Homily for the Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. When I was growing up, whenever any sort of new technology was invented, I always wanted to know how it worked. And although our family’s first computer wasn’t connected to the internet—which, admittedly, makes me sound like a caveman—when we finally got dial-up and then …
Author: Fr. Nick Baumgardner
The Place of Decision
Homily for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. If you’ve ever seen a TV show or movie in which the Catholic faith is taken (at least somewhat) seriously, there will often be a scene in which one of the main characters will come to a priest for advice. And almost invariably, at some …
True Character
Homily for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. When I was in eighth grade, I participated in a national engineering competition called “Future City.” Our team ended up winning regionals and we represented the state of Wisconsin at the national level in Washington D.C. Part of the prize for winning regionals was a …
Marveling at Mary
Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption. One of the dangers which faithful Catholics are constantly exposed to is moralism. Moralism is the reduction of every aspect of our faith to its moral dimension. Faced with a culture which is often morally indifferent, which says that we should do what feels right rather than what …
This is enough! Take my life.
Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life.” On the last Saturday of April, 2011, I found myself sitting under a tree on the shore of lake Monona near the campus of UW-Madison. It was a grey day. The sky was grey, the water was …
A Fairytale Beginning
Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Once upon a time, in the magical land of Humdrum, there lived a childless couple by the names of Herbert and Helga. They were advanced in years and had long given up hope of producing an heir. This was painful enough, but to add to …
The Holy Eucharist: A Test of Faith
Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.” Over the next several weekends, we will be reading from John Chapter 6, Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Eucharist. Jesus’ teaching is a test: a test of faith. And …
Practical Atheism and Reliance on God
Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. In the year 1540, St. Ignatius of Loyola founded a new religious community called The Society of Jesus—or The Jesuits—as we often refer to them today. Like every founder, St. Ignatius laid down certain rules and norms for how his community was to be governed, …
The Way out of Desperation
Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. If you’ve ever struggled with an addiction or know someone who struggled with one; if you’ve ever faced a sudden death or unexpected diagnosis; if you’ve ever lived through a period of great sadness or depression; then you know just how desperate you can become. …
Including Jesus in Our “We”
Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. When we say the word, “we,” who do we mean by that? Who do we include in our “we”? The first group of people we include in our “we” are our family members: immediate and then extended. The next group we include are our friends …
