Sacred Heart Catholic Church

05/31/2026



05/28/2026

In this episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan & Fr. Michael explain all 37 miracles performed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels.

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

We are excited to welcome Sister Medhin Tesfay to the 2026 Christ Our Life Conference. Sister Medhin Tesfay belongs to the Daughters of Charity in the Diocese of Adigrat, Ethiopia. She works with Mary’s Meals in Tigray, Ethiopia, providing daily meals in a region devastated by civil war and drought.

The Christ Our Life Conference will be held September 26-27, 2026, in Des Moines at the Casey’s Center (formerly Wells Fargo Arena).

See the full schedule ➡️ christourlifeiowa.com/schedule
Purchase tickets ➡️ christourlifeiowa.com/tickets
Book a hotel ➡️ christourlifeiowa.com/where-to-stay

05/27/2026

Daily Reflection for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Peace and Blessings, Friends, and Parishioners,

We encourage you to reflect on Wednesday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052726.cfm

If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Peter 1:18-25
Responsorial: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45

Our reflection on Wednesday’s readings:
“so that your faith and hope are in God” 1 Peter 1:21b

If you have read my Reflections over the years, you may be getting tired of my preaching that Jesus came to show us the way to the Father. We know, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount tells us how we are to live and treat one another.

In today’s readings, Jesus makes it clear that he came to earth to serve. He certainly “served” by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, forgiving sins, saving the lost and teaching about his Father in Heaven. Does this mean that if we are Christians, we should be doing the same?

Ultimately, Jesus gave up his life to save many. In today’s world there are examples of such sacrifice to save others. News stories often recount the efforts of every day heroes pulling people from burning buildings or cars after an accident. Historical movies are made reminding us of courageous sacrifices during natural disasters, terrorists attacks, and current military conflicts.

In today’s first reading Peter is speaking about more than heroic action. He is preaching about faith and hope in God that will carry us through whatever happens in this life. We need a relationship with God to recognize his presence in our lives. It is God’s presence with the Holy Spirit that carries us through the tough times and rejoices with us during the good.

What does it take for us to put our faith and hope in God? A disaster, horrific event or facing end of life scenarios? Can it be everyday events, big and small?

Certainly, writing a reflection here in our peaceful living room is not traumatic and does not require heroic action. It is a simply a sacrifice of some time, effort, with the trust that our hope and faith in God will grow.

Reading or writing Reflections does not require much risk on either your part or mine – except possibly letting go of any thoughts or desired actions that do not fit with Jesus’ teachings and example. That can sometimes be a challenge and so often, also a reward.

Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

05/26/2026

Daily Reflection for Tuesday, May 26, 2026


Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,

We encourage you to reflect on Tuesday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052626.cfm

If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Peter 1:10-16
Responsorial: Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Gospel: Mark 10:28-31

Happy Feast of St Phillip Neri!

For those unfamiliar with today’s saint, St. Phillip Neri was an Italian priest in the 1500’s known for his deep joy, personal holiness, and unique ability to draw people to God through kindness and humor. St Phillip is said to have regularly told jokes and funny stories to show that belonging to God is not sad.

In reflecting on today’s readings and St Phillip Neri, my brain (and three cups of coffee) took me on a magical journey through my childhood. Growing up and going to Catholic grade school on the east side of Indianapolis, my only knowledge of St Phillip Neri was that from our athletic contests against his namesake school. This got me thinking about my days in grade school, then thinking about joy, then thinking about the George William Cooke hymn popularized when I was a kid by Carey Landry. "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart". Listen to it herehttps://youtu.be/_2FJp9n_g4I?si=MF2BZxW-3KSeyM3O and try not to have it stuck in your head for the next week! And FINALLY, this reminded me of my 4th grade teacher, Sister Frances Joan Baker. Sister Frances was a gentle soul who always had a smile on her face, a spring in her step, and joy in her heart.

I think joy is the answer to Peter’s question in today’s gospel when he essentially asks Jesus, “What’s in it for us?” after giving up everything to follow Him. I find it interesting that Jesus doesn’t say that your reward is in heaven, but that the reward for those that follow him will occur NOW, “in this present age”.

And what is that reward? I believe it is joy, that deep emotion that comes from feeling connected to something greater than ourselves and having a sense of purpose. Joy, as opposed to happiness, comes from inside of us, whereas happiness is often caused by things that happen around us.

After passing away in 2013 at 97, the verse on Sister Frances’ prayer card had the following: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”
-- Philippians 4:4-5

St. Phillip Neri and Sister Frances Joan Baker (and all joyful and faithful Christian women and men) pray for us!

Blessings.

Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

Daily Reflection for Friday, May 22, 2026

Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners!

We encourage you to reflect on Friday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052226.cfm

If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 25:13b-21
Responsorial: Psalms 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab
Gospel: John 21:15-19

Our reflection on Wednesday’s readings:
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" John 21:15

When I read today’s Gospel, what stands out to me is how personal the conversation feels. Jesus isn’t addressing a crowd or teaching in parables—He’s speaking directly to Peter, and it feels raw, almost uncomfortable at times. Three times He asks, “Do you love me?” and I can’t help but notice the weight behind that repetition. It mirrors Peter’s three denials, and it feels like Jesus is gently but intentionally bringing Peter face-to-face with his failure—not to shame him, but to restore him.

I see a lot of myself in Peter here. There are moments when I’ve fallen short, when my actions haven’t matched what I claim to believe. And like Peter, I might feel the sting of being asked to examine my love and commitment. But what strikes me is that Jesus doesn’t discard Peter or disqualify him. Instead, He reaffirms his purpose: “Feed my sheep.” It’s like He’s saying that love isn’t just a feeling—it’s something that shows up in responsibility, in care for others, in action.

At the same time, this passage isn’t just comforting—it’s challenging. Jesus makes it clear that following Him won’t be easy. The way He describes Peter’s future martyrdom is sobering. It reminds me that real commitment comes with a cost, and that loving Jesus means being willing to follow Him even when it leads somewhere difficult or uncertain.

What I take away from this is both reassurance and a call to step up. Failure isn’t the end of the story, but forgiveness isn’t passive, either. If I say I love Him, then that love should shape how I live, how I serve, and how I show up for others. And maybe the real question I’m left with is the same one Jesus asked Peter: Do I love Him—not just in words, but in the way I’m willing to follow?

Encourage one another, and build each other up,

Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

05/21/2026

Daily Reflection for Thursday, May 21, 2026

Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,

We encourage you to reflect on Thursday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052126.cfm

If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
Reading I: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
Responsorial: Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Gospel: John 17:20-26

Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one. (John 17:22)

It went from bad to worse. I stumbled into a trigger during a recent conversation about how my faith calls me to respond to our current national political climate. The conversation was with someone I love dearly, but the more we talked, the uglier it became.

Afterward, my heart ached. We are two people who love each other deeply, yet we stood our ground like trees with roots spread so deeply into the earth that neither could bend. Even now, my heart still aches. We eventually found our way back toward one another and are beginning to mend, but the experience continues to linger within me. I find myself wondering: How are we going to get through this? How did we come to see the world through such different lenses?

Then I read the first reading and recognized the division it describes. Replace the words “Pharisee” and “Sadducee” with today’s political and ideological labels, and it could easily read like a daily newsfeed describing the fractures in our country. How did we get here? And more importantly, how do we move through it?

Then I read the Gospel, and I breathe in hope.

A hope rooted in the vastness of God’s love. A hope that emerges when Jesus prays, “that they may be one, as we are one.” In those words, I breathe in hope and exhale forgiveness. I believe that as resurrection people, we are called to be hopeful people. And I believe Jesus meant what He said. His deepest desire is that the fullness of humanity, indeed, all of creation, “may be one.”

I realize there may be pushback even in saying that these days. “No, Jesus did not mean everyone.” “No, Jesus only meant those who believe exactly as we do.” “No, Jesus did not mean all living things.” I can already hear the responses forming. There are probably countless sentences that begin with, “No, Jesus did not mean to include…”, and so the division continues.

But today, I choose to sit in hope. I choose to believe that Jesus meant what He said: “that they may be one.”

Rooted in my belief in the Gospel, I know I must begin with myself. I must choose peace rather than stand over and against another. From there, perhaps I can participate, even in some small way, in spreading the Good News that we may be one.

Daily Bible Readings, Podcast Audio and Videos and Prayers brought to you by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.