Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

10/6/19: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: To Have Faith is to Surrender

In today's Gospel, the disciples say to Jesus, "Increase our faith". And he answers back, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed..." They are asking for something big, and he says that they must have something small. The disciples are constantly struggling in the Gospels to "increase" in various ways, yet Jesus wants that they would instead be small, like "little children." Authentic faith means not confidence in one's self but in God. It means believing in God's strength while we are weak. It means surrendering control to God and not seizing it for one's self. This is why faith like a "mustard seed" opens the way for God to be able to do the impossible in our life because we quit trying to pretend that we can do things ourself and just let Him do it.

9/29/19: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time: God Prefers the Poor (a.k.a. What Will Keep Us Out of Hell)

Today's challenging Gospel make clear a preoccupation found throughout the Scriptures: Nearly every prophet, including Jesus, has harsh words for the rich, who enjoy the comforts of life while those around them are deprived. Jesus's words in the Gospels often present care for the poor as the prerequisite for salvation, while neglect of the poor is depicted as a sure road to losing it. May this Gospel change the way that we live so that we too learn to prefer that which God prefers -- care for His poor.

9/22/19: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Opposite of Love is Use

In today's first reading from the prophet Amos, we hear two accusations against Israel: That they have put business above God and that they have put business above people. One of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching is that the the economy, while good, cannot be placed above the good of all people. For instance, the economy shouldn't benefit some while hurting many. This brings us to the teaching of St. John Paul II, who taught that the human person is such a great good that it is never permissible to use a person as a means to an end. Another way of saying this is that the only adequate response to a person is love.

9/15/19: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Prodigal Son and the Foolish Mercy of God

Today's magnificent parable of the Prodigal Son is introduced by two shorter parables. Between the three there is a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find one, a woman who turns her house upside-down to find a nickel, and a father who receives his son back after he's squandered half his property. To us, the shepherd, the woman, and the father all seem to act foolishly. But this is precisely the point. God sees each of his lost children as precious and unique, and he will go to any length--including play the fool--in order that they may be found.

9/8/19: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: "Hating" our Loved Ones (a.k.a. Loving God First)

Today Jesus shocks us by declaring to the crowds, "Whoever comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, even his own life, cannot be my disciples." Jesus is not talking about having hate-filled feelings here, but rather he is indicating the reality that often our loves compete with one another or seem to be in conflict: our love for God can conflict with our love for our family or children. Upon closer examination, however, we realize that our loves must be properly ordered and only in this way can we truly love.

9/1/19: 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Humble Realize they are Needy Too

Today Jesus gives us two concrete situations in which our attitude towards others is tested. When we our honest with ourselves, how prideful we can be! Yet Jesus shows us that humility doesn't divide us it unites us -- because it helps us to realize that we are all fellow sinners who struggle!

8/25/19: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Our Salvation Depends on It

Today's difficult Gospel is illuminated by our first reading from the prophet Isaiah. There we find a message that would have confused and troubled God's people: The foreigners whom they have always regarded with suspicion will join them in offering sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. In other words, God wants to save all of the nations through Israel. This prophecy is finally fulfilled in Christ's Church, which brings peoples of every race and language and culture to the altar to worship and offer sacrifice. Our mission, then, is not to rest on our haunches, satisfied to be counted among God's "saved" but rather to be working tirelessly in order to evangelize our family and friends -- their salvation may depend on it -- but certainly our salvation does depend on it!

8/15/19: What the Assumption of Mary Means for Us

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which marks the culmination of Mary's life on earth. The Church believes that Mary, having reached the end of her earthly life, was assumed into heaven by God, both in body and soul. One temptation that might strike us with this event is, "What does this have to do with me?" Or, "Who cares?" Today we talk about why the Assumption is actually deeply meaningful for us, providing for us a source of hope and consolation.

8/11/19: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Your Father is Pleased

The first sentence from the Gospel the Church gives us today contains these consoling (and perhaps surprising) words: Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. How often do we presume that the Father is disappointed in us? Saddened by us? Angry with us? Actually, the Father's stance towards us is always merciful love, and he takes great pleasure in us. Why and how is this possible? Only because of what happens at our baptism, by which Christ marks our soul with His own personal presence. At our baptism and every moment thereafter, when the Father sees us, He sees His Son, and the words that He uttered at Jesus's baptism become equally true for us: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased!

8/4/19: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What Matters to God

Today's Scripture readings give us some practical examples of how money, property, and possessions can hurt and even destroy human relationships. The last line of Jesus's parable is telling: "Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God." So the question we must ask is "What matters to God?" What is more important to God: The inheritance a man receives or the relationship with his brother that is destroyed because of the inheritance? In our prayer, let's ASK the Lord what matters to him and make this the focus of our life.