Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our words disclose, disguise, and direct our hearts. The words we use are powerful. They can build up and they can destroy. But they can also reveal our character. Mass Readings from February 27, 2022: 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. Vulnerability is having enough courage and self-possession to let life in. All of our fears stem from the fact that we are woundable. We care about rejection, inadequacy, and the future because we know that all of those things have the potential to hurt us, But the fear of being vulnerable does not have to define our lives. Mass Readings from February 20, 2022: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 Psalms 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-131 Corinthians 15:45-49 Luke 6:27-38

Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are called to do today what prepares us for the challenge of tomorrow. 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 February 13, 2022: Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalms 1:1-4, 61 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The fear of being inadequate is the fear that I won't be able to rise to the challenge. Fear is a gift. It is meant to keep us alive. But it can also keep us from living. There are two sources of fear are our biology and the stories we tell ourselves. We may not be able to change our biology, but we can change the stories we tell. Mass Readings from February 6, 2022: Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 138:1-5, 7-81 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11

Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Do not sacrifice your identity and integrity on the altar of approval. We all need acceptance. It is a basic human requirement. But we also must have the courage and freedom to know who we are and what we are about independent of the accepting group. Mass Readings from January 30, 2022: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 Psalms 71:1-6, 15-171 Corinthians 12:31—13:13 Luke 4:21-30

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Imagine living your entire life and not knowing why. The return of the exiled Jews from Babylon was a great gift. But it also highlighted the reality that many of them did not know why they were Jewish. Do Catholics know why they are Catholic? Or do we lose our way precisely because we have lost our why? Mass Readings from January 23, 2022 Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10 Psalms 19:8-10, 151 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus changes shame into joy. There are certain things, certain failures, embarrassments, and shames, that could define our lives. There are certain events that could define our lives in a negative way unless something changes. Jesus can change those things. Mass Readings from January 16, 2022: Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalms 96:1-3, 7-101 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11

Homily from the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus changed the water. Now the water changes you. Why was Jesus baptized? Not because He needed it, but because we need it. We need baptism to be saved, to be children of God, and to be in a new and real relationship with God. Mass Readings from January 9, 2022: Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7 Psalms 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10Acts 10:34-38 Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord. Worship can help us escape the trap that life is about us. When life is about us, it is not food for the human heart. When we realize that life is about Someone other than us, we are allowed to have a heart that is larger…a heart that is large enough to give. Mass Readings from January 2, 2022: Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12

Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Family is the School of Love. Everyone is part of a family in some way. Be careful with each other. Mass Readings from December 26, 2021: Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:41-52