Deacon Brian: The Good News

On By Kari SczepanskiIn Ordinary Time

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (8/23/2026)

Fr. David often reminds us that the Sunday readings are connected, and today that connection is especially powerful. Isaiah tells us about the “key of the House of David” being given to Eliakim, while in today’s Gospel, Jesus—the Son of David—gives the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, appointing him to proclaim the faith with authority. And what does Peter proclaim? The kerygma, the Greek word for “proclamation”: the heart of the Good News. The kerygma isn’t primarily about what we do for God—loving our neighbor or evangelizing others—but about what God has done for us. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from the dead so that we could be forgiven, freed from sin, and have eternal life. That is the Good News. As St. John reminds us, “not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son.” So before we talk about how we should live as Christians, let’s remember what Christianity is really about: Jesus died and rose so we could have eternal life. That is the Gospel Peter proclaimed, the faith handed down to us, and the Good News we are called to learn, live, and share.

Prayerful Generosity — CSA Appeal

On By Kari SczepanskiIn Ordinary Time, Uncategorized

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (08/16/26).

This weekend is our Catholic Services Appeal, which helps our Diocese of Superior serve the people of Northern Wisconsin. Our goals this year are $69,650 for St. Joseph and $17,290 for St. Ann. We made our goals last year, and I’m confident we can do it again. But I want to challenge us to something deeper than simply meeting a number: prayerful generosity. Jesus gives us the perfect example. He was prayerful—continually interceding for us—and He was generous, giving His very life for our salvation. The CSA makes a real difference: it supports our seminarians and future priests, including the formation that led to my own priesthood. It helps provide priests for our parishes, youth and adult faith opportunities, Catholic schools, and the many services that keep our Diocese and parishes going. So please support the CSA. But even more, I challenge you this year to give more than you did last year—and pray as you give. Give to the Church, the CSA, and the charitable causes you care about. Let your generosity become an act of prayer. We made our goal last year; let’s make it again—and let’s see if we can do it in just two months! I’m confident we can. But most importantly, let’s grow in prayerful generosity, because that makes us look more like Jesus.

What Really Fills Us?

On By Kari SczepanskiIn Ordinary Time

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God doesn’t just want to give us enough—He wants to fill us. Throughout Scripture, food is a sign of something much deeper: God satisfying the hunger of our hearts and souls. Even as Jesus grieved the death of John the Baptist and sought time alone in prayer, His heart was moved with compassion for the crowds. He took five loaves and two fish, blessed them, broke them, and gave them, showing that when we offer our small gifts to God, He multiplies them beyond what we can imagine. That same pattern reaches its fulfillment in the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us with His very Body and Blood. This week, notice what you turn to when you feel empty. Does it truly satisfy, or does it only distract? Jesus still says, “Bring it to me.” He longs to fill you—not with temporary comforts, but with His abundant life, His love, and His presence, so that you, in turn, can help satisfy the hunger of others.

Pearl of Great Price

On By Kari SczepanskiIn Ordinary Time

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s kingdom is not a life free from suffering, but the certainty that God can bring good out of every hardship. Like the merchant who joyfully sold everything for the pearl of great price, we are invited to rediscover the incomparable treasure of Jesus Christ and His Church. Even though the Church is made up of saints and sinners in a broken world, its true worth never diminishes because Christ remains present in the Eucharist, His Word, and the sacraments. This week, reflect on two simple questions: Do I truly recognize Jesus as my greatest treasure? And have I grown so familiar with that gift that I’ve forgotten its wonder? Ask God for the grace to see the pearl of great price with fresh eyes once again.

What Kind of Soil Will We Become?

On By Kari SczepanskiIn Ordinary Time

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this homily on the Parable of the Sower, we’re invited to stop asking, “What kind of soil am I?” and instead ask, “What kind of soil am I becoming?” God never stops sowing His grace into our lives, but the fruit we bear depends on the condition of our hearts. Discover how you’re probably bearing more spiritual fruit than you realize, why greater fruitfulness often comes from bringing more intention—not more activity—to your daily relationships, and how to identify and remove the “rocks” and “thorns” that keep God’s Word from taking deeper root. A practical and hopeful reflection on becoming the rich soil where God’s grace can flourish.

Taking Up Your Cross: Acceptance and Freedom

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Uncategorized

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There’s a world of difference between having a cross and taking up your cross. Drawing on Jacques Philippe’s Interior Freedom, Fr. David shares the three ways we respond to suffering — rebellion, resignation, and consent — and why only one of them leads to peace. If you’ve ever spent more energy fearing a cross than actually carrying one, this homily is for you.

The Spirit is Alive Here!

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

On this Trinity Sunday, we celebrate not only the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but the living God who is actively at work among us today. In this homily, Fr. David reflects on the visible signs of the Holy Spirit moving in our parish communities—more baptisms, growing numbers of families, new households joining the Church, deeper conversions, and people returning to the Lord after years away. As we recognize these signs of grace, we are encouraged to keep doing what we’re doing: inviting, welcoming, praying, serving, and sharing our faith with joy. We are part of something powerful that God is accomplishing in our midst. As summer begins, this homily also invites us to slow down and intentionally receive God’s blessings through the beauty of creation, time with loved ones, and moments of gratitude, allowing ourselves to be drawn ever more deeply into the life and love of the Holy Trinity.

How Well Do You Know Jesus?

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season

5th Sunday of Easter

In this homily for the month of May, we reflect on Mary as the one who leads us closer to her Son, Jesus Christ—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As spring brings new life and beauty to the world around us, we are invited to let this season become a spiritual springtime for our own faith by asking a deeper question: “How well do I really know Jesus?” Through prayer, Scripture, the Rosary, meaningful conversation, and the help of Mary and the saints, we learn that growing in faith is not just about knowing facts about Jesus, but truly spending time with Him as a friend. Mary, who knows Jesus better than anyone, gently guides us to love Him more and to encounter Him more personally in our daily lives.

What If

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season

3rd Sunday of Easter

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walk beside Jesus without even realizing it—until they urge the “stranger” to stay, and in the breaking of the bread their eyes are opened. How often does the same thing happen in our own lives? Moments when our hearts stir, when something deeper is happening within us, when grace is quietly at work—and yet we keep walking, distracted or unaware. This homily reflects on the quiet, persistent way Jesus draws near to us each day and the importance of not letting those moments slip by. When we notice even a flicker of that “burning heart,” we’re invited to do what the disciples did: to pause, to invite Him in, to let Him stay. Because it may be in those very moments—ordinary, subtle, easily missed—that we finally recognize just how close God has been all along.

Burial Cloths

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season

Easter Sunday

This Easter, step into the tomb with Peter and John and notice the surprising detail the Gospel of John refuses to rush past: the burial cloths. Why are they mentioned twice? Because they point to something real—no theft, no resuscitation, but a body transformed. From that first Easter morning to the mysterious Shroud of Turin—an image with no paint, no pigment, only a faint “scorch” on the surface fibers—something happened that still defies explanation. Christianity isn’t built on a symbol or a story, but on a fact: Jesus Christ is risen. And that changes everything. This episode invites you to step into the tomb, see the signs, and ask: what in my life needs to be transformed by that same resurrection power?