PODCAST · religion
Pilgrim Priest
by Fr. Joel Sember
Have you thought sermons were boring? Think again as Fr. Joel unpacks the word of God for today's audience. Fresh, local, and live takes on the Gospel for our world. A new homily every Sunday.
Episodes
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Who Wants to Go to a Royal Wedding? | #1641
Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday (A) The Chosen People didn't like Jesus and they didn't want to come to his wedding feast. So God opened the kingdom to all people; everyone can come to the royal wedding! Sunday Mass is a dress-rehearsal for the wedding feast of the Lamb. The invitation is offered to...
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It's Harvest Time in the Vineyard | #1640
Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (A) God gave us the Garden of Eden, but we didn't take good care of it. We lost paradise and had to scrape a life out of the wilderness. God plants a vineyard. He transplants the Hebrews from Egypt to Palestine. But the people act like they own the place and they bear...
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People Who Think They Already Know | #1639
Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (A) We get ourselves into the most trouble when we think we have all the answers. Basic training is all about proving how little the new recruits know so they will be open to learning how to be a good soldier. The last thing you need is 18 year olds thinking they know...
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We're Hiring | #1638
Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (A) A parable about a landowner with a vineyard should make us think of God, the Garden of Eden, and the people of Israel. If God is the landowner, then who are the workers? That's us. The story contains several surprises. First, the master keeps welcoming new workers....
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We're Hiring | #1638
Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (A) A parable about a landowner with a vineyard should make us think of God, the Garden of Eden, and the people of Israel. If God is the landowner, then who are the workers? That's us. The story contains several surprises. First, the master keeps welcoming new workers....
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Hey Little Brother | #1637
Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (A) If God is our Father, then what does that make us? We and our fellow Christians are brothers and sisters. In Matthew 18, Jesus talks about what it means to be a child of God and how we should treat our brothers and sisters. Here's a brief summary: Matthew 18:3 - You...
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Jesus Announces Major Construction Project | #1636
Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday (A) CESAREA PHILIPPI - Jesus of Nazareth today revealed the blueprints of a brand new building project. Jesus first affirmed his true identity as "the Christ" and the "Son of God." He then shocked his followers by choosing Simon the fisherman to be the foundation of his...
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Trust the Journey | #1635
What is a pilgrimage? It is a journey to a holy place. Native American peoples have sacred places. Hindus, Buddhists, and Shinto have shrines and holy sites. The Exodus out of Egypt was a kind of pilgrimage. Jews would make a pilgrimage once or even three times a year to the Temple in Jerusalem…
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How to Not Bear Rotten Fruit | #1634
Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday (A) Romans 8:35 is a great passage to memorize. St. Paul has experienced all kinds of anguish and distress but the love of God has conquered it. The Romans will need to believe in God's love to survive the coming persecution. Isaiah 5 is about how the people trusted in...
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Weeds and Wheat Growing Together | #1633
Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday (A) You come to Mass most Sundays, and even Holy Days of Obligation. You try not to swear or drink too much or gossip. You are learning to pray and you want to follow Jesus as faithfully as you can. Meanwhile you know many people--friends, coworkers, your children,...
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Cultivate the Soil of Your Heart | #1632
Ordinary Time, 15th Sunday (A) When scripture talks about a gardener, a vineyard owner, or a sower, we are meant to think of God. God "gardened" the world into existence by speaking his word. The world simply receives God's word and does what he says. Human hearts are more complicated. Matthew...
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She Recevies a Prophet. This is How God Rewards Her | #1631
Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday (A) God sees us and he rewards hospitality. A woman of influence feeds and houses Elisha. He wants to reward her, so he promises her a son. God sees the desire of her heart even though she refuses to acknowledge it. He gives her the gift she doesn't even dare to dream...
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God Sees. And He Understands | #1630
Ordinary Time, 12th Sunday (A) You spend a couple hours playing in the basement building the world's most amazing marble track. Then along comes your brother... and maliciously smashes everything! How do you respond? You might yell, cry, call him names, go smash something of his... or you might…
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Some Give by Going and Some Go by Giving | #1629
Ordinary Time, 11th Sunday (A) The Israelites leave Egypt, cross the Red Sea, and spend a year and a half at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It is here that God gives them the Law and they become "The Chosen People." Christians believe that we, too, are the chosen people. But we also believe that we have...
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Break the Cycle of Not-a-Gift | #1628
Trinity Sunday (A) God is one divine nature but three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father IS self-giving love and when he gives himself away, that gift is the Son. The Son gives himself back to the Father, and their mutual love is the Holy Spirit. The Church believes that...
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Are You Standing Outside the Fire? | #1627
Pentecost Sunday (A) God is a community of love. We were made by love and for love; we were created to live in God's community. God's one desire is to draw us into communion with himself. Our sins have made us both unworthy and unable to participate in God's community. So Jesus comes to reconnect...
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Pin the Flame on the Apostle | #1626
Easter, 6th Sunday (A) The Sunday Lectionary is designed around the idea of promise and fulfillment. In the Gospel, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles shows what happens when the Holy Spirit comes in power. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, "the Paraclete" which means "one who is...
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Living Stones Show How Every Vocation Can Be Special | #1625
Easter, 5th Sunday (A) How can every vocation be special? Each rock that makes up St. Hyacinth Church is a unique shape, size, and color. The whole church is built of unique, unrepeatable stones. Every stone is special! In a similar way, each and every person has a special vocation. These…
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The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life and So Do We | #1624
Easter, 4th Sunday (A) Happy Good Shepherd Sunday, which could have also been called "Sheep Gate Sunday." Today is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I think we often associate the word "vocation" with recruiting people to be priests and nuns. But the first vocation, the first "call" we...
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Three Steps to Emmaus | #1623
Easter, 3rd Sunday • The Road to Emmaus is one of my favorite stories. It's possible that a married couple, Cleopas and his wife, are walking together. They are feeling discouraged and have been walking away from the church. Seeing Jesus in the Eucharist causes them to come back to the church. Do...
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Peace in the Midst of Transitions and Trials | #1622
Easter, 2nd Sunday (Divine Mercy) This weekend the Diocese of Green Bay made public the new priest assignments. Today I read a letter from the Diocese informing the people of our parishes that our current assistant, Fr. Kamal Gopu, will be leaving us on May 4th. Our new assistant, Fr. Michael...
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The Easter Secret for a Successful Life | #1621
Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Lord • If Easter Sunday were just a one-day celebration, our current wintry weather would really dampen the celebration. But we began preparing for this celebration 40 days ago with the start of Lent. And Easter Sunday itself is the final day of a three-day...
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Is This the Worst Kind of Suffering? | #1620
Good Friday • We experience many different forms of suffering: illness, tragedy, the death of loved ones. But the worst kind of suffering is to have no sense of our purpose. Each one of us is a gift, hand-made by God and given to the world. But the world often does not receive us as a gift. On…
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We Love Because He First Loved Us | #1619
Holy Thursday • The Paschal Lamb was a sacrifice and a sacred meal. It's blood saved the Israelites from the Angel of Death. It died for them, so that they could live. Then the people then consumed the sacrifice with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. We give people we love mementos of our love....
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Donkeys are Marked with the Sign of the Cross | #1618
Palm Sunday (A) Today, Jesus looks like a king. He fulfills the prophecy of Zachariah 9:9. Following Jesus, and accepting his kingdom, gives us freedom from all the kingdoms of this world. Even donkeys are marked with a cross! It's easy to follow Jesus when everyone is cheering for him. But will...
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Have You Prepared for Your Funeral? For Your Resurrection? | #1617
Lent, 5th Sunday (A) It is never too early to plan your funeral! At least write a few things down: what church, what cemetery, what funeral home, what do you want to wear at your funeral? Jesus totally disappoints his friends. They tell him that their brother, his friend, is sick. He totally…
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Jesus Teaches a Master Class on Evangelization | #1616
Lent, 3rd Sunday (A) Our annual parish Lenten retreat talked about discipleship, stewardship, and evangelization. Let's watch Jesus as he shows us how to evangelize. Jews and Samaritans don't get along, so Jesus starts with something they have in common. Jesus knows that she is thirsty. All this...
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A Mountain Top Experience As We Journey Into the Desert | #1615
Lent, 2nd Sunday (A) Lent does not exist for itself. It exists to prepare us for Easter and new life in Christ. On the way into the desert, the nation of Israel stops for a mountain-top experience. The Israelites have been brought out of Egypt but they still have Egypt in their hearts. Are we the...
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Guarding the Garden | #1614
Lent, 1st Sunday (A) Adam is given the job to "keep" the garden (the Hebrew word is shamar). Adam fails to guard both the garden and his wife. Jesus feels abandoned by God. He falls back on the lessons God taught the Israelites in their 40 years in the desert. Jesus is guarding and protecting his...
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Half-Hearted Lovers | #1613
Ash Wednesday • Would you want a boyfriend or girlfriend who loved you half-heartedly? How many of you would want to play on a team with half-hearted teammates? Do you want to live in a family who loves each other half-heartedly? Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were half-hearted Catholics. Then an...
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Let Your Yes Mean YES and Your No Mean NO | #1612
Ordinary Time, 6th Sunday (A) Campus ministry is thriving at UW-Oshkosh thanks to your donations to the Bishop's Appeal and the Raising Vocations collection. Missionaries are reaching college students with the love of Jesus, and those students are themselves becoming missionaries on college...
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Illuminating Holy Matrimony | #1611
Ordinary Time, 3rd Sunday (A) Jesus is the light. By the light of his love, we can see our own lives more clearly. We know that we were made by love and for love. Love moves us into communion and community. From the very beginning of creation, Adam and Eve were able to receive one another as a...
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Let's Talk About Confirmation | #1610
Ordinary Time, 2nd Sunday (A) Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of our Lord's Baptism. This week, the readings speak to us of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is the sacrament most closely connected to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was Baptized by John in the River Jordan, me came out of the water…
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I Never Thought I Would Preach a Homily on This Topic | #1609
Baptism of the Lord (A) We naturally love that which is good. Therefore, you should love yourself. Rightly-ordered self-love is the fruit of seeing your own goodness and loving that which is good. You should desire your own continued existence and your own flourishing. You are not the source of...
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Gifts for the True Star | #1608
The Epiphany of the Lord • Marco Polo claims to have seen the incorrupt bodies of the three magi. God is directing a great drama and each of us has a special role. Everyone else is fighting to be the star of the show. But we recognize that the true star is Jesus, with Mary as Best Supporting...
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A Mother's Authority | #1607
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord) • God is three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is one person with two natures - human and divine. So can we call Mary the Mother of God? Yes, because she is the mother of a person, not a...
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Joseph's Secret to Being a Great Father | #1606
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (A) We are each special, hand-made, and unique. When God creates children, he wants them to be welcomed into the world by a family. Right from the beginning, the family is under attack. Adam doesn't protect the garden. He and Eve disobey God.…
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The Only Gift That Will Save You | #1605
Christmas Eve • I decorated my tree on Christmas Eve. It was a journey through my life history. As we listen to the genealogy of Jesus, we get a brief summary of the history of the entire Bible. Only one name is repeated. Each person is a unique link on the chain that leads to Jesus. You are...
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A Sign That God Is With Us | #1604
Advent, 4th Sunday (A) A young King Ahaz faces a complicated and difficult political situation. He doesn't need a plan, a strategy, or powerful allies because God will be with him. God wants to give him a sign, but he doesn't want a sign. Does he feel ashamed? Is he trying to be the one in…
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Waiting In Joyful Hope | #1603
Advent, 3rd Sunday (C) For twenty years, Franciscan missionaries labored in Mexico with very little success. Finally, God acted through Mary, and in 10 years, over 8 million Aztecs and Chichimecas became Catholic. Zachary Feldker served as a missionary to teens through the Spiritus program. He...
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The Most Perfect Gift | #1602
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Which Catholic teaching is the most difficult to accept? It's not the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation, or Transubstantiation. Most people seem to have a really hard time with the idea that every child is a gift from God....
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Be Ready With This One Simple Habit | #1601
Advent, 1st Sunday (A) Winter was coming, but were you prepared? Advent was coming, were you ready? Jesus is coming; are you prepared to meet him? Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters use today's Gospel to justify "the rapture." But in the days of Noah, the evil people were taken and the...
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What Do You Need to Entrust to the King? | #1550
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (C) Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, a relatively new feast in the church year. It was added to the church calendar in 1925. It is not a celebration of the idea that it would be really nice if Jesus were our king. Nor…
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Set Apart for the Worship of God | #1549
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome • The consecration or dedication of a church building sets it apart for the worship of God. Every Christian is consecrated to the Lord. We were Baptized and Confirmed and received Holy Communion. The church is holy so we can be holy. We…
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Funerals Have Much in Common with Baptisms | #1548
All Souls Day • The dead are not so very far away. They have a message for you: "What you are, I once was. What I am, you will be." I want to start my homily by talking about funerals. Funerals and Baptisms have more in common than you might realize. We greet the body at the door, we sprinkle the...
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Hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547
Solemnity of All Saints • What are we celebrating today? The Preface for All Saints explains: For for today, by your gift, we celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise. Towards her we...
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Persistent Prayer Changes the World | #1546
Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday (C) Welcome to our Stewardship Commitment Sunday. When it comes to stewardship, I feel like the little old lady who is constantly badgering the judge. "Turn in your card!" When God doesn't answer our prayers, we need to step back and notice our underlying need. The Lord...
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The Healing That Flows From Obedience | #1545
Ordinary Time, 28th Sunday (C) Naaman the Syrian is powerful, wealthy, and successful. But his strength and wealth are not enough to make him healthy. He encounters love and truth through his obedience to God's will, and experiences wholeness and communion. When we started our stewardship…
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The Devil's Secret Plot to Take Over the World | #1544
Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (C) "I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord." Was the prophet Habakkuk looking over my shoulder as I watched the…
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Winners and Losers | #1543
Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (C) I saw a lot of amazing things on my pilgrimage to Italy: medieval towns, Pope Leo, three Eucharistic miracles, the four major basilicas... but the most amazing thing was our Italian bus driver, Pino. I used to think that Italian driving was highly competitive. But I...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Have you thought sermons were boring? Think again as Fr. Joel unpacks the word of God for today's audience. Fresh, local, and live takes on the Gospel for our world. A new homily every Sunday.
HOSTED BY
Fr. Joel Sember
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How many episodes does Pilgrim Priest have?
Pilgrim Priest currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pilgrim Priest about?
Have you thought sermons were boring? Think again as Fr. Joel unpacks the word of God for today's audience. Fresh, local, and live takes on the Gospel for our world. A new homily every Sunday.
How often does Pilgrim Priest release new episodes?
Pilgrim Priest has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Pilgrim Priest on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Pilgrim Priest?
Pilgrim Priest is created and hosted by Fr. Joel Sember.
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