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Passing the Marshmallow Test

March 9, 2025

1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

A young child is brought into an empty room and seated at a table. On the table is a plate with a single yummy marshmallow. An adult explains that if the child waits fifteen minutes to eat the treat, one more yummy marshmallow will be given. Will the child eat one treat now or enjoy two treats later? Versions of this experiment are known as the Marshmallow Test. Studies of the Marshmallow Test have varied in their findings about how much this predicts a child’s future academic and social success. But in every test, a person faces a free choice: to either grasp at an easy thing, or to resist temptation and obtain something better. The temptations of Jesus in the desert were a high-stakes test which our Lord passed and we can learn from.

During Jesus’ public ministry, when “unclean spirits saw him,” St. Mark records they would fall down before Jesus and shout, “You are the Son of God!’” But St. Luke records how Jesus “rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.” The title “Son of God” was thought a reference to the Messiah, Christ, or Anointed One spoken of in the 2nd Psalm. During the Temptations in the Desert, the devil may or may not have known that Jesus is divine, but the devil’s questions show he at least strongly suspected that Jesus was the Christ, the prophesized King of the Jews: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. … I shall give to you all this power and glory… All this will be yours, if you worship me. … If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from (this roof ledge of the temple).” With each temptation, the devil was placing before Jesus an easy way to become a flawed Messiah.

Like the forty days of Moses atop Mount Sinai, Jesus ate nothing for forty days in the desert and he felt hungry. By suggesting that he tell stones to become bread (possibly against God’s command that he fast) the devil was enticing Jesus to be a materially-focused Messiah. Yet “man does not live on bread alone.” Giving everybody bread without saving their souls would doom the whole world to death. Instead, Jesus obeys his Father, and goes on to change bread into his Flesh for the life of the world. By suggesting that Jesus worship the wicked “Prince of this World” the devil was enticing him to grasp at worldly power like evil lords, kings, and emperors. Instead, Jesus establishes a Kingdom in this world not of this world and reigns now as our uncorrupted, holy, righteous King. By suggesting that Jesus jump off from the height maybe the devil sought to fool him into presumptuously ending his own life, or maybe he wanted Jesus to be a Messiah who would refuse to die so he could never be the Lamb of God whose sacrifice takes away the sins of the world. Instead, Jesus is obedient unto death, even death on a cross, winning for himself and for us a resurrection to glory. Each time, Jesus resists the temptation, refusing the easy evil way but obtaining something better for himself and others.

Our daily temptations may not be so dramatic as Jesus’ in the desert, but we frequently face similar tests. When you are tempted to sin, consider the cost and opportunities lost. If you choose to throw rocks through your windows, if might be fun in the moment but you will lose money and time repairing them. And that money you would have used for a nice meal or clothing or some other good thing will instead be spent on panes of glass. If you choose to sin, it will cost you; not only in the pains which follow but also in the goods things you fail to obtain. When the devil would lead you down the smooth and easy path, call out to the Lord and trust Jesus enough to take the path that Christ has shown you. We see the greater things Christ’s faithful obedience ultimately brought himself and others. Patiently endure in order to see the victories it leads to in this life and the next life, in this world and the world to come. Remember the Marshmallow Test and pass the test before you.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 2 Comments »

Loving Everyone, Our Enemies & Ourselves

February 23, 2025

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus never promised that we would not have enemies. Jesus says, “You will be hated by all nations because of my name. … No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. … If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. … Woe to you when all speak well of you,” for false prophets were treated in this way. But “blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Thus were true prophets and servants of God treated. The faithful will encounter enemies in this world, yet Christ commands us to love everyone.

He says to his disciples: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” You will have enemies, but you must love them. Love sometimes has warm, fuzzy feelings, but not always. This is because love is choice, a choice to will the good of the other. You will not always like everyone, but you must always love everyone.

Jesus tells us, “To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.” Our love of enemies, however, does not mean we must permit grave harms to be done to ourselves or others. This is reflected in the examples Jesus cites. Losing one’s cloak and outer tunic would not leave someone naked, since people in those days also wore an inner tunic. And a slap on the cheek in those days—unlike a stab in the chest—wounds one’s dignity more than one’s long-term health.

We should oppose and resist grave evil, but we must not be undone by the sins and slights of life. Jesus wants us to be magnanimous, large-souled; merciful and forgiving others’ trespasses and debts, generous and giving to those who ask of us, patiently loving people and doing for them what we would have others do for us. Pray for those who mistreat you, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you. Then you will be loving them like Jesus has loved us.

“God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Be like God, who is generous and kind and merciful towards the ungrateful and the wicked. Then your reward will be great, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, for you will be godlike, children of the Most High. St. Paul declares, “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.” Then, as St. John writes, “we shall be like [God], for we shall see him as he is.” “God is love,” and to become like God it is important that we love and forgive like him. We must also extend this love and forgiveness to ourselves.

A person who believes that God can love and forgive everyone but themselves is singling themselves out as somebody super-extra special. Remember that our Lord is much more concerned with your future than your past. To Christians who are too hard on themselves, I suggest this thought experiment: Imagine somebody just like you, with the same past, the same strengths and weaknesses, the same loves and desires. What would you think of that person? Could you be friends with that person? How would you treat that person? If kindly, then love yourself like your neighbor. If God loves you, you should also love yourself. If God has forgiven you, you should also forgive yourself. And since God loves everyone, you should love everyone too.

Posted in Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Divinization, Forgiveness, Homily, Jesus Christ, Love, Mercy, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Doing The Lord’s Work — Funeral Homily for Sylvan Rothbauer, 87

January 6, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

There is much more to life than work, but human work goes back to the beginning. Even before the Fall of Man, “the Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” Adam toiled tending plants and animals with Eve. Sylvan worked very hard farming his whole life alongside Leona.

He began with a herd on a dairy farm, but later purchased another farm in Tilden on which he grew crops and raised animals. His daughter tells me he taught his three children everything they know about farming. He gave them chores to do growing up, and “some of them were not so fun,” but they were helpful.

He and his wife of sixty-four years did everything together. They went to Mass here at St. John’s together, vacationed with the children to a cabin up north, and would gather the whole family together, especially for Christmas Eve. And when Leona eventually fell ill, Sylvan became her full-time caretaker, humbly cooking and cleaning and laundering for her for the first time.

St. Paul describes Jesus Christ as the New Adam, the “second” or “last Adam.” He writes that, “The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. …. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.”

Jesus the Good Shepherd began with one flock, but then purchased more fields and creatures through his blood, sweat, and tears. We are his people, the sheep of his flock, the children of the Father. He teaches us everything we must know to produce good fruit. The chores that he gives us are not always fun, but they support the work that he is doing and help us mature into saints like him. He humbly serves his beloved bride, feeding, cleansing, and clothing her, and he delights to be with her; on earth around this altar, in the joyful house above and away from here, together with his whole family.

The stories of our lives find their greatness in Jesus Christ’s story. Pray for Sylvan, so that his likeness to Christ may reach its full completion. And with faith in our Lord Jesus, do the holy work which will lead to your glory.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Work | Leave a Comment »

Life Lessons From A Holy Family

December 29, 2024

Feast of the Holy Family
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Holy Family went up to Jerusalem each year for the feast of Passover. Once, when Jesus was twelve years old, as they were leaving the city at the end of the festival, the Boy Jesus stayed behind without his parents knowing it. Whole communities would pilgrimage to and from these feasts together, so Joseph and Mary had assumed Jesus was walking with others in the caravan during that first day journeying on the road back to Nazareth. But then, perhaps when it was time to share a meal or set up camp for the evening, his parents could not find him. They would have asked all of their relatives and neighbors about the last place they had seen the boy and realized that he had not been with them for hours. Joseph and Mary would soon return to Jerusalem and find Jesus alive and well on the third day. In this difficult episode for the Holy Family, there are lessons for us today.

Jesus had the best parents in all of human history. His adoptive father was a great saint and his mother was filled with grace. And yet, one time, they lost track of their only child for three days. This shows us that sometimes we can try our hardest and things will still go wrong (at least in our own eyes). We can always choose to put forth our best effort, but we cannot control every outcome. Remember: Just because something goes wrong, even painfully wrong, does not necessarily mean that we have sinned. The Blessed Mother was sinless and yet she lost her Son.

When we are little, our parents might seem perfect. As we grow up, we are disappointed to see their imperfections. But as we advance in wisdom and age becoming adults ourselves, we better understand human weakness and limitations. This does not erase people’s flaws and sometimes grave faults, but it can help us have more mercy for people, including forgiving our parents and ourselves.

After three days, Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Jesus shows us that we can learn things even from imperfect people. Jesus’ parents were astonished when they found him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Like holy figures in the Old Testament before her, Mary questions the Lord about the things she does not understand.

Being twelve years old, Jesus was years beyond the age of reason. He must have known his parents would be concerned after he concealed his plans from them. But the Sinless One does not offer an apology. Instead, he asks them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” It is a mystery why it was God’s will for Jesus to remain in Jerusalem. Even after his reply, his parents did not understand what he said to them. But he returned home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them as he advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. Blessed Mother Mary kept this episode in her memory, remembering its stressful beginning and joyful end, and pondering its meaning in her heart.

The things which happen in our lives, like the circumstances of our upbringing or the crises that come our way, will not always make sense to us. But we can learn and grow from all these things, and become more holy families because of them, for “God works all things for the good of those who love him.”

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast Day Homilies, Finding in the Temple, Homily, Jesus Christ, Marriage and Family, Parenting, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Imitate The Visitation

December 21, 2024

4th Sunday of Advent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

When Archangel Gabriel informed the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God, the last recorded thing he told her was: “[B]ehold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Notice how the angel does not tell Mary what to do with this final bit of news. Yet soon after in response, likely encouraged by the Holy Spirit, “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”

St. Luke records that “Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.” Luke’s Gospel contains details about the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and Jesus’ early years which are not told in the other Gospels, including things upon which Mary “pondered in her heart.” Now how would you know what someone pondered in their heart unless they told you? This suggests that the original source for the stories in the first chapters of Luke was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

At the Visitation, at least four persons are brought together: Elizabeth, with John the Baptist at least twenty weeks along, and Mary her kinswoman, with Jesus who was perhaps only days old within her. Although Mary believed in what was spoken to her by the angel, she may not have known how far his words had been fulfilled. If that is the case, then the first person on earth to recognize and herald the presence of Christ Incarnate was another unborn child.

The angel never commanded Mary to make the journey, but she wanted to be there for Elizabeth. For about three months, apparently until the circumcision and naming of John eight days after his birth, Mary was there to help and support Elizabeth around the house and through her first delivery. Elizabeth, in turn, was an encouragement and help to Mary, sharing Spirit-inspired words, like “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” and offering wise advice, such as whether and how Mary should reveal the news of her pregnancy to Joseph. Unborn Jesus and unborn John depended upon their mothers for life itself, yet even these little ones were helpful as well. John’s tiny leaping kicks confirmed to Elizabeth what the Holy Spirit was revealing to her, while the grace of the Son of God was mystically supporting them all. They were called to community and to help and accept help from each other. We are called to help and accept help from one another sharing community in this parish as well.

When I was in seminary, we would gather for meals at round tables in the refectory (or cafeteria). We ate from plates and bowls on top of dinner trays. Sometimes at the end of meals, my fellow seminarians would offer to take up others’ trays to the dishwasher racks. I would gladly accept the offer and thank them for it. However, occasionally when I would offer to take up other seminarians’ trays, someone might adamantly refuse. So I would ask, “How come it’s okay for you to take up my tray but not okay for me to take up yours? Come on, allow me to merit with God from doing some good deeds too!” Mary and Jesus, Elizabeth and John, were all together and helpful to each other. Christians are called not only to serve but to be humble enough to accept and even seek out kindness and help from others.

The providence and grace of God led to the beautiful mystery of the Visitation. This week, God will draw many people to our church for the first time in a long time. Joyfully greet our guests, like Elizabeth welcomed Mary. Like little John the Baptist, express excitement that they are here. Invite them to be with us and be present yourself, at Sunday Mass, as part of our Parish Council of Catholic Women or our Knights of Columbus, in the That Man Is You men’s group, at parish meals or at activities, like my next Trivia Night this January. You have nothing to lose from this, while others have much to gain. And please prayerfully consider creating community events for our parish yourself. Would you like to start a Bible study, or a Catholic video series, or a book or movie club, or host an after-Mass social? Talk to me about whatever you have in mind because I desire your rewarding work to bear much good fruit. Blessed are you who believe that the Lord could do great things through you.

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Homily, Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies, Visitation | Leave a Comment »

Jesus Christ Is King

November 24, 2024

Solemnity of Christ the King
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Today’s psalm says: “The Lord is King, in splendor robed… Your throne stands firm from of old… Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed…” The Old Testament prophets agreed. Isaiah said “the Lord is our King, it is he who will save us.” Jeremiah said our God “is the living God, the eternal King.” And Zephaniah said “the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” At the center of human history, when Jesus Christ is born among us, he comes as King as well.

“Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews?’” And when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!” Pontius Pilate unknowing proclaimed this truth when he had a sign placed above Christ’s head on the Cross: “This is Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” This Sunday, we celebrate that our Lord Jesus Christ is King of the universe now.

After his Resurrection, when Jesus appeared to his apostles on a mountain in Galilee, he told them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and he gave his Church our Great Commission to spread his Kingdom, reassuring us, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” This raises a challenging question for us: why is Jesus not visibly doing more now? All power in heaven and on earth has been given to him, so why is he not making more things happen?

His disciples wondered about this, too. Before the Risen Jesus ascended into Heaven, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” He answered, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Kingdom of God is among us, and Jesus calls us to work with him to spread it and deepen it, everywhere in everyone.

But why doesn’t Jesus just force everything to be better? As God, he is omnipotent. He has the power to do all possible things. But one thing he cannot do is to force someone’s free “No” into a free “Yes.” When Jesus returns in unveiled glory, coming upon the clouds and flanked by his angels in full-force, humanity’s time for decision will be over. That day will bring the Last Judgment and sin will no longer be given any quarter. After that, there will be only God’s Kingdom and the outer darkness. Now is the time for freely choosing.

Do we desire God’s Kingdom? Around 1000 B.C., the elders of Israel came to the Prophet Samuel asking, “Appoint a king over us to rule us like other nations.” Samuel was displeased they said, “Give us a king to rule us,” but he brought the matter to the Lord in prayer. And the Lord replied: “Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king.” And during Christ’s Passion, Pilate asked the crowd, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered for the mob, “We have no king but Caesar.” They were rejecting the Lord as their King. When we pray “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven,” do we really mean what we are saying?

When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate then responds with a line which today’s Gospel reading cuts off. Pilate dismissively replies, “What is truth,” and then turns his back on Truth himself, and walks away. If you desire Jesus as your Savior, you must let him be your Lord.

Advent begins next Sunday—our annual season of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Here are three wise steps for a better Advent. First, his decrees are worthy of trust. Which of his words will you neglect no more but specifically begin putting into practice? Make yourself a short list. Second, make an Advent Confession, for a fresh beginning, a new infusion of grace. And third, pray every day, for you cannot thrive without him. The saints worked wonders in this world by following Christ and doing his will. So can you. The Lord is in your midst. He is the living God, our eternal King. And if we will let him, it is he who will save us.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Judgment, Last Things, O.T. Figures, Second Coming, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Called To See

October 27, 2024

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus cured many people during his public ministry but very few of their names are recorded in the Gospels. Jesus raised Lazarus of Bethany from the tomb, cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene, and restored the ear of Malchus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But beyond that, no recipients of Christ’s healings are named except for the blind man Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. The first three Gospels all recount this event, but the name of Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus appears only in today’s Gospel.

St. Mark wrote, “As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging.” In Aramaic, the prefix Bar- means “Son of,” so Bartimaeus means “Son of Timaeus.” Why do St. Mark and the Holy Spirit doubly-emphasize the name of Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, and what does Timaeus mean?

An Aramaic interpretation of the name Timaeus suggests “uncleanness,” but in Greek the name means “highly prized” or “honored.” This Bartimaeus sat begging on the ground alongside a road near Jericho—an extremely ancient city which symbolized the sinful world. He was blind, impoverished, ignored, despised, called a son of uncleanness, and he was unclean, yet our Lord considered him precious.

Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus’ healings and had faith in him. He shouts, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me,” because he believes Jesus is the Christ (or the Messiah), the prophesized descendant of King David, and he believes Jesus possesses the power to heal him.

At first, many disciples rebuked the beggar, telling him to be silent, while he kept calling out all the more. Then Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So people in the crowd told the blind man, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you!” The man sprang up from the dust and came closer to Christ, guided by Jesus’ disciples.

We are also journeying in a large crowd of Jesus’ disciples today, walking with him in his Church. Are we ignoring people who are not here with us, as the crowd at first ignored Bartimaeus? Jesus commands us to call them and help lead them to himself.

Before Bartimaeus could see, he had heard what other people were saying about Jesus. Are we sharing our stories, our cause for hope, with others? Are we mentioning the miracles that we have witnessed? Are we telling them the difference our Catholic Faith makes? Are we encouraging them to join us here?

Bartimaeus had faith due to what he heard and from God’s grace already active within him, for God is calling everyone. Bartimaeus called out to Jesus and, being called, threw aside his dirty, smelly cloak, lest it restrict his movement or cause offense. We, likewise, must cast off our sinful habits, lest they offend the Lord and impede our progress toward him.

When Bartimaeus reached Jesus, our Lord asked him: “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ could read the hearts of men, so why did he ask the blind man what he wanted? St. Augustine wrote that God wills us to ask him for things not because he doesn’t know (for he cannot fail to know) but “to exercise our desire through our prayers so that we may be able to receive what he is preparing to give us.” For “the deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger our capacity to receive will be…” Praying for our requests also helps us remember how much we need God and deepens our relationship. St. Teresa of Avila said, “You pay God a great compliment by asking great things of him.”

Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” How will we answer him? The blind man answered boldly, “Master, I want to see.” And Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Bartimaeus immediately received his sight and followed Jesus on the way. May this famous story of Blind Bartimaeus help us to see in new ways too.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

Two Parables, a Poll, & a Purpose

September 15, 2024

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Once upon a time, many years ago, a man who knew nothing about food production resettled to the countryside. He saw a farmer tilling a field and thought, “What a waste of effort! He’s just turning over dirt!” Then he saw the farmer planting seeds and wondered, “What’s he burying? Pebbles?” When the plants began to sprout and grow, he thought, “Ah, I see now! He’s growing a garden.” But the man was shocked at harvest time, “He’s cutting down everything he grew!” And when the farmer and his wife began hand-threshing, the man was baffled, “Why are they beating the plants?” The farmer’s wife ground flour and made loaves, placing them inside an oven, and the man was dumbfounded, “Now they’re burning it in a fire!” The farmer, of course, was growing grain and his wife was baking bread, but the onlooker did not understand all this until he was invited over to their house for supper.

Once upon a time in another tale, a little girl sat on the carpet of her living room while her mother sat in a nearby chair weaving embroidery stitches. The girl looked up and saw the chaotic, mishmashed underside of the embroidery and asked her good, and wise, and loving mother why she would create something so ugly. Her mother turned over the cloth, revealing what she was weaving and the little girl saw a beautiful, half-completed work of art.

Our God is all-good, and wise, and loving, and he is currently fashioning a beautiful, meaningful, lasting masterpiece for us on a scale the size of the universe. But until its completion we will see and experience ugly, painful things we will not understand, like the sufferings of Christ on Good Friday. His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways, for we “are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.” Following Jesus will mean picking up the difficult crosses which come to us, denying ourselves, and acknowledging Christ before others.

Did Jesus care about what other people thought of him? Yes and no. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” That question is important, for Jesus declares, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” and “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus gives his Church our Great Commission because all people are called to receive his baptism and to embrace all that he has taught for human thriving and salvation. But in another sense, he did not care what people thought of him.

Jesus did not allow what other people thought prevent him from doing what he should. Not even his friend Peter could change Jesus’ mind to do something against God’s will. Jesus knew that he would “suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed” but he went up to Jerusalem anyway and testified that he is the Christ. Christians today are called to courage too.

This week, I created an online survey to which 135 self-identified Christians responded. The poll’s question was: “Do you suffer for Christ?” 67% answered, “Yes, a little.” 12% replied, “Yes, significantly.” And 21% said, “No.” Do you suffer because you are a Christian? I asked a pastor-friend of mine how a Christian might discern if we’re suffering for Christ “significantly” or just “a little.” He thought that if we’re not sure, then it’s probably just “a little” — suffering greatly for Christ would be unmistakable.

So most Christians seem to suffer only a little for Christ, if at all, and yet we’re so afraid. You pray before meals, and that is good. Do you also pray before your meals in public? Do your coworkers or neighbors know you are a Catholic Christian? Have you invited anyone to our worship, to share this precious treasure? (Our classes for becoming Catholic begin two weeks from today.) As St. James says, ‘A faith without works is dead.’ We are called to be courageous, like the Prophet Isaiah, ‘to set our faces like flint, knowing that we shall not be put to shame, for the Lord God is our help.’

I doubt the sufferings which flow from your Christian witness will be as severe as you might fear, but if sufferings do come your way know that you are not abandoned. When you suffer for Jesus and his Gospel, know that you are living out your faith with him. If you are faithfully carrying your Christian crosses, then you are following Christ.

Posted in Courage, Homily, Jesus Christ, Parables, Sunday Homilies, Witness | Leave a Comment »

What is Good for Us?

September 1, 2024

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Jesus said to the crowd, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Jesus speaks to the Old Covenant’s rules about the ritual purity of objects and foods. With the arrival of his New Covenant those ordinances passed away. “Thus,” St. Mark writes, “he declared all foods clean.” After carefully forming his Jewish people as a unique group set apart from the world, God lifts the burden of those purity laws to open the door to true religion for all the nations. That has led to gentiles like you and me worshipping him here together this Sunday.

So what substances should enter our bodies? Millions of Americans now use illegal drugs, abuse alcohol or prescription drugs. I can imagine someone asking: “If nothing from outside the body defiles, if God has created all things good, then how could any substance be forbidden?” Yes, all that God created is good, very good, but recall how one of his first commandments in the Garden of Eden was not to eat from a certain plant. The woman saw how that tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom, but it was not good for Adam and Eve to then eat of its fruit. Fire is another of God’s good creations, a blessing very useful for life, but misusing it can burn you or may entirely consume you.

Alcohol is a similar case; a good thing which can be harmful. Psalm 104 says God gives man “wine to gladden their hearts.” Jesus transformed water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana, and we know wine back then was more than just grape juice. No one put their new wine into old wineskins because the alcoholic fermentation would burst them. St. Paul even once counseled St. Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” So alcohol is a blessing, but Scripture also describes its dangers. Proverbs says, “Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who are intoxicated by them are wise.” And St. Paul taught the Ephesians, “Do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery.”

Intoxication or drunkenness carries both personal and communal consequences. Opposition alcohol’s harms was once so intense in our country that the 18th Amendment banned “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” beginning in 1919. After almost 15 years, because of increased crime and corruption and the government’s desire for more tax revenue during the Great Depression, Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Of course, just because something is legalized doesn’t mean it’s safe, healthy, or helpful for me. For instance, smoking is highly-addictive and causes cancer but it’s legal in all fifty states. And now many places are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use despite its known health and social harms. Just because an activity is legal doesn’t mean we or those we love should do it.

True freedom is not unchecked license. It’s the ability to choose and do what’s right and best. Our addictions make us slaves. Consider your habits. Are their fruits good or bad? Jesus said the sins which come out of us are what defile us. Look at what comes from you because of this or that habit. What habits, then, should you moderate or abstain from entirely? St. James urges us in today’s second reading to “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves… Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” Accept the pruning of correction and the nourishing support of others to bear better and more abundant fruit.

Why do we freely chose to sin – to do what we know is wrong? Because it feels like a shortcut to peace and happiness. But the holes in human hearts are meant to be filled by love instead of sins — divine and neighborly love, poured out and received. Jesus calls all sinners to change but he does not expect us to achieve this change alone. Ask for his help, his grace, his inspiration and strength, “for what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” And through the support of fellow Christians, helping each other be better, embrace Christ’s ways which bring fruitful joys without any regrets.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Journeying With Jesus — Funeral Homily for James “Jim” Eder, 73

August 26, 2024

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Of all the Old Testament Psalms, the most famous is Psalm 23 by King David. King David writes, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and describes himself as a cared-for sheep in God’s flock. King David’s greatest descendant, Jesus Christ our Lord, goes on to declare, “I am the good shepherd.” However, St. John the Baptist proclaims on more than one occasion that Jesus is “the Lamb of God.” The presiding priest proclaims the same at every Mass. So Jesus Christ is both a sheep and our shepherd.

Amongst the New Testament Gospels, the most famous section may be Jesus teaching his Sermon on the Mount. And the most famous portion of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ opening: the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… [and] the meek… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful… the clean of heart… the peacemakers… those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” In these blessed statements, Jesus presents a portrait of people in this world who are well-aligned with the Kingdom of God. Christ’s Beatitudes describe his Christian saints, but they also describe Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus Christ is not only our teacher and Lord; he is also our Christian role-model. And Jesus is not only our shepherd, but also a lamb who understands us. So even as we walk through sad valleys in the shadow of death, like this passing of our brother Jim, we are not afraid. Jesus is at our side, guiding us and giving us courage; he has walked this path before us.

Jesus has become one of us; was born and lived among us. St. Paul notes “it is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who is also at the right hand of God and [now] indeed intercedes for us.” Jesus is that much on our side; so much in our favor. Such is his goodness and kindness. Such is “the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He spreads a table before us. He anoints our heads with oil. His blessing cup overflows all the days of our lives. He invites us to dwell in this his house for years to come – until the day he calls each of us by name, just as he has called Jim before us. Let us pray for Jim and one another, that following our Lord we may be led to the place where we will journey no more and restful peace never ends.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History | Leave a Comment »

Controversies & A Sign

August 3, 2024

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Some of the people who were present at the feeding of the 5,000 caught up with Jesus and his apostles at Capernaum. Jesus told them, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” If Jesus’ sign had generated proper faith in them they would be seeking him for what he might reveal from God. Instead, they were led by their desire for more free bread. Jesus redirects them to himself: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” They said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Though I do not own a TV, I do follow news and entertainment through the internet, yet you may have noticed that I rarely preach on current events. Most of what fills the 24-hour news cycle today is forgotten by next week. And even when its reports are important it’s rare that they impact the lives of you or me very much. With continuous controversy, it’s easy to denounce what’s bad without actually doing any good. It keeps you focused on the affairs of others without growing in prayer or virtue. The spiritual enemies of your soul want you to be endlessly anxious, angry, distracted. The demons want you fixated on passing things instead of holding fast to the good things which ever endure. But today, I would like to highlight a recent event I take as a sign pointing to Christ.

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics featured a scandalous likeness of the Last Supper. The Catholic bishops of France called it “outrageous and provocative.… scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.” This Saturday, the Vatican issued a brief statement criticizing it as well. Why does God hate blasphemy and sacrilege? Because those sins are so harmful to us. Belittling God and holy things, treating our Lord’s name like excrement or a joke, creates obstacles to people knowing and loving God. Christian leaders were right to denounce that display being broadcast on a world stage. However, I would not be mentioning the Olympics’ sorry transgression — which reflects particular errors of our time — if not for a sign which occurred the following night.

Last Saturday, July 27th, shortly before midnight, four administrative districts in the city of Paris experienced a blackout. For up to ten minutes, French cultural landmarks in “the City of Lights,” including the Louvre Museum, the Paris Opera, parts of the Arc de Triomphe, and the Moulin Rouge cabaret, went dark. The French power company told reporters this brief power outage affected nearly 85,000 customers. What was most striking about this event was captured in images which quickly spread across social media. Shining on a hill as the tallest and most visible building in the city, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart remained lit amidst the darkness surrounding it. That beautiful church’s construction began and in 1891 as an act of reparation, as penance for sins of France which had led to national disasters.

That moment last Saturday night was a sign to the world for anyone with eyes to see it: that in the darkness of our times there is one Light for us to turn to. So do not obsess over bread and circuses which perish, and do not lose hope. Focus rather on the Light, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who gives life to the world.

Posted in Culture, Homily, Internet, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Warfare, Sports, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena, Television | 2 Comments »

Faithful Efforts & Divine Increase

July 27, 2024

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

In our first reading from the 2nd Book of Kings, the Prophet Elisha uses twenty barley loaves to feed a hundred people. That suggests a miraculous multiplication of five times. In our Gospel reading, Jesus Christ uses five loaves to feed about 5,000 men – a multiplication of 1,000 times. So Jesus’ miracle was 200 hundred times greater than Elisha’s. That 200 figure is interesting because of something Philip the Apostle says.

When Jesus asked him, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat,” to see what he would say, Philip remarked, “200 days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little!” What good could 200 days of work do for so many? One might ask what good are any of our labors or efforts in the face of such great problems in our world today?

Many days passed between the events of the 2nd Book of Kings and the events of the Gospels. Why did the Old Testament people of God have to work and wait, suffer and endure, for days and years, for generations and centuries, before the coming of Christ? Because it was not yet the fullness of time; things were not yet fully prepared for those greater wonders. Our redemption in Christ is preeminently the work of God but God wills that the faithful efforts of faithful people help prepare the way.

While the disciples were still wondering what to do about the problem of the hungry crowd, Andrew the Apostle told Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many?” Jesus would take those loaves, give thanks to God the Father, and distribute the loaves and fishes to the reclining crowd as much as they wanted, and they all ate and had their fill.

Consider this: in the beginning, all things were created through God the Son out of nothing, ex nihilo. Yet Jesus did not conjure food to feed that crowd out of nothing. Like at the Wedding Feast of Cana, he received what was offered to him and transformed it for both our good and God’s glory.

That boy and those five loaves and two fish are remembered to this day, in our Gospel stories on earth and even more gloriously in heaven. Jesus used that entire gift, he multiplied all the loaves and fishes offered, just like how at Cana he transformed the contents of all six of the large stone water jars which the servants had filled for him. And Jesus directed his disciples to “gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted,” filling a dozen wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which had been more than they could eat.

Even as Christians we may get discouraged, feel overwhelmed and wonder, “What good are any of my labors or efforts? What good is this for few or many?” Today’s Gospel reading reminds us that Jesus will use everything which we offer him. He will bless it, transform it, multiply it, grow it. He will use it for both our good and God’s glory, and nothing will be wasted. Remember that Jesus promises “whoever gives but a cup of cold water… to drink… [for me] will surely not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)

Posted in Homily, Jesus Christ, Mulitplication of Loaves, Redemptive Suffering, Sacrifice, Stewardship, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

A Beautiful Death — Funeral Homily for Linda Dachel, 73

July 25, 2024

By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Book of Wisdom declares, “God did not make death… For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world…” With an overflowing love, God created us for immortality with him. Satan, jealous of our glorious calling, misled us to misuse our freedom and suffer sin and death. Human death is unnatural. If it were natural for us it would feel normal to us; like eating, or sleeping, or bonding in pairs. Instead, we perceive death as unsettling, uncanny and dreadful. But, thanks be to God, Jesus Christ came to our aid with his divinity to achieve a remedy for us through mortality itself, so our downfall could become the means of our salvation. Jesus tells us to “be not afraid,” to pick up our cross and follow him, through our Passion to his Resurrection.

Linda faced her final trial when more than one doctor told her she had only six weeks to live. Her form of brain cancer was identified as the fasted growing kind. That was a year ago. She had fifteen radiation treatments in Eau Claire and one course of chemotherapy, yet every hospital visit brought more bad news. Each of us have our own personal strengths and weaknesses. Linda was married to Eugene for 50 years and he says she “never got angry, but worried about everything.” In years gone by she used to tell him, “When we retire, we’re not going to have money to buy bird food!” Yet Linda’s prognosis never bothered her. She wished to never go into to a nursing home, and providential opportunities and finances allowed her to have great care at home. God, who even feeds the sparrows, ensured she was provided for. She never lost weight and ate well until her final month. And amazingly, she never suffered. When people would ask, “Do you have any pain?” her response was always, “No.” Many people die suddenly, with no chance to say goodbye. Linda’s prolonged illness allowed her many friends and relatives to visit her and express their love, and for her to see and smile at them. She passed away on an early Sunday morning. Linda knew and trusted in Christ’s promises. She read the entire Bible twice and faithfully communed with Jesus in the Eucharist.

Death remains a sad and ugly thing, but Linda was blessed with a beautiful death. We pray for her soul, but the details of her passing point to the joyful fulfillment of her hopes and ours. She lived far longer than experts predicted and has embarked into life unending. She endured her illness without pain and in heaven there is no pain now. She faced her death without anxiety and in heaven there is perfect peace. She was lovingly cared for at her home and is going to the home of divine love. As her dear ones on earth said goodbye, the saints in heaven waited to greet her. And Linda’s Sunday morning passing is now joined to Our Lord’s Easter rising. So let us be “courageous,” as St. Paul writes, and let us all “aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.”

Posted in Courage, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ | Leave a Comment »

What did Jesus Sing at the Last Supper?

June 1, 2024

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – Corpus Christi
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Last Supper was a Passover meal. Jesus says so when he instructs two of his disciples, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

The disciples found the upper room following the sign of a water jar. At the start of Jesus’ public ministry in Cana there were six stone water jars. As his ministry comes to its climax, there is a seventh water jar. The number seven symbolizes “fullness” or “completeness” in the Bible, like the sum of seven days is the completion of one full week. At the wedding feast of Cana, Jesus changes water into wine. At the Last Supper, Jesus changes bread and wine into himself.

“While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, [and] said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many….’ “Then,” St. Mark writes in his gospel, “after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” St. Matthew recounts the same detail: “Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

This presents a mystery: what hymn did they sing at the Last Supper? Would you be curious to know what lyrics Jesus was singing on the eve of his Passion? Since the Last Supper was a Passover meal, we have a well-founded answer to that a question. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have traditionally sung Psalms 113 through 118 at the ritual Seder meal for Passover. So Psalms 113 through 118 were very likely psalms which Jesus prayed at the Last Supper.

This Sunday’s responsorial psalm consists of passages from one of these, Psalm 116. Contemplate Jesus saying these words:

“How shall I make a return to the Lord
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the Lord.

Precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
My vows to the Lord I will pay
in the presence of all his people.”

Jesus is the Son of Mary, “the handmaid of the Lord.” He offers up the cup of salvation which contains the gift himself, a gift offered up to God the Father and offered up for us. The Jewish rabbis taught that all temple sacrifices would end with the coming of the Messiah or Christ except one: the thanksgiving sacrifice. In Greek, the word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” Today across the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting, the Holy Mass is Christ’s enduring thanksgiving sacrifice.

St. Luke notes how at the Last Supper, “when the hour came, [Jesus] took his place at table with the apostles and said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you…’” Jesus spoke this to the apostles yet he speaks these words to us as well. The Last Supper, the Cross, the Holy Mass are all mystically joined as Christ’s one great sacrifice for all. Jesus Christ is really present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in his Holy Eucharist, and he eagerly desires to share this Passover feast with you.

Posted in Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Last Supper, Real Presence, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Jesus Is Always Your Friend

May 5, 2024

6th Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Victor Feltes

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his apostles, “I have called you friends…” He calls them friends and he does not lie; what Jesus speaks is true. And then he tells them, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” But what if we, or they, do not do what Christ commands? Does the Lord remain a friend towards us even when we are not being a friend towards him?

It appears Judas Iscariot was not at the table with the other apostles when Jesus spoke those words. Sometime after Jesus had kneeled down and washed their feet, Judas went out into the night to arrange for his betrayal. The passages we hear at Mass from St. John’s Gospel today are set two chapters after that. Jesus foresaw that Judas would freely choose to betray him, and God would go on to work great good from that betrayal, but these facts make the grave sin of Judas no less wrong. Later that night, in the dim light of the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas singled-out his rabbi for the arresting soldiers through a greeting and a kiss. Revealingly, St. Matthew records Jesus’ reply to Judas: “Friend, do what you have come for.” Even as Judas was betraying him, Jesus calls him “Friend.”

Jesus declares “no one has greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” And that is what Jesus did for us and the whole world. St. Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans how this proves the Lord’s love for us: “Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” St. John agrees in our second reading that “in this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”

Like the Good Samaritan towards the robbers’ victim, Jesus Christ loved us before we had done anything to merit his love. But one might ask, “Does his love for us remain the same now?” Yes, for the Letter to the Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” If we wander, he is like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son waiting and longing for our return. Like a mother hen, he yearns to gather us together under wing. And whenever our Good Shepherd can carry home one lost sheep to his fold, he rejoices greatly with all of Heaven. In light of this divine love for us, how should we respond?

Jesus told his disciples to “remain in my love. … If you love me, you will keep my commandments. … If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love…” So first, we must to recognize and receive the incredible love he always has for us. Then, remaining in that love, we love him in return. This mutual love inspires how we act towards him and other people. And through living this beautiful way of life we remain in his love. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus teaches the greatest commandments are for us to love God with our whole selves and love our neighbors as ourselves. “This I command you: love one another. … As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

The Church Father St. Jerome records how when St. John the Evangelist lived at Ephesus that apostle became unable to walk due to extreme old age. His disciples carried him in their arms with difficulty into the church. He could not muster the breath to preach many words. He would simply say to the congregation, week after week, “Little children, love one another.” Over time, his hearers became annoyed from hearing the same message over and over. They asked, “Master, why do you always repeat the same exhortation?” John answered, “Because it is the Lord’s command, and if this be done all is done.” As St. John wrote his New Testament letter: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God [and] God is love.”

Jesus Christ is always a loving friend toward you, so be his faithfully loving friend in return, and a true friend toward all others, willing their greatest good.

Posted in Homily, Jesus Christ, St. John the Evangelist, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

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