Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

9/18/16: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: How to Act when our Soul is in Danger

Today's strange Gospel has a master, who is about to fire his steward, praising that same steward for cheating him even more out of his money. For what is Jesus praising him? It is not the cheating but the recognition that he is in danger and the decisive action the steward takes as a result. When our soul is in danger, do we act quickly and decisively?

9/11/16: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Strange Parables of Jesus (a.k.a. The Delightful Foolishness of God)

In today's Gospel we hear three parables that are most strange: A shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one, a woman who turns her house upside-down for the sake of a penny, a father who welcomes his son who had disowned him. God is not like us! He is the one who searches out and seeks the lost--especially those most unlikely to be the recipient of his mercy.

9/4/16: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus Wants All

Today Jesus gives us the troubling word, "Unless one comes to me hating one's father and mother, wife, brothers and sisters, and even one's own life, he cannot be my disciple." What are we supposed to make of this? Jesus is simply using the logic of love. Jesus--who loves--is not satisfied with part or even most of our heart. He wants all. This means that everything needs to be subordinated to him.

8/28/16: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Humility, Humility, Humility

Our readings today are on humility. Today I talk about praying the "Litany of Humility" by Cardinal Merry del Val. Living humility means that we associate people who are humble... these are the poor people in our life, the people who cannot "pay us back" for our attention... Let us make friends with the poor as a test for our humility.

8/21/16: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time: How Many will go to Heaven?

"Will many be saved?" This is the question posed to Jesus today. Like a wise teacher, he ignores the question, basically saying, "Don't worry about others. Worry about yourself!" "Strive to enter through the narrow gate!" Today we talk about heaven, hell, and how we should think about them.

8/14/16: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus the Bringer of Division?

In today's Gospel, we hear Jesus say something very unexpected: "Do not think that I have to bring peace. Not peace, but division." (He says, "The sword" in the literal Greek translation.) Christians are not supposed to intentionally cause division, but Christians who live their faith can expect division when they live their faith, because the world will always oppose the message of the Gospel. It did in Jesus's day, and it will do so today.

8/7/16: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Faith vs. Science

Today's reading from the Letter to the Hebrews is all about faith. Today faith is challenged more than ever--and it is being aggressively challenged by those who would claim that faith is for fool's because it cannot be scientifically verified. How do we respond to this argument against faith--that the belief in God is irrational because it is not based on the scientific method?

7/31/16: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are Relationships the Truly Real Thing in my Life?

Today we hear the Gospel of the rich man who stores up his abundant harvest into barns so that he is able to "eat, drink, and be merry". And then he dies. So what is real in his life, if he spent his whole life trying to attain something he couldn't take with him in death? What is real in my life?

7/17/16: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Making God the Priority

Today in the Gospel Jesus praises Mary for choosing "the better part", which is to spend time not in busy-ness but in being with Jesus. Do we spend time just being with Jesus everyday in prayer? Is he the priority of our life?

7/10/16:15th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Who is my Neighbor?

What the scholar of the law is REALLY asking when he asks, "Who is my neighbor?", is, "Who must I love?" and "Whom do I not need to love?" Jesus challenges us today to break through the stereotypes and prejudices that we often live under and love others, especially those who are most difficult for us to love.