Shawn The Baptist - Morning Message: Recent Episodes
Fr. Shawn P. Tunink
This week I am backpacking 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mountains are my happy place!
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We sometimes believe that we need to change, to eliminate sin, for Jesus to love us. The call of Matthew shows us the truth is exactly the opposite.
The post Caught in the Act appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Along with the happy moments in life, there are also really difficult times. Jesus reminds us that it's ok to be sad sometimes and we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
The post Hard Times appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and today's liturgy reminds us that it is also the start of a great spiritual military campaign.
The post Fighting Words appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Today we sing Alleluia for the last time until Easter. But just as Alleluia will return, we know the sad times of life will give way to joy.
The post Farewell, Alleluia appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
We all want to be happy, but how much is enough? How much pain can we tolerate for the sake of something higher?
The post How Happy Should We Be? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Our Catholic faith is "apostolic." St. Polycarp received the faith from St. John and then handed it on to St. Irenaeus. And on and on for 2000 years.
The post Apostolic Witness appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
On the feast of the Chair of St. Peter we recall how Jesus used a really big rock as the backdrop to give Simon a new name, "Rock."
The post Rock of Ages appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Everyone seems to have something to say these days. But sometimes our words cause hurt and not blessings.
The post Watch That Tongue appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. James says that faith without works is dead. But why is there such a debate about this topic?
The post Both / And appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
It's not enough to know some things about Jesus. You have to know him personally. Who do you say that he is?
The post Personal Jesus appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
In today's gospel, Jesus has to try two times to cure a blind man. Sometimes miracles require patience and time.
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The role of temptation is often misunderstood. Being tested is a good way to measure where we're at and to grow.
The post Good Temptations appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. Valentine's Day is all about love. But what is love all about? True love is found not in movies, but in patient commitment.
The post Beheaded for the One You Love appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
God loves us so much that at times he has sent his mother in person to remind us. At Lourdes, this also included miraculous healings.
The post Health of the Sick appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the most important thing in his life. And he was willing to die for that belief. We need more Christians like that.
The post More Martyrs Please appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Having churches, schools, and money is not bad, but the early church didn't have any of these... just the gospel and disciples to spread it.
The post No Second Tunic appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Today's feast of the Presentation of Lord completes the Christmas cycle. Jesus became one of us. His tangible presence is still here today.
The post Come To the Temple appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
King David shows us how much parents can love their children, even when they rebel. The love of God is even greater.
The post If Only I Had Died Instead of You appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus is able to calm the storms of life. But the greatest faith is to know, even if he doesn't calm every storm, we're still going to be ok.
The post What If the Boat Still Sinks? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that one way to know God is to start with creation. All creation comes from God and leads back to him. So too with our lives.
The post Out Around and Back Again appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming the most outstanding preacher of Jesus. But was this really a conversion?
The post The Conversion of St. Paul appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. Sebastian is the patron of athletes. He competed and won in the greatest game there is. His famous death reminds us to put God first.
The post Wide World of Sports appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Every day we begin with light overcoming darkness. The Church uses this image in two powerful ways in today's hymn for Lauds.
The post A Good Morning Song appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
God is writing an amazing story and you have been chosen. You get to play a part.
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When you're called to be set apart and chosen, the worst mistake you could make would be to want to be like everyone else. Israel did it, and so do we.
The post Like Everyone Else appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
In the baptism of Jesus we learn who Jesus is. In our own baptism we also learn who we are. Like Jesus, we also begin our mission.
The post What Child Is This? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
On this feast of Epiphany, we recognize how God reveals himself directly as in the Bible, but also indirectly, through reason and creation as he did with the Magi.
The post Recognizing Revelation appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
There are no limits on what God can do. God will fill us. But we need to expand our capacity to receive his gifts.
The post Capable of Greater Capacity appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When Jesus was born, people had been waiting for a long time. What is it that we most want?
The post What Are You Waiting For? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
On the next days after Christmas my true love gave to me... four days of death. Welcome to the Octave of Christmas.
The post Death to the World appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Today is filled with expectation. Liturgically, today is the Vigil of Christmas, a day for preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. After all there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas.
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Four times each year the Church calls to mind the gifts of the earth and asks us to give thanks. Thanks to God and thanks to farmers.
The post Remember the Embers appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
It's not enough to say that you are Christian. It's not even enough to believe the right things. You have to actually do it.
The post You Have to Go appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The Hebrew Bible ends with a prophecy that Elijah will return to herald the coming Messiah. Jews often leave an empty chair for him at seder meals. But what if he already came...
The post Empty Chairs at Seder Tables appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego at Guadalupe in 1531 she called him "Juanito... Little John." God did some really big things with this little peasant.
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St. Ambrose is known for his outstanding teaching of the Catholic faith. His preaching also inspired the greatest convert in Church history, St. Augustine.
The post No Ambrose, No Augustine appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus knows how to fish. He hooked Andrew and the other apostles. Now it's our turn. Time to go fish.
The post Go Fish appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Advent begins with the image of the mountain of God. No one climbs a mountain be accident, so we need to decide to start... today.
The post Advent Mountain appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Today at 4pm, the year will end. Liturgically speaking. But a new year will also begin. Life is a lot like this.
The post New Year’s Eve appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If you want to change the world, you have to start small.
The post Your Verse appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When you have nothing, you realize that you need everything. We are meant to live connected.
The post Take Nothing appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus called Matthew in the very act of tax collecting. He'll call you in the midst of your sin too.
The post Called in the Act appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Reject Satan. Choose God. Repeat over and over, every day, for the rest of your life.
The post Fruit Through Perseverance appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If you love someone, you want to know and share in everything about them, even their suffering. St. Francis loved Jesus like this.
The post Looks Like Jesus appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Standing by the cross of Jesus was his mother. Mary also stands by us as we carry the cross of suffering.
The post Stabat Mater appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Familiarity breeds contempt. It happened to the Israelites in the wilderness and it often happens at Mass.
The post We Are Disgusted appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
God made the world to work a certain way. Living within the truth of that system leads to happiness.
The post How It Is appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Pain is often something we want to forget. Today we remember one of the most painful moments in American history and promise once again to never forget.
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It's Red Friday! Yes, today we celebrate the holy martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora. And those other guys.
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If you want to change the world, start small. Where there is no love, put love, and you will get love.
The post Small Becomes Big appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
On the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we recall how God predestined her to be his mother and we are grateful for her fiat.
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St. Paul invites us today to walk with Jesus. The Christian life is not primarily a way of thinking but a way of doing.
The post This Is the Way appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If you're going fishing, it's all about finding the right lure. The same is true when fishing for faith.
The post Fishing for Faith appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The staff at Miranda Camp live like it's 1838, in a log cabin with no electricity. Today I ask them about finding God and happiness in their simple way of life.
The post 1838 Happiness Today appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Sometimes we don't reach the goals we intend. But maybe more important is how we live, and even die, trying to reach those goals.
The post Trail Peak Sacrifice appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Can't we all just get along? I went to Fish Camp at Philmont to find some answers.
The post Confluence appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
At Philmont, we have a special grace before meals prayer. It all boils down to thanksgiving.
The post Philmont Grace appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Why does God allow so much suffering? Maybe everything works out "in the end," but that often doesn't help much in the present.
The post Just Kill Me Now appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Today is the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. It's kind of a big deal.
The post Working on a Building appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Buglers throughout the country join together today at 3pm local time to play "Taps" and honor the fallen. May they rest in peace.
The post Memorial Day – Taps Across America appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus taught with authority. Is your life subject to that authority, the authority of truth, or are you your own authority?
The post By What Authority appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The Holy Spirit, God, dwells within you and that makes you a temple. But sometimes temples need cleaning, like in today's gospel.
The post Temple Cleaning Time appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If we want God to "renew the face of the earth," we might expect this act of re-creation to look similar to the original act of creation.
The post Creative Breath appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost. Yes, Pentecost really is that big of a deal.
The post Make Pentecost an Octave Again appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
What better way to celebrate 13 years of priesthood than to wake up in the woods surrounded by God's creation.
The post Anniversary Backcountry Edition appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus. After the resurrection, Jesus not only forgives him, but still chooses him to be Pope.
The post Still the Rock appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. Bernardine of Siena preached devotion to the holy name of Jesus and created some confusion about Jesus' monogram.
The post J. H. C. appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
St. John, the "Apostle of Love," tells us today to avoid even saying hello to certain people.
The post Love One Another with Truth appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
One last time... St. Venantius and the martyrs teach us how to say goodbye.
The post How to Say Goodbye appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus doesn't have a middle name and Christ isn't his last name.
The post Jesus H. Christ appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When Jesus chose the 12 apostles, he didn't just choose the men, he chose to create an office that continues to this day.
The post It’s Official appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
We live in a culture that largely does not know God. But everyone has a desire to know God.
The post The Unknown God appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
True freedom isn't doing whatever you want. True freedom is the ability to do what you ought to do.
The post Freedom… But for What? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
What steps do you take to make an important decision? Are you open to the action of the Holy Spirit?
The post The Spirit Said appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When the first Pope and first Bishops make a decision in today's first reading, they say that the Holy Spirit has decided. The same thing continues in the Church today.
The post Decision of the Spirit appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Before there was the Bible, there was the Church. That Church gave us the New Testament remains necessary today to understand the Bible.
The post Before the Bible appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Do you have a special place you like to go to to find peace and connection? Don't just go there in your mind. Actually go.
The post Your Rejoicing Place appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When St. Philip gets to ask Jesus for the thing he most wants, he asks Jesus, "Show us the Father." He asks to see God. Not a bad request.
The post Show Us the Father appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If you had to tell someone the "story of Jesus," what would you include?
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On this day in 1716, St. Louis de Montfort spoke his final words which continue to bring hope to all who struggle against Satan.
The post I’ll Never Sin Again appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
If Jesus wants everyone to believe in him, why doesn't he just show up and make it obvious?
The post Tell Us Plainly appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The best reason to be Christian is because you get eternal life forever in heaven. But, also a pretty good reason... you get bacon.
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Who has God placed in your life with whom you need to share the joy of Jesus? The Spirit will lead you, just as He did Philip.
The post Philip the Deacon appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
All Christians should want to look like Jesus. St. Stephen did, and he got stoned. So should you.
The post Everybody Must Get Stoned appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Go spread the Good News... but how? St. Stephen shows us a powerful combination of two things that often works wonders.
The post Wisdom and Spirit appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The majority of the Jewish leaders ended up opposing the Messiah when he came. We too often choose the foolish path of fighting against God.
The post Fighting Against God appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Mary Magdalene stayed at the tomb weeping. We often flee from suffering, but Mary stayed.
The post Not Afraid to Stay appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Judas is known as "the one who betrayed" Jesus. But what exactly does it mean to betray someone?
The post Vulnerable to Betrayal appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The Church uses 3 special oils in the celebrations of the sacraments and they are blessed each year during Holy Week.
The post Essential Oils appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Saving is good. But deciding when to spend is even more important. Mary Magdalene spent it all on Jesus and so should you.
The post Time to Stop Saving appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus was working miracles that only God could do. What a horrible problem.
The post God Works Through all appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... but when? Well, today.
The post Christmas in March appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
When faced with a difficult choice, we are meant to easily and joyfully choose the right thing. This kind of freedom we call virtue.
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When Moses asks God to give him his name, God responds, "I AM." In today's Gospel, Jesus takes that name for himself... twice!
The post What Is Is? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Here's proof that Jesus is not the Messiah: He wasn't born in Bethlehem. Ya, that's what some people thought.
The post No Boxing God appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Joseph was a real man and he used his manly strength in a way that is an example for all men... he protected his wife and family, physically and spiritually.
The post Joseph the Protector appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
We all know saints who were bad and became good. But what about good people who fall and want to be good again?
The post Saints Gone Bad appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Before setting out to preach the faith, St. Patrick armed himself by praying this famous prayer, known to us today at the Breastplate of St. Patrick.
The post Armed Like St. Patrick appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Jesus takes 613 commandments of the Law and reduces them to just 2 in today's Gospel. But there's a catch.
The post Simple but Not Easy appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
We're making our way through Lent and there is going to be a test at the end. Today I give you the questions and the answers.
The post Bound for Baptism appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
There is no "God of the Old Testament" and a different "God of the New Testament." There is just one God, who loves us.
The post Old God New God appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
God wants you to be like him. In today’s gospel, we see that God is very forgiving, and he expects us to do the same.
The post How to Be Like God appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
God is probably not going to ask you to do something huge today. Expect to do a lot of little things instead.
The post Don’t Wait for Great appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
We focus a lot on our sinfulness during Lent. But do you ever stop and wonder what God really thinks of you?
The post What Kind of Father appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.
Poor poor Joseph. Sold to be a slave… but made prince of Egypt. Do you feel down and out? Fight ‘til you drop and you too can come out on top.
The post You Come Out on Top appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.