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

08/07/22 Loosen the Roots

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

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

We sacrifice because we love and we love because we sacrifice.

The roots in our lives can be so beneficial. Family and friends, home and homeland. But roots can also become traps. Good things can become Ultimate Things. When we say "I need this" and are willing to sacrifice anything to get or to hold on to it, we become trapped. In this, God loosens the roots and calls us to walk by faith.

Mass Readings from August 7, 2022:
Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalms 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

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

05/29/22 Ascension Gives Access

Ascension — Mon, 30 May 2022 15:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord.

What am I going to do with the gifts I've been given?

In the Ascension, Jesus completes the work of redemption. He has taken His once for all sacrifice, bound to time and place, and brought it before the Father. Because of this, we have access to all of God's graces in every time and every place.

Mass Readings from May 29, 2022:
Acts 1:1-11
Psalms 47:2-3, 6-9
Ephesians 1:17-23

05/22/22 The Gift of the Church

Ascension — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

The great temptation to stay in our own "version" of the Church.

God has given us the gift of the Church. The Church is His Body...the Church is His Bride. And we cannot have Jesus without His Church.

Mass Readings from May 22, 2022:
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalms 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23

05/15/22 Do Not Be Shocked

Ascension — Sun, 15 May 2022 10:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

The best you on the worst day of your life.

There are a few things that we ought to never be surprised by. One of them is suffering. God does not abandon us in our suffering, he leads us through them.

Mass Readings from May 15, 2022:
Acts 14:21-27
Psalms 145:8-13
Revelation 21:1-5
John 13:31-35

04/15/22 The Crown of Thorns

Ascension — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 19:00:00 -0500

Homily from Good Friday of the Lord's Passion.

The heart of envy.

The crown of thorns reveals the darkness of the human heart. This darkness is in each one of us in the form of envy.

Mass Readings from April 15, 2022:
Isaiah 52:13—53:12
Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

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

03/06/22 Last Words: The First Last Words

Ascension — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

The first last words of Jesus reveal not just what, but Who was on His mind in the last moments of His life.

Mass Readings from March 06, 2022:
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalms 91:1-2, 10-15
Romans 10:8-13

01/23/22 Know Why

Ascension — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Imagine living your entire life and not knowing why.

The return of the exiled Jews from Babylon was a great gift. But it also highlighted the reality that many of them did not know why they were Jewish. Do Catholics know why they are Catholic? Or do we lose our way precisely because we have lost our why?

Mass Readings from January 23, 2022
Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10
Psalms 19:8-10, 15
1 Corinthians 12:12-30

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

11/01/21 Your Feast Day

Ascension — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.

One day, this will be your feast day.

The Solemnity of All Saints is the day the Church has given us to celebrate and honor what God has done in the lives of the countless people He has redeemed and sanctified.

Mass Readings from November 1st, 2021:
Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Psalms 18:2-4, 47, 51
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34

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

05/23/21 Kingdom Gifts

Ascension — Sun, 23 May 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Homily from Pentecost Sunday.

Am I willing to use the gifts that God has already given?

At Pentecost, the disciples received the Holy Spirit and the subsequent gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts glorify the Father and have changed the world. If we were given these gifts, we could also glorify the Father and change the world…but would we?

Mass Readings from May 23, 2021:
Acts 2:1-11
Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

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

12/25/20 Taken

Ascension — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 09:00:00 -0600

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

Why is He there?

We have become more comfortable with the "completed" past than the unknown future. Rather than desiring to launch into the challenge of the future, many of us have become paralyzed by fear of the future. When we are rooted in the Word of God each day, we become more rooted in God Himself each day. When we are rooted in the Lord, there is no room for fear of the future.

Mass Readings from December 25, 2020:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98:1-6
Hebrews 1:1-6

11/01/20 Roadmap: Guardrails

Ascension — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 14:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.

No one ever accidentally lived on purpose.

No two saints are the same. There is no “cookie-cutter” path to holiness. While there are certain givens that must be present, each person has to assess where they are in their relationship with the Lord in order to know best where to place wise guardrails in their own life.

Mass Readings from November 1, 2020:
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Psalms 24:1-6
1 John 3:1-3

10/25/20 Roadmap: Reclaimed and Repurposed

Ascension — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Holiness isn’t always changing your what as much as changing your why.

Our lives have been reclaimed by Christ and we have become a new creation. Because of this, every moment of our lives can be lived with and for a new purpose. Every moment can be repurposed to be a sacrament, and sacrifice, and an act of surrender.

Mass Readings from October 25, 2020:
Exodus 22:20-26
Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51/dt>
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10

09/13/20 How Do I Look? The Cost of Forgiveness

Ascension — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

There is no forgiveness without justice.

Forgiveness is neither excusing nor enabling evil. There is always a debt that needs to be paid…and somebody needs to pay it.

Mass Readings from September 13, 2020:
Sirach 27:30—28:7
Psalms 103:1-4, 9-12
Romans 14:7-9

06/14/20 No Longer Optional

Ascension — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 19:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharist will never be optional...until the day it is no longer an option.

The moment worship becomes about “what I get” it ceases to be an act of love and becomes idolatry.

Mass Readings from June 14, 2020:
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
1 Corinthians 10:16-17

05/17/20 Exiles: Why Go Back?

Ascension — Mon, 18 May 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Homily from the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Not a habit or a have-to, but the heart is the reason.

At some point, the exile will end. You will be able to go back. But why? What is the reason why you will go back?

Mass Readings from May 17, 2020:
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Psalms 66:1-3, 4-7, 16, 20
1 Peter 3:15-18

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

03/01/20 Un-Done: We've Come Undone

Ascension — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0600

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

The decision that broke the world.

This world is not perfect. And we are not perfect. But imperfect does not mean unloved.

Mass Readings from March 1, 2020:
Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Psalms 51:3-6, 12-13, 17
Romans 5:12-19

06/09/19 The Peace of Christ

Ascension — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 08:00:00 -0500

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
Psalms 100:1-2, 3, 51
Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

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

11/25/18 Come to the Altar: Kingdom Priesthood

Ascension — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 07:00:00 -0600

Homily from the Solemnity of Christ the King.

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 believers so that the Father may be glorified and the world redeemed when the sacrifice is offered throughout the world.

Mass Readings from November 25, 2018:
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalms 93:1, 1-2, 5
Revelation 1:5-8

11/18/18 Come to the Altar: Learning to Worship

Ascension — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 07:00:00 -0600

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 offering, Why it is crucial, and When to focus, the more we will be able to do more than watch…we will be able to worship.

Mass Readings from November 18, 2018:
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalms 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18