Priesthood Ordination HomilyJune 6, 2026 – St. James CathedralDeacon Simon Stehr and Br. Damien Joseph Rappuhn, OSB The Gospel chosen for today’s ordination places Jesus at table with the apostles. (Luke 22) This is a beautiful image that defines the one Priesthood of Jesus Christ quite succinctly. Jesus is the Read more
Yesterday some 3,300 people gathered for the Ascend Eucharistic Revival at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, which concluded with Mass. Below is the homily. I’m grateful to Fr. Nicholas Wichert and all the other many individuals who helped coordinate this historic gathering of Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Seattle. Read more
“Invite Mary into your home” (Matthew 1:20) are the words spoken by an angel to Joseph when he learned that Mary was with child. Similarly Jesus spoke to John from the cross when he entrusted Mary to him as his mother. “From that hour, the disciple took her (Mary) into Read more
While on layover at Heathrow in London on our way to Lyon to begin our pilgrimage, an opening paragraph from Pope Francis’ final encyclical seems to summarize well the benefits of a pilgrimage in our world today: The symbol of the heart has often been used to express the love Read more
Yesterday, Pope Francis issued his fourth encyclical, Dilexit Nos; He loved us. Today’s Gospel (Luke 12:54-59) could perhaps shed some light on why this particular topic of the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ is so timely. In this Gospel passage, Jesus tells the crowds: When Read more
Today is the First Friday of August, a time to recall the Sacred Heart of Jesus where humanity experiences perfect love. In today’s Gospel Jesus says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” This ‘wish’ to come after Jesus is planted Read more
In so many ways, it is clear God’s grace is active and alive in the Church today, and it has been on full display this week in the Archdiocese of Anchorage! Our week began with the annual Alaska Catholic Youth Conference. For four days, approximately 250 youth, ministers and chaperones Read more
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. The origins of today’s great celebration go back at least as far as 1670, when the Read more
Today’s Solemnity is a favorite in the Liturgical Calendar. Often, on this Solemnity, we remember our priests, and we pray for the sanctification of priests. Last week when our priests were on retreat, I remember sharing with them at the beginning of one of our Masses that the renewal of Read more
In Mark’s Gospel, as elsewhere, we hear Jesus refer quite often to the human heart. One such passage we read during Mass earlier this week when Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship Read more