Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

7/29/18: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Everybody has a Hungry Heart

In today's Gospel we have John's account of the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. When we read John, we have to be aware that he is working on various levels and employing the use of symbolism. In fact, when we look at this account, we realize that John is using words to describe the feeding of the 5000 with words that we commonly use to describe the Mass: taking the bread, giving thanks, distributing it, gathering the leftovers. We see Jesus as the Good Shepherd who provides food for his flock. And who is the flock? It's we hungry people, who hunger for more than bread but whose "hearts" are hungry: for love, for acceptance, for meaning. This is the case whenever we go to Mass. We come hungry for what only God can give us. And He responds to our need, not giving just enough, but so that we have our "fill". He gives to us superabandantly. He gives us Himself.

7/22/18: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus

Today's Gospel (and the 6th chapter of Mark in general) gives us an intimate view of Jesus's formation of his apostles, the ones he gathered to himself and then sent out. They were the first bishops and priests of his nascent church. He wanted his love to go out to all the corners of the world, which is why he ordained and commisioned priests, who would communicate and be his love in person. Let's give thanks to God for this great gift!

7/8/18: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Should We Be Scandalized by Weakness?

Today's Gospel gives us the scene in Jesus's life where he is preaching to the people of his hometown, who end up rejecting him. He is not able to perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Why do his fellow townspeople reject him? It's because they detect in him the weakness of ordinariness. How often do we reject others because of their human weakness? And what is our attitude to our own weakness? In today's 2nd reading from 2nd Corinthians we hear that Paul begged God to take his weakness from him. And what was God's response? "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." May we not reject our own weakness or the weakness of others; may we see how God can show himself to be strong in its midst.

7/1/18: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Do We Touch Jesus with Faith or Are We Simply Bumping into Him?

In today's Gospel, the woman who is hemorrhaging approaches Jesus and touches Him with confident faith. The Gospel writer contrasts the touch of the woman with the crowd of people who are bumping into Him. Yet it is only the one who touches Him with faith who is healed. When we approach Jesus in the Sacraments, do we merely bump into Him ... or are we--aware of our own desparate need for grace and healing--just bumping into Him?

6/29/18: A Wedding Homily on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

6/17/18: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: How to Grow the Seed of Faith

A lot of Jesus's parables involve the seed, which is a very helpful metaphor. A seed itself is small, plain, seemingly worthless and lifeless. Yet if the seed is placed in an environment conducive to growth, a miracle happens: the skin bursts and a shoot sprouts from within. What seemed dead has not given place to life! The same is true with our faith, which starts out small, humble, invisible: The seed planted in our hearts at baptism. The seed remains only that if it is not placed an a conducive environment. This is helpful information for parents, that they would make this a priority. And for us adult Christians too, that we would not merely strive for the "minimum" in living out our faith, but to strive for excellence by giving our own seed of faith an environment most conducive to growth.

6/10/18: 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What the Story of the Fall Tells Us about Us (a.k.a. Why It's Hard to be Vulnerable)

The Story of the Fall is full of symbols and is not simply a legend written thousands of years ago but speaks to our contemporary world in a stunningly precise way. Sin, what sin is in its essence, our relationship with God, relationships between men and women... All of these deeply personal areas with which we have all struggled are spoken to and illuminated through this profound text.

6/3/18: Corpus Christi: Why Do We Go to Mass? Because the Bread and Wine become God

Today's Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord gives us an opportunity to reflect on this great mystery of faith: That when the priest says the words of consecration over the bread and wine, these elements are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. We as Catholics do not believe this is a symbol but rather the reality. This is why we consume all of the Precious Blood consecrated at Mass and that the hosts not distributed are placed in the tabernacle. How amazing is it that God humbles Himself in this way! Apparently it wasn't enough for the Son to humble Himself by becoming man, nor enough that He would suffer a humiliating and painful death. He wanted so much to communicate His Love -- literally, to come inside of us -- that He makes Himself a helpless piece of bread and bit of wine... The only explanation for such foolishness? That He is a God of absolute Love who will debase Himself more and more until we love Him back.

5/27/18: Trinity Sunday: Love the Origin and Destiny of our Life

On Trinity Sunday, we reflect on the central Christian mystery: the mystery of our God who is One in three Persons. How amazing it is that God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in this way at all! He could have kept His innermost Being a secret, but then He sent His Son and the Holy Spirit, and we learned that God is not alone in a single person but a Communion of Love. This Love, in whose image and likeness we are created, informs our who existence from our origin in the love of our parents to our vocation to our destiny in God. When we understand more the Trinity, we understand more ourselves!

5/20/18: Pentecost Sunday: What Confirmation is NOT

Today's feast of Pentecost reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives and the world. We have received this same Spirit at our Baptism and Confirmation that the apostles and Mary received in that Upper Room 2000 years ago. We did not receive a lesser Spirit but the same Spirit, and the same Spirit of God can work miracles in our hearts as it worked miracles in the hearts of the Apostles, changing them from scared men to confident and bold proclaimers of the Gospel.