, it’s your solemn duty not to let anyone to get past you!”
“Yes sir, I keep my eyes closed so that nobody can bribe me!”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents two lessons back-to-back; lest, understanding only half of his message, we would reach a dangerous conclusion like that Army private. First, Jesus insists that we must keep him as our top priority. We must be even more devoted to Jesus Christ than to our parents, or to our children, or to our own personal comfort.

Jesus tells his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” In fact, it is only by first and foremost loving our Lord that we can have the wisdom and grace to love our family, our friends, and ourselves as each deserves. Whoever seeks goals apart from the Lord will lose them along with this life, but whoever seeks the Lord’s goals will gain from them along with eternal life. As Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This passage marks Jesus’ transition to his second major lesson in this Gospel: that deeds done in his service will be richly rewarded.

Jesus says, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” The things we do for Jesus, especially for him veiled within our neighbor, will surely be rewarded.

So Jesus presents to us with two important lessons, side-by-side. If we only heard that Jesus expects be our top priority, we might despair, thinking he is practically impossible to please. And if we only heard that Jesus rewards good deeds, we might become presumptuous, thinking God can be bribed or bought off by occasional gestures without true devotion. Rather, we should hold Jesus as our dear Lord while remembering that he will richly reward even the smallest things we do for him.

The young St. Therese of Lisieux, “The Little Flower,” dedicated herself to doing even little things for Jesus with great love. She called this her “Little Way” to holiness. In her highly-recommended autobiography “Story of a Soul” she writes: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” “You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.” “Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.” “To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” So we should not close our eyes to our solemn duty to Jesus, for if we love and serve him even in small ways we shall see his great rewards.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, St. Therese of Lisieux, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Fear Not

June 21, 2026

12th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

A string walks into a bar and the bartender says to the string, “Hey buddy, look at the sign!” The sign says: “NO STRINGS.” So the string steps outside, loops itself around, tightens itself up, messes up its hair, and goes back inside the bar. The bartender says, “Hey, aren’t you that string?” It replies, “No, I’m a frayed knot.” That was a joke referencing persecution, hair, and fearing not. My philosophy on homily jokes is that they should always tie in.

Jesus tells us three times in today’s Gospel to not be afraid. He says, “Fear no one. … Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. … Do not be afraid.” Jesus insists we need not fear because God knows and loves and cares about us. Jesus notes: “Even all the hairs of your head are counted.” Why does he cite hair as an example? Perhaps it is because your hairs are the most numerous, the most replaceable, and the most painlessly disposable parts of you. Yet God keeps tabs even on that about you. Nothing about you is being overlooked.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus also notes God’s attentive care for birds. Earlier Jesus had said: “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?” As the inspired 84th Psalm observes: “The sparrow herself finds a home and the swallow a nest for her brood; she lays her young by your (temple) altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God. They are happy who dwell in your house, forever singing your praise.” So God feeds and shelters the birds and offered them the opportunity to live in his presence and praise him. He offers the same to us.

Jesus asks, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.” What is this about sparrows “falling” to the ground? By “fall” Jesus may be referring in the Greek to birds simply “landing” or “descending,” but I have also seen dead birds fallen on the ground. Last week for the first time, on the shoulder of the highway, I saw a black crow standing beside a dead crow on the ground, presumably where it had fallen after being hit by a passing vehicle. About the sparrows Jesus says, “Not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.” But how can I be consoled by this when I see dead birds on the ground?

Yes, like Jesus and Job, Christians may suffer through no fault of their own. Like Jesus with his kinsman St. John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary with her Son, Christians may experience the tragic loss of a dear one. Like Jesus and his Apostles, we may suffer and be put to death for our faithfulness to God. But Jesus repeatedly urges us to not be afraid since our deliverance and glory shall be like his. “So do not be afraid,” Jesus encourages us, “you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Jesus also wants us to be open and bold about our Catholic Faith: “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…” In America today, you and I are not even facing deadly persecution, so what is our excuse for timidity? Like I said last Sunday, be an unashamed and faithful Catholic in everyday life. Answer people’s questions and invite them to explore our Faith. Be bold, for their souls may depend upon it.

Instead of fearing the judgment of peers, Jesus wants our concern to be what God thinks of us. “Be afraid, rather, of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna,” that is, our Divine Judge. Jesus assures us, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” So if we have been cowardly Christians in the past, repent and resolve like St. Peter to bear better witness to your relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior in the future.

St. Paul teaches, “Have no anxiety at all.” Worry is worthless, concern is enough. If I were not concerned about this homily, I would have had nothing prepared. If I were not concerned about this Mass, I would not have shown up to celebrate it. But feeding worries about these things would have been for me a waste of time and energy. As St. Padre Pio often said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” It comes down to this: will you trust Jesus Christ? Remember his words and his rewards and fear not.

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Christ Connectors

June 13, 2026

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In a room of 23 randomly-selected people, what are the odds of any two of them sharing a birthday? In other words, what are the odds of at least two of those 23 people not necessarily being the same age but having their birthday on the same day of the calendar? Amazingly, the odds of this happening are a little more than 50-50. This is known as “The Birthday Paradox.” It only takes 23 random people to have 50-50 odds at least two folks match a birthday. And in a room of 75 random people there’s a 99.9% chance of at least two people matching. In America’s 250-year history, 45 different men have been U.S. President and 22 of them (48%) share first names with another U.S President. I mention these surprising stats because of the names of Jesus’ chosen apostles in today’s Gospel.

“The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon [whom Jesus renamed Peter] and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus [also known as Judas or Jude]; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.”

So among these twelve men we find two Simons, two Jameses, and two Judases. But from what I said before, we should not be too surprised something like this would happen. Look at how many women in the Gospels are named Mary: there’s Mary the mother of Jesus, there’s Mary Magdalene from the town of Magdala, there’s Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus from Bethany, and there’s Mary the wife of Clopas, the mother of James the Less and Joses. The name “Mary” was actually the most common name among the region’s Jewish females at that time, belonging to about 1-in-4 women. Now imagine if you were going to lie and simply invent the story of a fictional guy and his closest followers. Would you give them duplicate names or call about half of all the female-named characters Mary? No — Jesus’ disciples have these names because these were their names. These were the historical people closely-involved in Jesus’ public ministry.

In today’s Gospel, we see imagery drawn from the agriculture of that rural historical setting. Jesus’ heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they are “like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus tells his disciples: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” And when Jesus chooses the Twelve and sends them on mission, he says: “Go… to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In his preaching and parables, Jesus commonly mentions plants and fields, sheep and shepherds. Earlier, when Jesus was recruiting fishermen to be his disciples, he told them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (I suspect if Jesus’ public ministry had happened in Wisconsin, he would have made references to dairy cows and snow.) Jesus used examples close at hand to connect with the rest of humanity. Jesus uses the people he finds close at hand to connect him with others, too.

The harvest is still abundant and the laborers are still too few. Many people are away from Christ’s Church and few work to bring them back. So pray, asking the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest, and consider how he is calling you to help. Our Church and world needs priestly vocations and religious vocations. And if that is your calling, then that is the best thing you can do in your life. But realize you do not need to be ordained or take religious vows to help bring people to Jesus Christ and his Church. Intercede for the conversion of souls in daily prayer. Be unashamed and faithfully Catholic in everyday life. Answer peoples’ questions. Invite them to explore our Faith. Be bold — their souls may depend upon it. Jesus called the Simons, Jameses, Judases, and Marys of his day to play important parts in his salvific plan. Jesus would do the same with us today. Like we see in the “Birthday Paradox,” more new connections are possible for the Kingdom than you might at first imagine, both through Divine Providence and by simply showing up for Jesus.

Posted in Homily, Sunday Homilies, The Apostles, Witness | Leave a Comment »

“This is the Bread that Came Down from Heaven”

June 6, 2026

Solemnity of Corpus Christi
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Scripture scholars agree that St. John’s Gospel was the last of the four Gospels to be written. Saints Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already shared their often-overlapping accounts, so the Gospel of John supplements their stories with his own. John often omits events which the other Gospel writers include, while he mentions events and details they do not. For instance, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all quote Jesus saying at the Last Supper “This is my Body…This is the chalice of my Blood,” but John does not. Instead, John shares unique details from the Last Supper, like his memory of Christ washing his disciples’ feet. Upon washing their feet, Jesus says, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later. … I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Jesus washes their feet and John recounts this so that Christians will better understand Christ’s self-sacrificial offering. Another thing Jesus does which only John recounts to teach us more about Christ’s self-sacrificial offering is today’s Gospel: Jesus’ discourse at Capernaum’s synagogue about the Bread of Life.

All four Gospels record the miracle of Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of about five thousand people. But only St. John tells how afterwards folks in that crowd follow Jesus to Capernaum — primarily interested in getting more free bread. In his conversation with them, Jesus says: “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” But people object: “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Don’t we know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus replies, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.” What Jesus has told them is literally true. Jesus has come down from heaven. Eternally the Son of God, he has become man born of the Virgin Mary, but they do not yet understand how.

Jesus goes on to tell them: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” So the Jews quarrel amongst themselves again, complaining: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus replies emphatically: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Now is Jesus here speaking literally or symbolically about giving his flesh as bread for us to eat and live? Well, a very revealing change occurs here in the original Greek text.

For the remainder of his response in John’s Gospel, the word Jesus uses for “eat” changes from the ordinary word, phago, to trogo, which means “to gnaw, chew, crunch, or munch” in eating. St. John presents Jesus repeatedly using the word trogo to affirm: “Whoever (gnaws) my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever (chews) my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who (crunches) me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who (ate/phago) and still died, whoever (trogo/munches) this bread will live forever.”

Then many of his disciples who are listening say, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” “As a result of this,” John 6:66 says, “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” That verse is the only occasion in the Gospels where many of Jesus’ disciples stop following him because of one of his teachings. But like his previous claim about having come from heaven, what Jesus has told them is literally true. Though they do not yet understand how, Jesus will give his flesh as bread to eat for eternal life — in his Holy Eucharist. Jesus turns to his twelve apostles and asks, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answers him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Those who rallied around Peter and his trusting faith would go on to understand the Last Supper’s self-sacrificial offering, where Jesus says, “This is my Body… Do this in memory of me.”

That is why we are here today, continuing an unbroken line of Catholics rallied around the successor of St. Peter, the pope, believing as the Church has always believed about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, truly present, living and entire — Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity — veiled in the appearances of bread and wine, so that we may adore him and receive him, becoming more perfectly one in him, with him and with one another. The Letter to the Hebrews rightly says, “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some.” That is why, despite the inconveniences of our church renovation now underway, we will continue celebrating Sunday Masses at St. Paul’s.

We will hold weekend Masses here in the gym as the summer heat permits. This gym has fans and ventilation, but it is not air-conditioned and, having investigated the matter, there are no clear good ways to air-condition it. We can cool this room down overnight, but once our summer nights become as hot as our summer days, moving air may not be enough to keep our Masses comfortable. At that point, we will likely transition to holding Mass in St. Paul’s air-conditioned church undercroft, the basement lunchroom, until the temperature decline or our church renovation is finished.

But whether we celebrate here or there, or even if you visit another parish for Mass, recognize, appreciate, and love our Lord whom we adore and receive in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus says, “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink… This is my Body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

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Why Did Jesus Go?

May 17, 2026

Solemnity of the Ascension
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus’ Ascension can feel like a bittersweet mystery. Jesus ascends with his human nature into heaven and takes his seat enthroned at the right hand of the Father. This is a wonderful event for us, but it can also feel sad. The apostles had felt that way. Jesus told them at the Last Supper, “I am going to the one who sent me… But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.” We might feel like St. Mary Magdalene, who rejoiced to hear and see and touch the Risen Jesus at the tomb on Easter Sunday. She did not want to ever let him go. Jesus told her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” Why was it better that Jesus ascended?

Jesus now enjoys supreme honor and intimacy with his Father in heaven, reigning and interceding for us. But a Christian still might wonder, “Why wouldn’t it be better if Jesus had remained visibly on earth (as during his public ministry)?” Imagine Jesus leading his Church and various nations today as our visible high priest and king whom we could see and hear directly. Some might argue that Jesus on earth was limited by his humanity, saying, “His human nature allowed him to only be one place at a time, like Capernaum or Jerusalem, but not both places simultaneously. So maybe reigning from heaven allows Jesus to be more present to every person and place.” But is the Risen Jesus’ glorified humanity actually limited in this way?

A number of Catholic saints have reportedly manifested the gift and miracle of bilocation during their earthly lifetimes. There are stories of St. Anthony of Padua, St. Martin de Porres, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. John Bosco, St. Padre Pio, and others being physically present at one location while also being present or manifesting at another. Contemporaneous evidence and sworn testimony indicate that in the 1620s a cloistered Catholic nun named Venerable Mary of Agreda was teaching the Faith to American Indians in what is today eastern New Mexico and western Texas without ever leaving her convent in Spain. So if Christ’s earthly servants can be more than one place at once, then Christ the God-Man should be able to do this all the more. Besides, Jesus is really present (albeit in a veiled way) in the Eucharist at Catholic Churches all around the world, so the miracle of visible multilocation does not seem beyond our Lord’s ability. Imagine Jesus ministering today as the pastor of every parish, as the teacher in every classroom, as the doctors at every hospital, and the staff members for every charity. Wouldn’t Jesus do a better job in our roles than you or me? So why doesn’t he do it?

Before his Ascension, Jesus tells his disciples, tells his Church: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” So Jesus could do everything himself, yet he rejects that approach. Instead he gives us a mission, our Great Commission: “Go… and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Jesus does not leave us with nothing to do, forever immature and passive. He wants us to actively share in his mission, in his joyful labors, and in his glory. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” Ours is a high calling and a great responsibility toward the good of souls, but Jesus does not expect us to do it alone or by our own power.

Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” “And behold,” Jesus says, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Jesus has important Kingdom work for each of us: to reflect him and witness to him for others and help draw them to himself. In your life you have family and friends, coworkers and customers, neighbors and strangers, whom you interact with and may know well! Jesus would utilize you for his holy purposes, but it is important to make ourselves open and available to him. So pray to him: “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. Here I am, send me.” Then watch for and take up the opportunities that follow.

Posted in Ascension, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Our Jewish Bridegroom

May 2, 2026

5th Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Victor Feltes

First century Jews had marriage customs different than ours today. When a Jewish man wished to marry a woman, he would journey from his father’s house to hers. There he would establish a covenant by paying the agreed-upon dowry price to the father. With this payment and a shared drinking of a cup of wine, their new covenant was established. This event was called “betrothal” and the man and woman were henceforth legally husband and wife. The bridegroom, however, would not yet begin living with his bride. To manifest the purity and honorableness of his love toward her, he would return to his father’s house, typically for twelve months. During this time, the bridegroom would build-on an addition or prepare a residence at his father’s house. The bride, meanwhile, would ready her wedding garments and jewelry and practice skills for their life together.

St. Matthew’s Gospel recounts the story of Joseph and Mary’s betrothal. When “Mary was betrothed to Joseph but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her…’ When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”

When the separation time was over at the end of a Jewish betrothal, the bridegroom and his groomsmen would journey, usually at night in a torchlight procession, to where the bride lived. She would be expecting his return but would not know exactly when. That is why a friend of the bridegroom would run ahead to announce: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” The bridegroom, reunited with his bride, would take her to his father’s house, to their new home together. There the couple would consummate their union and seven days of joyful wedding feasting would begin. I relate all of these details about ancient Jewish wedding customs because they provide insight into Jesus Christ’s words and works.

The Prophet Isaiah had foretold: “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” Through his Incarnation, Jesus descends from his Father’s house in heaven to where we live here on earth. Jesus declares and calls himself “the Bridegroom” and the New Testament subsequently calls his Church his “Bride.” St. John the Baptist was his forerunner-friend who testified, “I am not the Christ, but…I was sent before him,” adding, “The one who has the Bride is the Bridegroom; the friend of the Groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the Bridegroom’s voice.” Once, Jesus was asked why his disciples were not fasting. He replied, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the Bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast.” Christ is the Bridegroom and looking back we can see he paid dowry price for the Church his Bride on the Cross with his blood and he invites us to partake with him of his chalice.

Having established his new covenant bond with us, Jesus ascends to his Father’s house until his Second Coming, a return which his Bride the Church expects and awaits, but of which we know neither the day nor the hour. This Bridegroom symbolism is why Jesus says at the Last Supper: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”

This betrothal and consummation of the union between Christ and his Church is like the coming of the Kingdom of God: it is already partially fulfilled but not yet fully complete. St. Paul told the Church at Corinth, “I betrothed you to one husband, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” And Paul teaches the Ephesians that “husbands should love their wives as their own bodies… for no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. … This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.” And the Book of Revelation’s vision of Heaven says “the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment. The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones… Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The espousal of Jesus with his Church is a relationship with the Church as a whole but it also has meaning for our individual relationships with Christ as well. Consider what habits help a marriage to endure and be fruitful. One important habit for couples is to confide in each other daily. Jesus likewise wants us to pray to him every day. Another valuable marriage habit is sharing meals together. Jesus likewise invites us to his table, at minimum, every Sunday. Folks in troubled marriages grumble and see each other as the problem. Jesus wants us to be close allies and tackle our problems together. Successful marriages focus on gratitude, even during hard times. Jesus likewise wants us to have joy, even while bearing our crosses. Loving spouses must serve each other’s good. We can serve Jesus by serving his Body’s members around us. Renew your faithful devotion to Jesus Christ our Bridegroom who has loved and espoused himself to us, for he is our way, our truth, and our life.

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