Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz - Episodes Tagged with “Advent”

Episode 123139: 12/25/25 Waiting Well: Worth the Wait

Ascension — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:45:00 -0600

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.

Mass Readings from December 25, 2025:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
Hebrews 1:1-6

Episode 123137: 12/14/25 Waiting Well: Praise While We Wait

Ascension — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 11:45:00 -0600

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.

Mass Readings from December 14, 2025:
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
Psalm 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
James 5:7-10

11/27/22 Closer Than You Think: 29 Days

Ascension — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:45:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

You are made for more than a secondhand relationship with God.

We have 29 days until Christmas. And so much can change in that time. If we are willing to commit to spending 29 minutes every day for the next 29 days...if we are willing to beg the Lord to reveal Himself to us...everything could be different in just 29 days.

Mass Readings from November 27, 2022:
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalms 122: 1-9
Romans 13:11-14

12/05/21 Abounding Love: What is Worth Your Heart?

Ascension — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

Abounding love is focused love.

Too often, we do not love well because we do not discern what is worth loving; we don't pay attention to the value of things. Because of this, our love becomes diluted. But when we truly appreciate the value of the moment or the value of the person, we develop an attitude of abundance coupled with an awareness of scarcity. And while we love with our hearts, we discern what is worth loving with our heads.

Mass Readings from December 5, 2021:
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126:1-3, 4-6
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

11/28/21 Abounding Love: No Room

Ascension — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 21:00:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

Two things are clear about the inn at Bethlehem: Love Incarnate showed up and there was no room for Him.

Too often, we want to love the way we have been created to love. But we find ourselves incapable of loving this way. Not because we aren't willing or because we don't want to...but because our lives are simply too full. We have no room to love.

Mass Readings from November 28th, 2021:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2

12/20/20 Silent Waiting

Ascension — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Silence magnifies and waiting purifies.

Waiting is not meant to be wasted. The chance to wait in silence is often given by God to serve a purpose...above all to change our faith into something new.

Mass Readings from December 20, 2020:
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
Psalms 89:2-5, 27, 29
Romans 16:25-27

12/13/20 "I Am Not"

Ascension — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 15:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Third Sunday of Advent.

No one can take from you what doesn’t belong to you.

We all have the temptation to pretend to be someone or something other than we are. To pass ourselves off as someone else…to be an imposter. We do this most often when we know the truth but live in fear of the truth. John the Baptist shows us what it looks like to know the truth and live in the freedom of the truth.

Mass Readings from December 13, 2020:
Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11
Luke 1:46-50, 53-54
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

12/06/20 Legacy

Ascension — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 17:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

We can’t go back to the beginning of the story, but we can start where we are and change the ending.

Saint Peter reveals that the Day is coming when The Story will have been written. On that day, everything will be revealed and we will know God’s hidden role in every moment of The Story…and we will know the truth and consequences of our roles in The Story. We will know our legacy.

Mass Readings from December 6, 2020:
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Psalms 85:9-12, 13-14
2 Peter 3:8-14

11/29/20 Be Here

Ascension — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 14:00:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

God will not just get us through this moment…He has brought us to this moment.

Too often, we find ourselves just wanting this moment to be “done." We miss out on the miracle of the moment because we see what is happening as something that is getting in the way of life. But this is life. There is not another one we are waiting for. We need to learn to trust that God is not just going to help us get through this moment, but that He has brought us to this moment.

Mass Readings from November 29, 2020:
Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9

12/22/19 Available and Capable

Ascension — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 09:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Emmanuel. God is working with us to save the world.

God does not need us. But He has demonstrated that He does not want to heal, transform, or save the world without our help. He only needs us to be the kind of people who are willing and able.

Mass Readings from December 22, 2019:
Isaiah 7:10-14
Psalms 24:1-6
Romans 1:1-7

12/08/19 The Gift That Changes Everything

Ascension — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Second Sunday of Advent.

To be gripped by God is not supposed to be comfortable.

The Prophet says that the great gift of the Spirit is the fear of the Lord. But what is it?

Mass Readings from December 8, 2019:
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Romans 15:4-9

12/01/19 Before Goodbye

Ascension — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 08:00:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Advent.

We do not know when, but we do know what.

Goodbyes can be painful. But what makes goodbyes even more painful is when we are not ready for the leaving or letting go. The goodness of the goodbye comes down to what we do with the time before goodbye.

Mass Readings from December 1, 2019:
Isaiah 4:2-6
Psalms 122:1-9
Romans 13:11-14

12/02/18 Be Ready, Get Ready

Ascension — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 07:00:00 -0600

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…or at the end of our individual lives. During Advent, we get ready to die.

Mass Readings from December 02, 2018:
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2