Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. Christianity doesn’t offer comfort. It offers something else. In our culture today, we are able to avoid thinking of death. But death is the inevitable reality of living. Still, the fact that we will all die is not the problem. The problem is that we pretend that we won’t. Mass Readings from March 28, 2021: Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalms 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24Phillipians 2:6-11 Mark 14:1—15:47

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent. A heart that is too soft has to be protected. A heart that is too tough can’t be touched. What good is it to have a heart that can be hurt by this world? Many choose to numb themselves rather than feel the pain of life. But becoming numb leaves us with a heart that is unable. Unable to feel pain but also unable to feel joy. As Christians, we are called to have a heart like the heart of Jesus: vulnerable and able. Mass Readings from March 21, 2021: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalms 51:3-4, 12-15Hebrews 5:7-9 John 12:20-33 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. A hidden heart is a homeless heart. The people of Israel were brought into exile. It was imposed from the outside. But after King Cyrus game them a way home, many of them chose to live in self-imposed exile. The same is true for all of us who have been exiled by our sin and slavery to death. Jesus has made it possible to step into the light and come home, but many choose to live outside the light...many of us live in self-imposed exile. Mass Readings from March 14, 2021: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 Psalms 137:6Ephesians 2:4-10 John 3:14-21 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. Is the question, “Can I trust God?” Or is the better question, “Can God trust me?" There is something that all of us discover about ourselves the moment we have a minute of self-reflection: we have the capacity to do the things we hate. In spite of our best efforts and sincere desires to be consistently good, we have this thing in our chests that ought not to be trusted. We have treacherous hearts. And yet, Jesus entrusts His Heart to ours at every Mass. Mass Readings from March 07, 2021: Exodus 20:1-17 Psalms 19:8-111 Corinthians 1:22-25 John 2:13-25 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent. Obedience precedes understanding. We are made for adventure. But adventure means mystery and uncertainty. Often, what holds us back from action is a lack of knowing why. But what if there is a better question than “why?”? What if the adventure of obedience means asking “how?”? Mass Readings from February 28, 2021: Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 Psalms 116:10, 15-17, 18-19Romans 8:31-34 Mark 9:2-10 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent. God is not safe, but He is good. Trust is a challenge for all of us. Trust in God is a battle that every person faces at some point in their lives. Often, we might find is easier to trust God if He were a “tame god”, but He is not. This Lent, our invitation is to not only trust in God’s mercy, but also in His justice. Mass Readings from February 21, 2021: Genesis 9:8-15 Psalms 25:4-91 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Ash Wednesday. Return to the Lord with your whole heart. We are often tempted to run away from God and from difficult moments in life. We might even be tempted to escape from all that has been taken from us over the past year. But to choose to embrace this moment is to choose to embrace the Lord and His Providence. Mass Readings from February 17, 2021: Joel 2:12-18 Psalms 51:3-6, 12-13, 14 and 172 Corinthians 5:20—6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Every choice comes at a cost. Looking back, there are some things we could have known. And looking back, there are some things we could never have known. But one thing is unfailingly true when seen through hindsight: every decision comes at a price and every choice has a cost. Making the decision is risky, but there are things that are more important than staying safe. Mass Readings from February 14, 2021: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 111 Corinthians 10:31—11:1 Mark 1:40-45 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Good times don’t last…and neither do bad times. One of the many things that life teaches us is that life is always changing. To grow is to change. There are times that are good and there are times that are bad. All of us go through good times and bad times and neither of them are permanent. In both good times and bad, Jesus is Lord and He loves the person in a desperate situation and the person in a bright situation. Mass Readings from February 07, 2021: Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Psalms 147:1-61 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I learned, but I didn’t grow. Knowledge is powerful. Having lived through this past year, and looking back on what we have been through is essential. We can have learned a great number of things over 2020. But unless we are willing to act on that knowledge, hindsight will be powerless. Mass Readings from January 31, 2021: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-91 Corinthians 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Editing is the enemy of how we remember the story. We look back so that we can see clearly and learn from our past. But we also have a temptation to edit the story we tell ourselves. We might edit how we tell the story, but we must not edit how we remember the story. Mass Readings from January 24, 2021: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalms 25:4-91 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. We can’t predict The Moment, but we can prepare in the moment before The Moment. While no one can predict the future, all of us can learn from the past. While none of us can control when the big moments of our lives are going to happen, all of us can choose what we are doing in the moments before The Moment. Mass Readings from January 17, 2021: 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19 Psalms 40:2, 4, 7-101 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20 John 1:35-42 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord. At the Incarnation, God joined His divinity to humanity...at the Baptism of Jesus, God identifies with our brokenness. What difference does the Baptism of Jesus make? It means that God doesn't stay away from our sins, but that He takes them upon Himself. Mass Readings from January 10, 2021: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Psalms 29:1-4, 9-10Acts 10:34-38 Mark 1:7-11

Homily from the Mass of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Parents are not powerless. It can be so easy for parents to feel powerless when it comes to passing on the faith to their families. But there are four powerful tools every parent can employ to help their families become holy families. Mass Readings from December 27, 2020: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Psalms 128:1-51 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 2:22-40

Homily from the Mass of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas). Why is He there? We have become more comfortable with the "completed" past than the unknown future. Rather than desiring to launch into the challenge of the future, many of us have become paralyzed by fear of the future. When we are rooted in the Word of God each day, we become more rooted in God Himself each day. When we are rooted in the Lord, there is no room for fear of the future. Mass Readings from December 25, 2020: Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98:1-6Hebrews 1:1-6 John 1:1-18

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Silence magnifies and waiting purifies. Waiting is not meant to be wasted. The chance to wait in silence is often given by God to serve a purpose...above all to change our faith into something new. Mass Readings from December 20, 2020: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 Psalms 89:2-5, 27, 29Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent. No one can take from you what doesn’t belong to you. We all have the temptation to pretend to be someone or something other than we are. To pass ourselves off as someone else…to be an imposter. We do this most often when we know the truth but live in fear of the truth. John the Baptist shows us what it looks like to know the truth and live in the freedom of the truth. Mass Readings from December 13, 2020: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11 Luke 1:46-50, 53-541 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. We can’t go back to the beginning of the story, but we can start where we are and change the ending. Saint Peter reveals that the Day is coming when The Story will have been written. On that day, everything will be revealed and we will know God’s hidden role in every moment of The Story…and we will know the truth and consequences of our roles in The Story. We will know our legacy. Mass Readings from December 6, 2020: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 Psalms 85:9-12, 13-142 Peter 3:8-14 Mark 1:1-8

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. God will not just get us through this moment…He has brought us to this moment. Too often, we find ourselves just wanting this moment to be “done." We miss out on the miracle of the moment because we see what is happening as something that is getting in the way of life. But this is life. There is not another one we are waiting for. We need to learn to trust that God is not just going to help us get through this moment, but that He has brought us to this moment. Mass Readings from November 29, 2020: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7 Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-191 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37

Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King. What you do with the delay makes all the difference. We have a destination: to be who we are and to be that well. We have a Roadmap and a Rule of Life. What remains is one last question: Is there any room in your Rule for the Ruler? Mass Readings from November 22, 2020: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Psalms 23:1-3, 5-61 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. What have you done with what you've been given? No one ever sets out to lose. But losing is entirely possible: in business, relationships, and in the spiritual life. It is possible to lose one’s soul. No one wants to lose, but many people do. Even with a great roadmap, we need regular checkpoints to make sure we are on course and haven’t gone off track. Mass Readings from November 15, 2020: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Psalms 128:1-51 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Excellence requires making the decision carefully, consistently, and quickly. The one question that can either deflate or motivate a person is “When?” This question reveals whether our goal is an actual goal or merely a wish. But if we want to escape a life of accidents and craft a life of excellence, we need to make the decision of “when” are we going to choose excellence carefully, consistently, and quickly. Mass Readings from November 8, 2020: Wisdom 6:12-16 Psalms 63:2-81 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints. No one ever accidentally lived on purpose. No two saints are the same. There is no “cookie-cutter” path to holiness. While there are certain givens that must be present, each person has to assess where they are in their relationship with the Lord in order to know best where to place wise guardrails in their own life. Mass Readings from November 1, 2020: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalms 24:1-61 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Holiness isn’t always changing your what as much as changing your why. Our lives have been reclaimed by Christ and we have become a new creation. Because of this, every moment of our lives can be lived with and for a new purpose. Every moment can be repurposed to be a sacrament, and sacrifice, and an act of surrender. Mass Readings from October 25, 2020: Exodus 22:20-26 Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51/dt>1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Matthew 22:34-40 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The roadmap begins with “Who.” There is one true goal in life: to be a saint. Many of us believe this, but is there a path? Without a plan, we will certainly fail to hit the goal. Without a roadmap, we will spend our time on this planet wandering as if we neither know where we are or where we are going. Mass Readings from October 18, 2020: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 Psalms 96:1, 3-5, 7-101 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Matthew 22:15-21 View the "Your Life in Weeks" Chart Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are many goods. There is only one best. Modern indifference is the inability to take joy in in one's situation regardless of the circumstances. It is seeing "no difference" between the awesome and the awful...as well as the awesome alright. Mass Readings from October 11, 2020: Isaiah 25:6-10 Psalms 23:1-6Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 Matthew 22:1-14

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. God has made you for freedom from anxiety over the unforeseeable future, the unchangeable past, and your present responsibilities. Many people are overwhelmed by anxiety. Anxiety over all the things that need to get done and over all that they have been through. But God calls us to have no anxiety at all. And to surrender our past, present, and future to His dominion.. Mass Readings from October 4, 2020: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalms 80:9,12,13-16,19-20Philippians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. If you can choose your thoughts you can change your thoughts. In the garden of the mind, our thoughts are constantly growing. Some we want, others we do not. As the gardeners of our own minds, we must think about what we think about, weed out the thoughts that poison our minds, and allow the Word of God to shape how we look. Mass Readings from September 27, 2020: Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalms 25:4-9Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. It doesn’t matter how long you live. What matters is how you live. Our lives will magnify (or highlight) something. Will they be so full of nice things that they will miss the most excellent things? Or will we be wise so that, no matter the outcome, Christ will be highlighted? Mass Readings from September 20, 2020: Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18Philippians 1:20-24, 27 Matthew 20:1-16 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. There is no forgiveness without justice. Forgiveness is neither excusing nor enabling evil. There is always a debt that needs to be paid…and somebody needs to pay it. Mass Readings from September 13, 2020: Sirach 27:30—28:7 Psalms 103:1-4, 9-12Romans 14:7-9 Matthew 18:21-35 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. How do Christians fight? We all have experienced the temptation to see someone who has failed or someone who has hurt us as a non-person. But taking responsibility for the people in our lives means fighting that temptation. And it means doing what we can to fight for that person. Mass Readings from September 06, 2020: Ezekiel 33:7-9 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Am I being conformed or transformed? Christians must not only live differently in the world, we must look differently at the world. Mass Readings from August 30, 2020: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Psalms 63:2-6, 8-9Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Church has influence even when it isn’t considered important. We can often confuse influence with importance; authority with power. But the Church has been given the very influence and authority of Jesus Christ. Even when the world does not listen to the voice of the Church, She still has the influence and authority of Jesus. Mass Readings from August 23, 2020: Isaiah 22:19-23 Psalms 138:1-3, 6, 8Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Faith can only become great when it is tested. What kind of faith do you want? Faith that makes a difference because it is lived out is the only kind of faith that matters. Mass Readings from August 16, 2020: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 >Matthew 15:21-28

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is one thing to start walking. It is another thing to keep walking. Distraction is anything that takes our focus away from where it needs to be. Mass Readings from August 9, 2020: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 Psalms 85:9-12, 13-14Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33

Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Do I have an attitude of scarcity or an attitude of abundance? All of us have gifts in our lives and all of us have real struggles in our lives. What weight do we give our blessings and what weight do we give our struggles? Mass Readings from August 2, 2020: Isaiah 55:1-3 Psalms 145:8-9,15-18Romans 8:35, 37-39 Matthew 14:13-21

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Freedom requires virtue. The Founding Fathers gave the world a republic that necessitated a people who were virtuous, moral, and religious.. Mass Readings from July 5, 2020: Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalms 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is a gift to have something to lose. Every good thing in our lives comes from Jesus. Since He is the source of everything, He must be more important than anything. Mass Readings from June 28, 2020: 2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16 Psalms 89:2-3,16-19Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 Matthew 10:37-42

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. You matter to God and you have a job to do. Jesus tells us to "fear no one." Not because there is no danger, but because He is calling us to not be safe. Mass Readings from June 21, 2020: Jeremiah 20:10-13 Psalms 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35Romans 5:12-15 Matthew 10:26-33

Homily from the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist will never be optional...until the day it is no longer an option. The moment worship becomes about “what I get” it ceases to be an act of love and becomes idolatry. Mass Readings from June 14, 2020: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 Psalm 147:12-15, 19-201 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58

Homily from the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. You do not have to know the details of a person’s life to know they are worth loving. Human worth is rooted in our deepest identity. And our deepest identity comes from being made in God’s image and likeness. And God’s deepest identity is love. Mass Readings from June 7, 2020: Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 Daniel 3:52-562 Corinthians 13:11-13 John 3:16-18

Homily from Pentecost Sunday. For the love of God has been poured into our hearts. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that we could receive the first gift of the Holy Spirit: to know what it is to be loved by the Father. Mass Readings from May 31, 2020: Acts 2:1-11 Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-31, 341 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Ascension of the Lord. Live the reason. Return from exile is not about a change in location, it is about a change in vocation. It is less about geography and more about mission. The goal is not Resurrection, the goal is Restoration. Mass Readings from May 24, 2020: Acts 1:1-11 Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Not a habit or a have-to, but the heart is the reason. At some point, the exile will end. You will be able to go back. But why? What is the reason why you will go back? Mass Readings from May 17, 2020: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Psalms 66:1-3, 4-7, 16, 201 Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Advance boldly into the shadows of uncertainty. If we are wise, we will think about the future and plan for it. And if we are even wiser, we will be able to let go of those plans when we need to. Mass Readings from May 10, 2020: Acts 6:1-7 Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-191 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Knowing does not equal security. In a world of insecurity, it is less important to know where one is being lead, and more important to know who is doing the leading. Mass Readings from May 3, 2020: Acts 2:14, 36-41 Psalms 23:1-61 Peter 2:20-25 John 10:1-10 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. Back to normal might not be what we think. Our lives can be spent wishing for certain outcomes. But a security built on specific outcomes is a conditional and temporary security. We need true hope to walk in confidence. Mass Readings from April 26, 2020: Acts 2:14, 22-33 Psalms 16:1-2, 5, 7-111 Peter 1:17-21 Luke 24:13-35 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday. In a time of incredible insecurity, we trust in incomprehensible mercy. We live in an insecure world, but God’s mercy is stable. Mass Readings from April 19, 2020: Acts 2:42-47 Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-241 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil. We profess the faith today so we can persevere in the faith tomorrow. Christianity is an historical religion that is not based on feelings, philosophies, or myths. It is based on a fact: the fact of the resurrection of Jesus. The one thing that changes everything.

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. Why are we surprised when we discover that “weakness” is actually weak? Jesus prepared His disciples for His Passion. But they were not ready, because they had not factored in their own weakness. But Jesus had factored it in. It was, in fact, why He entered His Passion. Mass Readings from April 10, 2020: Isaiah 52:13—53:12 Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1—19:42