Father Matthew Wiering Podcast
246 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 22 ratingsHomilies by Fr. Matthew Wiering, Diocese of New Ulm, MN
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
What Attracted Me to the Priesthood
June 19, 2023 02:35 - 16 minutes - 7.66 MBIn today's Gospel Jesus encounters the crowd and has compassion on them. It's important for us to see what happens next. Jesus doesn't get discouraged because of the number of needy people, yet that would be an understandable reaction. How can one man minister to so many? Instead he gathers the twelve and sends them out to heal the physical and spiritual maladies of the people. Our Catholic tradition has always held that these twelve men were the first bishops and priests ordained and sent b...
Revive Women’s Night: What is a Woman?
June 11, 2023 21:36 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBWhat a humbling privilege for me to speak to a group of women on the dignity of women! Using the teaching of the Church and especially the teachings of Pope John Paul II and Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar we attempt to answer the increasingly enigmatic question, “What is a woman?”
Trinity Sunday: Do I Need to Earn God’s Love?
June 04, 2023 21:47 - 15 minutes - 7.87 MBThe readings from the Old and New Testaments today portray a God who is deeply in love with his people and so deeply in love that he will send his own Son to the world and answer infidelity with fidelity to save them. As we reflect on our God who reveals Himself to be a Unity of Three Persons, may we be more and more convicted of the love that God has for us so that we will live out of that love.
New Life from a Dead Stump
December 04, 2022 20:39 - 16 minutes - 8.01 MBIn this 2nd Week of Advent, the prophet Isaiah speaks to us again. He says, "A shoot shall sprout from the stump of David." In dead Israel, new life is going to come. How much do we need Jesus to come into those dead and lifeless places in our heart? Let our Advent prayer be, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
The Mass as the Fulfillment of Ancient Prophecy
November 27, 2022 20:13 - 16 minutes - 8.22 MBDuring the Sundays of Advent our first reading is taken from the prophet Isaiah, the foremost prophet on the coming of the Messiah. Since this is the very purpose of Advent -- preparing for the liturgical celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ-Messiah of Israel, how appropriate for us to be rooted in this ancient text. Today we explore how the mountain prophecy in Isaiah's 2nd chapter is not only fulfilled in the final age with the restoration of the heavenly Jerusalem, but in the pre...
Thanking God in Good Times and in Bad
November 24, 2022 15:56 - 11 minutes - 5.82 MBIn our Gospel of the healing of the ten lepers, Jesus tells the Samaritan man who returned to thank him, "Your faith has saved you." It does seem that there is a connection between thanksgiving and faith: If we have faith and trust in the goodness of God our Father, then we will be able to thank him for everything he is doing in our life, whether in "good times" or in "bad times".
Solemnity of Christ the King: Maintaining Hope in the Midst of our Politics
November 21, 2022 02:22 - 13 minutes - 6.65 MBThe Solemnity of Christ the King presents us with an interesting juxtaposition between our own experience of worldly power and authority (as demonstrated by our political leaders) and Christ's power and authority. Our Gospel brings us to the Cross, the throne of Jesus. From that place of selflessness and humility, Christ shows us what makes him victorious: obedient love. This service is at the heart of what truly makes one great -- the feature of the True King of the Universe.
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Heading for Destruction
November 14, 2022 03:21 - 6 minutes - 3.13 MBIn today's Gospel, some people are standing near Jesus admiring the beauty of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Jesus says to them, "All that you see here ... a stone will not be left upon another stone..." On a literal level, Jesus was predicting the destruction of the Temple, which happened in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans. But on a symbolic level, he is also talking about what will happen to you and to me: Of us, too, Jesus can say, "All that you see here ... a stone will not be left upon a...
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: What’s our Attitude towards Death?
November 06, 2022 20:14 - 15 minutes - 7.45 MBToday's 1st reading from 2nd Maccabees recounts the story of the heroic seven brothers and their mother who choose to sacrifice their lives rather than to eat pork. Perhaps astonishingly to us, the mother is the one who is encouraging her sons to offer their lives rather than offend God. How is it that the sons are able to give their lives in this way? How was the mother able to encourage all seven of her sons to be martyrs? Their attitude towards death showed their confidence in the resurre...
Solemnity of All Saints: Is Holiness Possible?
November 02, 2022 01:24 - 11 minutes - 5.64 MBTo be a saint, literally means to be "holy". Perfect holiness will come someday in heaven, but even now the Church, through the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, tells us that everyone -- priests, religious sisters, and lay people alike -- are called to holiness. So what is "holiness" actually and is it even possible for us in this life?
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Choosing God’s Will instead of My Will
October 31, 2022 02:23 - 14 minutes - 6.92 MBSt. Luke introduces the story of Zacchaeus by telling us that Jesus intended to pass through Jericho. But he doesn't pass through. He sees Zacchaeus and stops in his tracks. Jesus's heart goes out to this one "who was lost", and he changes his plans: Instead of passing through Jericho is dines and stays at the home of the repentant chief tax collector. Are we so flexible when God is asks us to change course? When God's will is different than my will, do I give immediate and cheerful assent? ...
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Importance of the End of our Life
October 24, 2022 16:11 - 14 minutes - 6.96 MBToday St. Paul tells us that his life is poured out like a libation. He has reached the end of his life, and now the race is coming to an end. Another saint whose memorial we celebrated this weekend also ran the race all the way to the end, St. John Paul II. He allowed the world to accompany him as his physical health and appearance declined. May we run the race all the way to the end as these saints have!
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What does it mean to ”Pray Always”?
October 19, 2022 01:32 - 16 minutes - 8.26 MBThe Gospel writer Luke introduces today's Gospel by telling us that in it Jesus is communicating the necessity of "praying always". This is illustrated in dramatic fashion in the first reading when Moses's servants prop his arms up so that he can be "always praying" and the Israelites will win the battle. What does it mean for you and me to "pray always"?
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: God Blesses Those Who Humble Themselves
October 10, 2022 02:44 - 16 minutes - 8.05 MBToday's first reading features the story of Naaman the Aramean from the 2nd Book of Kings. Rereading this story from the 5th chapter of 2 Kings is well worth the time, as the story is highly symbolic and contains many nuggets of truth. Do we recognize that we are sick (physically or psychologically or morally or spiritually) and cannot help ourselves? Do we have the humility to seek the help that we cannot achieve for ourselves? Do we have the humility to seek Christ's healing in the Sacrame...
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?
October 02, 2022 21:11 - 14 minutes - 7.53 MBToday Jesus tells his disciples that if they have faith "the size of a mustard seed" they could perform miracles, even of commanding a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea! In the lives of the saints we see many examples of miracles performed through confident prayer to God -- miracles in the natural world but also the much more important miracles of conversion in the hearts of men. Today we explore what happens when God answers our prayers ... and what happens when he does no...
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What do we Owe the Poor?
September 26, 2022 17:00 - 16 minutes - 8.15 MBToday's Gospel of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a culmination point in a theme that Luke has been developing throughout the Gospel. We finally see the consequences of everything Jesus has been warning us about. Instead of using his money prudentially (by assisting the poor man in his need), the rich man squanders it (by keeping it to himself). Instead of being welcomed by Lazarus into eternal dwellings he find himself in torment. Lazarus, conversely, is welcomed into the bosom of Abraham. Such...
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Perplexing Parable of the Dishonest Steward
September 18, 2022 16:25 - 17 minutes - 8.41 MBIf you are confused by today's Gospel, you are in good company! A steward is accused of squandering a rich man's money, and before the steward is fired, he writes off a bunch of the debt owed to his master, and he is commended by his master for doing so. This makes very little sense, until we realize that we are the subject of this parable -- our wealth, which is merely "on loan" to us until we die, we can either squander by using it just for ourselves or we can make friends with it by givin...
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Prodigal Son: Which Brother are We?
September 12, 2022 16:15 - 15 minutes - 7.39 MBIn today's Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisee's accusation that he is too chummy with tax collectors and sinners by giving the moving parable of the Prodigal Son. In it two sons are juxtaposed -- one son's sins against his father are public and obvious (similar to the tax collectors and sinners) and one son's sins of the heart are more hidden but no less serious (like the Pharisees and scribes). What is the similarity and what is the difference between the two son? Both sons are sinners,...
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Put Jesus First
September 05, 2022 21:53 - 15 minutes - 7.78 MBIn today's Gospel Jesus has a shocking message for us: If you want to be his disciple, he must "hate" his parents and spouse and children and everyone else and also himself. While Jesus is clearly using the Semitic rhetorical technique that we would call "hyperbole", what does Jesus mean by this?
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Are We Friends with the Poor?
August 29, 2022 22:06 - 15 minutes - 7.43 MBIn today's Gospel on humility, Jesus indicates a remedy for pride, which is choosing to associate ourselves only with those who can offer some kind of "return" on our investment in them--people who have connections or influence or benefit us in some way, or people whose company we enjoy. But Jesus tells us today to have friends who do not provide us this "return", but rather cannot give us anything back because of their poverty and neediness. Do we have friends who are poor? This is what Jes...
August 21, 2022: Feast of St. Pius the Tenth
August 22, 2022 01:35 - 15 minutes - 7.74 MBThis year the Feast of St. Pius X falls on a Sunday, so we have the opportunity to celebrate the patronal feast of our parish. Let's learn more about our patron saint so that we can follow his example and grow closer to him in friendship. St. Pius X, pray for us!
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Stepping Out in Faith
August 07, 2022 19:53 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBToday’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the call of Abraham. In Genesis 12, God calls him to uproot his whole household and journey to the place that God has set apart for him. The catch is the God doesn’t tell him where he is going. Such is our life. And especially our life of faith. What enables Abraham to be obedient to God? His living relationship with God assured him that the One who calls him is trustworthy. May it be so for us as well!
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: When God Doesn’t Answer our Prayers
July 24, 2022 17:50 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBJesus makes it very clear in today’s Gospel that he wants us to ask for what we need and to do so with persistence. While we may experience God’s answering our prayer in the way we were hoping, what do we make of it when God doesn’t answer our prayer or seems to give us exactly the opposite of what we were wanting?
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The One Thing Necessary
July 19, 2022 00:12 - 13 minutes - 12 MBIn today’s Gospel Jesus says to Martha: “You are anxious and worried about many things. There is one thing that is needed.” Amidst the many concerns of our life, how can we focus on the “one necessary thing”, or rather, the only One needed… Jesus Himself. When we focus on the One, the many legitimate concerns fall into their proper order.
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Way Jesus Wants to Save Us
July 10, 2022 17:40 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBThis Sunday we hear the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. While the most obvious meaning of the parable is the moral lesson for us to come to the help of others, there is a deeper, symbolic meaning. Looking at the symbols Jesus uses we can see that he is the Good Samaritan and the sinner is the one left wounded and humiliated. We see not just THAT we should come to the rescue of others but how Jesus rescues US.
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Ill-Equipped Missionaries We Are
July 04, 2022 15:09 - 13 minutes - 12 MBI’m today’s Gospel Jesus sends out his Church ill-equipped and unprepared for their mission except one thing: The disciples who are sent out all know Jesus. And God will give them the grace they need to be successful on the mission. Today we hear some practical advice about how to bring the Gospel message to our family, friends, and coworkers.
On the Overturning of Roe vs. Wade
June 26, 2022 17:58 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBFriends, this weekend, instead of reflecting on the Sunday Mass readings as I typically do, I felt the Holy Spirit moving me to talk about what everyone else is talking about: the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade. May our whole nation, whether liberal or conservative, come together to support the dignity of every human life.
Corpus Christi: A Winstock-Sized Crowd is Hungry in Body and Soul
June 20, 2022 15:43 - 10 minutes - 9.51 MBToday’s Gospel finds Jesus with a huge crowd of people, and he miraculously provides for their physical hunger. At Mass we see how Jesus miraculously provides not for our physical hunger but rather for our spiritual need. As Jesus satisfied the empty bellies of the people, in the Eucharist he heals and fills the broken hearts of those who approach him with faith.
Trinity Sunday: God Reveals His Innermost Self
June 13, 2022 02:39 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBOn Trinity Sunday we celebrate the radical secret that God kept hidden for thousands of years, which was only manifest in the fullness of time, when his own Son took on human flesh and announced the coming of a third Person who also shared equally in the divinity of the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit. And this very Love that flows between Father and Son has been poured into our heart.
Last School Mass with our Seniors: What Will Be Your Legacy?
June 06, 2022 03:40 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBOur last Mass with our seniors was the Memorial of St Bernardine of Siena, who left his legacy and mark on Siena by inspiring many to place a symbol of the name of Jesus over the doorposts of their homes and businesses. 500 years later many remain. What will be YOUR legacy?
What Will Be Your Legacy?
June 06, 2022 03:40 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBOur last Mass with our seniors was the Memorial of St Bernardine of Siena, who left his legacy and mark on Siena by inspiring many to place a symbol of the name of Jesus over the doorposts of their homes and businesses. 500 years later many remain. What will be YOUR legacy?
Ascension Sunday: The Priesthood of Jesus
May 29, 2022 19:34 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBToday’s Second reading for this Ascension Sunday is taken from the letter to the Hebrews, and the book’s author has an interesting interpretation of the event of Christ’s Ascension into heaven. He sees Jesus, like the human high priest in the Temple, entering into the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the dwelling place of God. But Jesus does not enter like a human high priest with the blood of a bull or goat, but rather with his own blood, effectively atoning for the sins of the whole wor...
6th Sunday of Easter: The Unity of the Church
May 23, 2022 14:18 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBToday we use the Gospel for the 7th Sunday of Easter, taken from Christ’s great “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17. Christ prays a number of times “that they might be one.” Do we live out Christ’s desire for unity in the Church?
5th Sunday of Easter: Losing One’s Life to Find It
May 15, 2022 21:22 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MB“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” Jesus says these words when he sees Judas slipping out of the Upper Room to betray him to the Jewish authorities. It might seem like a strange moment to claim glory. Yet this is precisely what Jesus came to do: To give up his life for us on the Cross. To Jesus, this being-for-others is his glory. If we love as he loves, we will discover God’s glory in the same way.
The Importance of our Body
May 08, 2022 21:04 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBIn this homily from the 2nd Sunday of Easter we talk about what it means when Jesus says in Revelation, “Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever”. Jesus is not talking about simply his human soul but also his human body, a point emphasizes by all of the Resurrection accounts. Today we talk about how the resurrection of Jesus’s body tells us about the importance of our own body.
3rd Sunday of Easter: Swimming to Jesus
May 01, 2022 22:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBJohn’s Gospel gives us a very interesting detail in the last encounter we hear about in that Gospel between Jesus and his apostles. Peter is with the other disciples on the boat, and as soon as he recognizes that Jesus is in the water, he puts on clothes and jumps in the lake! In today’s homily for we explore the deeper meaning behind this enigmatic detail.
Divine Mercy Sunday: What does Confession have to do with the Resurrection of Jesus?
April 25, 2022 13:52 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBWhen the Apostles are gathered in the Upper Room and Jesus appears to them, the first word he says to the is “Peace”. If there were any question about whether he would accept them back as friends and companions after they abandoned him in his time of need, he clears it up here and restores their relationship with himself. He reconciles them to himself and to God the Father. Then he says, “As the Father has sent me so I send you.” In other words, as Jesus came to the world to reconcile people ...
Easter Sunday 2022: The Women Discover the Empty Tomb
April 17, 2022 17:15 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBHappy Easter!
Good Friday 2022: Standing with Mary at the Foot of the Cross
April 15, 2022 22:41 - 7 minutes - 6.67 MBIn John’s account of the passion we are given a few special details. Standing at the foot of the cross are a few women who gaze with sorrow and love at Jesus Crucified. His mother and beloved disciple John are there too, and Jesus invited John to make Mary his mother, and the Scripture tells us he “took her into his own”, into the deepest part of himself, into his heart we could say. Let’s imitate these holy ones as we gaze upon Jesus our Crucified Lord— standing with Mary, taking her into ou...
Holy Thursday 2022: The Eucharist, the Priesthood, and Jesus’s Hour
April 15, 2022 13:45 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBIn the unique liturgy of Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, our readings focus on the two Sacraments instituted at the Last Supper: the Eucharist and the Priesthood. The ritual washing of the feet reminds us that Jesus wants his priests—and all of his followers—to use whatever position they have to serve their brother and sister. And the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the beautifully decorated altar of repose transports of to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus suffers ...
5th Sunday in Lent: The Mystery of the Meeting of Christ and the Adulterous Woman
April 04, 2022 01:13 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBMysteries abound when it comes to today’s Gospel of Christ and the woman caught in adultery. The first is the mystery of origin: Where does this passage come from? Jesus’s writing on the ground is a mystery and hat has beguiled pastors and saints up until the present day. And the mystery of why the Church has us hear this Gospel right before we celebrate Palm Sunday at the end of Lent. There is more here in the story than meets the eye!
4th Sunday of Lent: God’s Tender Mercy for the Sinner
March 28, 2022 01:48 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBThe story of the Prodigal Son is one of the most moving ever told. How does God see the sinner, even one who has committed the most serious betrayal? With such love and desire that God waits for the first sign of the sinner’s return, running to meet us and restoring us to his friendship. This is the lesson of the Prodigal Son. May we always believe no matter what that God will always take us back.
3rd Sunday in Lent: God is not a Being
March 20, 2022 22:16 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBIn today’s first reading, we hear God reveal to Moses the mystery of his identity: I AM WHO AM. Catholic tradition helps us to interpret what this means. God is not one being among many beings (like us). He is, as Aquinas taught, ipsum esse—to be itself. While beings have a competitive stance between, God, who is the sheer act of being, is not in competition with creatures but actually brings them to perfection. The burning bush is a sign of this: The fire of God’s love does not destroy us bu...
To Never Leave the Temple: A Reflection on Widowhood
March 14, 2022 02:17 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBFrom our Morning of Recollection for Widows. Reflecting on the widow Anna who recognized Jesus as the Christ when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple.
1st Sunday in Lent: Jesus Tempted Like I Am Tempted
March 06, 2022 20:37 - 16 minutes - 15 MBJesus’s baptism shows us how he has fully embraced our sinful human nature, and the temptations which immediately follow show us the consequences of this choice: Not only does Jesus take on our physical and psychological nature but our inner life too, including the painful and humiliating reality of our unwanted thoughts and temptations. Today we reflect on the the fact that the author to the Letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in a every way that we are but without sinning…...
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Removing the Wooden Beam for Lent
February 27, 2022 22:16 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBIn today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that in order to see clearly, first we must remove the wooden beam in our own eye. What is the obstacle in our life that keeps us from the conversion God desires for us? Let’s make that—our growth in holiness—our first priority and the logic behind our Lenten discipline this year.
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Freeing Power of Forgiveness
February 20, 2022 17:18 - 15 minutes - 7.52 MBToday Jesus tells us about the person who is totally free: The one who can love their enemies, let go of hurts, cancel debts. How free we would feel if we could live this way. We would be experiencing divine freedom, because we would be free to love as God is free. One of the great processes that leads to greater freedom is the process of forgiveness. Today we reflect on how forgiveness leads to interior freedom.
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Going into Deep Water with Jesus
February 09, 2022 00:54 - 15 minutes - 7.77 MBAfter boldly getting into the boat of Simon, Jesus boldly asks him to put out into the shallow waters so that Jesus can preach to the people on the shore. And then, even more boldly, Jesus commands Simon to go out into deep water. The symbolism here is that Jesus doesn't want to remain in the shallows with us but rather to bring us into the deep. Leaving our surface-level relationship and moving into a deeper relationship with Jesus our life can finally be fruitful. And it's there that we'll...
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Hearts Turned against Jesus
January 31, 2022 01:06 - 14 minutes - 7.21 MBIn today's shocking Gospel we see Jesus's fellow townspeople at one moment looking at him with delight and admiration and one moment later infuriated and wanting to do him violence. Their hearts turned against Jesus. Each one of us, fallen as we are, have desires for the good and also the capacity to resist the good. When we feel this resistance and an awareness of our sinfulness it's important that we do what the faithful of Israel did -- bringing their sinful hearts to Jesus, who came to b...
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Human Person is Indispensable, not Disposable
January 24, 2022 15:55 - 12 minutes - 6.16 MBJesus's dramatic announcement in the synagogue at Nazareth at the beginning of his public ministry reminds us that the sign of the coming of the Messiah is the liberation of the human person in the various ways that he is enslaved. This theme of the dignity of the human person runs throughout the Scriptures and comes to its perfection in Jesus, who became man. This weekend we reflect on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade in light of the Gospel affirmation of the dignity of the human person, esp...