Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

Lent Begins: Sacrifice is a Blessing not a Burden

Today's Gospel reading from St. Matthew has Jesus admonishing his disciples to do three things that, for us, establish the program for the Lenten season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. All these three involve sacrifice of various kinds. Prayer requires that we sacrifice time for God. Almsgiving, our money or other resources. Fasting is the sacrifice of food or other goods. But instead of looking at these sacrifices as the imposition of a burden upon our lives, Jesus wants us to see the invitation to sacrifice as the invitation to be more free from the cares of the world and thus more alive. Let's let our Lenten observance this year lead to greater life!

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Going Directly to God

In today's Gospel we have the powerful story of the healing of the man with leprosy. What do we see time and time again in Jesus's public ministry? People go directly to him in order to be healed. It's important for us to know that Jesus's ministry on earth did not end when he ascended to heaven. Rather, now that ministry continues through the Sacraments of the Church. Going directly to God today does not consist of wondering around with our face looking up to the heavens imploring a hidden God for help. Rather it means doing the same thing that people did 2000 years ago in Galilee: They approached Jesus and confidently asked him for the grace they needed. We can do exactly the same thing when we approach the Sacraments (where we encounter Jesus truly, directly, and personally) with faith.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus's Mission to Order the Disorder

In today's Gospel we continue to hear of the very beginnings of Jesus's public ministry according to St. Mark. Last week we heard about his first miracle--excising a demon from a man in the synagogue. Today we hear of the second, which immediately follows the first: Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law of her fever. Word of these miracles travels very fast, because, by the end of that very same day, "the whole town" is gathered by Simon's door in order to be healed or delivered by Jesus. This work of healing and restoring that is a trademark of Jesus's public ministry -- bringing order to the disorder -- is exactly the work of the Church. Through the Sacraments Jesus continues to order the disorder: But now not only in Galilee and Judea but throughout the whole world.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Why St. Paul Says He Wishes Everyone was Celibate

Today's 2nd reading, taken from the 7th chapter of St. Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians, helps us to reflect on the gift of marriage and the gift of celibacy. Paul begins the chapter by affirming the gift of marriage, and he admits that both are a "charism" -- a free gift given by God to an individual in order to bless them and (through them) the Church. But he also adds, "I wish everyone would be as I am," (meaning: celibate). We unwrap this confusing comment using the text from the second reading to help us.

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time: Saints Make a Generous Gift of Themselves

In this Sunday's Gospel we hear the account of the call of the first apostles from the Gospel writer Mark. We see Jesus call the apostles, and we see their generous response. The apostles themselves will be interiorly changed by the Lord such that they themselves will now attract others to Jesus through their own living the Gospel. This cycle is repeated down through the centuries through the saints and all Christians who seek to make a generous response to Christ's call: He calls, we respond, and He changes us so that our lives become an invitation for others.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: How Does God Call Us?

In today's Gospel we hear one of the accounts of the call of the disciples. We can learn so much about how God calls each one of us by taking a closer look at how he called his disciples. First, it begins with someone pointing us towards Jesus. Then, after I've opened my heart to him in some way, He makes a personal invitation for me to come closer to him. Third, I must respond to his invitation to go deeper by "remaining" with Him. Finally, having been touched myself by Christ, I must point someone else towards Him -- and the cycle begins again for another person! 

Epiphany: A Church that Draws People to Jesus

One of the things "revealed" in the mystery of the Nativity is the vocation of the Church to shine the light of Christ and thus attract those who do not yet know Him. This was Israel's mission in the world -- to attract others and so lead them by the light of faith to abandon their old idolatry and to worship of the One, True God. So in the Church, which is the New Israel, how are we doing in this mission? How have we been doing for the past fifty years? Are we growing or declining? When the Church is not radiating the light of Christ and attract others to Him because of her light, we are doing something wrong!

A Meditation on Mary and Joseph

Today's Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary draws us into a deeper reflection on Mary, especially as told in Luke's Gospel. We also remember that today is the 8th day after the birth of Jesus, which, for a Jewish baby boy, would have meant that his father Joseph would have taken him to be circumcised on this day. Today he also would have received his name "Jesus" by Joseph, as was directed by the angel to him in a dream. 

Holy Family: St. Joseph: Man of Trust, Faith, and Obedience

On December 8, Pope Francis surprised the church by declaring a Year of St. Joseph to begin that very day and last until the following December 8, 2021. So during this Christmas season during the Year of St. Joseph, there's no better time to reflect on the life of this humble and hidden saint. Today we examine his connection with Abraham and how Abraham's life points towards Joseph, who surpasses in many ways the great patriarch and father of our faith. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Christmas 2020: A God who Keeps His Promises

The genealogy of Matthew's Gospel can be off-putting for a variety of reasons -- the names sound funny, it's very long, nobody knows who these people are, etc. But diving in we find that the Gospel writer was intending to communicate something very profound and mysterious: A surprise blessing for Israel... and an incredible gift for you and me...