Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

Today's Gospel shows how radical Jesus's demands on his disciples are: He says, "He who loves mother or father or son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Is Jesus really saying that we need to love him more than our closest family members? Is this even possible? Would doing so actually be a good thing for us? We tackle these difficult questions in today's homily.

Jesus's mantra for the disciples today is, "Be not afraid." What do we fear and why? Specifically, Jesus today is telling us not to fear those who would persecute us for our faith. This persecution can be strong and dramatic, even to the point of martyrdom. Or it can be quite subtle, and we notice it when we feel like we can't be our authentic, faith-filled selves when we are around certain people. We feel like we can't talk about God or practice our faith openly. Jesus never told his disciples that they wouldn't have to suffer for their faith but he did say that they didn't have to fear such sufferings. The Father sees every sparrow, Jesus says, and you are worth more than the sparrows.

In today's Gospel Jesus encounters the crowd and has compassion on them. It's important for us to see what happens next. Jesus doesn't get discouraged because of the number of needy people, yet that would be an understandable reaction. How can one man minister to so many? Instead he gathers the twelve and sends them out to heal the physical and spiritual maladies of the people. Our Catholic tradition has always held that these twelve men were the first bishops and priests ordained and sent by Jesus. This helps us to appreciate that the priesthood itself is a sign and expression of Jesus's great love for his people. He desires his people to experience the healing that they need through the heart of the priest, which has been marked by Christ's own heart through his ordination. As St. John Vianney said, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus!"

What a humbling privilege for me to speak to a group of women on the dignity of women! Using the teaching of the Church and especially the teachings of Pope John Paul II and Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar we attempt to answer the increasingly enigmatic question, “What is a woman?”

The readings from the Old and New Testaments today portray a God who is deeply in love with his people and so deeply in love that he will send his own Son to the world and answer infidelity with fidelity to save them. As we reflect on our God who reveals Himself to be a Unity of Three Persons, may we be more and more convicted of the love that God has for us so that we will live out of that love.

On this Pentecost Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, we go over basic discernment of spirits. When the Holy Spirit is acting on us, what does that feel like? And, on the contrary, how will it feel if I am under the influence of the evil one? We will let the fruits of the Holy Spirit be our guides!

One of the interesting descriptions of Jesus's ascension into heaven is in Luke's account in the Acts of the Apostles where he tells us that "a cloud took him from their sight". Whenever this language of a cloud is used in the Scriptures it is code for an intense manifestation of the Divine Presence. Essentially what the author is telling us it that Jesus went into God. This tells us, literally, what heaven, the "place" to which Jesus ascends, is: Heaven is to be in God. This is good news for us! Where the Head goes, the Body will follow.

Today's 1st reading from the Acts of the Apostles is fascinating on a number of levels. First, we see that the Messianic mission of Jesus to unite the dispersed tribes of Israel is fulfilled with the preaching of the Gospel in Samaria. Second, we see how Jesus fulfills this Messianic mission: He does not do it himself directly but rather through the ministry of the Apostles. Third, how are the Apostles able to do the work of Jesus? He gives them the Holy Spirit through baptism and the laying on of hands (i.e. the Sacrament of Confirmation). This is why, at the beginning of the book of Acts, the Apostles ask Jesus when he's going to restore the Kingdom of Israel, and he says, "You will receive power from on high, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

It's very interesting to see the hierarchy at work in the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles with bishops (a.k.a. the Apostles), priests, and deacons. Interestingly, the decision to order another order of men (the deacons) comes from the unique role of the Apostles, who were also the first bishops and priests. Instead of diving more into the administrative and pastoral work of the Church when problems arise, the appoint (i.e. ordain) other men to do this work so that they can remained focused on prayer and the ministry of the Word. May Bishops and Priests always make prayer and hearing God's word their first priority, so that they can share God's love and Word with the people whom they serve.

Today's Gospel on this "Good Shepherd Sunday" is taken from the beginning of the 10th chapter of John's Gospel. There Jesus calls himself the "Good Shepherd" as well as the "gate" for the sheep. The Good Shepherd leads the sheep through Himself in baptism out to the pasture where the sheep are nourished with food and refreshed with drink. Here we see that Jesus is not only the Shepherd leading us to pasture but also the pasture itself: He leads us to Himself and gives us Himself to eat and drink that we may be nourished and refreshed.