Fr. Steve Mateja's Podcasts

The last homily in the series on the Last Things. Fr. Steve works through scripture passages showing God's love for us and not wanting us to perish.

Today we celebrate our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Conception but also the beginning of the Year of Mercy.  What is mercy? What does the Virgin Mary have to do with it?

Heaven.  Where are they?  Today we reflect on how Heaven is home, how Heaven is bodily, and how the greatest joy of Heaven is to be with God.  

Purgatory.  Fr. Steve continues his series on the Last Things by preaching on purgatory today and the fact it is truly based on God's mercy.  Purgatory is not a third destination!  It is an offering from God to His children to be completely cleansed before entering into Paradise.   

Fr. Steve continues his preaching series this week while preaching on death. So many of us are terrified of death: to face it, to talk about it and especially to die ourselves.  The good news is that we have nothing to fear because Jesus has conquered the grave and destroyed death.  

Fr. Steve begins his preaching series on the last things by preaching on judgement. Judge is not a bad thing; God wants to judge us!  He wants to judge us worthily to enter His Kingdom.  This Advent season let's ponder the the Lord and His Birth so that we're prepared when He comes and when we will meet Him one day in the Kingdom

Father Steve football and salvation

Like the rich young man we all keep many things in our lives that keep us from following Jesus. What is it in our lives?  The one thing that many of us hold so on to and refuse to let go of is unforgiveness.  The story of St. Maria Goretti clearly illustrates to us how we must not only forgive, but show Mercy in order to truly follow Jesus.  

Fr. Steve spoke after the weekend Masses as he transitioned to his new assignment at St. Lawrence Parish in Utica, MI. This is a podcast of Fr. Steve's farewell remarks from the 10 AM Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel.