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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
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God Works Within the Mess
A man recently told me he was losing patience with the Church. “It’s supposed to be God’s Kingdom on earth,” he said, “but it’s full of contradictions and hypocrisy. Why can’t the Church just be better?” That last word landed with a judgmental thud. It hurt. Because at times the Church can look painfully ordinary, even disappointing. But Jesus’ parables in today’s Gospel meet that frustration head-on. He says, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed
1 day ago
Let Your Word Take Root in Me Again
Sometimes I feel capable of absorbing almost anything except God’s Word. My mind soaks up song lyrics, sports trivia, and endless online content. But what was the reading at Mass this morning? I struggle to recall. That realization discourages me, and it leads to an uncomfortable question. What is my heart really for? Is it shaped for constant information and distraction, or is it truly designed for God? Am I capable of deeply receiving His Word? Jesus speaks directly to this
Jul 8
He Has Come to Unite
This weekend, our nation celebrates the 250 th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Unlike most nations, the United States was not founded primarily on a shared ethnicity, language, or culture. Instead, our founders built a political community out of diverse peoples united by a shared vision of liberty. That vision echoes something deep in the Christian mystery revealed in today’s Gospel. Jesus returns to his hometown. The people see only what is fam
Jul 1
Not to Lose, But to Find
I still remember the first homily I ever preached as a new deacon. It was at the seminary, and the Gospel was this one: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38) Standing before more than 200 classmates and professors, I stumbled awkwardly through my words and realized how strange - almost insane - this teaching sounded. If anyone else said it, we would call it narcissistic or cultish. And that is the point. I felt the weight of tho
Jun 25
Faith is Choosing Trust
Jean Améry, a Holocaust survivor tortured by the Nazis, later wrote about the abyss of human evil. He described his reaction as an “indignant despair.” Haven’t we all, to some degree, felt that abyss opened beneath us? A sudden loss, a violent headline, a moment of loneliness or panic, when the world feels fragile and meaning seems to collapse? It is to this fear that Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel: “Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body.” (Matthew 10:28) He does no
Jun 18
The Harvest is Abundant
Mini reflection: We often find it hard to love the Church if we find it hard to love a particular priest, a particular bishop. That’s the thing about priests and bishops and all the laborers in the field: they are human. They are sinners. Just like you and me. Laborers: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” This excerpt from Matthew’s Gospel has become a catchphrase in the modern Church. We give ourselves vertigo with the amount of head-shaking we do over the m
Jun 10
The Real Presence: The Body & Blood of Christ
When I was a young altar server, I once overheard two very different comments about the Eucharist. One person asked, “Is Father distributing the bread or the wine?” Later, another asked, “Can you go get Jesus from the tabernacle?” Same parish, same Mass, but two very different ways of speaking. I pondered: So, is it bread that we pretend is Jesus? Or is Jesus a tiny white thing in a box? I was utterly confused. This Feast of Corpus Christi is an excellent time to think about
Jun 3
The Blazing Truth
I was 16 years old on a youth group retreat in the mountains. One night, I opened my heart to the message being proclaimed: that God so loved the world that He sent His Son for us. Later, I lay under the pine trees and looked up at the countless stars. They seemed different. No longer cold, distant balls of chemical reactions, they appeared as an expression of God’s love, as if He were giving those stars directly to me. The truth of God sending His Son changed how I saw the w
May 29
Pentecost - Receive the Holy Spirit
“He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” (John 20:22–23) For those of us who go to confession regularly, there is often a familiar frustration: “Why do I keep confessing the same sins?” It can feel like a loop, cleansed but unchanged. Pentecost reveals a hopeful perspective. When the Risen Jesus breathes on his ashamed and fearful disciples and gives them the Holy Spiri
May 20
Consecrate Them in the Truth
Not long after my brother’s first child was born, a beautiful little girl named Mary Elise, I asked him what it was like. Was he nervous? Overwhelmed? He said, “When I first held her, I was in such shock. I think I just said, ‘I am your dad. I am your dad.’” That moment marked a deep transformation for him. He was not just holding a baby; he was stepping into a new identity. Over the years, I have seen him live his fatherhood with quiet sacrifice, joy, and faithfulness. It st
May 13
The Christ You See
Mini-reflection: We are all in need of redemption. When we accept that redemption, however, we also accept a responsibility. Because now, we become what the world sees of Christ. The Christ You See: “What if you are the only version of Christ someone sees today?” a friend once asked me. My blood ran cold. Jeez, I thought. That would be…really unfortunate. The world cannot accept the Holy Spirit, Christ tells us, because the world cannot see and know the Holy Spirit (John 14:1
May 7
Truly, Fully Alive!
We generally approach life with the question, “What can this do for me?” We try a new workout, a low-carb diet, intermittent fasting, or a new career path, hoping it will make us healthier, stronger, happier. The assumption is that if I invest in this, I’ll eventually reap some benefit, or I won’t do it. It is easy to think of faith the same way: if I really practice my faith, what will it do for me? Will it make me calmer, more moral, more successful? But in today’s Gospel,
Apr 29
A Love that Surpasses Logic
"I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 My most boring job was working at an insurance company as a college student. My main task? Filing. Now imagine if I had told my supervisor, “I just want you to know, I’m willing to die for these files.” She would have called a psychiatrist — or at least security. There is something absurd in Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel: “I am the good shepherd… I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John
Apr 22
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
Apr 17
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
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