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

08/21/22 You, Strive

Ascension — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

How are you fighting for Heaven?

Jesus makes it very clear that our call is to make our pursuit of Heaven exactly that: a pursuit. He is personal and practical when He tells us that each and every one of us must strive for Heaven.

Mass Readings from August 21, 2022:
Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalms 117:1, 2
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13

12/19/21 Abounding Love: Love Commits

Ascension — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 18:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Love without a commitment remains an illusion.

In order to truly grow in love, there needs to be the willingness to make a commitment. And there needs to be the ability to keep a commitment.

Mass Readings from December 19, 2021:
Micah 5:1-4
Psalms 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10

10/10/21 Holding On: Holding On to You

Ascension — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

What you've been holding on to ends up holding on to you.

Anything can keep us from Heaven. Anything that we prefer over and over (and anything that we defer putting down over and over) can end up holding on to us. There are times when we've chosen so often that we no longer have a choice. And there are times when we have put off letting go so often that we can't put it down. And we find ourselves stuck. What do we hold on to then?

Mass Readings from October 10th, 2021:
Wisdom 7:7-11
Psalms 90:12-17
Hebrews 4:12-13

07/25/21 Consumer Catholic: Everything Given. Nothing Wasted.

Ascension — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Nothing given to God is wasted.

The Apostles asked the question, "What good are these for so many?" Yet, Jesus invited them to give what they had and to trust Him with all of it. Jesus invites us to do the same: Give everything and know that nothing will be wasted.

Mass Readings from July 25, 2021:
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalms 145:10-11, 15-18
Ephesians 4:1-6

06/06/21 The Crisis of Love

Ascension — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Homily from The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Do we lack faith? Or do we lack love?

Most people who call themselves Catholic do not believe one of the most central and most powerful teaching in the Church. Is it because they lack hearing? Do they lack the opportunity to know about this teaching? Do they lack faith? Or is something else missing?

Mass Readings from June 6, 2021:
Exodus 24:3-8
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18
Hebrews 9:11-15

03/14/21 To The Heart: Hidden Heart

Ascension — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

A hidden heart is a homeless heart.

The people of Israel were brought into exile. It was imposed from the outside. But after King Cyrus game them a way home, many of them chose to live in self-imposed exile. The same is true for all of us who have been exiled by our sin and slavery to death. Jesus has made it possible to step into the light and come home, but many choose to live outside the light...many of us live in self-imposed exile.

Mass Readings from March 14, 2021:
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
Psalms 137:6
Ephesians 2:4-10

11/22/20 Roadmap: Expect Delays

Ascension — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 14:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King.

What you do with the delay makes all the difference.

We have a destination: to be who we are and to be that well. We have a Roadmap and a Rule of Life. What remains is one last question: Is there any room in your Rule for the Ruler?

Mass Readings from November 22, 2020:
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Psalms 23:1-3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

11/15/20 Roadmap: Checkpoints

Ascension — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 13:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

What have you done with what you've been given?

No one ever sets out to lose. But losing is entirely possible: in business, relationships, and in the spiritual life. It is possible to lose one’s soul. No one wants to lose, but many people do. Even with a great roadmap, we need regular checkpoints to make sure we are on course and haven’t gone off track.

Mass Readings from November 15, 2020:
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Psalms 128:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

11/08/20 Roadmap: Accident or Excellent

Ascension — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Excellence requires making the decision carefully, consistently, and quickly.

The one question that can either deflate or motivate a person is “When?” This question reveals whether our goal is an actual goal or merely a wish. But if we want to escape a life of accidents and craft a life of excellence, we need to make the decision of “when” are we going to choose excellence carefully, consistently, and quickly.

Mass Readings from November 8, 2020:
Wisdom 6:12-16
Psalms 63:2-8
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

10/18/20 Roadmap: Be A Saint

Ascension — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 22:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The roadmap begins with “Who.”

There is one true goal in life: to be a saint. Many of us believe this, but is there a path? Without a plan, we will certainly fail to hit the goal. Without a roadmap, we will spend our time on this planet wandering as if we neither know where we are or where we are going.

Mass Readings from October 18, 2020:
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Psalms 96:1, 3-5, 7-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

09/20/20 How Do I Look? Highlighter

Ascension — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It doesn’t matter how long you live. What matters is how you live.

Our lives will magnify (or highlight) something. Will they be so full of nice things that they will miss the most excellent things? Or will we be wise so that, no matter the outcome, Christ will be highlighted?

Mass Readings from September 20, 2020:
Isaiah 55:6-9
Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
Philippians 1:20-24, 27

06/28/20 Something to Lose

Ascension — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is a gift to have something to lose.

Every good thing in our lives comes from Jesus. Since He is the source of everything, He must be more important than anything.

Mass Readings from June 28, 2020:
2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16
Psalms 89:2-3,16-19
Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

03/24/19 Behind Enemy Lines: Trust God...and Fight

Ascension — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0500

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 His love…and He allows us to grow stronger in our ability to walk as His children.

Mass Readings from March 24, 2019:
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15
Psalms 103: 1-4, 6-8, 11
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

10/07/18 Rivals: All or Nothing

Ascension — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 19:15:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There are some relationships that do not tolerate rivals.

There are only two kinds of relationships that get to a point where it is “all…or nothing”: Romantic relationships and our relationship with Jesus. If we say “all”, that carries with it some consequences. Namely, all of our heart must belong to the other.

Mass Readings from October 7, 2018:
Genesis 2:18-24
Psalms 128:1-6
Hebrews 2:9-11