Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

Neglecting the Most Important Things

In today's Gospel we have one of a number of confrontations Jesus has with the Pharisees in the Gospel. Who were they? The Pharisees were a group within Judaism that were devoutly religious, traditional, and that took the Law with great seriousness. What was Jesus's problem with them? Their issue was not that they were pious or tried to follow the Law perfectly; rather, the problem was that they were so hyper focused on the minute details of the Law that they forget the most important things, like justice, mercy, and love. This is why Jesus called them "white-washed tombs" -- looking good on the outside but corrupted and rotten on the inside. May we too, in our religious pursuits, never lose sight of what is the most important!

Marriage and the Eucharist

Our readings providentially align this Sunday as we conclude John 6 and have Paul's teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5 as our 2nd reading. The last five weeks we have meditated on the Eucharist as Jesus speaks about it in the clearest way in the Gospels. The reading from St. Paul makes the point that the true marriage is that which obtains between Christ the Divine Bridegroom and the Church, his Bride. Where is this marriage consummated? In the same place where we consume Christ's Body and Blood. He gives his Body to his Bride, and as she receives this gift of her Husband, becomes One with Him. 

A Temple for our God

For this first Sunday back in our church following our restoration work, very providentially, our Gospel presents us with the most clear teaching in the whole New Testament on the Eucharist. In John 6, Jesus clearly teaches that the bread that comes down from heaven is his flesh and blood, true food and drink. The constant teaching of the Church is that, when the priest prays the words of consecration over the bread and wine, those elements receive a new substance, ceasing to be bread and wine (although their physical appearance does not change) and becoming the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.

Strength When I Cannot Carry On

In today's first reading we see the great, heroic, and courageous prophet Elijah collapsing from exhaustion and discouragement. He shares his desperation with God in a prayer. God answers by sending him food and drink, which gives him strength to walk another 40 days and nights. In today's Gospel Jesus says, 'I am the living bread come down from heaven.' When we have lost our strength and cannot go on, God provides Himself as the food and drink that we need to give us the strength that we ourselves do not have.

Do Not Work for Food that Perishes

As we continue our journey through John 6, Jesus says something that strikes to the heart: "Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life." How much time and energy we spend laboring for that which does not ultimately fulfill us. May we truly take to heart Jesus's words for us in the Gospel and living accordingly: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me will have eternal life."

Starving for God

In John's Gospel there are always two levels at play: The literal level of the text and the theological level, the something "deeper" at work. In today's narrative, Jesus looks out at the crowd of people and sees that they are hungry (whether they themselves realize it or not). That is what is happening on the literal level. But on a spiritual level, we see how Jesus sees their hunger for God and how he will come to feed them, as the rest of John's sixth chapter plays out, with his very self.

Talk to Jesus about It

In this Gospel where we see Jesus's identity as the Good Shepherd, who has compassion on his people, we see how Jesus also has compassion on his disciples, the ones who will be shepherd's after his own heart. Jesus wants his disciples to come to him to process what has happened in the course of the mission so that he can encourage them. May we see Jesus's desire to minister to us after we have ministered to others!

My Grace is Sufficient for You...

Today we reflect on the powerful text by St. Paul, who speaks of the "thorn in the flesh" that god has allowed him. Over and over again Paul begged God to take that affliction--whatever it was--away from him, but God responded to him: "My Grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in your weakness." Amidst our own thorns in the flesh -- and each of us has one -- may we have the perspective of Paul who was able to see that God was accomplished good through the persistent struggle that he allowed him.

On My Anniversary of Priesthood

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, and I celebrate my 14th anniversary of the priesthood! May we always experience the priesthood through the lens of love: Jesus reveals his love to chosen men so that they will bring that love into the world.

Touch Jesus with the Messiness of Life

In today's Gospel we have two incredible healing stories, both involving women with conditions that would leave someone who comes into contact with them unclean. Yet the holiness of Jesus is such that he can only render clean. Jesus cannot be soiled by our own messiness but can only cleanse and order that which comes into contact with him. So this is encouragement for us today to bring our messiness (and the messiness of others) to him so we can receive in faith the healing we so desire!