Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent From the middle, you can't see the end. From the middle, you can't see the end. But just know you're making progress, even if you don't feel it. John 4:5-42

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent Every story has a title. Does one moment define the whole thing? There is often a speech that lives inside each of us. That speech can become the title of our story. Is that title marked by resentment? Or is there a larger event that can define our lives? Matthew 17:1-9

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent. Every story has a beginning. As we begin Lent, we are faced with the question: If I live the next 25 years of my life the way I've lived the past seven days, where will I end up? Who will I become? We are writing our life story with every choice that we make. Are we writing in rebellion? Or with God as the Co-Author? Matthew 4:1-11

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus didn't give us a new weight to carry, but a new way to carry the weight. We all have things that we NEED to do. When we show up knowing that we are doing what God has asked, there is the necessity to also do what God has asked us to do the WAY God has asked us to do it…with love. Matthew 5:17-37

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus, do not let what You did for me end with me. To have been given all that one needs...and then to not use it would be a tragedy. We are surrounded by the tragedy of wasted potential. But this doesn't have to be the end of our story. Matthew 5:13-16

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Do not give away what has real value for counterfeit happiness. There are many idols in our lives that promise the happiness that only God can give. The counterfeits of Wealth, Power, Pleasure, and Fame have taken all that people have and left them with nothing. Jesus gives us a new way to live...that actually leads to authentic happiness. Matthew 5:1-12a

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time The question is not IF God will show up, but HOW will God show up. There are times in our lives when it seems like there is no way forward. There are times when it seems like there is no way God can come through on His promises. There are times when it seems like God will not show up. But God always does in a way only He knows. Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17

Homily from the (week in Church year.) Subtitle Description Gospel

Homily from the The Baptism of the Lord The traps of believing we are God's advisors...or His performers. Baptism changes us. It begins an entirely new life in each one of us. And yet, when we approach the Lord, we can be tempted to act, not as God's adopted children, but as His counselors or his performers. Matthew 3:13-17

Homily from the The Epiphany of the Lord Indifference can turn into hostility. Christ has come close. And yet, we all still have a choice: will we remain indifferent to His presence or will we seek Him out? If we choose indifference, we will not remain indifferent. When it comes to God, we either give Him our hearts or we remove Him from our lives. Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Resolve: I will not take these things for granted. We are surrounded by the amazing and miraculous every day. But we often miss it because our lives are too busy and too full. If we take a page out of Mary, the Mother of God's book, we would reflect on all these things...and no longer take them for granted. Luke 2:16-21

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph The "trad family" goes back farther than the 1950's... Men and women need to be authentically masculine and feminine for their marriages and families to thrive. But what IS authentic masculinity? What IS authentic femininity? Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Homily from The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) What if all I received was HIM this Christmas? We have waited for Jesus—and now that He is here, true gratitude is shown by living fully in the gift of His presence and love. John 1:1-18

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent What happens when I don't get what I've been waiting for? All through the Bible, God makes certain promises. He always fulfills them. But we cannot expect God to fulfill a promise that He has never made. No matter what, whether we get what we've waited for or not, we can hope in HIM. Matthew 1:18-24

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent In seasons of waiting, do we complain or praise? While we are waiting, it can feel like nothing is happening. And yet, faith tells us that God is at work even when we can't yet see the fruit. Rather than complaining while we wait, there is another option. Matthew 11:2-11

Homily from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day of the Immaculate Conception is not just a privilege for Mary: it's a prophecy for us. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception reveals God's plan to conquer sin not just by repairing what is broken, but by preparing a path where grace triumphs first. This Advent we are invited to enter into the "Sacrament of the Present Moment", where God offers real, life-changing grace in each moment we choose to be present to Him. Mary's unique "yes" reminds us to stop waiting and to respond to God's already-given grace with a wholehearted and immediate "yes". Luke 1:26-38

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. We worry while we wait. Advent teaches us not just to wait, but to trust while we wait. When we surrender worry and remember who God is, waiting becomes a place of grace instead of frustration. Matthew 3:1-12

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. The process is the point. When we are waiting, we often want to be "done". We want to be "there". We want our waiting to be over so that we can start living. But life happens right here and right now. And God is doing something right now. We do not simply endure waiting, we engage during the waiting. The declaration of faithful waiting is: I am confident that this moment is crucial. Matthew 24:37-44

Homily from The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The moment of victory is the moment of vulnerability. We often think that we win by being strong, or beautiful, or clever, or powerful. But Christ wins by another means. Christ the King, Lord of the Universe wins by choosing to empty Himself of all that we think we need to win. Luke 23:35-43

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Would you rather be admired? Or loved? The Day of the Lord is coming. When everything that is true about our hearts will be revealed. What should not be there must be burned up or transformed so that we can be fully known...and fully loved. Luke 21:5-19