The Emmaus Pastorate’s Podcast

What do you want me to do for you? Homily from 10-27-24

In the Emmaus Pastorate this weekend, we celebrated the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick after hearing the Gospel story of Jesus curing the man born blind.  All he wanted was to see, and when Jesus asks him pointedly, "What do you want me to do for you?" the man plainly replied, "Lord, I want to see."  Today, though many of us are not blind, Jesus asks us the same question, "What do you want me to do for you?"  What's your answer?

Be the GOAT!

They wanted to be the GOAT!  The Greatest Of All Time!  Or at least they wanted to sit next to him when he's the GOAT.  The problem is that to become the greatest, we first have to go through a series of trials, tribulations, sufferings, and hardships.  Jesus calls these "drinking the cup he will drink" and "being baptized with the baptism with which he will be baptized."  As we see in Jesus' final days of mortal life, becoming the GOAT is not easy task!  We can't just ask for it; it won't just be given to us.  He even went through beatings, crucifixion, and death for it!  But that's the way we become great, isn't it, enduring all the pain and suffering of life for Jesus' sake?  And of course the reward is totally worth it in the end!

Homily from 10-13-24

Sacrifice.  It's a word we don't like to hear and one that many of us probably misunderstand.  What does it mean to sacrifice?  What have we sacrificed for our faith, for Christ?  Make no mistake: Christ sacrificed everything for us, even dying so that we might have eternal life.  What can we do in return?  Let's reexamine what it means to sacrifice for him, those around us, and our faith in 2024.

Homily from 10-6-24

Intimate and affective.  That's the kind of relationship Christ wants with his church.  It's the same kind of relationship a bride shares with her groom for the whole of their lives.  As we begin Respect Life Month and hear readings of marriage this weekend, Fr. John Haugen gives us an overview of the Church's teaching on marriage and annulments.

Homily from 9-28-24

Homily on 9-22-24

Great vs. Greatest?  Who's the greatest, Jesus?  Well the disciples were too ashamed to actually asked him the question, but they were thinking it!  And, honestly, we think it sometimes too (maybe more often that we'd care to admit).  But trying to rank ourselves against each other doesn't exactly sew seeds of peace.  St. James reminds us that "the the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace."  So if you want tranquility, greatness, unity, or peace, sew some peace!

Homily & Music from the 175th Anniversary of St. Joseph Parish - 9/15/24

"Who do you say that I am?"  Jesus asked his disciples that question, and they had some legitimate answers.  But then Jesus asks them personally, individually: Who do YOU say that I am?  Catholics in Elkader, Iowa have been asking themselves that for 175 years this fall.  From the earliest beginnings in the 1840s and the establishment of the parish to the building of two rock churches, from the construction and deconstruction of schools to the many outreach ministries present today, the Catholic Church in Elkader has seen good times and bad.  Throughout its storied history though, and in a myriad of ways, St. Joseph has demonstrated who Jesus is: the center of our community.  Happy 175th anniversary to St. Joseph Parish!  Ad multos annos! 

Also included in today's episode is the St. Joseph Choir singing Jubilee Song, a piece written by St. Joseph's former pastor, Rev. Paul Peters, on the occasion of the Year 2000.  Becky Gundacker is featured playing the organ.  Ending today's episode is the Choir singing Is He Worthy? by Andrew Peterson and Ben Shive, arranged by Heather Sorenson.  It features soloist John Uhal.  Both pieces are accompanied by Kristin Fitzgerald and conducted by John Uhal.

Homily on 9-8-24

Do you listen?  Better yet: How do you listen?  Let us have ears for listening before mouths for speaking!

Do It Out of Love - Homily from 9-1-24

Journalist: "Mother (Theresa), I wouldn't do what you do for a million dollars!"  

Mother: "Neither would I.  But I'll do it out of love for Jesus!"

Fr. Joe Miller, SVD, a Divine Word Missionary currently stationed in California, brings us the message of an ecumenical nonprofit organization called Food for the Poor who helps build homes, find employment, and feed the needy around the world.  If you have room in your charitable giving this year, a donation to Food for the Poor would be deeply appreciated!  Donations can be brought to either Emmaus Pastorate office; our contact information is on our website: www.vibrantcatholic.com.  Donations can also be made directly online at www.foodforthepoor.org.

We also thank Fr. Miller for visiting our parishes and celebrating Mass with us.  He has retired after many years working in the Mission Office of the Divine Word Missionaries here in the United States.  

Homily from 8-25-24

"These sayings are hard!" they said.  True, they might be, but hopefully they're a welcome comfort instead.  Christ so deeply wanted to serve us that he gave us his very body and blood, his soul and divinity, everything he had (literally).  He did that for us on the cross, and as a result, we have the Eucharist, a gateway for participating in his heavenly kingdom.  If Christ desired to serve us that much, might we desire to serve others just as much?  There are plenty of things to serve these days, plenty of ways to direct our attention, time, and money.  But are those truly worthwhile in the end?  Probably not.  So "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"