Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

St. Paul in our second reading today reminds us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God." This helps us to understand how Jesus is King of the Universe: He is the Lord of the Universe and of History come in person. Amazing, this King of the Universe has no desire to remain in his palace, aloof from his subjects, but he desires also to be King of our Hearts. Let us allow him in!

We take a break from the Sunday homilies today to give a shout-out to a St. Joseph of Cupertino, perhaps best known as the "Flying Saint" because of his dramatic levitations witnessed by many while he was at prayer and Mass. Yet it is not miracles but the quality of one's character that makes a saint, and St. Joseph's humility and simple trust in God make him a worthy patron of students and the rest of us!

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.

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!

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...

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.