Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

There is something that all of us discover about ourselves the moment we have a minute of self-reflection: we have the capacity to do the things we hate. In spite of our best efforts and sincere desires to be consistently good, we have this thing in our chests that ought not to be trusted. We have treacherous hearts. And yet, Jesus entrusts His Heart to ours at every Mass.

Mass Readings from March 07, 2021:
Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19:8-11
1 Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25

03/07/21 To The Heart, Part IV: My Treacherous Heart

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

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
Psalm 137:1-6
Ephesians 2:4-10
John 3:14-21

03/14/21 To the Heart, Part V: Hidden Heart

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

What good is it to have a heart that can be hurt by this world?  Many choose to numb themselves rather than feel the pain of life.  But becoming numb leaves us with a heart that is unable.  Unable to feel pain but also unable to feel joy.  As Christians, we are called to have a heart like the heart of Jesus: vulnerable and able.

Mass Readings from March 21, 2021:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15
Hebrews 5:7-9
John 12:20-33

03/21/21 To The Heart, Part VI: Vulnerable and Able

Homily from the Third Sunday of Easter. 

It is possible to encounter God and go back to the same life. It is possible to live as if the miracle had never happened. It is possible to say "I believe" and not be a witness. But it is also possible to not see a miracle and still bear witness to Christ by how we live, what we choose, and what we love.  

Mass Readings from April 18, 2021:
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9
1 John 2:1-5
Luke 24:35-48

04/18/21 To Be A Witness

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter. 

It is possible to encounter God and go back to the same life. It is possible to live as if the miracle had never happened. It is possible to say "I believe" and not be a witness. But it is also possible to not see a miracle and still bear witness to Christ by how we live, what we choose, and what we love.  

Mass Readings from April 25, 2021:
Acts 4:8-12
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
1 John 3:1-2
John 10:11-18

04/25/21 Inclusive Love/Exclusive Claim

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

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
Luke 4:1-13

03/06/22 Last Words, Part I: The First Last Words

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

The Body and Blood of Christ is one of the most under-appreciated gifts God has ever given. In the Scriptures, God gives us His Word. In the Sacraments, God gives us His work. But in the Eucharist, God gives us Himself. 

Mass Readings from June 18, 2022:
Genesis 14:18-20
Psalms 110:1-4
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Luke 9:11-17

06/19/22 Corpus Christi

Homily from the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

We all have fears. Often, those fears lead us to either seize control or to cede control. But when we fear God and His call in our lives, we are called to choose trust over fear. We are called to choose obedience over control.

Mass Readings from November 20, 2022:
2 Samuel 5:1-3
Psalms 122:1-5
Colossians 1:12-20
Luke 23:35-43

11/20/22 A God You Cannot Control

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

Jesus, the Prototype, reveals His prayer to the Apostles. Every rabbi would teach his disciples how to pray, but Jesus is able to give His disciples something that no other rabbi could offer. Jesus prays as the Beloved Son…Jesus teaches His disciples to pray as beloved children who have been claimed by their Father.

Mass Readings from March 5, 2023:
Genesis 12:1-4
Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22.
2 Timothy 1:8-10
Matthew 17:1-9

3/5/23 Prototype, Part III: Prayer

Homily from the Third Sunday of Lent.

We are constantly facing the temptation to define people by their group or by their shame. Jesus reveals that, while He knows the group or by their shame, He sees the person...the individual...and calls them by their name.

Mass Readings from March 12, 2023:
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalms 95:1-2, 6-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42

3/12/23 Prototype, Part IV: Vision

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

The disciples ask Jesus whose fault it is that the man was born blind. So many of us have a tendency to ask the same question: "Whose fault is this?" While that is a natural question, it is not always a helpful question. There is a better question that we can ask.

Mass Readings from March 18, 2023 :
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
Psalms 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41

03/19/23 Prototype, Part V: Fault

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

Jesus wept. Why does Jesus weep in the face of the death of Lazarus? He weeps to silence the Great Lie. He weeps because He loves. He weeps in order to teach us to weep.

Mass Readings from March 26, 2023:
Ezra 37:12-14
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45

Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

3/26/23 Prototype, Part VI: Tears

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.

In His final moments on earth, our Rabbi teaches us one of the greatest lessons of Bet Midrash: how do we face the worst possible realities of life? Do we resist reality? Do we avoid addressing what scares us? Or do we do what Jesus did? Do we choose voluntary and radical acceptance?

Mass Readings from April 2, 2023:
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philemon 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14—27:66

4/2/23 Prototype, Part VII: Acceptance

Covenants establish real relationships. God’s covenant with us, sealed by His own sacrifice, established that the Eucharist is the sign and the sacrifice of the new and eternal covenant.

Give Me A Sign, Part I - Sign Of The Covenant, 02-22-15

Where is your confidence in a world without certainty? We are overwhelmed by the challenges and uncertainty of life.  To walk with faith is to walk with Christ.  To remain in Christ is to make intentional and specific decisions to follow Him.  When we cannot do this all at once, we do it through small, possible steps.

As If, Part IV: As If Jesus Was Our Source

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.

Be what you are and be that well. Winning in the Christian life is also called “being a saint”.   Winning is possible.  Being a saint means willing what God wills.  It means allowing every moment to be a holy moment by asking God to be present, offering Him each moment, and resolving to accept His will.

Ordinary Time, Part IV: Ask. Offer. Accept

Homily from Ash Wednesday.

Lent is tough. Fasting is tough. Christianity is tough. Jesus reveals that His Heart is soft when it comes to our weakness. If we are willing to come out of hiding and fully give our entire selves to Him, He can make our hearts whole in the midst of our littleness.

Mass Readings from March 01, 2017:
Joel 2:12-18
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

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2016-2017 UMD Newman CCM

Wholehearted, Part I: Go Big. Be Small

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

It is a great sign of humility to not be surprised by weakness. It is a great sign of hope to not be discouraged by weakness. It is a great sign of love to not be stopped by weakness. It is a great sign that one is taking Jesus seriously to not be disqualified by weakness.

Mass Readings from March 26, 2017:
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
Psalm 23: 1-3, 3B-4, 5, 6
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41

Wholehearted, Part IV: Into the Heart

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

Jesus revels His heart. He is the God of the broken heart. And Jesus reveals that He is the God who is willing to suffer for the sake of the one He loves. We are called to love Jesus…and to love like Jesus.  This means being willing to suffer for the One we love as well. And in this suffering, God will be able to do something to us and do something through us that is only possible in darkness.

Mass Readings from April 02, 2017:
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Psalm 130:1-8
Romans 8:8-11
John 11:1-45

Wholehearted, Part V: Even Now

Homily from the First Sunday of Lent.

We live in a unique time. It is, in many ways, an age marked by a disposition towards compromise. One where convictions and beliefs are quickly and easily discarded whenever they become inconvenient. But the Christian must be able to stand. Therefore, the follower of Christ must go to the places of testing: the desert, the heart, the root. 

Mass Readings from February 18, 2018:
Genesis 9:8-15
Psalm 25:4-9
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:12-15

02/18/18 The Root, Part II: The Age of Compromise

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

Many people find it incredibly difficult to be honest...even with themselves. But unless we get past the surface to the root of what is truly in our hearts, not only will we not know ourselves, no one else will know us either. In our relationship with God, we need to be honest with what is in our heart, we need to entrust what we've found to Him, and we need to be vulnerable enough to receive His love.

Mass Readings from February 25, 2018:
Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19
Romans 8:31-34
Mark 9:2-10

02/25/18 The Root, Part III: Transparent and Vulnerable

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Many people find it incredibly difficult to be honest...even with themselves. But unless we get past the surface to the root of what is truly in our hearts, not only will we not know ourselves, no one else will know us either. In our relationship with God, we need to be honest with what is in our heart, we need to entrust what we've found to Him, and we need to be vulnerable enough to receive His love.

Mass Readings from March 11, 2018:
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
Psalm 137:1-6
Ephesians 2:4-10
John 3:14-21

The Root, Part IV: Radical

Homily from Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.

The Passion and death of Christ is so...big. Sometimes it can seem so big that it becomes impersonal. But this event was not anonymous and the sufferings of Jesus were not generic. Each moment has a name attached to it, and each blow was specific. Until what I did to him becomes personal, what he did for me it's not personal.

Mass Readings from March 25, 2018:
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24.
Philippians 2:6-11
Hebrews 5:7-9
Mark 14:1—15:47

03/25/18 Sign Your Name

Homily from the Second Sunday of Easter.

The early Church was filled with men and women who lived in uncertainty.  The current Church is filled with men and women who live in uncertainty.  The key difference between them and us is that they had something more sure than certainty and something more powerful than control…they were convinced.

Mass Readings from February 25, 2018:
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

What's Next, Part I: Something More Than Control

Homily from the Fourth Sunday of Easter.

In calling us to what’s next, God doesn’t necessarily take anything away, but He gives us something. He doesn’t necessarily take away the danger or the fear, but He gives us what we need for the next thing. Courage is using what you’ve been given the moment what you’ve been given is needed the most.

Mass Readings from April 22, 2018:
Acts 4:8-12
Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
1 John 3:1-2
John 10:11-18

What's Next, Part III: When the Chips Are Down

Homily from the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

It is one thing to have confidence when a person has power and knowledge. There is another kind of confidence that is necessary when a person is powerless and answerless. This is the kind of confidence in another – – God – – that is willing to place everything a person has and doesn’t have under the Lordship of Jesus..

Mass Readings from April 29, 2018:
Acts 9:26-31
Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8

What's Next, Part IV: Go With

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

We often want to measure greatness by a person's ability, or by what they have accomplished. But God reveals that, while what we do matters, who we are and who we become matters more.

Mass Readings from September 9, 2018:
Isaiah 35:4-7
Psalm 146:6-10
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37

Greatest of All Time, Part I: Identity, Not Ability

Homily from the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The heart of religion is the worship of God.  And the heart of worship is always sacrifice; a gift that is poured out on the altar.  Where is your gift being poured out?  Where is your altar?

Mass Readings from November 04, 2018:
Deuteronomy 6:2-6
Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34

Come to the Altar, Part I: Where's Your Altar?

Homily from the Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The temptation to experience worship as hollow or empty is universal.  God’s solution for our hearts is the invitation to offer Him our first-fruits.  Sacrifices that are intentional, consequential, and representational have the power to transform our hearts and fill up what might be hollow worship.

Mass Readings from November 11, 2018:
1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

2018-2019 UMD Newman CCM

Come to the Altar, Part II: Hollow Worship

Homily from the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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
Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Mark 13:24-32

Come to the Altar, Part III: Learning to Worship

Homily from the Thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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
Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33-37

Come to the Altar, Part IV: Kingdom Priesthood

Homily from Divine Mercy Sunday.

Many people battle with perfectionism. God’s mercy in the midst of failure is His remedy for the fear that failure is the end.

Mass Readings from April 28, 2019:
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-2
Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31

#Fail: Free to Fail

Homily from the Second Sunday of Lent.

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
Psalm 116:10, 15-17, 18-19
Romans 8:31-34
Mark 9:2-10

02/28/21 To The Heart, Part III: The Adventure of Obedience

Father Mike Schmitz is the Newman Center Chaplain at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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