Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

The genealogy of Matthew's Gospel can be off-putting for a variety of reasons -- the names sound funny, it's very long, nobody knows who these people are, etc. But diving in we find that the Gospel writer was intending to communicate something very profound and mysterious: A surprise blessing for Israel... and an incredible gift for you and me...

In the last part of our series on prayer, we apply what we've said about relational prayer in previous talks to another real, spiritual relationship: The relationship we have with Mary and Joseph, our spiritual mother and father.

It's very interesting to contrast the two "annunciations" we find in the 1st chapter of Luke's Gospel. The announcement of the conception and birth of John the Baptist is made in a very religious context: To a priest who is ministering at the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. Far more surprising and unexpected (and powerful) is the announcement of the conception of God-in-the-flesh, which occurs in a much more ordinary and less overtly religious scenario: To a young woman in Nazareth, a podunk town in "Galilee of the Gentiles". This is a good reminder to us that in Jesus God enters time and space and makes the most ordinary extraordinary. Are we waiting for Him and expecting Him to do that?

The third part of our series on prayer: How to pray (and not just read or study) with the Sacred Scriptures.

A couple of things are clear regarding the mysterious and impressive figure of St. John the Baptist: (1) His mission was to decrease in order to allow Jesus to decrease; (2) This brought John joy. Why is it that when we seek our own happiness we end up restless and unfulfilled... John reminds us that our joy comes when we can put our energies into remembering others and forgetting our selves.

The second installment of our Advent series on prayer, this time focusing on practical tips for being able just to be with the Lord.

Today's Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception reminds us that Mary was (1) conceived without the stain of original sin, and (2) never committed a personal sin. A temptation for us when considering Mary's sinlessness is that this fact would make her less relevant, less relatable, less connected to us sinners. But the creations stories of Genesis tell us that "in the beginning it was not so." Our first parents were created without sin, and their disobedience degraded their humanity instead of enhancing it. Where do we see Mary's humanity on display in a special way? When she stands at the foot of the cross -- not running away, not responding with violence or uncharity -- but accepting the suffering with faith, hope, and love. The defense mechanisms that prevent us from accepting our own suffering are foreign to her. Therefore, she is our best helper and advocate when it comes to learning how to suffer well without turning to sin in order to avoid it. Mary, conceived without original sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

One of the famous images for the spiritual life is that of the desert, which is an important theme throughout the Scripture. Why the desert, however? It seems an unlikely place for God to come and manifest Himself. The answer has to do with God's original dwelling with his people in the opposite of the desert: In the Garden. There the man and woman were fully provided for, but through their sin they rejected their Provident Father and exiled themselves from the Garden. Now they will have to work and toil for what they need, and the desert will be the place where they recognize their need, cry out to God, and He will hear them from the desert. What is the desert of our life? Do we feel our need for God there? If yes, good. Let's prepare a way in the desert this Advent for God to enter in...

Part 1 of our Advent series on prayer.

Happy New Year! The First Sunday of Advent is the first day of the new Church year, and the Church's invitation is for us to take stock of our lives and enter into this penitential season as preparation for the celebration of Christmas. In this homily I propose three concrete resolutions for making this the deepest and richest Advent yet.