Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

11/10/19: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are We Married in Heaven?

In today's Gospel, the Sadducees, in order to test Jesus, propose a hypothetical situation in which a woman ends up being married to each of seven brothers. When everyone has died, they ask, to whom will she be married? Jesus answer may shock us: There is human marriage here on earth. There is not human marriage in heaven. In this homily we explore what Jesus means by this and how it actually helps us so much to understand what marriage is.

11/3/19: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Your Vocation is Holiness!

On this Sunday of Vocations Awareness Week, we have the magnificent story of Zacchaeus, a big sinner, unquestionably "unworthy" of an encounter with God, yet Jesus calls him out anyway and proceeds to go to dine at his home. What is the result of this unexpected encounter with the merciful heart of Jesus? Zacchaeus experiences a conversion of heart. God pursues him, meets him, and then calls him to holiness. Such is the story of our life too. And as we strive for holiness and grow in relationship with God, he calls us to a particular way of following: a state of life. Let's pray especially today for those God is calling to the priesthood or religious life and encourage and support our young people to discern these calls and to answer when God is calling!

All Saints Day 2019: Why the Fuss about the Saints?

In this All Saints' Day homily, we talk about what a saint is, what canonization is, and why the heck Catholics think saints are such a big deal...

10/27/19: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Authentic Faith Leads to Love (a.k.a. Don't be The Church Lady)

Today's Gospel gives us an example of religion gone wrong: The Pharisee practices virtue and religion, and it leads to judgmentalism and uncharity. The tax collector, a "big sinner", humbles himself before God and is justified. The truth is that -- whatever one's perception of religious people might be -- an authentic encounter with God leaves one more loving, merciful, and forgiving. That is what authentic Catholicism looks like.

10/20/19: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: We Can't Do it Alone

Today's reading from Exodus reminds us of an important spiritual truth. As Moses needed the assistance of Aaron and Hur to keep his arms up, praying for victory for the Israelites, so do we need the assistance of others in our own spiritual journey. We can't do it alone, which is why Jesus gives us the Church, so that we might be in a family of faith--supported, encouraged, challenged and held accountable. This is what Jesus wants our parishes to look and feel like! What can we do on a personal level to make our parish a more welcoming place where faith is supported and encouraged?

10/13/19: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Humility (and Gratitude!) for Suffering

Today's first reading features the end of the great story of Naaman the Syrian, a respected general who suffers from a skin condition. Desperate for healing, Naaman is an example for us who suffer (all of us), because he is willing to submit and humble himself, leading to healing, gratitude, and a life-changing encounter with God. Would that we all respond to our crosses in life with such humility (and gratitude!) and thus encounter the God who allows us suffering precisely so that it will lead us back to Him.

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.