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FAITH IN FOCUS
For some 20 years, I have been pleased to share reflections with you each week in our bulletin. I’ve become convinced recently that it would be good for you to receive some other perspectives on things as well. While I will continue to write from time to time, I will also present some other thoughts. Whether responses to frequently asked questions or brief meditations on our relationship with the Lord, I hope that you will be enriched by these more varied faith notes. ~ Bishop Christian
Click on the tile to read the reflection.
Fully Present, Yet Hidden
When I first read Homer’s Odyssey as a teenager, one scene captured my imagination: Odysseus finally returning home after 20 years, yet no one recognized him. Disguised as a beggar, he speaks with his wife, his son, and even his enemies. He is fully present, yet hidden. Only at the right moment does he reveal himself, and everyone realizes he has been with them all along. I was struck by the mystery that he could be so close to his loved ones, and yet they simply could not id
3 days ago
Divine Mercy - Jesus I Trust in You
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’ ” (John 20:27) In my early 20s, I volunteered at a parish youth group. I witnessed teens encountering Jesus with a fresh, romantic wonder that reminded me of my own teenage conversion. But something had changed in me. I was quietly jaded and cynical. When teens shared stories of encountering Christ, I’d want to sarcastically mu
Apr 10
While It Is Still Dark:
Mini-reflection : I go to church — to Catholic Mass, specifically — for the same reason Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. I go because it is the last place I saw Christ, and I am desperate to see him again. While It Is Still Dark : If you are a person who is religious in any way, chances are that at some point, someone has asked you to give a reason why. I meet lots of people who identify as spiritual but not religious, lots of people who are more comfortable splashing in th
Apr 2
The Humanity of Holy Week
Mini reflection: The chasm between man and his Creator is an ancient one, and it is driven deep and wide. But this week — this Holy Week — a bridge is built across the chasm. And God reaches out His hand. The Humanity of Holy Week: We have all sold Jesus out, at one point or another. Some of us have done it more than once, and we’ve done if for a lot less that 30 pieces of silver. We have all denied Christ, and we have done it more than three times and under much less pressu
Mar 29
Practicing Catholic
Mini reflection: Jesus could have raised any random person from the dead on this, the Fifth Sunday of Lent. So if it could have been anyone, why was it Lazarus? What Lazarus Wanted: “ It must be so crazy, being God,” one of my friends said in high school. “Does it feel like playing The Sims all day? Just making people do stuff because you want to see what happens?” I think we all sometimes fall into this warped manner of thinking about God’s omnipotence. It’s understandable,
Mar 18
Keep Sowing Even When the Harvest Is Unseen
Recently I received a note from a teenager I met years ago. He wrote, “Dear Father Muir, you probably do not remember me, but I wanted to thank you for your inspiring and humorous homilies at the parish. They helped me appreciate the beauty of Catholicism, which I have now embraced in a personal way.” That small note moved me more than he probably imagined. I had no idea my words had taken root in him. I was simply sowing seeds — week by week, Mass by Mass. Someone else — his
Mar 6
The Work of Our Hands
When I sit down to answer emails or write a Gospel reflection or return a phone call, I sometimes wonder: Does any of this humdrum work matter? Maybe you ask the same thing about your daily labor. Today’s Gospel, the Transfiguration, offers a surprising answer. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a mountain. There, “his face shone like the sun face and his clothes become white as light” (Matthew 17:2). That detail regarding his clothes is worth considering. We know Jesus’ b
Feb 28
Called to Speak Clearly, Simply and Honestly
A few years into my priesthood, I hit a wall. I had taken on too many commitments: Masses, meetings, ministries, projects. I couldn’t keep up. I was double-booking, forgetting things, running late, and letting people down. My boss at the time, a wise priest, and our shared secretary, noticed. For my birthday, the two gave me a stack of 100 flashcards, each with one word printed in a different language: “NO.” It was funny, but also painfully true. If I couldn’t say no, my yes
Feb 11
The Cross of Jesus is Near
A priest I know was once falsely accused of a terrible crime. The claim was wild and easily disproved, but for a while, it didn’t matter. In the atmosphere shaped by the abuse crisis of the early 2000s, the public assumption was guilty until proven innocent. His name was dragged through the mud, and his ministry placed on hold. I had the privilege — and the burden — of walking closely with him during that time. He was angry. He was confused. He felt abandoned and deeply disor
Jan 30
A Step into the Light
It’s common to hear belief in Jesus and the Church mocked as blind faith and credulity. But in reality, it is deeply human and rational. Think about it: we rely on the testimony of others constantly. I trust chemists who certify the safety of toothpaste and cleaning products. I trust engineers when I use a microwave or drive over a bridge. Why? Because they have studied and seen what I have not, and their testimony proves itself in daily life. That kind of trust is not irrati
Jan 18
You are My Beloved
Apple ran a commercial not long ago called “Behind the Mac – Greatness.” It shows artists and creators, such as Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga, working behind their MacBooks. The narration says, “There’s a certain kind of person who doesn’t wait for greatness. They make it.” It’s a compelling message. There’s beauty in using our gifts with passion and purpose. But there lies a hidden weight in that idea: If you are what you make, what happens when you can’t anym
Jan 10
The Stars We Follow
Everyone follows a star. It is human nature to seek. If we are rich, we want to be richer. If we are smart, we want to be smarter. If we are powerful, we want to be more powerful. We cannot stay in one place, so to speak — to say, “I am what I am, I have what I have, and it is enough.” Even the very act of maintaining a status quo, be it health or wealth or spiritual goodness, requires action. It requires effort. It requires movement. This is human nature. There is nothing wr
Jan 1
God Had Other Plans
I don’t know exactly what kind of life Mary and Joseph envisioned when they were first betrothed — back in those simple times when they were just like any other couple who had hopes, dreams and no angels telling them what to do. Whatever their plans were, I think it’s safe to say that the future God had in store for Mary and Joseph was not one either of them expected. I would imagine they both anticipated something a little quieter. A little more stable (no pun intended). A l
Dec 24, 2025
Trust and Act
Mini reflection : Advent is drawing quickly to a close, and Christmas is coming soon. The change is upon us. Do we rise to accept it, or do we fall on our faces in fear? The First Transfiguration : I imagine Joseph waking up the morning after the dream, blinking in the dim half-light of the dawn. One day, decades from now, the baby his wife carries will stand on a mountaintop. His face will shine like the sun, and those who look upon him will fall down upon their own faces in
Dec 18, 2025
Seek What is Solid and Lasting
When I was 11, I was riding my bike on a Friday night in Scottsdale, Arizona. I saw giant spotlights swirling in the sky. Something amazing had to be happening. I pedaled after them with excitement. Sweaty and tired, I arrived, only to find a used car lot. Bright lights, flapping banners, inflatable balloon men swaying wildly in the wind. I stood there, heart sinking. All that spectacle, and all my effort … for this? As life proceeds, we learn what it is like to pursue promis
Dec 13, 2025
Culturally Catholic
Mini reflection: It is so, so beautiful to be culturally Catholic. But actions, rituals, traditions, sentiments, nostalgia — none of it matters unless it bears the fruit of a transformed heart. Culturally Catholic: Catholic culture is so thick, you could spread it on a scone. Or a baguette. Or a slice of ciabatta bread. Or naan (Wait, do you put butter on naan? I would, because I’m Midwestern, but I sense that this is, perhaps, incorrect). Okay, maybe my comparison is imperf
Dec 6, 2025
Paradise Begins Today
Not long ago, I was called to a hospital to anoint a woman in her early 80s. She was dying, and visibly in pain. But what struck me most wasn’t her suffering — it was the atmosphere in the room. She had eight children and 30 foster kids, and many of them were gathered around her. You’d expect sorrow, fear, maybe even despair. But the room was filled with something else entirely — a quiet strength, a kind of sweetness. It was as if she was suffering not just with them, but fo
Nov 19, 2025
He is Steady
When I was a kid growing up in New England, I'd occasionally go on a whale watch. Once we went out with calm waters and clear skies. But on the way back in, the sea got rough. I was just a kid, and I remember thinking we should turn left or right toward the shoreline I could see. But the pilot of the boat kept going straight- right into the waves - focused on a small, discouragingly distant lighthouse. Even when it flickered in and out of sight, he stayed the course. He knew
Nov 14, 2025
The Dedication of the Lateran Basillica
When I was 22, I entered St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time. It floored me. I could hardly take it in, its grandeur, majestic arches, vibrant colors, and the light that danced through its high windows. Somehow, amidst such splendor, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging, as if I had finally come home. Jesus reorients how we Catholics see sacred buildings. In today’s Gospel he says, “ Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up ” (John 2:13-22). His ridd
Nov 4, 2025
The Semicolon
Mini reflection: I imagine the hand of God writing me into existence — she lived, she died — using for ink the very dirt that fills my grave. The dust from which I was created. The Semicolon: My grave is in the corner of a cemetery in rural southeastern Wisconsin. For at least a mile in every direction, all you can see is farmland — cows, barns and quiet country roads. It’s beautiful, serene. I imagine the hand of God writing me into existence — she lived, she died — using
Oct 29, 2025
Sinners With A Profound Hope
Every now and then readers of these reflections write letters in which they object to something. Years ago, this Gospel of Luke 18 prompted such an email. A man wrote to me: “I find it deeply offensive that you suggest we are still sinners once we are God’s sons and daughters.” His objection stirred in me a profound awareness of the paradox at the heart of our faith. Are we sinners or beloved children of God? In this Gospel (Luke 18:9-14), a tax collector appears as one who h
Oct 22, 2025
The Prayers We Don’t Say
Mini reflection : In the same way that a judge cannot go looking for conflicts to mediate, God will not force his way into our problems. What would be the point? What is our life on earth for, if it is not to teach us how to turn willingly to God? The Prayers We Don’t Say : It has always confused me: why a judge? Jesus could have compared prayer to the subject who requests a gift of his king. He could have compared it to the child who asks a favor of a parent. But in the para
Oct 15, 2025
Unlimited Gratitude
Dorothy Day, the great Catholic activist, doubted God’s existence. At least in her early adult years. But something changed when after giving birth to her daughter, she experienced an overwhelming gratitude. She later described how, as she held her daughter, the only appropriate response was a kind of unlimited gratitude. She had done nothing to deserve such a gift — this tiny, miraculous life — but there she was, flooded with gratitude, completely undone by the love of such
Oct 9, 2025
Quiet Faithfulness
A priest friend of mine received a call from a family whose elderly mother was dying. Within thirty minutes, he was at her bedside, offering the consolation of the sacraments, anointing her with the oil of the sick, and commending her soul to God. She passed not long after, and for months, her family spoke of their deep gratitude for his presence. When I phoned him to commend his faithful ministry, he simply said, “I was just doing my job.” His words brought to mind Jesus’ te
Oct 2, 2025
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