Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I will not be able to give God everything until I begin giving God the first thing.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But where do we begin? We begin by giving Him something: the first of our time, a small sacrifice, or an intentional act of generosity. These ordinary acts of love over time prepare our hearts for the extraordinary moments when we may be called to give Him everything. Every great act of love begins somewhere: we just have to start.

Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I will not be able to give God everything until I begin giving God the first thing.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But where do we begin? We begin by giving Him something: the first of our time, a small sacrifice, or an intentional act of generosity. These ordinary acts of love over time prepare our hearts for the extraordinary moments when we may be called to give Him everything. Every great act of love begins somewhere: we just have to start.

Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

That means that it belongs to Him.

Jesus tells us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give to God what belongs to God. But if a coin bears Caesar's image, whose image do we bear? We were created in God's image and purchased at a price. Before we ever knew Him, we already belonged to Him. We are not our own, and we are not on our own.

Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

That means that it belongs to Him.

Jesus tells us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give to God what belongs to God. But if a coin bears Caesar's image, whose image do we bear? We were created in God's image and purchased at a price. Before we ever knew Him, we already belonged to Him. We are not our own, and we are not on our own.

Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I believe that God exists, but I do not live as if God exists.

Sometimes we become so comfortable with our words, our schedules, and our everyday choices that we ignore God's invitation to a life-changing relationship with Him. God has made Himself ignorable for the sake of love: but love pays attention. The remedy is to invite Him into each and every moment and ask, "God, right now, how would you have me be?"

Matthew 22:1-14

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I believe that God exists, but I do not live as if God exists.

Sometimes we become so comfortable with our words, our schedules, and our everyday choices that we ignore God's invitation to a life-changing relationship with Him. God has made Himself ignorable for the sake of love: but love pays attention. The remedy is to invite Him into each and every moment and ask, "God, right now, how would you have me be?"

Matthew 22:1-14

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Concern asks, "What can I do?" Worry asks, "What if?"

Worry can feel useful, responsible, even protective. But it keeps us rehearsing futures we cannot control. Concern moves us toward the next right thing. We can do what is ours to do, give God what we cannot control, and choose hope: not because we know what tomorrow holds, but because we know that God will be there.

Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Concern asks, "What can I do?" Worry asks, "What if?"

Worry can feel useful, responsible, even protective. But it keeps us rehearsing futures we cannot control. Concern moves us toward the next right thing. We can do what is ours to do, give God what we cannot control, and choose hope: not because we know what tomorrow holds, but because we know that God will be there.

Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Training ourselves to notice the negative.

Many of us have a default stance to notice the negative. When it comes to our assessment of ourselves or of any given situation, our default setting can often be complaint. And yet God calls us to rise above, to stop noticing the negative and begin approaching His world with wonder and praise.

Matthew 21:28-32

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Training ourselves to notice the negative.

Many of us have a default stance to notice the negative. When it comes to our assessment of ourselves or of any given situation, our default setting can often be complaint. And yet God calls us to rise above, to stop noticing the negative and begin approaching His world with wonder and praise.

Matthew 21:28-32