Saint Clement Shrine Podcast

I was with one of my confreres while he was unpacking his belongings. He pulled out a bottle of liquor and said, “One of my friends in the parish gave me this as a going away present; this is very good stuff.” I said, “That doesn’t tell me anything.” So I asked him, “If I... The post How Long? appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

We always begin Lent with Ash Wednesday. We receive ashes to remind us that we are all going to die. Why would we want to be reminded of that? I knew a guy who was incredibly successful in life. Everything he touched turned to gold. I asked why everything he did was so good. He... The post Memento Mori appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Noah’s ark. How do you envision it? If you picture in your mind a large shoebox, about the size of a football field and about three stories high, then, Congratulations, you have read your Bible. The Bible gives the exact dimensions and the shape of the ark. But this is my question: why would God... The post Depend on God appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The post Ash Wednesday appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Why does God make it so hard on us? He tells Elijah, the prophet, to go to Mount Horeb. Mount Horeb is in the middle of the hottest, most brutal desert on the planet. It takes forty days to get there. For forty days, he has no access to food, water, or mini-marts along the... The post Strength in the Struggle appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

David could have killed Saul. And if he had killed Saul, David would have vastly improved his life. He would not have had to run for his life anymore, to look over his shoulder every time someone suspicious walked behind him, or to worry about a spear or arrow flying in his direction out of... The post To Bless and Not to Curse appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

One time a guy called my brother and asked him if he would work in his new computer company. He told my brother that he didn’t have a lot of money, but he could pay him with stock options. My brother thought long and hard about it, but in the end, he declined. Later, my... The post Treasure appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Problems, we all have them. We just need to find the best solutions. One time I went on a vacation in the deep woods of Maine at my brother’s lake camp. I went to bed and outside my bedroom window was a love-sick bullfrog calling to his mate. “No problem,” I thought. “I can handle... The post Problems and Their Solutions appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

One day I went to Sears. They had something I wanted, and I had something they wanted. I needed a snow blower, and they needed my money.  The salesman came up and said, “Can I help you?”  When he found out that I wanted a snow blower and not a pair of men’s black socks,... The post Paul’s List appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Don’t be sad. This is the message of Nehemiah the prophet. There are a lot of reasons to rejoice according to the prophet. On New Year’s day, we go to Mass. In the first reading of the first Mass on the first day of the year, we hear the proclamation of Aaron’s blessing: “May the... The post Like They Have Been Blessed appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

At the wedding feast of Cana, we find out that Jesus is the groom. We know this because he acts like a groom. He is the one who provides the wine which is the responsibility of the groom. In the next chapter, John the Baptist says that he is happy to be the best man... The post The Groom appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Baptism of the Lord 2019   Do you remember the four-minute mile? No one could break the four-minute mile. Experts came to the conclusion that the human being could only run so fast and they presented all sorts of reasons: wind resistance, lung capacity, the human muscles, and bone structure were simply insufficient to support... The post The Baptism of the Lord appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Prefer the Light to the Darkness Epiphany is the celebration of the festival of lights. One of the opening lines in John’s Gospel reads: “The light came into the world, but people preferred the darkness over the light.” Why would anyone choose darkness over light? People prefer darkness when they have something to hide. No... The post Prefer the Light to the Darkness appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The post Gospel-Homily for Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (2019) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The post Gospel-Homily for Vigil of Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (2019) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

Typically, we know who will win the election before we even go to vote. This is because of the polling. Sometimes the polls get it wrong, and there is a shock. If you go to the campaign headquarters of the shocked and unexpectedly victorious candidate, there is usually lots of happiness. That is precisely what... The post Joy appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The post Gospel-Homily for Christmas Eve (2018) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

The post Gospel-Homily for Fourth Sunday of Advent (2018) appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

God Gives Us Gifts for Others’ Needs   In 587 BC, the Babylonians took siege of Jerusalem. They destroyed the city and took the inhabitants as captives back to Babylon. It was known as the great exile. Fifty years later, the Persians rose to power and took over management of the world. They told the... The post God Gives Us Gifts For Others’ Needs appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.

A Kind Spirit and a Gentle Heart   Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote the letter to the Philippians. Let me say a few things about Roman prisons. First, Romans do not provide food, clothing, or medical supplies. You must get that from the outside. So Paul’s life is depending on the... The post A Kind Spirit and A Gentle Heart appeared first on St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine.