Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Failure either gives us clarity and conviction or course correction. Failure is not final and failure is not fatal. As long as we don’t stop, and as long as we are willing to learn from our failures, they have no power to defeat us but only to educate us and make us better. Mass Readings from May 12, 2019: Acts 13:14, 43-52 Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 5Revelation 7:9, 14-17 John 10:27-30 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. The only way for failure to be final is if you stop. Even sin is not final if you don’t stop. God has a call for you that is not erased by failure. Mass Readings from May 5, 2019: Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday. Failure is the one necessary prerequisite for God’s greatest gift. Many people battle with perfectionism. God’s mercy in the midst of failure is His remedy for the fear that failure is the end. Mass Readings from April 28, 2019: Acts 5:12-16 Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19 John 20:19-31 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. To stand for Jesus is to stand against the world. If I live in such a way that I merely follow the crowd, I will find myself praising Jesus on Sunday and crying out for His Crucifixion on Friday. This world is a “not friend“ of the Christian. Therefore, we must stand against the world and for Jesus. Mass Readings from April 14, 2019: Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalms 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24Philippians 2:6-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent. There is no need to fear, but there is a need to fight. Behind enemy lines, we find ourselves in a battle with the Enemy of God. Satan is real and Satan must be resisted. But the Catholic Christian has been given the tools to engage in the fight and thrive with the strength provided by God Himself. Mass Readings from April 7, 2019: Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalms 126:1-6Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. We have different experiences, but the same enemy. While all of us struggle with different sins and temptations, we all ultimately have the same enemy: pride. Pride is a chameleon and can disguise itself in many different ways. Ultimately, pride will work to keep you holding onto something other than God and to remain outside the Father’s house. Telling the truth…and hearing the Father’s voice…is the way to let go of what we cling to and come inside. Mass Readings from March 31, 2019: Joshua 5:9-12 Psalms 34:2-72 Corinthians 5:17-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. Trained in trust...strengthened through struggle. God has freely given so much to us…and we are grateful. But why do we still experience the consequences of slavery? God gives us the chance to grow in trust of Him and His love…and He allows us to grow stronger in our ability to walk as His children. Mass Readings from March 24, 2019: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Psalms 103: 1-4, 6-8, 111 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent. You have to know yourself to say no to yourself. We are in a battle, but our primary enemy is closer than we might like to imagine. In order to gain true freedom and victory, we have to know this enemy and know when to say no to them. Mass Readings from March 17, 2019: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 Psalms 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 9:28-36 Download the Homily Study

Homily from Ash Wednesday. You are in a fight; what comes next? For many of us, our default assumption about life is: it’s fine. Even when things are obviously broken, we can pretend that they will “fix themselves.” But Lent reminds us that we are in a battle that won’t be won unless we are ready to engage the enemy who will attack us like our Lord was attacked in the wilderness...behind enemy lines. Mass Readings from March 6, 2019: Joel 2:12-18 Psalms 51:3-6, 12-14Corinthians 5:20—6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What reveals the heart. We often are a mystery...even to ourselves. But Christians must come to a place of self-knowledge so we can present our true self to the true God. Mass Readings from March 3, 2019: Sirach 27:4-7 Psalms 92:2-3, 13-161 Corinthians 15:54-58 Luke 6:39-45

Homily from the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. You are loved most when you deserve it the least. Jesus calls us to love our enemies. But how can we do that when we don’t even love the people we like? When we often don’t effectively love ourselves? Mass Readings from February 24, 2019: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-131 Corinthians 15:45-49 Luke 6:27-38 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Willing to engage and embrace the realities of life. Hope is not a “soft” virtue. It is a fighting virtue. Hope is what enables us to live in the present with strength and conviction. It takes hope to take action. Mass Readings from February 17, 2019: Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalms 1:1-4, 61 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. God is able to make you holy even if He never makes you whole. There are some things in our lives (our decisions, our wounds, our weaknesses) that we wish and pray were gone. God calls you and I in our weakness; He doesn’t necessarily call us out of our weakness. Mass Readings from February 10, 2019: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8 Psalms 138:1-5, 7-81 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Being unqualified does not disqualify when God calls. There are many people who would look remarkably average on paper. Our stats would reveal that we are unqualified for being a part of God’s great work. But the Lord calls us to the greatest of these: love. Mass Readings from February 3, 2019: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 Psalms 71:1-6, 15-171 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 Luke 4:21-30 Read More About Blessed Chiara Badano Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. What great work may God be preparing you for right now? In Christ, your past might not be the thing that prevent you from being a part of God’s great work… It might be the thing that has prepared you. Mass Readings from January 27, 2019: Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10 Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 151 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. God uses what we have and gives us what we need. It is often very tempting to forget the heart of God. To forget that He notices us, delights in us, and rejoices in us. When the focus shifts from His love to our insufficiency and feelings of insignificance, He reminds us of the truth. Mass Readings from January 20, 2019: Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalms 96:1-3, 7-101 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas). The Why is a Who. Jesus is not merely the “reason for the season”… He is the reason for everything. Mass Readings from December 25, 2018: Isaiah 62:11-12 Psalms 97:1, 6, 11-12Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. This might be the end of the dream, but it is not the end of the story. God has begun a good work in you. In fact, he has begun many “good works.“ Many of them will come to an end, but the truly great work that God has begun is a work that he intends to continue to finish. Mass Readings from December 09, 2018: Baruch 5:1-9 Psalms 126:1-6Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Luke 3:1-6

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. You will never be ready unless you get ready. Advent is a season of preparation. We get ready to celebrate the first coming of Christ into this world. We also get ready for His Second Coming at the end of the world…or at the end of our individual lives. During Advent, we get ready to die. Mass Readings from December 02, 2018: Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 141 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2 Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King. Don't waste your priesthood. Jesus is the one eternal High Priest. He has called certain men to participate in His priesthood in a unique way. But He has also extended a share in His priesthood to all believers so that the Father may be glorified and the world redeemed when the sacrifice is offered throughout the world. Mass Readings from November 25, 2018: Daniel 7:13-14 Psalms 93:1, 1-2, 5Revelation 1:5-8 John 18:33-37 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Not merely witnessing the miracle, but offering the sacrifice. We have to learn the worship of God in a similar way that we need to learn the Word of God. The more we know What we are doing, Who we are offering, Why it is crucial, and When to focus, the more we will be able to do more than watch…we will be able to worship. Mass Readings from November 18, 2018: Daniel 12:1-3 Psalms 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 Mark 13:24-32 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Offering first-fruits reveals and increases the depth of trust. The temptation to experience worship as hollow or empty is universal. God’s solution for our hearts is the invitation to offer Him our first-fruits. Sacrifices that are intentional, consequential, and representational have the power to transform our hearts and fill up what might be hollow worship. Mass Readings from November 11, 2018: 1 Kings 17:10-16 Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Not to watch, but to worship. The heart of religion is the worship of God. And the heart of worship is always sacrifice; a gift that is poured out on the altar. Where is your gift being poured out? Where is your altar? Mass Readings from November 04, 2018: Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 12:28-34 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. We do not conquer our rivals, we are called out from beneath their power. The voices around us shape us. Some voices shape us more powerfully and more negatively than others. These rival voices fashion a lens through which we see the world. They can rob us of peace, joy, and Christ place in our heart. But to take courage, get up, Jesus is calling you. Mass Readings from October 28, 2018: Jeremiah 31:7-9 Psalms 126:1-6Hebrews 5:1-6 Mark 10:46-52 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What do I have to do to get what I want? So much of our lives can be marked by the desire to control…or the fear of losing control. The rival of control can dominate. And the trust of praise and surrender can liberate. Mass Readings from October 21, 2018: Isaiah 53:10-11 Psalms 33:4-5, 18-20, 22Hebrews 4:14-16 Mark 10:35-45 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. God has an absolute claim on your heart. What is the reason you won't give it to Him? There is a clear difference between a reason and an excuse. Excuses are not acceptable answers, but there are times when even “good reasons” fail to be “good enough”. Mass Readings from October 14, 2018: Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalms 90:12-17Hebrews 4:12-13 Mark 10:17-30 Download the Homily Study

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are some relationships that do not tolerate rivals. There are only two kinds of relationships that get to a point where it is “all…or nothing”: Romantic relationships and our relationship with Jesus. If we say “all”, that carries with it some consequences. Namely, all of our heart must belong to the other. Mass Readings from October 7, 2018: Genesis 2:18-24 Psalms 128:1-6Hebrews 2:9-11 Mark 10:2-16 Download the Homily Study