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The Practicing Catholic

Intentionally, joyfully living the faith ... we hope.

Schmidt, Joel

Why Did God Bring You Together?

February 3, 2016 by Deacon Joel Schmidt Leave a Comment

We often tell the story of how we met, but do we ever wonder why we met? If God has a plan your life, and He brought the two of you together, God must have a plan for your marriage, too. What is it?

Posted in: Being Deacon, Homilies, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Being Deacon, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Homily, Marriage

Homily: A Reason to Leap for Joy

December 21, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 11 Comments

At the time Israel was being conquered, the prophets were proclaiming the coming of a savior. Imagine the longing of the Israelites to believe this message, which must have sounded too impossible to believe. Deacon Joel shares his homily for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

Posted in: Authors, Being Deacon, Homilies, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Advent, Deacon Joel, Homily, Visitation

Being Deacon: Good vs. Good

August 26, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 1 Comment

During diaconate formation, commitments were mostly structured and mandatory. Now, after ordination, little is mandatory. How to meet expectations is largely discerned, not dictated. It’s been a year, and we still haven’t figured out the magic formula.

Posted in: Being Deacon, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Being Deacon, Discerning God's Will, Fathers For Good, Rest

Being Deacon: Holy Associations

August 19, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt Leave a Comment

God’s call for us can be revealed through the people the Holy Spirit has placed in our lives. I blame Deacon John McCully. Whenever someone asks about my vocation story, I start with him. He played an integral role in planting the “diaconate seed.”

Posted in: Being Deacon, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Being Deacon, Deacon John McCully, Fathers For Good

Homily: Would You Have Walked Away from Jesus?

August 16, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 2 Comments

One day 2,000 years ago in Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee many people walked away from Jesus in the Eucharist. Would you have walked away, too? Deacon Joel shares his homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Posted in: Being Deacon, Homilies, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Deacon Joel, Homily, Ordinary Time

Being Deacon: Lessons From the Fishbowl

August 13, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 3 Comments

As a deacon, I’m becoming more comfortable with the idea that people are watching me and my family. I may not like it, but I’m learning to embrace it. To a large degree, that’s what I signed up for, to be a symbol of something different, a sign of contrast, to represent Christ in a way I hadn’t done before. But as Christians, aren’t we all called to represent Christ in a way that’s visible, that makes Him known to the rest of the world, through the witness of our lives?

Posted in: Being Deacon, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Being Deacon, Fathers For Good

Being Deacon: The Knot

August 7, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 1 Comment

Ever since I was ordained a deacon last August, I’ve meant to start a “Being Deacon” series. In fact, someone even contacted us through our Facebook page, urging me to provide this very series, but up until now, I’ve managed to churn out exactly one installment. Then, along came the Knights of Columbus, who asked me to write a weekly series this month for Fathers For Good.

Posted in: Being Deacon, Faith, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Deacon, Diaconate, Fathers For Good

Homily: Hello Again, Ordinary Time

June 14, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 1 Comment

Well, it’s that time of year again. You know, that L-O-N-G stretch of Ordinary Time that lasts from June to November. 20 weeks of green … hello Ordinary Time. What could the Church possibly be thinking? How about this: Ordinary Time is the most important time of the whole year. Deacon Joel shares his homily for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Posted in: Homilies, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Deacon Joel, Homily, Ordinary Time

Homily: Something to Shout

April 19, 2015 by Deacon Joel Schmidt 2 Comments

“Lord, let your face shine on us.” That’s the cry of David in today’s Responsorial Psalm. Interesting if you think about it. What is the precondition for a face? A body – flesh – which God did not have prior to the Incarnation. Before Jesus, the phrase “the face of God” was just a poetic metaphor for God’s favor or His grace. Then Jesus came along and changed that – and indeed, everything.

Posted in: Faith, Homilies, Schmidt, Joel Tagged: Homily

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Mass (Diocese of Des Moines)

April 15, 2015 by Deacon Joel and Lisa Schmidt 6 Comments

Honoring our children with the Lord: the spring Pregnancy and Infant Loss Mass will be held April 27 at All Saints Catholic Church in Des Moines.

Posted in: Family, Schmidt, Joel, Schmidt, Lisa Tagged: Des Moines, Mass, Miscarriage, Pregnancy and Infant Loss
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