The Emmaus Pastorate’s Podcast

St. Joseph Day Homily 2024

As St. Joseph Parish in Elkader, IA marks 175 years as a parish (and 125 years of the current church's building), we're reminded of the steadfast faith that has sustained this faith community since 1849!  Thru legal persecution, wars, growing pains, financial strain, and more, the parishioners of St. Joseph Parish - like Jesus' foster father himself - have shown a steadfast hope and trust in Christ through the ages.  And we will keep that faith for our own sake and that of future generations!

Happy anniversary, St. Joseph!  Ad multos annos!

Homily from 3-17-24

How's your Lent going?  Now 5 weeks in, next week is Holy Week already!  Have you kept up with your Lenten fasts?  Have you needed to restart once or twice (or maybe more!)?  That's OK!  And if you stopped and haven't gotten back on the wagon, today is the best day to start.  Our Gospel today reminds us that, like Jesus did for us at the Last Supper and on the Cross, we also need to die to ourselves, to all that keeps us from following Christ, so that we might have a newness of and everlasting life in, through, and with him.  Hasn't been going well lately?  No worries...let's (re)start today!

Homily on 3-9-24

How do you get to heaven?  Well giving up meat for fish frys and old fashioneds isn't really the ticket!  Lent is a perfect time to remember the Catholic phrase of the week: Blessed are the poor in spirit.  The first Beatitude reminds to think, act, and live like children do - without cares, without worries, with complete trust, and dollops of hope!  As we continue on Lenten journey, let's take a look at our lives inside and outside prayer and how well we're allowing God into our hearts just like children do.

St. Joseph Parish was happy to host Fr. Eric Berns who visited his family's hometown of Volga this weekend.  Fr. Eric is a priest in southern Wisconsin.

Homily on 3-10-24

Why did he let that happen?!  How could he?!

There's no doubt about it - bad things happen on this side of paradise.  But it's not because God doesn't care about us.  It's because we live in a world of imperfections.  We also live in a world in which God (mostly) chooses to act through us, you and me.  The fact is that heaven, eternal life itself, can begin right here and now!  That's why Jesus came to us! God's so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all who believe in him might have eternal life (John 3:16)!  But we have to be open to God moving in us in order for heaven to be realized.

So how could God let bad things happen?  Better yet, how could we let bad things happen?

The Island of Misfit Toys - Homily from 3-3-24

We are broken.  Plain and simple.  We are as broken as the toys on the island Rudolph, Yukon, and Hermie found in that classic Christmas story!  But the good news is that - once we've admitted we're also misfits with our own square wheels and spots - we have a maker who will fix us.  Our good and loving Creator God will happily take us unto himself to clean us up, fix our broken and misshapen parts, and make us - not good as, but - completely new!  

Kintsugi

Lent is a great time to take a look at, to examine, and reflect on ourselves.  Sure, most of us probably obey the 10 Commandments.  But that doesn't mean our solus are all fine and dandy.  All of us - to some extent - is broken.  All of us have cracks, chips, and missing pieces, like a dish that fell on the floor.  The Japanese art of kintsugi takes a broken object, perhaps a bowl, and fixes it using precious metal, either gold or silver usually.  The result is a new object, once broken and worthless, that now has a beauty and value far beyond its original self.  For broken Christians, our art of kintsugi is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  When we visit the priest and are absolved of our sins, we become a new creation, something once broken and devalued, worth far more than our original selves!

Please join us on Wednesday, February 28 at St. Mark Parish for reconciliation!  Eight priests will hear individual confessions from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the church, and dinner will be served from 5:30pm-7:30pm in the hall.

And we are very pleased to welcome back Fr. John this week!  Although his shoulder is still recovering, it's a blessing to have him back serving our parishes!

Be with me, Lord!

When the going gets tough this Lent and we'd rather not keep out fasts and observances, remember this season's Sunday Responsorial Psalm: Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble; be with me, Lord, I pray!

Thanks to Fr. Dan Knipper for presiding in Fr. John's absence!  We very much appreciate your ministry!

Ash Wednesday Homily 2024

Have you ever tried erasing something, only for the eraser to leave a smudge on the paper?  That's exactly what Lent does for us, only the smudge is a promise.  As we begin this Lenten season, let us remember to reconnect to God through prayer, to ourselves through fasting, and others through charity and almsgiving.!

If you'd like to learn more about and/or contribute to our Lenten mission, Sister Water Project, please visit our website at https://www.vibrantcatholic.com/sisterwaterproject.  Also, each Emmaus Pastorate parish has a blue bucket similar to those used by the thirsty to carry water in Tanzania and Honduras.  Drop your donation in a bucket when visiting our churches.

Homily on 2-11-24

Trust.  Surrender.  Faith.  When we have a God who is everywhere and all-knowing, it can be very difficult to believe that he actually hears us!  And yet, when we really trust, truly surrender, and wholeheartedly place faith in him, we are never disappointed.  Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we wanted, but we can be sure they are always answered - if we trust, surrender, and have faith!

 

Thank you to Fr. Dustin Vu for presiding and preaching today in Fr. John's absence!

Homily on 2-4-24

Being a Christian is not a spectator sport.  We're part of a team.  True, sometimes we're injured in one way or another.  Job and Simon's mother-in-law certainly were.  But after receiving the graces they needed, neither stayed on the sidelines and watched.  They both got right to work and resumed being a contributing member of God's family.  Can you also say that you've used your gifts and talents to their fullest after receiving God's strength to use them?

 

Thanks to Fr. Jim Bergin, SVD, for presiding in Fr. John's absence!  Fr. John is away recovering from shoulder surgery and is expected to return in time for the First Sunday of Lent.  Please pray for his speedy recovery and give thanks for the priests serving us in the meantime!