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

09/11/22 Eulogy Virtues: Joy

Ascension — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 11:45:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Who you are now is who you are.

Joy is the abiding sense of well-being. It is a feeling, but it is also a choice. But we do not choose joy itself. We must choose the source of joy. Love is the source of joy.

Mass Readings from September 11, 2022
Exodus 32:7-11
Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
1 Timothy 1:12-17

08/14/22 Finish the Race

Ascension — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Sometimes God gives the victory and sometimes God gives what we need to finish the race.

Every one of us is in the middle of the race of our lives. God has called us and brought us here, even when there is no victory in sight and even when victory is not possible. But God will always give whatever we need to finish the race.

Mass Readings from August 14, 2022:
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Psalms 40:2-4, 18
Hebrews 12:1-4

07/24/22 Teach Us How

Ascension — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Who determines the How.

The disciples did not merely want Jesus to help them have a "better spiritual life" or a deeper prayer life; they wanted to pray how He prayed. And Jesus taught them. He taught them that Who we pray to determines how we pray.

Mass Readings from July 24, 2022:
Genesis 18:20-32
Psalms 138:1-3, 6-8
Colossians 2:12-14

07/17/22 The Question

Ascension — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Feeling anxious, worried, or sorry for yourself is normal. It is also completely unhelpful.

We have a problem. And the problem is that we can do the right thing in the wrong way. We can choose to serve...while feeding our worry and self-pity. We can carry our cross...while feeling anxious and sorry for ourselves. Everything comes down to one question; it is not a matter of being tough, it is a matter of trust.

Mass Readings from July 17, 2022:
Genesis 18:1-10
Psalms 15:2-5
Colossians 1:24-28

05/08/22 The Time of Great Distress

Ascension — Mon, 09 May 2022 18:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter.

You are not abandoned. You are not alone. You are not afraid.

Our lives are marked by stress. Not only is stress unavoidable, it is necessary. The main question is: what is our response to stress?

Mass Readings from May 8, 2022:
Acts 13:14, 43-52
Psalms 100:1-3, 5
Revelation 7:9, 14-17

04/14/22 Last Words: The Final Last Word

Ascension — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 22:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper.

All of Jesus’ words are summed up in one word.

On the cross, Jesus’ life ends with the same perspective He has had from the beginning: He trusts His Father.

Mass Readings from April 14, 2022:
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18
1 Corinthians 11:23-26

03/20/22 Last Words: Behold, Your Mother

Ascension — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

The best gifts can be given in the worst of circumstances.

When He had virtually nothing left to give, Jesus still gave. He gave His own mother to be our mother. The one person who knew Him most and loved Him best, Jesus entrusted to all of His beloved disciples.

Mass Readings from March 20, 2022:
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15
Psalm 103: 1-4, 6-8, 11
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

12/25/21 Look Up

Ascension — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Mass).

God is with you on the bathroom floor.

We are so distracted by so many things that we need to look up. But sometimes we need to look lower in order to see where God is in our lives.

Mass Readings from December 25, 2021:
Isaiah 62:11-12
Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12
Titus 3:4-7

11/14/21 Always Forward. Never Back.

Ascension — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The struggle doesn't change the destination. The struggle is the way.

When we are in the middle of a journey...or the middle of life...we will encounter obstacles. In that encounter with obstacles, we will be tempted to go back. But it is necessary to ask “what is God asking of me right now?”

Mass Readings from November 14th, 2021:
Deuteronomy 12:1-3
Psalms 16:5, 8-11
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

10/31/21 Learning to Lose: All is Lost

Ascension — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

When all is lost, love God with all that's left.

We are called to love God with everything. It is easier to love when we are winning, but are we able to love when we've lost? What if we have lost everything? When we've lost, we are most tempted to become bitter, resentful, and take back our love. But we are made to love God and we can trust God even in the midst of losing it all.

Mass Readings from October 31st, 2021:
Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51
Hebrews 7:23-28

09/05/21 Seen. Known. Loved.

Ascension — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Transition always involves destruction.

Jesus heals the man who was deaf and mute. In doing this, He was destroying something in the man’s life…his identity. Jesus has to take away the false identity in order to tell us who we truly are.

Mass Readings from September 5, 2021:
Isaiah 35:4-7
Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
James 2:1-5

07/04/21 "Ruined"

Ascension — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The beauty is in the broken.

Too often, when we encounter our own brokenness and woundedness, we either pretend it isn’t there or we just want it to be taken away. But surrendered to God, our weakness is more than replaced and more than erased, they are redeemed.

Mass Readings from July 4, 2021:
Ezekiel 2:2-5
Psalms 123:1-4
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

06/20/21 Everyday Courage: Into the Storm

Ascension — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God is in the storm.

There are times when we do everything God has asked us to do…and we still find ourselves in the midst of a storm. In those moments, we are called to resist resentment and embrace courage. In those moments, we are called to run into the storm, confident that God is in the storm.

Mass Readings from June 20, 2021:
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalms 92:2-3, 13-16
2 Corinthians 5:6-10

05/09/21 Spark Joy

Ascension — Mon, 10 May 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Joy is rooted in confidence and comes as a consequence.

We can choose joy only insofar as we can choose the source of our joy. Joy comes as a consequence; it is a fruit. And the depth and permanence of our joy is only going to be as deep and long lasting as what we place our confidence in. Only when we surrender to the love of God can we have a joy that is deeper and more permanent than any amount of suffering that comes from life.

Mass Readings from May 9, 2021:
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalms 98:1-4
1 John 4:7-10

02/28/21 To The Heart: The Adventure of Obedience

Ascension — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

Obedience precedes understanding.

We are made for adventure. But adventure means mystery and uncertainty. Often, what holds us back from action is a lack of knowing why. But what if there is a better question than “why?”? What if the adventure of obedience means asking “how?”?

Mass Readings from February 28, 2021:
Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
Psalms 116:10, 15-17, 18-19
Romans 8:31-34

02/07/21 Hindsight 20/20: In Good Times and In Bad

Ascension — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 17:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Good times don’t last…and neither do bad times.

One of the many things that life teaches us is that life is always changing. To grow is to change. There are times that are good and there are times that are bad. All of us go through good times and bad times and neither of them are permanent. In both good times and bad, Jesus is Lord and He loves the person in a desperate situation and the person in a bright situation.

Mass Readings from February 07, 2021:
Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Psalms 147:1-6
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

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

10/11/20 No Difference

Ascension — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There are many goods. There is only one best.

Modern indifference is the inability to take joy in in one's situation regardless of the circumstances. It is seeing "no difference" between the awesome and the awful...as well as the awesome alright.

Mass Readings from October 11, 2020:
Isaiah 25:6-10
Psalms 23:1-6
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

08/30/20 How Do I Look? "Lucky"

Ascension — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Am I being conformed or transformed?

Christians must not only live differently in the world, we must look differently at the world.

Mass Readings from August 30, 2020:
Jeremiah 20:7-9
Psalms 63:2-6, 8-9
Romans 12:1-2

08/16/20 Great Faith

Ascension — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Faith can only become great when it is tested.

What kind of faith do you want? Faith that makes a difference because it is lived out is the only kind of faith that matters.

Mass Readings from August 16, 2020:
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

08/09/20 Why Did You Stop?

Ascension — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is one thing to start walking. It is another thing to keep walking.

Distraction is anything that takes our focus away from where it needs to be.

Mass Readings from August 9, 2020:
1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
Psalms 85:9-12, 13-14
Romans 9:1-5

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

04/19/20 Insecure: The Source of Security

Ascension — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 01:00:00 -0500

Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday.

In a time of incredible insecurity, we trust in incomprehensible mercy.

We live in an insecure world, but God’s mercy is stable.

Mass Readings from April 19, 2020:
Acts 2:42-47
Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
1 Peter 1:3-9

04/05/20 Un-Done: Unfinished

Ascension — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.

Jesus has not removed suffering from our lives, He has redeemed the suffering in our lives.

Jesus accomplished the Father’s will in His passion, death, and resurrection. His mission of salvation is “finished.” And yet, Christ’s Body on earth still lives out the mission of Her Head: we are called to unite our sufferings to His for the salvation of the world. And this work — the work He has entrusted to us — remains unfinished.

Mass Readings from April 5, 2020:
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalms 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philippians 2:6-11

03/29/20 Un-Done: Broken, Not Lost

Ascension — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

Jesus is the God of the Broken Heart.

Suffering, sickness, and death are devastating. But nothing is worse than losing one’s heart. A broken heart is still home in Jesus’ Heart.

Mass Readings from March 29, 2020:
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Psalms 130:1-8
Romans 8:8-11

03/22/20 Un-Done: God Shows Up

Ascension — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 20:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Real suffering in this world reveals the deeper part of us that has come undone.

God made this world good, but He did not make it unbreakable. This world has come undone, and our sickness and suffering reveals the deeper ways our hearts have come undone.

Mass Readings from March 22, 2020:
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
Psalms 23: 1-6
Ephesians 5:8-14

03/15/20 Un-Done: Not Fine

Ascension — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

You are not fine. You don't have to be.

We live in a world that has come undone with hearts and relationships that have come undone. Jesus comes to that wound to undo what has been undone.

Mass Readings from March 15, 2020:
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

01/26/20 Underestimated: Silence is Not Absence

Ascension — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Do not underestimate what God is doing when it seems like God is doing nothing.

There are seasons of silence, and hiddenness, and brokenness in all of our lives. These times are not just useful, they are necessary for us to become the kind of people God needs us to be.

Mass Readings from January 26, 2020:
Isaiah 8:23-9:3
Psalms 27:1, 4, 13-14
1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

11/24/19 A King Who Remembers

Ascension — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 08:00:00 -0600

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:
2 Samuel 5:1-3
Psalms 122:1-5
Colossians 1:12-20

03/06/19 Behind Enemy Lines: Isolated and Disoriented

Ascension — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0600

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 battle that won’t be won unless we are ready to engage the enemy who will attack us like our Lord was attacked in the wilderness...behind enemy lines.

Mass Readings from March 6, 2019:
Joel 2:12-18
Psalms 51:3-6, 12-14
Corinthians 5:20—6:2

03/03/19 Talking and Trials

Ascension — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 07:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

What reveals the heart.

We often are a mystery...even to ourselves. But Christians must come to a place of self-knowledge so we can present our true self to the true God.

Mass Readings from March 3, 2019:
Sirach 27:4-7
Psalms 92:2-3, 13-16
1 Corinthians 15:54-58

02/17/19 The Fighting Virtue

Ascension — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 07:00:00 -0600

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 action.

Mass Readings from February 17, 2019:
Jeremiah 17:5-8
Psalms 1:1-4, 6
1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

02/10/19 Disqualified: Unfit

Ascension — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 07:00:00 -0600

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 weakness; He doesn’t necessarily call us out of our weakness.

Mass Readings from February 10, 2019:
Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8
Psalms 138:1-5, 7-8
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

12/25/18 But Why?

Ascension — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 07:30:00 -0600

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
Psalms 97:1, 6, 11-12
Titus 3:4-7