Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can never have enough of what you don’t need. A culture of excess is an unhappy culture. A person of excess is a person driven by fear. But with Christ, a person can find joy even when they do not have what they need. Because with Christ, they know that they have enough. Mass Readings f ...…

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. To look like Jesus is to see things as they are. A disciple is a person who lives like Jesus and who sees the world like Jesus. A disciple shares the worldview of Christ and sees all things: others, death, self, purpose, and Good and Evil...as they are. Mass Readings from October 8, 2017: ...…

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. For the Glory of the Father. Each one of our lives is made up of any number of "what's". But a truly great life is driven by one great "why". This "why" is the motivation and the vision for a life lived on purpose. The life of Jesus can be summed up in one single great "why". Mass Readings f ...…

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. If my relationship with the Father is actual, then my identity is unshakeable, and my activities and mission are completely changeable. What defines you? Too often, our activities give us our identity. Because of this, our sense of self and our sense of joy is constantly in danger of being c ...…

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. How does Jesus look at death? There is no need to fear death, because Jesus has conquered death. And yet, do we approach death the way Jesus approached death? Many of us see death as “natural” or something to be avoided. But Jesus saw death as an enemy to be stared down and battled. And yet ...…

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. How does Jesus look at the people around me? The way we look at the world directs the way we live in the world. Our vision of life, God, ourselves, and other people is called to be shaped and guided by the way Jesus sees them. How would my life be different if I looked at the people near me ...…

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Faith is more than "agreement." Mass Readings from September 03, 2017: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27By webministry@umdcatholic.org (Father Mike Schmitz).

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. So many people have been "raised Catholic, but..." They have never embraced the inheritance of the Faith they have been given. They may even have the answers to all of the questions, but those who can say "I've been raised Catholic, and..." are those who have actually met the living God. We ...…

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Living as a Catholic in this world takes courage. But it also takes the power that only comes from Jesus. Mass Readings from August 13, 2017: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 Psalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33By webministry@umdcatholic.org (Father Mike Schmitz).

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Homily given at the Steubenville Youth Conference in Spokane, WA. What we love determines the course of our lives more than anything else. Mass Readings from July 30, 2017: 1 Kings 3:5,7-12 Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130 Romans 8:28-30 Matthew 13:44-52…

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Programs can do some good, but only disciples can make disciples. A disciple has allowed Jesus to be the Lord of their learning, their love, and their life. Mass Readings from July 09, 2017: Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30…

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What's your price? Many people think that witnessing to Christ with one's life is for those who are far away or who lived in another time. But we are asked the same questions every day that the martyrs were asked at the moment of their final witness to Jesus. Mass Readings from June 25, 2017: Jer ...…

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. Life doesn’t have to be an exercise in futility. We often move from one thing that dominates our time and attention to the next thing that dominates our time and attention. When we realize that Jesus Christ has ransomed us from our sin and from all that dominates our lives, when we realize that He is pres ...…

Homily from the Sunday of Divine Mercy. The healing God wants. The Little Way of Saint Terese is “little the entire way.” This means coming face to face with struggles and wounds we may battle our entire lives. With our confidence firmly centered on Jesus, we can love God as much as He possibly can be loved by our wounded hearts…by our hearts w ...…

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. More than humbled. Jesus allows himself to be humiliated for us. Our shame isolated us. And the isolation is often greater when the shame is hidden or exposed but not understood. Jesus embraces both forms of shame. Because of that, we do not need to fear to embrace Him. Mass Readings from April 14, ...…

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. Let that “one more” be you. One of the primary difficulties for us as Christians is to truly understand our role in the story of Christ’s Passion. Our role is difficult to face. Our role is that “I am responsible for the death of Christ”. But Merciful Love reveals another role we can exercise: we c ...…

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Love and suffering. Jesus reveals His heart. He is the God of the broken heart. And Jesus reveals that He is the God who is willing to suffer for the sake of the one He loves. We are called to love Jesus…and to love like Jesus. This means being willing to suffer for the One we love as well. And in this suff ...…

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The Lord looks into the heart. It is a great sign of humility to not be surprised by weakness. It is a great sign of hope to not be discouraged by weakness. It is a great sign of love to not be stopped by weakness. It is a great sign that one is taking Jesus seriously to not be disqualified by weakness. Ma ...…

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. To be seen. To be known. To be wanted. Because of the wound against trust that has come into all of our hearts, it is difficult to be vulnerable. It is challenging to be vulnerable before other people. And it is incredibly challenging to be vulnerable before God. Because we all know that one can only be lov ...…

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent. Obedience leads to understanding. Trust leads to courage. Ever since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, our image of God has become distorted. We find that we don’t naturally trust God. We all have the temptation to imagine that God is simply out to eliminate joy and ruin our happiness. And yet, the entire Bi ...…

Homily from Ash Wednesday. Are you trying to prove you are lovable? Does your weakness prove that you aren’t? Lent is tough. Fasting is tough. Christianity is tough. Jesus reveals that His Heart is soft when it comes to our weakness. If we are willing to come out of hiding and fully give our entire selves to Him, He can make our hearts whole in ...…

Homily from the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The future is one thing we do not need to know to be wise. If we knew the future, very few of us would make foolish decisions. But very few of us make decisions in the first place. Many people prefer to be carried along by other peoples’ decisions and by the circumstances of life. But wise people ...…

Homily from the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Knowledge becomes wisdom through relationship. If a person is going to craft a life through wisdom, then they will need to find a master craftsman. It is this apprenticeship that helps a person become wise. Whenever it is crucial that a person becomes wise, they always discover someone who can sh ...…

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Choosing the Law means choosing interior freedom. An external guide can be helpful and, at times, necessary. But we are called to move beyond the external boundaries to an internal freedom. By choosing the good, we become more and more free to choose the good. By choosing wisdom, we become wise. Ma ...…

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. What happens to wisdom when we lose the un-losable? If salt loses its taste, it is no longer salt. It has lost something that is un-losable. In the process of becoming wise and crafting a masterpiece, there are a number of important elements. Wisdom requires vision, experience, and memory. But ther ...…

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. A fool is one who acts but doesn’t know…or one who knows but doesn’t act. With every passing moment, we are choosing what kind of life we will have lived. God wills for us to choose to live wisely. A person with wisdom has competence and character; they know the right thing to do in any situation ...…

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Do God's will, as He wills it, because He wills it. Holiness is within reach. Everyone baptized has been sanctified and made holy. And it is not difficult to be a Saint. It simply means, by God's grace, doing God's will today. Mass Readings from January 22, 2017: Isaiah 8:23—9:3 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-1 ...…

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. What is it to be holy? How does a sinful people live in the presence of an all-holy God? By allowing Him to make us holy and by living on purpose. Mass Readings from January 15, 2017: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 John 1:29-34…

Homily from the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. All moments are key moments. When we encounter the new year, we may be tempted to ignore our past. But the truly wise person, like Mary, will ponder all that happens in their life and learn from their past. Mass Readings from January 01, 2017: Numbers 6:22-27 Psalm 67:2-3, ...…

Homily from the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Mass). Risk is at the heart of Christianity. The world is a dangerous place. To be a Christian is a dangerous call. Jesus offers us a mission and a role, but not certainty. To be a follower of Jesus means to leap, to risk, and to fight. Mass Readings from December 25, 2016: Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98 ...…

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent. If I do this, then I will get that. Is it possible to love without conditions? Is it possible to have faith without conditions? Is it possible to have joy without conditions? When we love to love God for His own sake, unconditional joy can be a reality. Mass Readings from December 11, 2016: Isaiah 35:1-6, ...…

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. The joy that can thrive in any environment. Christian joy is more than a feeling. It is the sense of well-being that is the fruit of something else. It is the fruit of a life lived in God. A life “lived in God” is eminently practical; it simply involves the honest prayer, “Father, Thy will be done." If a ...…

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. Joy can be a feeling, but it is also a choice. God desires your happiness. But this happiness is more than mere pleasure and more than mere emotion. True joy, like true love, is a decision. Joy is the sense of well-being that is the result of the certain expectation or possession of one’s heart’s desire. ...…

Homily from the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. What is it that makes “paradise” Paradise? Home isn’t home unless someone is there. And Heaven is not Heaven without God. Other people are one of the great joys of Heaven, but the Greatest Thing is not merely “others”, but “The Other”. The heart of Heaven is God Himself. ...…

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. We will all be changed...in the blink of an eye. "I believe in the resurrection of the dead.” That means your resurrection. God has destined us to get our bodies back at His final coming. But what will those bodies be like? How will they be changed? How will they be new? The answer is hidden ...…

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Heaven is the one thing that gives this world meaning. Without Heaven (and Hell), life is essentially meaningless and Death wins. The Resurrection proves that Death is not the last word and that the wisest way to live in the “Here and Now” is oriented towards “There and Then”. But what will ...…

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints. Now they know. The goal of the Christian is life with God. The saints have reached this goal and spur us on. They pray for us on our way Home. Mass Readings from November 1, 2016: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 TO DOWNLOAD THE BIBLE STUDY TAP ON THIS LINK OR COP ...…

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Faith that moves is the only faith that matters. The Christian Faith will never be relevant if it remains at the level of private, personal belief and does not transform our lives. Faith is meant to move us. Faith is meant to transform us. Faith is meant to bear fruit in a life that looks li ...…

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Is faith about what is on your resumé? Are you stuck in the trap where you have to do enough, so that you have enough, in order to be enough? If faith merely comes down to presenting God with our resume, then we are not faithful…we are superstitious. Christian faith is appealing to Jesus’ work, ...…

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Great faith is the result of small, repeated “yeses" over time. Every great story needs a beginning. But it needs more than just a beginning. A great story requires tension, obstacles, and patient perseverance. When we give God our “yes”, even when we don’t know how the story will end, we ar ...…

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Something happened to me…and now I’m Yours." Faith is first of all a response. It is the response to an encounter with God. In a completely free way, God reveals Himself. Intellectual faith responds with “I believe you”. Living faith responds with “I want to behave in the way you are calli ...…

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Use what you have. It's not that we don't have enough gifts, it's that we waste a lot of them. Once we realize that we have gifts and that God will bring about "divine appointments", every interruption becomes an opportunity. Mass Readings from October 2, 2016: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 Psalm ...…

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Many people aren’t bad…they’re just busy. As Catholics, we believe that people matter. The world has been changed by Catholic Christians who did more than just believe this truth; they allowed this truth to interrupt their lives and they acted on it. What is the difference between them and u ...…

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Not all interruptions are bad. An interruption is anything that takes our attention away from one’s primary task. But what if you don’t know your primary task? Or what if you aren’t living for your primary task? Are there some interruptions that might bring our attention back to the task we ...…

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Is the main goal of the spiritual life to keep God off our back? What happens when our plan encounters God’s plan? No one likes interruptions, but they are a part of life. God is the Great Interrupter. Because we all know this, we can find ourselves doing all that we can to avoid the true G ...…

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. You often only need enough to start. The conditions for being a disciple of Jesus can be incredibly challenging. But they are not complicated. The conditions for discipleship all come down to one question: does Jesus have permission to interrupt your life? If He does, then you simply need to ...…

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can choose to be limited by fear or motivated by gratitude. Fear can be a great motivator. But it is also something that drains us of life. Humility is essential for a joyful life. In order to grow in humility, one simply must choose gratitude. A person cannot be fearful and grateful at ...…

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our environment has power when our will power runs out. Jesus promised that the father would send the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks. But that gift would be wasted on anyone who had no plans to use the gift. Have I set up my life so as to use the gift of the Father, or is my environment orien ...…

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus has not only called us to be free, He has made it possible for us to be free. But true freedom means that we take responsibility, action, and joy. Mass Readings from June 26, 2016: 1 Kings 19:16B, 19-21 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Luke 9:51-62…

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today, Jesus asks the question, "Who do you say that I am?" Fathermike asks, "Who do you say that you are?" Revisiting common themes and questions, we ask if we really are who we say we are: disciples of Jesus. Mass Readings from June 19, 2016: Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1 Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 G ...…