Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The fear of being inadequate is the fear that I won't be able to rise to the challenge. Fear is a gift. It is meant to keep us alive. But it can also keep us from living. There are two sources of fear are our biology and the stories we tell ourselves. We may not be able to change our biology, but we can change the stories we tell. Mass Readings from February 6, 2022: Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 138:1-5, 7-81 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Do not sacrifice your identity and integrity on the altar of approval. We all need acceptance. It is a basic human requirement. But we also must have the courage and freedom to know who we are and what we are about independent of the accepting group. Mass Readings from January 30, 2022: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 Psalms 71:1-6, 15-171 Corinthians 12:31—13:13 Luke 4:21-30

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Imagine living your entire life and not knowing why. The return of the exiled Jews from Babylon was a great gift. But it also highlighted the reality that many of them did not know why they were Jewish. Do Catholics know why they are Catholic? Or do we lose our way precisely because we have lost our why? Mass Readings from January 23, 2022 Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10 Psalms 19:8-10, 151 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus changes shame into joy. There are certain things, certain failures, embarrassments, and shames, that could define our lives. There are certain events that could define our lives in a negative way unless something changes. Jesus can change those things. Mass Readings from January 16, 2022: Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalms 96:1-3, 7-101 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus changed the water. Now the water changes you. Why was Jesus baptized? Not because He needed it, but because we need it. We need baptism to be saved, to be children of God, and to be in a new and real relationship with God. Mass Readings from January 9, 2022: Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7 Psalms 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10Acts 10:34-38 Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord. Worship can help us escape the trap that life is about us. When life is about us, it is not food for the human heart. When we realize that life is about Someone other than us, we are allowed to have a heart that is larger…a heart that is large enough to give. Mass Readings from January 2, 2022: Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Family is the School of Love. Everyone is part of a family in some way. Be careful with each other. Mass Readings from December 26, 2021: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:41-52

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Mass). God is with you on the bathroom floor. We are so distracted by so many things that we need to look up. But sometimes we need to look lower in order to see where God is in our lives. Mass Readings from December 25, 2021: Isaiah 62:11-12 Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:14

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Love without a commitment remains an illusion. In order to truly grow in love, there needs to be the willingness to make a commitment. And there needs to be the ability to keep a commitment. Mass Readings from December 19, 2021: Micah 5:1-4 Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent. Be Where Your Feet Are. Too often, what keeps our heart small is the fact that we do the minimum minimally. What we are called to do, we put the least amount of our heart into it. But to be magnanimous, we do even the minimum excellently. Which is often nothing more than simply doing one thing at a time. Abounding love is focused love. Mass Readings from December 12, 2021: Zephaniah 3:14-18 Isaiah 12:2-6Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:10-18

Homily from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. God gives exactly what is needed for whatever He has called us to. The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady affirms the fact that Mary was preserved from all stain of Original Sin through the merits of her Son’s future life, death, and resurrection. Mass Readings from December 8, 2021: Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Psalms 98:1, 2-4Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 Luke 1:26-38

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. Abounding love is focused love. Too often, we do not love well because we do not discern what is worth loving; we don't pay attention to the value of things. Because of this, our love becomes diluted. But when we truly appreciate the value of the moment or the value of the person, we develop an attitude of abundance coupled with an awareness of scarcity. And while we love with our hearts, we discern what is worth loving with our heads. Mass Readings from December 5, 2021: Baruch 5:1-9 Psalm 126:1-3, 4-6Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. Two things are clear about the inn at Bethlehem: Love Incarnate showed up and there was no room for Him. Too often, we want to love the way we have been created to love. But we find ourselves incapable of loving this way. Not because we aren't willing or because we don't want to...but because our lives are simply too full. We have no room to love. Mass Readings from November 28th, 2021: Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10, 141 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2 Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Homily from the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. When torn asunder, we are held together by worship of the King of Kings. The end of the year offers us the chance to recognize the little lords and tingy tyrants in our lives; those things we love and those things that attack us. And we have the chance to allow Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe to be the true King over all of those fragments by offering Him true worship. Mass Readings from November 21st, 2021: Deuteronomy 7:13-14 Psalms 93:1-2, 5Revelation 1:5-88 John 18:33-37

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. The struggle doesn't change the destination. The struggle is the way. When we are in the middle of a journey...or the middle of life...we will encounter obstacles. In that encounter with obstacles, we will be tempted to go back. But it is necessary to ask “what is God asking of me right now?” Mass Readings from November 14th, 2021: Deuteronomy 12:1-3 Psalms 16:5, 8-11Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Mark 13:24-32

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Death is unavoidable. We will all lose everything. We will all lose everything...even to the point of our very lives. Rather than avoid death, we can practice dying by actively giving away our claims to our materials, time, and our abilities. Mass Readings from November 7th, 2021: 1 Kings 17:10-16 Psalms 146:7-10Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.One day, this will be your feast day.The Solemnity of All Saints is the day the Church has given us to celebrate and honor what God has done in the lives of the countless people He has redeemed and sanctified. Mass Readings from November 1st, 2021:Deuteronomy 6:2-6Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51Hebrews 7:23-28Mark 12:28-34

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. When all is lost, love God with all that's left. We are called to love God with everything. It is easier to love when we are winning, but are we able to love when we've lost? What if we have lost everything? When we've lost, we are most tempted to become bitter, resentful, and take back our love. But we are made to love God and we can trust God even in the midst of losing it all. Mass Readings from October 31st, 2021: Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 12:28-34

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Life is about losing. It is not about quitting. It is one thing to lose. It is another thing when those losses begin to stack up and we get to the point where we haven't just lost...we've been beaten. We can wind up feeling defeated. Into this place of defeat, God Himself speaks into our loss and our shame, telling us what is needed. Mass Readings from October 24th, 2021: Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalms 126:1-6Hebrews 5:1-6 Mark 10:46-52

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Life isn't about power, it is about being poured out. The world sees life as being about winning. And to win is to gain power and influence. If a person wins they get power, and with that power they can re-shape the world as they see fit. But a Christian view of winning is different. Life is not about power, it is about being poured out. Life isn't about winning, it is about witnessing. Mass Readings from October 17th, 2021: Isaiah 53:10-11 Psalms 33:4-5, 18-20, 22Hebrews 4:14-16 Mark 10:35-45

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What you've been holding on to ends up holding on to you. Anything can keep us from Heaven. Anything that we prefer over and over (and anything that we defer putting down over and over) can end up holding on to us. There are times when we've chosen so often that we no longer have a choice. And there are times when we have put off letting go so often that we can't put it down. And we find ourselves stuck. What do we hold on to then? Mass Readings from October 10th, 2021: Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalms 90:12-17Hebrews 4:12-13 Mark 10:17-30

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Because I said I would." We are not yet who we are called to be. Sometimes, in order to become the person we are called to be, we need to stop holding on to what is holding us back. Other times, we need to keep holding on. The ability to make and keep a promise is one of the ways we are called to become who we are created and redeemed to be. Mass Readings from October 3rd, 2021: Genesis 2:18-24 Psalms 128:1-6Hebrews 2:9-11 Mark 10:2-16

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What if the biggest obstacle to being the person you were created to be is the person you are currently choosing to be? There are things that we need to stop holding on to if we are going to allow Christ to change our lives. Often, we know exactly what those things are. The things that our hands reach for, our eyes look at, and our feet lead us to can the exact things that are keeping us from God. Mass Readings from September 26, 2021: Numbers 11:25-29 Psalms 19:8, 10, 12-14James 5:1-6 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Edit, Convince, and Worry. Or Honesty, Trust, and Thanking God ahead of time. The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation." We do not merely desire, we have inordinate desire driven by fear. We do not merely have ambition, we have selfish ambition in which we can only envision one possible outcome. To escape this trap, we must lean into honesty, trust and thanking God ahead of time. Mass Readings from September 19, 2021: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 Psalms 54:3-6 and 8James 3:16—4:3 Mark 9:30-37

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Faith must be lived, not merely believed. It is wise to take responsibility for one’s own time, resources, and family. And yet, we must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. This demands faith. Real faith is more than belief, but involves renunciation of any claim we might have on our lives in favor of the absolute claim Jesus has on every aspect of our lives. Mass Readings from September 12, 2021: Isaiah 50:5-9 Psalms 116:1-6, 8-9James 2:14-18 Mark 8:27-35

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Transition always involves destruction. Jesus heals the man who was deaf and mute. In doing this, He was destroying something in the man’s life…his identity. Jesus has to take away the false identity in order to tell us who we truly are. Mass Readings from September 5, 2021: Isaiah 35:4-7 Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10James 2:1-5 Mark 7:31-37

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Am I doing “everything but”? Often we avoid doing what is essential by filling our lives with many things that are optional. Mass Readings from August 29, 2021: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Psalms 15:2-5James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Everything I like and nothing that I don't. The temptation to create a God in our own image and have a church in our own image is strong. But God has revealed Himself to us, which means we either choose Him…or we choose “not Him.” We don’t get to create our own personally curated version. Mass Readings from August 22, 2021: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 Psalms 34:2-3, 16-21Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69

Homily from the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You are your body. The Assumption of Mary reveals many things. One of the things it reveals is that our destiny is to be reunited with our resurrected bodies forever. Our bodies are good, and an essential part of what it is to be human. Mass Readings from August 15, 2021: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 Psalms 45:10-12, 161 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 1:39-56

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The best of your life is ahead of you...you will need food for the journey. The worst days of our life often come after the best days of our life. But even in those "worst days", you are not done yet. God has more for you to do and further for you to go. He wants to feed you with what you are going to need to have enough strength for the journey. Mass Readings from August 8, 2021: 1 Kings 19:4-85 Psalms 34:2-9Ephesians 4:30—5:2 John 6:41-51

Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Choose God over the works of God. The signs point to Jesus and Jesus is the point of the signs. When we are challenged to merely consume… When we are challenged to want the gifts more than the Giver of the gift, we must allow ourselves to be trained in a trust in God. To be trained in freedom. Mass Readings from August 1, 2021: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Psalms 78:3-4, 23-25, 54Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 John 6:24-35

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Nothing given to God is wasted. The Apostles asked the question, "What good are these for so many?" Yet, Jesus invited them to give what they had and to trust Him with all of it. Jesus invites us to do the same: Give everything and know that nothing will be wasted. Mass Readings from July 25, 2021: 2 Kings 4:42-44 Psalms 145:10-11, 15-18Ephesians 4:1-6 John 6:1-15

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Indifference does not mean you don’t care; it just means you don’t care enough to move. There are many opportunities to waste one’s life. One of those ways is to allow one’s circle of interest to outstrip one’s circle of influence. Mass Readings from July 18, 2021: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Psalms 23:1-6Ephesians 2:13-18 Mark 6:30-34

Homily from the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. You are wanted and set apart. You are special. We’ve heard that for so much of our lives that we’ve either grown numb to it or no longer believe it. But what if it is true? Mass Readings from July 11, 2021: Amos 7:12-15 Psalms 85:9-14Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:7-13

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The beauty is in the broken. Too often, when we encounter our own brokenness and woundedness, we either pretend it isn’t there or we just want it to be taken away. But surrendered to God, our weakness is more than replaced and more than erased, they are redeemed. Mass Readings from July 4, 2021: Ezekiel 2:2-5 Psalms 123:1-42 Corinthians 12:7-10 Mark 6:1-6

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Love requires risk. Risk requires courage. Many of us make plans. And many of those plans don’t end up working out the way that we had expected. Fortunately, God calls us to be courageous even when things don’t work out as we had expected. Mass Readings from June 27, 2021: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Psalms 30:2, 4-6, 11, 12, 132 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 Mark 5:21-43

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. God is in the storm. There are times when we do everything God has asked us to do…and we still find ourselves in the midst of a storm. In those moments, we are called to resist resentment and embrace courage. In those moments, we are called to run into the storm, confident that God is in the storm. Mass Readings from June 20, 2021: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalms 92:2-3, 13-162 Corinthians 5:6-10 Mark 4:26-34

Homily from the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Everyday courage simply does what is necessary. Courage is not merely needed for the big moments of life, but is required for each moment of a life well-lived. Courage is all of the other virtues the moment they are needed the most. Mass Readings from June 13, 2021: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:2-3, 13-162 Corinthians 5:6-10 Mark 4:26-34

Homily from The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Do we lack faith? Or do we lack love? Most people who call themselves Catholic do not believe one of the most central and most powerful teaching in the Church. Is it because they lack hearing? Do they lack the opportunity to know about this teaching? Do they lack faith? Or is something else missing? Mass Readings from June 6, 2021: Exodus 24:3-8 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18Hebrews 9:11-15 Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Homily from the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. What is God's deepest secret? What is yours? What we are is shaped and revealed by what we choose. Who we are is established by relationships. Mass Readings from May 30, 2021: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 Psalms 33:4-6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22Romans 8:14-17 Matthew 28:16-20

Homily from Pentecost Sunday. Am I willing to use the gifts that God has already given? At Pentecost, the disciples received the Holy Spirit and the subsequent gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts glorify the Father and have changed the world. If we were given these gifts, we could also glorify the Father and change the world…but would we? Mass Readings from May 23, 2021: Acts 2:1-11 Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 341 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23

Homily from the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord. Nice is different than good. Jesus doesn't call us to simply be "nice people." Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit so that we can be more than we are now...so that we can do more than we can do now. Jesus sends His Holy Spirit so that we can have the strength to be the kind of people who can bear witness to Him and His love in this world. He gives His Spirit so that people can be saved and God can be glorified. Mass Readings from May 16, 2021: Acts 1:1-11 Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9Ephesians 1:17-23 Mark 16:15-20

Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Joy is rooted in confidence and comes as a consequence. We can choose joy only insofar as we can choose the source of our joy. Joy comes as a consequence; it is a fruit. And the depth and permanence of our joy is only going to be as deep and long lasting as what we place our confidence in. Only when we surrender to the love of God can we have a joy that is deeper and more permanent than any amount of suffering that comes from life. Mass Readings from May 9, 2021: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 Psalms 98:1-41 John 4:7-10 John 15:9-17

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Practice making the promise. We find ourselves always moving and never done. We have so many options that we experience decision paralysis and subsequent decision dissatisfaction. But we are made for a full life. A full life is only possible when we intentionally limit ourselves by making the decision to love this person or to root ourselves in this place. Ultimately, unless we truly decide to remain in Christ, we will never experience the life we have been made for. Mass Readings from May 2, 2021: Acts 4:8-12 Psalms 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 291 John 3:1-2 John 10:11-18

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Inclusive means neither passive nor permissive. To be included is an incredible gift. To be inclusive is powerful. It means more than being “welcome”, it means being radically open and desperately fighting to bring people in. The Church is as inclusive as God’s love. And yet, Jesus is also exclusive in His claim. Jesus has made an exclusive claim about Himself. And if this is true, Jesus has an exclusive claim on us. Mass Readings from April 25, 2021: Acts 4:8-12 Psalms 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 291 John 3:1-2 John 10:11-18

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. It is possible to see the miracle and to not be a witness. It is possible to encounter God and go back to the same life. It is possible to live as if the miracle had never happened. It is possible to say "I believe" and not be a witness. But it is also possible to not see a miracle and still bear witness to Christ by how we live, what we choose, and what we love. Mass Readings from April 18, 2021: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 Psalms 4:2, 4, 7-91 John 2:1-5 Luke 24:35-48

Homily from the Sunday of Divine Mercy. Every scar has a story. Virtually everyone has scars. And every scar has a story. Scars are reminders of our past...they are reminders that won’t go away. And Jesus has kept His wounds in order to help us to never forget His story. Mass Readings from April 11, 2021: Acts 4:32-35 1 John 5:1-6Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:19-31

Homily from the Mass of the Resurrection of Our Lord. It means that something more is coming. Death is final. The death of Christ was thought to be final. But it wasn't the end...it was just the beginning. Mass Readings from April 4, 2021: Acts 10:34, 37-43 Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-9

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. Peter expected to fight in the Garden, not in the courtyard. Peter told Jesus that he would die for Him. And he meant it. He just wasn’t ready at the right time. Mass Readings from April 2, 2021: Isaiah 52:13—53:12 Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1—19:42

Homily from the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. On the night He was betrayed…He gave. Everything in the Bible leads to the moment of the Last Supper…and leads to every time we are at the Mass. Mass Readings from April 1, 2021: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 Psalms 116:12-13, 15-181 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15