Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

12/9/18: 2nd Sunday of Advent: If We Can do One Thing during Advent...

The great Advent figure presented to us in the Liturgy is St. John the Baptist. His job as bridge between the Old and New Testaments was to announce and prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, their Savior. What did this preparation consist of? Quite simply, repentance. People flocked to John, leaving the city of Jerusalem and venturing out into the wilderness to find him at the Jordan. And there he dipped them into the river's waters, signifying death to sin and their old life and their emergence into their new life. And they confessed their sins. If we are only to do one thing this Advent to prepare for Christ to enter our hearts anew this Christmas, we can receive our instructions from John the Baptist.

12/8/18: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: Why it is Necessary for Mary to be Sinless

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, first and foremost, does not refer to the virginal conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, as many presume. It refers to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother (traditionally called "St. Anne"). Mary was preserved at the moment of her conception from the disease that the rest of us inherited at our own conception: Original sin. While some question why it matters either or way or presume that this teaching was the arbitrary idea of a Pope who decided to impose this belief upon Catholics, the idea comes from the Scriptures and the Church Fathers who interpreted the Scriptures and was the subject of Christian conviction for many centuries prior to the doctrinal declaration in 1854. In this homily we talk about why it does matter that Mary was sinless and why it needed to be this way.

12/2/18: 1st Sunday of Advent: How to Make this the Best Advent Ever

Today's readings might surprise us. While we are looking forward to preparing for the birth of the baby Jesus, there is nothing about babies in our readings, but instead we hear in Luke's Gospel about the tribulations that will accompany the 2nd coming of Christ and the end of the world. It might not seem very "Advent-ish"... until we remember that the word "Advent" literally means, "coming". What we hear in the Gospel is simply what happens when Christ comes: He shakes everything that is not Him--in the world and in my heart. So to prepare for Christmas, which is what Advent is all about, is simply to let Christ rock my heart.... to rid it of attachments and sin so that He can make His home there. If we do this, it will be the best Christmas ever... because it was the best Advent ever.

11/25/18: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: Allowing Christ to Reign in our Lives

The Solemnity of Christ the King reminds us of the heroic martyr Bl. Miguel Pro, who continued to provide pastoral ministry and Sacraments to the people of his native Mexico even amidst fierce anti-Catholic persecution by the Mexican government. The feast was established to remind all of the Church's members throughout the world that the true foundation of reality is Christ's reigning as King. No worldly regime or ruler, no matter how hostile, can compare to the power of Christ the King, who is truly the One in control, the Lord of the Universe.

11/18/18: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: How Do I Become Right with God?

Today's Gospel reading from the apocalyptic section of Mark's Gospel gets us thinking about some of the most important things: the end of the world, the end of my life, and the state of my soul. Are we right with God? What does it mean to be right with God, and is it even possible in this life?

11/11/18: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Law of the Gift

Today's readings feature two of Sacred Scriptures' most famous widows. Each gives generously out of her poverty, and she is praised and provided for by God. The spiritual principle at work here, found everywhere in the Bible, is the law of the gift. Our being increases in the measure we give it away. How are we practicing this in our own life?

11/4/18: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: What the Priesthood is All About

The past few weeks we have had 2nd readings from the New Testament's Letter to the Hebrews, and the theme of the readings has been the same: Christ's priesthood. To understand Christ's priesthood, we have to understand the priesthood of the Old Testament, which has everything to do with sacrifice. This logic of sacrifice continues with the priests of the New Covenant, who share in Christ's priesthood. In this homily we learn why St. John Vianney would say, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus."

All Souls 2018: Do Catholics Still Believe in Purgatory?

Why do Catholics pray for the dead? We explore this question and the Church's belief in purgatory in this short homily.

10/21/18: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Aspiring for True Greatness

Today James and John approach Jesus and ask to sit at the right and left of Jesus in his glory. What they are really asking, because they misunderstand what it means for Jesus to be Messiah, is, "Can we have a place of prominence in your new government?" This launches Jesus into a discussion with the disciples regarding what true greatness is.

10/14/18: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: God Has a Way of Detaching Us

Why is the young man in today's Gospel the only person in the Gospels to walk away from an encounter with Jesus "sad"? The Gospel writer gives us an indication: He had "many possessions". Jesus had asked him to give up his possessions, but he was too attached to do what Jesus was asking. This is God's project for our life -- to detach us from worldly goods and possessions. And if we really think about our lives, he really does do this, espeically as we get older. The question is whether we will willingly give to the Lord what He is asking of us, or will we resist him, giving in to resentment and bitterness and, yes, sadness.