Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

The account of Jesus's ascension into heaven in the Acts of the Apostles gives us the detail that Jesus is taken up in a cloud. From a Scriptural perspective, this is a sign that Jesus is not going "up, up, and away" but rather into God. This actually the meaning of what we profess in the Nicene Creed: "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father." Jesus goes into the realm of God, which is also heaven. As Pope Benedict taught, heaven is not a place but a person. To enter into Jesus is to enter into heaven.

In today's Gospel Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you." Clearly Jesus is distinguishing his own peace from the peace that the world has to offer, but what is the difference? How can we seek Christ's peace and not simply  what the world considers to be peace?

We recognize our graduating seniors this Sunday at Holy Family, and we have a beautiful Gospel with which to do so. Jesus commands his disciples (and us): "As I have loved you, so you must also love one another." What does Jesus mean by "love" and is his meaning different from the way we usually understand it? Is he commanding us to have warm feelings for each other? To like each other? We explore the various meanings of "to love" in Greek and look at how Jesus uses the word "agape" to define what he means by love.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, the Church and world rejoice that a new Shepherd for the Church has been named, Pope Leo XIV. The Gospels make it clear both that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that he Shepherds through Peter (and by extension through the bishops and their priests). May we rejoice today that Jesus is our Shepherd and that He shepherds us through the Church!

In today's Gospel, Jesus is standing by a charcoal fire, and he invites his disciples to come towards him for breakfast. There is a deeper significance going on here, because the last time we saw a charcoal fire in the Gospel, it was in the courtyard of the high priest, while Jesus was awaiting trial. Peter stood by the fire, warming himself, and it was there that three times he denied knowing Jesus. Now at this charcoal fire, Jesus invites Peter to confess his love for him three times, forgiving his previous three betrayals. What a marvelous gift that Jesus gives Peter today: The gift of "re-con-cilia-tion" -- coming eyelash to eyelash (i.e. intimately close) with Jesus again.

Happy Easter! I've finally been watching "The Chosen" series, and I love it. Although it goes far beyond the Scriptural narrative, it makes me think about the personal stories of those who surround Jesus. How did they come to follow Jesus? What is their story? As we hear about the bravery of Mary Magdalene this morning, who not only accompanied Jesus on the Way of the Cross but also courageously visited his tomb on Easter morning, we can wonder, "What is her Jesus story?" What is mine? What is yours?

In today's Passion account from John's Gospel, the author goes out of his way to tells us that the narrative begins and end in a garden. Obviously, the author is hearkening back to the beginning of Genesis and the Garden of Eden. It was there, as a result of man's disobedience, that man lost favor with God and was exiled from the garden. But now in this new garden, the New Adam has responded to God with obedience, thus cancelling out my death sentence for my own disobedience. Let us venerate the cross today with great gratitude, as Jesus has suffered for my sins in order to bring me healing, wholeness, and reconciliation with God.

Tonight the Church gives us the Gospel of John, which gives us a unique account of the Last Supper. Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, and then tells them that they must do the same. Tonight we celebrate the Institution of the Priesthood and two of the Sacraments that only the priest can celebrate: Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Today as we reflect on the Passion narrative from Luke's Gospel, we can't help but see how the totality of evil and human dysfunction flood over Jesus. But we also can't help but see what comes from Jesus during the Passion: healing and forgiveness and mercy. May we always see the Passion as our safe harbor and refuge as Jesus suffers the consequences for our sins and reconciles us to the Father!

In today's 2nd reading from Philippians, Paul tells us that he considers all of this as "loss". If we open our Bibles, we realize what is the "this" he is talking about: Paul has a pure, Jewish heritage, and he has been a faithful follower of the Law. For much of his life he took pride in this privilege and accomplishment. Yet, when he met Christ, he was radically changed. From thence forward, he knew that his righteousness would come from Christ and not from his own achievement. May we too leave not only a life of sin behind but also a life of identifying with our own achievements. May we discover our true identity only in Christ, the beloved son or daughter of the Father!

This Sunday's amazing readings bring us back to the heart of our faith: Christ has accomplished his Passover for us, and we have been saved by the baptismal waters. Yet we remain in a period of trial and testing until we ourselves reach the Promised Land. What rejoicing there is in heaven when we repent and return to the Father, who makes us into a new creation: His Son.

Jesus responds in a most surprising (and off-putting) way to those who bring him the news of yet another atrocity committed against believers by the Roman legate Pontius Pilate: Instead of saying, "Oh, how terrible that he did that to those people," he says, "Unless you repent you will all die as they did." Jesus's unmistakable message today is, "Repent!" May we respond during this Lenten season to this urgent command of our Savior!

In the Transfiguration of Jesus, Christ's divine nature shines forth in a strange and wonderful way. Interestingly, this revelation of his divinity does not diminish or destroy Jesus's humanity in any way but it is precisely through and out of Jesus's humanity that the divine light shines forth! In our life, too, grace does not lessen our humanity but rather it elevates, enlightens, and glorifies it.

As Adam was driven into the wilderness because of sin, so Christ goes out into the desert wilderness to rescue us from our exile.

Homily from Ash Wednesday 2025.

Today Jesus gives us the very humorous image of a man in need of assistance with a sliver with his eye, and the person who wants to help him has a beam in his own eye! For those of us who are inclined to help others with their issues, Jesus commands, "Remove the beam from your own eye first." What is the beam in my eye? That would make a great focal point for us for our efforts this Lent! In order for us to lead others in faith, which Jesus is asking of us, we first must be healed of our own blindness and be rid of that beam!

In our very challenging Gospel today, Jesus commands us to love our enemies. We could include within this category anyone whom we really struggle to love. St. Thomas Aquinas gives us a definition of love that is very important for us to understand Jesus's command, saying, love is "willing the good of the other as other." We may have strongly negative feelings towards someone, but, since love is not a feeling but rather a choice for the good of the other, we can still love despite negative feelings. We can will the good of the other. To do so is to love like our Heavenly Father, who loves all -- whether we respond to his love in the way he hopes ... or not.

In Luke's Beatitudes, basically everything that I try to avoid -- like poverty, sadness, hunger, and being disliked -- Jesus says is good for me. How easy is it for us to be attached more to earthly things than to God! It is my poverty, experienced in different ways, that helps me to live and embrace my identity as beloved son of the Father, on whom I am completely dependent. What a blessing it is to be poor and needing everything from God!

In today's gospel Peter allows Jesus to get in his boat, and, even though he had just spent a fruitless night fishing, goes back to deep water and lowers his nets, all at the command of Jesus. The fish slam into the net. If we want our life to be fruitful, then we must say 'yes' to Jesus and do whatever he tells us to do!

Today for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (traditionally known as "Candlemas"), the liturgy has us process into the church each holding a lit candle. The symbolism here is that Christ has now passed his light on to us, and we are to burn brightly in the world, attracting many living in darkness to Christ, the true Light. Christians throughout the centuries have done this, often effecting great changes for the good in civil society, and sometimes, even changing the world. May our light shine in the darkness!

In today's second reading from St. Paul's 1st Letter to the Corinthians, the author uses the make-up of the human body to help us understand the Church. As the human body is composed of various parts, all with different yet essential functions for the health of the whole, so the body of the Church is also composed of members with different yet essential functions, which Paul calls "charisms." Have you ever thought about how God has gifted you with unique gifts to assist in the building up of the Church? What is your charism, and are you using it?

It's very strange to imagine this strange event that inaugurates the public ministry of Christ: The holy and sinless Lord standing in line with sinners to be baptized. It makes sense that sinners like you and me would present themselves to John to confess their sins and be baptized, drowning the sins of their old life in the waters and emerging, resolved to live a new life. Why does Christ present himself to be baptized? Not to receive forgiveness for his own sins but for ours. Not so that he can live a new life but so that we can. Christ takes our own sins to the waters baptism, on our behalf, as if they were his own sins. Now that is radical solidarity!

St. Matthew includes an interesting detail in the account of the visit of the Magi: When the wise men announce the star signaling the birth of the King of the Jews, King Herod was troubled and "all Jerusalem with him." What is clear is that those who are closed to the coming of the Christ have troubled hearts. And those, who, like the Magi, seek and find the Christ, have joy. Let's be like the Magi!

Today we celebrate the Motherhood of Mary and reflect on the great gift that it is for us to ourselves be children of Mary and also to bear Christ into the world. Happy New Year!

This week Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica, and today our own bishop inaugurates the Jubilee Year in our own diocese. God offers us extraordinary graces during this holy year -- make we welcome this invitation to make a new start with God and others, especially our family.

Every year I am struck by the poverty of the Nativity Scene: The Almighty God taking on the frailty of our human condition, being born in poverty to poor, insignificant parents. How can we not take this lesson from the manger scene: That God sees as the most important the ones who are least important to the world ... that he loves his poor little ones like you and me ... may we welcome him anew in our hearts this Christmastime!

In today's Gospel we see Mary going immediately from the astonishing message of the angel announcing her virginal motherhood to her traveling to care for her elderly & pregnant cousin Elizabeth. How was it possible for her to be so unselfish at such a dramatic time for her personally? It's because she was filled with God and thus emptied of self. As a result, her heart was wide open to receive others. 

On this "Gaudete Sunday" -- named for the first word of the Entrance Antiphon, which is "Gaudete", "Rejoice!" and symbolized by its rose liturgical color -- our second reading today echoes this them of joy. Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always!" This is a command for the Christian, and because we cannot "command" the way that we feel, he is communicating to us that joy is not a feeling but an act of the will, a result of our trust and confidence that God is good and that we are loved -- in good times and in bad!

Today we are introduced to the great Advent figure, St. John the Baptist, whose vocation was to prepare the way of the Lord as Isaiah had prophesied: "Every valley shall be filled and hill made low." To prepare the people to receive Jesus into their hearts, what did he do? He had the people come to confess their sins and receive a baptism of repentance. If we want Jesus to find our home in our hearts, we too have to acknowledge, repent, and be forgiven for our sins -- this reconciliation always proceeds communion. Like in human relationships, t is impossible to have communion with God without there first being reconciliation.

The readings on the 1st Sunday of Advent are always taken from the apocalyptic sections of the Scriptures, having to do with the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Judgment. Maybe we will live long enough to see these fearsome events that Jesus describes, which will precede his second coming in glory: the sun, moon, and stars failing and nations in great turmoil. But, in any case, we will live long enough to die, and the Lord, in his merciful love, will be trying to shake us out of our neglectfulness and complacence. He desires that all souls be prepared to meet him when he comes. May we attend to this Advent responsibility of watchfulness and vigilance so we are ready when he comes for us!

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the King who comes as the New Adam, to restore what was lost in the garden. He will not be like the first Adam, who allowed evil in the garden and allowed his bride to dialog with that malicious presence. Instead, he will be true steward and protector of the garden, as God intended the first Adam to be, and he will restore in us through grace what has been lost to us through sin.

As we reach the end of the liturgical year, our Scripture readings are taken from the apocalyptic sections of the Bible. The sections dealing with the "Apocalypse" have to do with the "unveiling" of reality to show the truth behind the surface. It would be a mistake for us to think that these passages are describing something in the future and thus irrelevant for us. In today's Gospel, after predicting the failure and collapse of the sun and moon and stars, Jesus says,  "This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place." All of the orientation points of our own life, everything upon which will have relied in this life, save God, is going away. We will lose everything! But, "when you see these things happening, know that he, the Lord, is near, at the gates."

Today's Scriptures are about two women -- both poor widows -- widows being one of the most vulnerable groups in Israel -- who have nothing to give. Both women end up giving even the nothing they have, and both women are praised for their trust in God, who will give us everything when we're willing to give even the nothing that we have.

Why do we have priests? As we continue our reading through the Letter to the Hebrews in our Sunday readings, it is clear that the theme of the Priesthood of Christ is so important to the author. Christ's Priesthood, which was perfect, fulfilled and brought to completion the Old Testament priesthood. The Last Supper, then, was the institution of the New Testament priesthood, which is a sharing in the priesthood of Christ.

The veneration of the saints has been a constant tradition in the Christian Church. In this homily we explore the reasons given to us by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Our second reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews has this important comment regarding the priesthood: "No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God." A man does not choose the priesthood. God chooses the man to be ordained a priest. May our reflection help us to treasure more and more the gift that he gives to the world in the priesthood!

In today's Gospel, the rich young man approaches Jesus and engages him in a dialogue regarding how he might inherit eternal life. At the end of the exchange, Jesus invites him to give up his possessions and to follow him. The young man, choosing his possessions over Jesus, went away sad. The world tempts us with power, money, possessions, or beauty, but when we choose these goods over Jesus we end up not happy but sad.

In today's Gospel, we have the clearest teaching of Jesus regarding marriage in the whole New Testament. This gives us the opportunity to reflect on the gift of marriage as well as on how the Church strives to live Jesus's teaching through its own laws regarding marriage.

Today's first reading and gospel tell similar stories. God is blessing those who are seen as "outsiders", and the result is suspicion and jealousy on the part of the disciples of both Moses and Jesus. How often we compare and judge and end up sowing division in our parishes, communities, and country! Division is exactly what the Enemy wants. May we strive for humility, understanding, and forgiveness so that we may have the unity that Christ desires for us.

In our Gospel today, the disciples are caught debating amongst themselves who in their group is the greatest. The irony of this worldly argument they were making is that they were doing this precisely as Jesus was again predicting that he would suffer and die at the hands of men. The Master would not achieve success in the eyes of the world but rather the opposite: He would be humiliated, but God would raise him up. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we too are all too easily caught up in this game of trying to achieve power, wealth, pleasure, and privilege. How can we be freed from our addiction to these worldly goals? Jesus gives us a remedy in today's Gospel.

In today's Gospel, Jesus addresses the disciples personally: "Who do you say that I am?" How would I answer this question? Do I make Jesus in my own image? Or do I allow Jesus to reveal himself to me as He is?

In today's Gospel we have one of a number of confrontations Jesus has with the Pharisees in the Gospel. Who were they? The Pharisees were a group within Judaism that were devoutly religious, traditional, and that took the Law with great seriousness. What was Jesus's problem with them? Their issue was not that they were pious or tried to follow the Law perfectly; rather, the problem was that they were so hyper focused on the minute details of the Law that they forget the most important things, like justice, mercy, and love. This is why Jesus called them "white-washed tombs" -- looking good on the outside but corrupted and rotten on the inside. May we too, in our religious pursuits, never lose sight of what is the most important!

Our readings providentially align this Sunday as we conclude John 6 and have Paul's teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5 as our 2nd reading. The last five weeks we have meditated on the Eucharist as Jesus speaks about it in the clearest way in the Gospels. The reading from St. Paul makes the point that the true marriage is that which obtains between Christ the Divine Bridegroom and the Church, his Bride. Where is this marriage consummated? In the same place where we consume Christ's Body and Blood. He gives his Body to his Bride, and as she receives this gift of her Husband, becomes One with Him. 

For this first Sunday back in our church following our restoration work, very providentially, our Gospel presents us with the most clear teaching in the whole New Testament on the Eucharist. In John 6, Jesus clearly teaches that the bread that comes down from heaven is his flesh and blood, true food and drink. The constant teaching of the Church is that, when the priest prays the words of consecration over the bread and wine, those elements receive a new substance, ceasing to be bread and wine (although their physical appearance does not change) and becoming the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.

In today's first reading we see the great, heroic, and courageous prophet Elijah collapsing from exhaustion and discouragement. He shares his desperation with God in a prayer. God answers by sending him food and drink, which gives him strength to walk another 40 days and nights. In today's Gospel Jesus says, 'I am the living bread come down from heaven.' When we have lost our strength and cannot go on, God provides Himself as the food and drink that we need to give us the strength that we ourselves do not have.

As we continue our journey through John 6, Jesus says something that strikes to the heart: "Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life." How much time and energy we spend laboring for that which does not ultimately fulfill us. May we truly take to heart Jesus's words for us in the Gospel and living accordingly: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me will have eternal life."

In John's Gospel there are always two levels at play: The literal level of the text and the theological level, the something "deeper" at work. In today's narrative, Jesus looks out at the crowd of people and sees that they are hungry (whether they themselves realize it or not). That is what is happening on the literal level. But on a spiritual level, we see how Jesus sees their hunger for God and how he will come to feed them, as the rest of John's sixth chapter plays out, with his very self.

In this Gospel where we see Jesus's identity as the Good Shepherd, who has compassion on his people, we see how Jesus also has compassion on his disciples, the ones who will be shepherd's after his own heart. Jesus wants his disciples to come to him to process what has happened in the course of the mission so that he can encourage them. May we see Jesus's desire to minister to us after we have ministered to others!

Today we reflect on the powerful text by St. Paul, who speaks of the "thorn in the flesh" that god has allowed him. Over and over again Paul begged God to take that affliction--whatever it was--away from him, but God responded to him: "My Grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in your weakness." Amidst our own thorns in the flesh -- and each of us has one -- may we have the perspective of Paul who was able to see that God was accomplished good through the persistent struggle that he allowed him.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, and I celebrate my 14th anniversary of the priesthood! May we always experience the priesthood through the lens of love: Jesus reveals his love to chosen men so that they will bring that love into the world.

In today's Gospel we have two incredible healing stories, both involving women with conditions that would leave someone who comes into contact with them unclean. Yet the holiness of Jesus is such that he can only render clean. Jesus cannot be soiled by our own messiness but can only cleanse and order that which comes into contact with him. So this is encouragement for us today to bring our messiness (and the messiness of others) to him so we can receive in faith the healing we so desire!