12/25/18 But Why?

FromSunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

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12/25/18 But Why?

FromSunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

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19 minutes

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Mar 8, 2019

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Podcast episode

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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 62:11-12Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12Titus 3:4-7Luke 2:15-20

Released:

Mar 8, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

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12/09/18 The End?: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
21 min listen
11/04/18 Come to the Altar: Where's Your Altar?: 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? Whe by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
30 min listen
11/25/18 Come to the Altar: Kingdom Priesthood: Homily from the Thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
28 min listen
10/28/18 Rivals: Rival Voices: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
35 min listen
11/18/18 Come to the Altar: Learning to Worship: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
04/28/19 #Fail: Free to Fail: 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, by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
01/27/19 Disqualified: Prevented or Prepared?: 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 Re by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
22 min listen
02/03/19 Disqualified: Remarkably Average: 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. Bu by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
04/14/19 Behind Enemy Lines: Stand: 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 i by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
24 min listen
10/14/18 Rivals: The Reason is the Rival by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
28 min listen
12/25/18 But Why?: 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 Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
19 min listen
10/07/18 Rivals: All or Nothing by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
10/21/18 Rivals: The Rival of Control by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
30 min listen
03/17/19 Behind Enemy Lines: My Own Worst Enemy: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
02/24/19 Love Yourself: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
02/17/19 The Fighting Virtue: 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 ac by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
28 min listen
02/09/20 Good...For Nothing?: Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Refuse to live as salt and light, and the Father remains unknown, unloved, and unglorified. God trusts us with being His representatives in this world. He has made us His and He has made us good. But to what by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
22 min listen
12/02/18 Be Ready, Get Ready: 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… by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
22 min listen
06/09/19 The Peace of Christ: Homily from Pentecost Sunday. I know I have what I need. The promised Holy Spirit gives many gifts, but few are more powerful and profound than the Spirit’s gift of peace. Mass Readings from June 9, 2019: Acts 13:14, 43-52 Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 51 Corinthians by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
17 min listen
03/07/19 Behind Enemy Lines: Isolated and Disoriented: 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 ba by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
19 min listen
11/11/18 Come to the Altar: Hollow Worship: 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 f by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
29 min listen
10/20/19 The Hardest Step: The Next Step: Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Often, the next hardest step is the next step. Continuing to walk in the midst of failure, rejection, and imperfection is a sign of a great life. In your life, you will take hundreds of first steps. Bu by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
22 min listen
11/24/19 A King Who Remembers: Homily from the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Jesus loves you and He hasn’t forgotten you. It is easy to feel forgotten and forsaken…even by God. But God notices, loves, and remembers you. Mass Readings from November 24, 2019: by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
02/10/19 Disqualified: Unfit: 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 weakne by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
21 min listen
03/24/19 Behind Enemy Lines: Trust God...and Fight: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
06/30/19 We'll See: Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Transfer your primary allegiance. When following Jesus, the first things He invites us to give up are safety and control. Mass Readings from June 30, 2019: 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-1 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
19 min listen
01/20/19 Insufficient and Insignificant: 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 by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
16 min listen
05/12/19 #Fail: Failure is Feedback: 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 p by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
19 min listen
09/08/19 First Thing First: Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Out of everything in life, Jesus has to be first. In our lives, we continually divide ourselves and divide our hearts by giving away our small “yesses”. Jesus calls us to experience freedom, joy, and c by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
18 min listen
05/05/19 #Fail: The Only Way to Fail: 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 Psalm 30:2, 4, by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
24 min listen

More Episodes from Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

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04/21/24 Nunc Coepi: Season of Discouragement: Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Stand in the truth and do the next right thing. Life can easily overwhelm us, leaving us in a place where we feel beaten and in a season of discouragement. But choosing humility and hope...choosing to live the truth and to do the next right thing...is the key to living courageously. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
25 min listen
04/14/24 Nunc Coepi: Breaking Agreements: Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. The first step is to stop. Once we realize that we have to repent...that we are called to "change our minds"...the first step is to stop. To examine what it is that we are thinking and to which thoughts, sins, and false images of God we have made agreements with. And then to break those agreements in order to say "Now I begin". by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
31 min listen
04/07/24 Justice or Mercy?: Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday. Mercy is the love we need the most and deserve the least. We all want to get what we deserve. We want justice, and God is Just. But there are times when we need something more than justice...there are times when we might deserve justice, but need mercy. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
31 min listen
03/31/24 Necessary or Accessory: Homily from Easter Sunday. Are Jesus and the Mass merely optional...or essential? We have such full lives and such small hearts that we are relieved when things get cancelled. But, for the things that are necessary, we would be devastated if we missed them. Who Jesus is to us will determine our response when we are not able to get to Mass or receive the Eucharist. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
18 min listen
03/29/24 The Man of Sorrows: Homily from Good Friday. Jesus won the world in His weakness. We would like for our Lord to be triumphant in His conquering of sin and death. But the people around Him as He saved the world were largely ignorant, indifferent, or antagonistic. Yet, Jesus won the world through His wounds. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
13 min listen
03/28/24 Three Sadnesses of Holy Thursday: Homily from Holy Thursday, the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. We all have unique sadnesses. Jesus enters into all of them. Holy Thursday is a day that marks the gift of the Priesthood, the Eucharist, Christ's humble service, and the beginning of the Triduum. Today, we reflect on Peter, Judas, and Jesus in their unique sadnesses. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
19 min listen
03/24/24 He Leadeth Me: Enter the Story: Homily from Palm Sunday. You are meant to be a part of the story. As Christians, we know the Story and we believe the Story. We know how God has saved the world by entering into suffering and death. But we are called to more; we are called to participate in the Story. Our apostolate is marked by Acceptance, Access, and Action. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
03/17/24 He Leadeth Me: The Simple Secret: Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent. You don't have to find God's will in this moment and these circumstances...this moment and these circumstances are God's will for you. The greatest lesson that anyone of us can learn is simple, but it is not always easy: you can trust God in every moment and all circumstances. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
31 min listen
03/10/24 He Leadeth Me: Owned By the Past: Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent. We often feel owned by the past or powerless in the present. Once something is broken, is it really lost forever? by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
25 min listen
03/03/24 He Leadeth Me: The Greatest Grace: Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent. The greatest grace is to know the depth of our brokenness and to know the depth of His love. Father Walter wanted to be like his heroes. We all want to think that we will be strong in the moment of truth. But the actual moment of truth comes after our weakness has been revealed. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
29 min listen
02/25/24 He Leadeth Me: As Long As...: Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent. If I know Who, then I can say yes without knowing why. Do I have any conditions on my response to God? Will I pray or serve or say yes to Him as long as I understand why He is asking? by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
25 min listen
02/18/24 He Leadeth Me: Great Expectations: Homily from the First Sunday of Lent. When expectation meets reality, we have a choice. All of our lives are marked by a certain degree of expectation. But what do we do when we encounter the reality of life? We can choose to either avoid reality or accept reality. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
25 min listen
02/14/24 Ash Wednesday: Hope, Faith, Love in Lent: Homily from Ash Wednesday. We hope He sees. We have faith it matters to Him. We do it because He said so. During Lent, we have the chance to make our lives an act of hope, faith, and love. More than growing in discipline or self-improvement, Lent is a chance to live what we believe by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
15 min listen
02/11/24 Holy Moments: His Moments: Homily from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The moments are holy when the moments are His...and the moments are His when the motive is Him. When something is dedicated, it is transformed. It is elevated and becomes something more. When a moment is dedicated to God, it becomes a holy moment. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
18 min listen
02/04/24 Holy Moments: Shared Moments: Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can only share what you have. Holy moments are shared moments. We share like Jesus (and make moments holy) when we are generous and honest. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
01/28/24 Holy Moments: Present Moment: Homily from the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Holy Moment is the present moment. When we live lives of distraction we cannot live lives of wonder or joy or holiness. Distraction steals life away because it takes us away from the present moment. And the present moment is the only moment that has the potential to be a holy moment. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
23 min listen
01/21/24 Holy Moments: Ordinary Moments: Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Holy moments are ordinary moments reconsidered. An ordinary life is not an obstacle to a holy life. In fact, every extraordinary life is made up of ordinary moments that we choose to make into holy moments. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
20 min listen
01/14/24 Claimed and Called: Homily from the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. God has a claim on your life...and God has a call for your life. We can often be hesitant to make decisions in life. Not only because we do not want to make the wrong decision, but also because we want to make the best decision. But the point of life is not merely to optimize our happiness. We experience a new freedom and meaning when we realize that our lives are not our own...and we live to respond to God's call. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
01/07/24 Worship is the Only Proper Response: Homily from the Epiphany of the Lord. We give God our best, our heart, and what He has asked for. As we know, the heart of religion is worship. But we need to put our hearts into worship. We give God our best, our heart, and what God has asked for. Not because He needs anything, but because it is right and just. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
20 min listen
12/31/23 Family Life: Homily from the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The Holy Family was holy, but not without struggles. Jesus entered into this broken world by entering into the reality that all of us have experienced: family life. He did not insulate Himself from the harsh realities of life by embracing a life of wealth. Rather, all He had was borrowed. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
14 min listen
12/25/23 The Amateur: Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas). The reality is that God is not a professional. He is an amateur. There are many things in life where we merely like the "idea" of that thing. The reality is another story, because the reality makes demands on us. Christmas is a reminder that we not only cannot love the "idea" of God, but that He does not merely love the idea of us. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
18 min listen
12/24/23 Main Character: No Small Parts: Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Whatever You ask of me, the answer is yes. One of the more challenging reminders of this series is that God is the point of all of this. He is not only the Main Character, but this is also His Story. Nonetheless, we have been given a role; we have been created and redeemed in order to play our part. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
15 min listen
12/17/23 Main Character: Don't Wait: Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent. We won't be able to rejoice, pray, or give thanks always unless we rejoice, pray, and give thanks now. Main Character syndrome can lead us to believe that we are in control. But there are many circumstances that are out of our control. We can often only control how we respond to our circumstances. As Christians, we choose to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
21 min listen
12/10/23 Main Character: Perfect: Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent. Perfectionism can move us from caring to quitting. Spiritual perfectionism can lead people who care about the Faith and who love God to a place of harshness and hurry so much that they just want to give up. But the Gospel reminds us that God is gentle and patient. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
26 min listen
12/8/23 The New Eve: Homily from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary was preserved from sin by the merits of her Son's life, death, and resurrection. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a testament to God's goodness. He gives what we need for the mission to which we have been called. And He calls all of us to enter into deeper relationship with the Family of God by cultivating a relationship with Mary, the Mother of God. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
14 min listen
12/3/23 Main Character: An Average Star: Homily from the First Sunday of Advent. You are God. I am not. When we encounter the true and living God, there is only one response...it involves six little words, but makes a world of difference. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
25 min listen
11/26/23 Based On a True Story: Unwritten: Homily from the Solemnity of Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Your part of the story (Act IV) remains unwritten. Jesus has bridged the unbridgable gap between God and humanity. We can believe that and remain unchanged. But if we are willing to respond, we can write the final act of the story. We can place ourselves under the Lordship of Christ and live an entirely new life. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
30 min listen
11/19/23 Based On a True Story: Otherwise: Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. It could have been otherwise. We have been created good by the good God. But we have been captured by sin, death, and slavery. In Jesus, God has rescued us and transferred us into His Kingdom…His family. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
29 min listen
11/12/23 Based On a True Story: Kakangelion: To join in the mission of bulldogCatholic through this year's Give to the Max campaign, please donate here: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Newman-Catholic-Campus-Ministries-At-Umd Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. There's good news and there's bad news. We have heard the first part (Act One) of the Good News. But before we can move forward, we need to be aware of and understand why things are so broken. Before anything else, we need the bad news. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
30 min listen
11/5/23 Based On a True Story: The Gospel of God: To join in the mission of bulldogCatholic through this year's Give to the Max campaign, please donate here: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Newman-Catholic-Campus-Ministries-At-Umd Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. Am I basing my life on the gospel of the world or the Gospel of God? We are surrounded by stories. Stories that try to make sense of the world. But not every story is true. In fact, there are many stories that are false. We are called to base our lives on the true story… The story of the Gospel of God. by Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz
34 min listen

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12/25/18 But Why?

12/25/18 But Why?

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Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz