Best Wordcast Podcasts (2025)

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When Did God Become Real for You? | #1522 23:36

1d ago23:36

23:36

Easter Sunday • We have three reasons to be happy for Easter. The first reason is what we move from fasting to feasting. Happy "feaster" everybody! The second reason is that we can dress up nicely and have a good day with family and friends and our church family. And the third reason to be happy is that Jesus has risen from the dead. The Resurrecti…

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Was God Still a Good Father on Good Friday? | #1521 6:04

4d ago6:04

6:04

Good Friday • Our own Good Friday experiences can cause us to doubt that God is a good father. The Passion reading is full of people acting out of self-protection and self-reliance. Jesus, on the other hand, continues to trust in his Father's Presence, Providence, and Protection. Do you live like Jesus, trusting in your Good Father, or do you live …

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The Miracle Moving Host (God Is With Us) | #1520 15:38

5d ago15:38

15:38

Holy Thursday • God is with us! He is with us in the happy Christmas times, the intimate Holy Thursday moments, and our tragic Good Fridays. No matter how much we run from him, abandon him, or choose everything else besides him, God is still with us! And he chooses us. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, but he still washed his feet and did eve…

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Two Obstacles to Self-Giving Love | #1519 8:16

11d ago8:16

8:16

Palm Sunday (C) Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, also known as "Passion Sunday." First we read Luke's account of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Then we read this same Gospel's account of the death of Jesus. God the Father calls Jesus to total self-giving love. We were made by love and for love. We only find fulfillment in self-giving lov…

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Written In The Dust | #1518 15:24

17d ago15:24

15:24

Lent, 5th Sunday (C) The Pharisees have set a trap for Jesus. They can accuse him either of breaking Roman law or of breaking Mosaic law. Jesus cleverly escapes their trap by stating, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” But first, he starts writing in the dust with his finger. What was he writing? Schola…

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Living in the Gaze of Unexpected Love | #1517 12:31

24d ago12:31

12:31

Lent, 4th Sunday (C) We are not expecting the father to welcome his prodigal son home again. We can all be like the prodigal son sometimes. We waste the father's gifts on ourselves and our pleasures, only to find ourselves empty and unhappy. In our desperation we turn back to our Father and he loves us and welcomes us home. We often turn around and…

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This Is What We Do When We Feel Inadequate | #1516 16:17

30d ago16:17

16:17

Lent, 3rd Sunday (C) Moses is rescued from death by a mini-ark and is adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. When he witnesses injustice, he first tries to dominate and control, then he runs and hides. God meets him in the desert in the burning bush. He is terrified by the power of the Egyptian government, but he lets God lead him. His impossible mission i…

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The Light Is Our Destination | #1515 16:49

1M ago16:49

16:49

Lent, 2nd Sunday (C) You shouldn't start a journey if you don't know what the destination is. Lent is a journey and today we are shown the destination. Where are we going? First, we are headed to Easter! We fast now because we plan to feast later. It's a little easier to be disciplined about our sacrifices if we remember that Easter is not so far a…

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Dunkirk and the Father's Protection | #1514 9:07

2M ago9:07

9:07

Lent, 1st Sunday (C) On May 10, 1940, the Nazi German Army invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. By May 21, German forces had trapped the British, Belgian, and French field armies along the northern coast of France. The British withdrew to Dunkirk, the closest good port, in a desperate attempt to evacuate the army across the English Channel…

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Remember You Are Dust and to Dust You Will Return | #1513 13:09

2M ago13:09

13:09

Ordinary Time, 8th Sunday (C) Imagine looking back on your Lent from the perspective of Easter. Is it easier to give up candy now if you remember that Easter candy is coming? In a similar way, how will your life look different from the perspective of eternity? The trials of this life expose what is in our heart. They also give us opportunities to t…

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Is God a Good Father? | #1512 20:17

2M ago20:17

20:17

Ordinary Time, 6th Sunday (C) Today we hear an excerpt from the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49). Jesus admonishes us to "love your enemies" and "do good to those who hate you." At first glance, these words look like admonishments that any teacher or guru might give to his disciples. He wants us to be kind to others, right? Look again... these wo…

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Put Out Into the Deep | #1511 9:01

2M ago9:01

9:01

Ordinary Time, 5th Sunday (C) Peter looks good on the surface; he has a good life and a successful career and he's not interested in what Jesus is offering. But underneath, Peter is not so good. He feels like he is failing at fishing and failing at life. Even deeper down, though, Peter is Very Good. He is loved by God and he hasn't ruined God's pla…

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Tend The Living Flame | #1510 10:13

3M ago10:13

10:13

Candlemas (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) • Today we celebrate Candlemas, the final feast day of the Christmas season. Mary received God's gift, helped to grow this gift, and now gives him back to God. This is what parents do when they have a child Baptized. They give their child back to God. The parents are given a lit candle and told: "Re…

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Time for a Fresh Start | #1509 12:16

3M ago12:16

12:16

Ordinary Time, 3rd Sunday (C) In addition to a sabbath day, Jewish law also prescribed a Sabbatical Year. Every seventh year, the land was to be left fallow and debts would be forgiven. After seven such sabbatical years, or 50 years, the Bible calls for a Jubilee. This was like a super sabbatical year. Slaves were freed and land that had been sold …

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Donal Walsh Knew Where to Find the Wine | #1508 14:08

3M ago14:08

14:08

Ordinary Time, 2nd Sunday (C) The Holy Spirit gives us many gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment of spirits, varieties of tongues, interpretation of tongues. The Spirit gave Donal Walsh a deep sense of faith. His life was a gift, but he realized it was a gift that was meant to be given away. He died…

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Jesus Wants Your Best and Your Worst | #1507 13:40

4M ago13:40

13:40

Feast of Epiphany • The Feast of Epiphany is older than Christmas. Early Christians celebrated January 6th as three feasts in one: the visit of the magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the miracle of water into wine at Cana. In the East, the Baptism of the Lord emerged as the most important of the three feasts. In the West, the Baptism migrated to ne…

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Jesus Comes to Heal Our Identities | #1506 21:00

4M ago21:00

21:00

Christmas, Holy Family (C) The Feast of the Holy Family reminds us that Jesus comes not only to restore us as as individuals, but also to heal our family. The four fundamental identities help to reveal God's original plan for the family. These identities have three characteristics: Relational. Each identity requires another; none are just my sense …

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Is There Room For Him In Your Inn? | #1505 14:44

4M ago14:44

14:44

Christmas Eve • There was a time when your ancestors did not celebrate Christmas. Then one day, missionaries came to bring the good news of Jesus Christ. This was their message, "Your Father loves you and he wants you to come home." Remember how God made our first parents and put them in a beautiful garden? There were two trees in the middle of the…

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Christmas Pageant or Ego-Drama? | #1504 12:25

4M ago12:25

12:25

Advent, 4th Sunday (C) Imagine for a moment that you attended a school Christmas program but no one was listening to the director. Everyone was singing their own songs and trying to do their own thing. There would be chaos, frustration, hurt feelings, and a lot of giving up. Bishop Barron calls this the "Ego-drama." Each of us is trying to be a sta…

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The Wheel of Fortune | #1503 15:20

4M ago15:20

15:20

Advent, 3rd Sunday (C) The monastery cloister teaches us to keep part of our hearts closed to the world and open to heaven. The ancient and medieval world was familiar with the example of the wheel of fortune: One minute you're on top of the world, the next minute you are on the bottom. We need to move from the chaos of the outside to the peace at …

1
We Are Made for Communion | #1502 12:47

5M ago12:47

12:47

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception • St. Augustine first taught about original sin. He said that our first parents passed the infection of sin on to all their children. Humans have been all been born with this original sin. Except Mary, whom the Archangel Gabriel calls, "kekaritomene", or "the one who is fully blessed or gracious". She is compl…

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The True Source of Our Peace | #1501 11:57

5M ago11:57

11:57

Advent, 1st Sunday (C) A felt sense of safety and security is necessary for us to find peace. When peace is missing, there are many ways we might try to manufacture it. Perhaps you surround yourself only with like-minded people. Try to control everything, get angry, or run and hide. Maybe you numb yourself or pretend that it doesn't matter. God des…

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You Can't Vote for the King but Every Vote Counts | #1453 19:02

5M ago19:02

19:02

Solemnity of Christ the King (B) There are three key figures in Old Testament society. The priest heals and sacrifices. The prophet teaches and preaches repentance. The king protects society from invasion and rightly orders life within the city. We often think of Jesus as priest or as prophet. Today we focus on Jesus as King. Jesus tells Pontius Pi…

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When the Dependable Things Fail Us | #1452 9:49

5M ago9:49

9:49

Ordinary Time, 33rd Sunday (B) Ancient people couldn't depend on much. Plagues, wars, earthquakes, death, and decay all dogged their lives. The heavens above appeared incredibly stable and predictable. When Jesus says, "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the …

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How Mite You Be Generous? | #1451 15:45

5M ago15:45

15:45

Ordinary Time, 32nd Sunday (B) Jesus is impressed not with the size of the donation; he is impressed with a generous heart. A poor widow holds nothing back; she gives God her whole livelihood. God has blessed me with gifts, perhaps less than I had hoped. The temptation is to hoard the little I have and use it for myself. God's invitation is to be g…

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Three Levels of Vocation | #1450 13:42

6M ago13:42

13:42

Ordinary Time, 31st Sunday (B) The first level of vocation is the Universal Call to Holiness. This means that we were made in the image and likeness of God, and God is love. We are called to allow the love of God to transform every aspect of our lives. Holiness is nothing other than living love in every aspect of our lives. The second level is the …

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This Kind of Happiness Only Christians Can Experience | #1449 12:24

6M ago12:24

12:24

All Saints Day • Why have so many people left the Catholic Church? I think they have left because being Catholic made them less happy. It gets in the way of getting their way and having all the things and pleasures they want. Getting what we want only makes us happy when we have learned to want that which is actually good for us. The happiness base…

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What Does He See When Jesus Opens His Eyes? | #1448 14:27

6M ago14:27

14:27

Ordinary Time, 30th Sunday (B) Jericho often symbolizes the kingdom of this world. Bartimaeus can see with the eyes of faith that Jesus is the one he has been waiting for. He keeps calling Jesus until Jesus calls him, then he leaves everything to follow Jesus. Jesus is leading home to the heavenly kingdom all who have heard his call and followed hi…

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How to Grab a Spot at the Top | #1447 13:37

6M ago13:37

13:37

Ordinary Time, 29th Sunday (B) Stewardship is a great way of understanding the Gospel in our practical, everyday life. Christians are called to be like God. We can't possibly succeed, so the Holy Spirit gives us the power to love as God has loved us. Consumers we are rarely grateful, because we have been trained to see the lack in our lives and to …

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Stewards of Creation and Human Life | #1446 13:05

7M ago13:05

13:05

Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday (B) This weekend we kickoff our annual parish Stewardship Renewal. We ask every parishioner of the Antigo Area Catholic Churches to make at least one commitment each in the areas of Time, Talent, and Treasure. It's always good to re-evaluate our commitments. What can our scripture readings teach us about stewardship? Adam…

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Jesus Has a Message for Pimps | #1445 14:15

7M ago14:15

14:15

Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday (B) Many Catholics have no sense of the incredible gift they have received, nor the responsibilities that come with that gift. How would your life be different if you were able to live from your true identity as a child of God, temple of the Holy Spirit, and a part of the Body of Christ? Traffickers deceive their victims …

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Receiving One (More) Child | #1444 14:11

7M ago14:11

14:11

Ordinary Time, 25th Sunday (B) The Bible and our Catholic faith teach that life begins at conception and that every child is a gift from God. Every one of us is wanted, every one of us is willed, and we each reveal something special about God. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me…

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To Know the True Religion, You Must Answer This Question | #1443 10:42

7M ago10:42

10:42

Ordinary Time, 24th Sunday (B) Which world religion is the true religion? You don't have to look at every religion, you just have to answer this question: Is Jesus who he says he is? Every other founder of a major religion has claimed to have a special insight or revelation from God. Only Jesus claimed to BE GOD. Most people accept that Jesus was a…

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Hear, Listen, and Understand | #1442 14:08

8M ago14:08

14:08

Ordinary Time, 23rd Sunday (B) After an attempt at rolling my kayak, my ears had to be opened in order for me to hear clearly. Just because we can hear doesn't mean that we are really listening. What would happen if God actually spoke to you during your prayer time? Some of us might feel he was interrupting our prayers. When working with foreign pr…

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This Is the Reason Why God's Law Exists | #1441 12:06

8M ago12:06

12:06

Ordinary Time, 22nd Sunday (B) Is Jesus opposed to rituals and traditions? I see that Jesus has three objections to the behavior of the Scribes and Pharisees. Using external rituals to say, "I'm better than you." We can and should judge right and wrong behavior. But we cannot judge hearts. And we must not use external rituals to compare ourselves t…

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The Surprise Best Part of My Summer Vacation | #1440 15:00

8M ago15:00

15:00

Ordinary Time, 21st Sunday (B) Why have so many people left the Catholic faith? Some left because they didn't experience the Catholic church to be a loving, healthy family. Others have left because they don't believe that we teach the truth. But the vast majority of people have left for one simple reason: they want to be happy. We all know that I'l…

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The Interpretive Key that Unlocks the Meaning of Everything | #1439 17:23

8M ago17:23

17:23

Ordinary Time, 19th Sunday (B) The Eucharist looks like bread and it tastes like bread but it's really Jesus. Catholics have started to lose a sense of God's presence in the Eucharist. But first we lost a sense of the sacramentality of the whole world. Creation speaks to us about the Creator. Humans reveal who God is, and the nature of God reveals …

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Jesus Offers to Satisfy Your Hunger | #1438 8:10

9M ago8:10

8:10

Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday (B) The Israelites were well-fed slaves! We modern Americans think we are free because we can have whatever we want. The problem is, the more we want, the less satisfied we feel. I become enslaved by my desires. Only Jesus can satisfy the deep hungers in the human heart. This is why Jesus gives himself to us in the Euchar…

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You Don't Realize How Hungry You Are | #1437 13:31

9M ago13:31

13:31

Ordinary Time, 17th Sunday (B) I notice three lessons from the multiplication of the five loaves and the two fish: First, we are hungry. Humans have many deep needs. We need to feel valuable, to know that we are good, to feel that we matter, to be seen and known by others, to live with security and a sense of justice, to have a life of meaning and …

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Bad Leadership is Not a New Problem | #1436 13:39

9M ago13:39

13:39

Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday (B) Bad leaders confuse and scatter. Good leadership leads to clarity, unity, and peace. The clarity comes from a respect for truth. The unity comes from the love for the sheep. Being led according to truth and love leads to peace. The Apostles are being good shepherds by bringing people to the Good Shepherd. Have you see…

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Shake Off the Dust of Self-Reliance | #1435 10:03

9M ago10:03

10:03

Ordinary Time, 15th Sunday (B) The whole human race has a long love affair with self-reliance. We are convinced that a good, happy, and successful human life will be the fruit of our hard work and intelligence. Repent! When Jesus sends his missionaries out two-by-two, he precisely prevents them from relying on themselves. They can only carry what t…

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God is Most Present in the Place We Try Really Hard to Avoid | #1434 15:43

10M ago15:43

15:43

Ordinary Time, 14th Sunday (B) Life is not meant to be easy. The more we try to live a comfortable life, the more miserable we become. When Jesus comes to save us, he doesn't come to take away our pain and suffering. He comes to suffer with us and to suffer for us. Have you had a moment yet when God became real for you? For many, it happened when t…

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The Biggest Blessing from 17 Years of Priesthood | #1433 15:01

10M ago15:01

15:01

Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday (B) Disintegration, disharmony, dis-ease, destruction... this is spiritual death. Through the envy of the devil it entered the world. As long as we remain in the devil's company we will experience all these things. It's not that Jesus hands out cures to this or that problem; Jesus himself is the cure. When we are in his c…

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Fathers Use These Two Tools to Change the World | #1432 16:57

10M ago16:57

16:57

Ordinary Time, 11th Sunday (B) What would you wish for if you only had one wish? I know exactly what I would wish for: that men would be good fathers. About 90% of the issues that wander in my office can be traced back to men who failed to be good fathers. We have a severe crisis of childhood, which is rooted in a crisis of fatherhood and motherhoo…

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Stop Playing the Blame and Shame Game | #1431 11:46

11M ago11:46

11:46

Ordinary Time, 10th Sunday (B) We are the only critter in creation not comfortable in it's own skin. Why do humans wear clothes? The Bible says we started with original innocence. But then we rejected God's Fatherly authority and all started playing the Blame and Shame Game. Jesus refuses to play the game. He lives a life of simplicity, innocence, …

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Blood Brothers | #1430 14:03

11M ago14:03

14:03

Corpus Christi (Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ-B) This weekend the Diocese of Green Bay implements Bishop Ricken's pastoral instruction that allows the common cup on select feast days. We receive the whole Jesus no matter how we receive Communion, but Communion under both species is a fuller symbol of Jesus giving himself compl…

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An Infinite Inheritance Awaits Us | #1429 13:57

11M ago13:57

13:57

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (B) God created everything, but nothing created God. God simply is. There is no other God but him. The Trinity means that God is love and he is always pouring himself out in love. Made in the image and likeness of God, we are made for a community of love. We can only truly fulfill our calling if we learn to live f…

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The Holy Spirit Responds to our Vocations Crisis | #1428 13:27

11M ago13:27

13:27

Pentecost Sunday • God wants to breathe life into us so he sends the Holy Spirit. We may not realize that when we desire true love, community, peace, and guidance, we are really desiring the Holy Spirit. We can always draw more life from God, so our prayer each day should be, "Come, Holy Spirit!" This weekend, Bishop Ricken ordained six men to the …

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The Ascension and the Gift of Motherhood | #1427 13:56

12M ago13:56

13:56

Easter, Ascension (B) Jesus ascends into heaven. The ancients understood that he is now seated at the vantage point, from which he can see all things and direct his servants to victory. He has made our captivity his captive and has given gifts to men. These "gifts" are the prophets, Apostles, teachers and Evangelists that serve God's people and bui…

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We Love Mary Because She First Loved Us | #1426 15:16

12M ago15:16

15:16

Easter, 6th Sunday (B) Twelve of the last 14 years I have made a walking pilgrimage to Champion Shrine, the only approved Marian apparition site in Canada and the USA. This year I was hoping to join the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage for a few miles, but they are doing very few miles. I got my walking fix by completing my first ever Walk to Mary, …

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